52 Recipes For The Best New Year's Day Brunch Ever
No, leftover pizza from the night before does not count!
You might typically enjoy your first meal of the New Year out at brunch (or scrounge together leftovers from your NYE party). But no matter if you’re the type to leap out of bed to meet the new year, are more likely to be hungover, or are somewhere in between, we can all agree—a delicious brunch on New Year’s day is a must. Since going out to eat is too much work (what places are even open?), and delivery times are bound to be hours long, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite morning options, perfect for whether you want something extra special or extra easy. Check out our 52 New Year’s brunch recipes for ideas—we hear it’s bad luck to not make at least one of them 😉.
Looking for something decadent to welcome in the New Year in style? Try our jelly donut breakfast bake, our overnight French toast, our steak & eggs, or our classic popovers. They’re all perfect alongside a classic mimosa or Bloody Mary, so make up a pitcher to share.
Want something more low-key to go with a similarly chill day spent indoors, watching movies or tidying your home? Check out our breakfast burritos, our baked feta eggs, our cowboy breakfast bowl, or our breakfast crunchwrap supremes? They’re guaranteed to improve even the worst of Champagne hangovers.
The other thing to consider is whether or not you’re looking to get a head start on any food-related New Year’s resolutions, like trying out eating more plant-based or low-carb. We’re all for a reset and appreciate the opportunity the new year provides to reassess our eating habits, so we’ve included some of our favorite more health-conscious recipes here. Check out our chia pudding, our baked eggs & zoodles, our tofu scramble, or our blueberry smoothie. They’re still delish but won’t weigh you down.
Want even more New Year inspiration? Check out our favorite New Year’s appetizers, desserts, and cocktails too.
Babka French Toast
When we're looking for something extra special for breakfast, this babka French toast more than fits the bill. It may sound intimidating, but the best part is that you’re not making it from scratch. You can purchase one right from the store, a loaf that’s already enriched with chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar syrup. It gets soaked in a simple egg and milk mixture, pan seared in butter, and coated in a raspberry butter. It's a luxury in little time.
Get the Babka French Toast recipe.
Breakfast Crunchwrap Supreme
Skip waking up to go through the drive-thru tomorrow morning—make our breakfast Crunchwrap supreme instead. This copycat recipe has everything you love about the classic: hash browns, eggs, bacon, cheese, and the iconic creamy jalapeño sauce, all layered between tortillas. It's even better (!!) than the original, but is perfectly ripe for variations and substitutions.
Get the Breakfast Crunchwrap Supreme recipe.
Blueberry Smoothie
To make the blueberry’s gentle sweet-tart flavor pop in this blended smoothie, we eschewed traditional banana in lieu of nut butter and greens. That, and a pinch of salt, make this a smoothie to remember.
Get the Blueberry Smoothie recipe.
Breakfast Bagel Bites
We loaded up these bagel bites with creamy scrambled eggs, melty cheese, and crispy bacon to create a poppable addition to your brunch spread your guests won't be able to get enough of. Skip the breakfast casserole—these bites are the perfect way to add some fun to your party.
Get the Breakfast Bagel Bites recipe.
Orange-Cranberry Popovers
Popovers are simply impossible to resist and represent a rush of culinary excitement: The moment they leave the oven, you need to quickly get them to the table before they deflate. If you’re hosting this holiday season and need a surprising treat, we can guarantee these will feel a little more special. Take a buttery popover, then add orange zest, a cinnamon sugar coating, and cranberry preserves to bring forth the perfect holiday-style donut.
Get the Orange-Cranberry Popovers recipe.
Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole
If you like the idea of a savory breakfast strata or crave scallion cream cheese and toasted everything bagels, then this will make a lot of sense. All you need to do is pop a fresh can of crescent rolls, stuff with scallion cream cheese, and roll. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning and bake to create a frittata-style, savory egg custard. It will fit perfectly on the center of any breakfast table.
Get the Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Crème Brûlée Banana Bread
Why have just a classic banana bread when you can have one with caramelized sugar on top? This quick bread gets frosted with a simple cream cheese frosting to slightly mimic the custard of a crème brûlée, then topped with sugar so that it can be torched into a beautiful crackly top.
Get the Crème Brûlée Banana Bread recipe.
Huevos Rancheros Casserole
Huevos rancheros are one of those dishes that normally requires multiple cooking steps and a good amount of time. But what if all of those flavors could come together in a few easy steps? Enter: this huevos rancheros casserole. It's a true one-pan vegetarian wonder. All you have to do is just assemble, then enjoy the casserole—that’s it. This may be the easiest, most delicious breakfast you ever did see.
Get the Huevos Rancheros Casserole recipe.
Sheet-Pan Frittata
If you're looking for the easiest way to make brunch for a crowd, then this sheet-pan frittata is the answer. Instead of worrying about having enough food to feed friends and family of 8 to 10 people, you can lean on a sheet pan to do the work for you. Just like our classic frittata, this recipe is completely customizable.
Get the Sheet-Pan Frittata recipe.
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Banana bread is an obvious (and great) choice when you’re trying to figure out how to make use of some overripe bananas, but if you want to switch things up, try making these banana bread cinnamon rolls. Plus, they're topped with a maple cream cheese frosting to make for a very cozy brunch treat.
Get the Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
Shakshuka
Shakshuka just might be our favorite way to cook eggs: partially because it's absolutely delicious, and partially also because it's really easy to scale up and cook for a crowd, like in this version that is baked in a casserole dish with eight eggs.
Get the Shakshuka recipe.
Classic Mimosa
Nothing kicks off brunch quite like a mimosa, especially on New Year's. If you prefer your cocktails on the sweeter side, bump up the orange juice to 3 ounces per glass, or go for a sweeter bottle of bubbly. You can also swap the OJ for another type of juice, like cranberry or lemonade.
Get the Classic Mimosa recipe.
Cheesy Croissant Casserole
The contrast here between the crispy, flaky edges of the croissants and the soft, cheesy middle is very special. If you're able to, assemble everything on New Years Eve, and bake it off in the morning while everyone gets around to making their coffee.
Get the Cheesy Croissant Casserole recipe.
Potato Chip Frittata
For added crunch, we loaded this frittata with potato chips. We went with sour cream & onion, but feel free to sub in your own favorite flavor! Don't forget to top with chives, sour cream, and even more chips to really make this frittata a next-level breakfast.
Get the Potato Chip Frittata recipe.
Pull-Apart Jelly Donut
Although baked instead of fried, this pull-apart ring is reminiscent of Israeli sufganiyot or Polish pączki, made easier for those of us who don't have a good fryer set up at home. Try it with whatever kind of jam you like!
Get the Pull-Apart Jelly Donut recipe.
Breakfast Tostadas
Love a breakfast burrito or breakfast taco, but craving a little more crunch? These Mexican-inspired tostadas are for you. Top them with a fried egg, like we did, or go scrambled, poached, or even tofu scramble if you like.
Get the Breakfast Tostadas recipe.
Hawaiian Roll French Toast
Have leftover Hawaiian rolls kicking around (maybe from making some of our killer sliders?)? Use them to make these cute French toast squares! Paired with a "costume" made up of coconut custard, pineapple maple syrup, toasted coconut flakes, and bits of zingy orange zest, you'll barely recognize them.
Get the Hawaiian Roll French Toast recipe.
Breakfast Strata
If you’re looking for the ultimate breakfast casserole—loaded with Italian sausage, cheese, veggies, and bread—then this breakfast strata is it. It’s hearty enough to keep everyone satisfied, and is endlessly versatile—just like the classic frittata, a breakfast strata shines as an adaptable breakfast dish.
Get the Breakfast Strata recipe.
Chia Pudding
Chia seeds might sound intimidating, but in reality, they couldn't be easier to whip up into a delicious, customizable breakfast that'll start the new year off right. Not only do chia seeds pack in the health benefits, but once mixed with milk and refrigerated, they turn into the most delicious, creamy pudding that only requires 5 minutes of prep time.
Get the Chia Pudding recipe.
Cranberry Mimosa Breakfast Cake
If mimosas are your thing, stop here! If they aren’t, you should still stick around. Cranberries, oranges, and bubbly Prosecco incorporated into a tender cake? And for breakfast too? This is what New Years' Day breakfast dreams are made of.
Get the Cranberry Mimosa Breakfast Cake recipe.
