Food Holidays & Occasions Christmas 33 Merry Christmas Brunch Recipes Curate your holiday morning spread with seasonal babka, breakfast casseroles, berry syrup, and more. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 29, 2023 Close Cinnamon-Apple Babka. Photo: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Christmas morning can be filled with anticipation and excitement, and what better way to kick it off than with an impressive brunch spread? From a pillowy Dutch baby to gooey cinnamon rose rolls, and luscious breakfast egg cups to cheese-encrusted biscuits, our festive recipe roundup hits all the mouthwatering notes from sweet to savory. Read on for those recipes, and more dishes you can add to your Christmas brunch menu. 01 of 33 Caramelized Apple Bread with Candied Ginger and Almond Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Like a tarte Tatin, this treat is also topped with caramelized apples. But instead of cake, the base is a buttery yeasted bread with a creamy almond-paste filling. Even better, the apples sizzle in caramel before they're arranged in a baking pan that's been sprinkled with crystallized ginger, ensuring gently spiced flavor in every bite. Get the Recipe 02 of 33 Cardamom Baked French Toast Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners To make this twist on baked French toast, inspired by the Swedish cardamom-infused buns called kardemummabullar, you'll spread slices of tender, eggy challah with a sugary cardamom butter, then toast them until light gold. Get the Recipe 03 of 33 Cinnamon-Apple Babka Cinnamon-Apple Babka. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Serve a gooey, buttery cinnamon bun twisted together with the flavors of apple pie. Get the Recipe 04 of 33 Cinnamon Roses Michael Piazza This simple yeasted dough is soft and tender, yielding golden, tear-apart rolls. For the best “bloom,” tightly roll the dough, and use unflavored dental floss to cut roses; it pinches the rolls less than using a knife. These look beautiful on any holiday spread. Get the Recipe 05 of 33 Brown-Butter Pancakes with Sheet-Pan Berry Syrup Andrea Slonecker For this elevated version of a classic breakfast, browned butter infuses the barely sweet batter, which fries up into fluffy, lacy-edged flapjacks. The sheet-pan fruit syrup comes together quickly; frozen berries burst in the oven, releasing their juices to mingle with caramelly brown sugar and a touch of lemon. Get the Recipe 06 of 33 Lemony Crêpe Casserole Jennifer Causey Reminiscent of classic bread pudding, this sweet-tart crêpe casserole has a beautiful lacy top and tender-but-sliceable center, adorned with a buttery lemon-tinged maple sauce. It's made with the ease of store-bought lemon curd and crêpes. Get the Recipe 07 of 33 Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Breakfast Pastry Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This sweet, easy breakfast pastry comes together without much planning (just thaw some puff pastry the night before). While the cream cheese filling and assembly are essential, feel free to play with your choice of fruit preserve in place of the blueberry preserves, or try adding a few chocolate chips if the occasion calls for it. Get the Recipe 08 of 33 Breakfast Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata and Mushrooms Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners These elegant, savory herb-topped eggs bake up in a muffin pan, so it's easy to make breakfast or brunch for a few days — or for more than a few people. Serve any leftover breakfast egg cups sandwiched between buttered, toasted English muffins or brioche slices. Get the Recipe 09 of 33 Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss Gregory DuPree A large-format pancake with a light, airy interior and rich, savory toppings, this Dutch baby is perfect for brunch. Add the toppings around the edges, leaving the center clear to allow it to rise properly. Preheating the pan is also crucial to a beautiful rise; the batter should begin to puff immediately after you pour it into the pan. Get the Recipe 10 of 33 Salmon and Arugula Frittata with Pesto Emily Kordovich Chef Eric Adjepong uses salmon two ways in his pesto-infused frittata, topping the eggs with cooked fresh salmon before baking it, then garnishing the frittata with thinly-smoked salmon just before serving. Get the Recipe 11 of 33 Cheddar-Scallion Biscuits Greg DuPree "The buttermilk dough bakes atop a pile of grated cheddar, bringing not just a wonderfully caramelized flavor, but a clever textural element in the form of crisp, lacy 'feet' that form around the bottom of each biscuit," Food & Wine's Kat Kinsman writes of this recipe from Megan Scott. "Add a hefty amount of chopped scallion into the mix and it's a savory, joyous match for the ages." Get the Recipe 12 of 33 Crêpes Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke This basic crêpe recipe is our light, delicate go-to for brunches and a sure crowd pleaser with a topping or filling bar for guests to customize their sweet or savory treat. Get the Recipe 13 of 33 Chocolate Babka This amazing chocolate babka from pastry chef Melissa Weller at Sadelle’s in New York City gets extra flavor in the swirl from chocolate cookie crumbs. As a bonus, the tender-crumbed babka is topped with a thick and luscious chocolate glaze. Get the Recipe 14 of 33 Chilaquiles with Tomatillo Salsa and Fried Eggs Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Bringing a skillet of chilaquiles topped with all the fixings to the table is a very wise Christmas brunch move. Start out by firing up your broiler: Lightly charring the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeños, and onion gives the green salsa terrific depth of flavor. If you don't have time to fry the tortilla chips at home, just pick up a bag of your favorite store-bought brand. Get the Recipe 15 of 33 Aebleskivers with Raspberry Jam Ebelskivers With Raspberry Jam. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley These round, slightly sweet Danish pancakes are filled with jam and traditionally served at Christmas time. Get the Recipe 16 of 33 Pesto-and-Cheese-Stuffed Brioche Scrolls with Bacon-Tomato Jam Pesto-and-Cheese-Stuffed Brioche Scrolls with Bacon-Tomato Jam. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver These buttery pesto-and-Asiago-cheese-stuffed brioche spiraled pastries are a perfect treat for any time of day. These savory cousins to cinnamon rolls feature buttery brioche scrolls filled with nutty pesto and salty Asiago cheese. The recipe, from Timmy Gibbons and Bobby Schaffer of Chicago’s Lost Larson bakery, begins with a sweet and buttery brioche dough. Get the Recipe 17 of 33 Make-It-Your-Own (MIYO) Tofu Scramble Haile Thomas / Will Coleman "Nutritional yeast adds a rich and nutty 'cheesy' flavor, while the layering of herbs, spices, and add-ins really brings the scramble to life!" cookbook author and activist Haile Thomas writes. Get the Recipe 18 of 33 English Muffins Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Make Model Bakery's famously oversized, pillowy English muffins at home, thanks to baking expert Rick Rodgers’ The Model Bakery Cookbook. Get the Recipe 19 of 33 Buttermilk Biscuits and Pat LaFrieda's Sausage Gravy William Hereford Dry white wine helps cut through the richness in the gravy, bringing a balanced acidity to this hearty dish. Homemade sausage is well-seasoned and not overly sweet, so choose a savory or spicy blend if substituting for store-bought sausage. Get the Recipe 20 of 33 Japanese Soufflé Pancakes Gregory DuPree The secret to high-rise soufflé pancakes is all about speed and temperature. Cold egg whites whip more slowly than room temperature ones, but they form stronger, more uniform bubbles. And, whipping them on medium speed incorporates more air. Finally, piping the batter in one swift pass allows you to create more height from the beginning without overcooking each pancake. Get the Recipe 21 of 33 Sourdough Buttermilk Waffles Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland These waffles call for sourdough starter discard — collect it in a bowl in the fridge, adding to it until you have enough for the recipe. These tangy waffles pair nicely with maple syrup. Get the Recipe 22 of 33 Brown-Butter Banana Bread Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Brown butter adds a deep, caramel-like note of nutty richness to this make-ahead banana bread. To hit the proper note, 2020 F&W Best New Chef Lena Sareini insists on waiting until your bananas are extremely ripe — very speckled and mushy. Get the Recipe 23 of 33 Buttermilk Crumpets Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Paige Grandjean / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Crisp on the outside with an airy, spongy center, crumpets are lovely hot out of the pan but also reheat beautifully in the toaster. Buttermilk helps to keep them tender and light, while spelt flour lends a nutty flavor. Get the Recipe 24 of 33 Sesame Bagel Breakfast Casserole © Christina Holmes This breakfast-sandwich-inspired casserole with sesame bagel pieces is best assembled the night before, allowing the bread to soak up the egg custard. Simply pop in the oven the next morning and sip on mimosas while it bakes. Get the Recipe 25 of 33 Pain au Chocolat Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Pain au chocolat is all about the perfect pairing of flaky, buttery pastry with rich chocolate, so you want to ensure that there's chocolate in every bite. To do so, space the batons side by side with a layer of dough in between. Tuck the dough seam under the batons to prevent unfolding during baking. Get the Recipe 26 of 33 Sausage and Red Onion Sheet Pan Quiche Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Inspired by a foot-long quiche that chef Cedric Maupillier served at Convivial in Washington, D.C., this quiche is prepared in a rimmed baking sheet. It makes plenty for the whole crowd, yielding 12 servings total. Get the Recipe 27 of 33 Quiche Lorraine © Abby Hocking Crisp bacon bits, Gruyere cheese and sour cream flavor the rich and creamy classic quiche, which is encased in a flaky butter-based crust. The secret to this quiche's super-silky texture is the small amount of sour cream in this recipe whisked into the eggs. A flaky tart dough gives it a buttery flavor base that marries with the tender bacon-infused egg custard. Be sure to use pie weights or baking beans when you blind-bake the crust, so it holds its shape and doesn't shrink in the oven. Get the Recipe 28 of 33 Christmas Morning Casserole © CHRISTINA HOLMES Chef Bryan Voltaggio loves this make-ahead dish: a classic baked bread-and-egg casserole with bites of pepperoni, mushrooms, and gooey cheese. It's as good for dinner as it is for breakfast. Get the Recipe 29 of 33 Cranberry Gingerbread © John Kernick With plenty of tart and tangy fresh cranberries, this loaf is perfect sliced, spread with sweet butter and served alongside a cup of hot tea. Get the Recipe 30 of 33 Christmas Morning Biscotti John Kernick "These biscotti spiced with cocoa nibs and anise seeds are my Italian interpretation of biskotso, a Filipino twice-baked cookie I grew up eating with hot cocoa," says chef Merrin Mae Gray about these cookies. Get the Recipe 31 of 33 Rye and Crème Fraîche Strata with Smoked Salmon John Kernick In this playful riff on a bagel with cream cheese and lox, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes a custardy rye bread pudding with capers, then tops it with smoked salmon and red onion. It's warm, comforting, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Get the Recipe 32 of 33 Chocolate Cream and Orange Brioche Buns Chocolate Cream and Orange Brioche Buns. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver These festive, doughnut-like, buttery brioche pastries are filled with fluffy chocolate cream and orange marmalade. Get the Recipe 33 of 33 Savory Bread Pudding © Abby Hocking This bread pudding from chef Sohui Kim is studded with bacon and Swiss chard, plus two types of cheese — Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can prepare it up to a day in advance and then bake it the day you serve it. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit