25 Make Ahead Holiday Breakfasts

The holidays are a time of intense stress for everyone, especially if you are the person hosting. There’s always a huge amount to do, and seemingly never enough time to do it all.

Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfasts

Where possible, it is a good idea to opt for make-ahead dishes as this minimizes the time that you will be spending in the kitchen and maximizes the time that you can spend celebrating with your loved ones. 

We have rounded up a selection of the best make-ahead holiday breakfasts to help you on your journey. We have included a selection of recipes that are both sweet and savory, meaning that there should be something to suit everyone’s tastes. 

And if you need more inspiration, check out this great list of sweet bread recipes as well as this list of sweet and savory brunch recipes to get your menu started! If you happen to need a bit leaner options, here is a great list of simple and healthy breakfast recipes.

Sweet Make Ahead Breakfasts

Particularly around the holiday period, many people gravitate towards sweet breakfasts. 

Amish Cinnamon Bread

This delicious moist bread has the perfect combination of cinnamon and sugar in every bite. It's ideal for making in batches ahead of time and sharing on Christmas morning!

Pumpkin Spice French Toast Bake

While pumpkin spice tends to be a fall flavor, it is also great throughout the holiday season and makes a perfect make ahead breakfast. Definitely pair this with our oven-baked bacon for a perfect meal.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Loaf

Breakfast sweet breads are great alongside savory dishes but also perfect all by themselves. I love making this bread in large batches then slicing and freezing. All I have to do is pull it out on Christmas Eve and it is ready to eat the next morning!

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

You cannot get a more classic breakfast food than blueberry muffins. The crisp sugary crust on the top perfectly contrasts the soft and pillowy sponge inside. The bursts of freshness and flavor you get every time you bite into a blueberry cannot be beaten. 

They can be made healthier with the inclusion of applesauce or banana in place of the butter. You could also incorporate some oats into the recipe to boost the fiber content. They can be made ahead of time and stored for a few days for a quick and convenient breakfast. 

Brown Sugar Walnut Banana Bread

I really love this simple recipe. Brown sugar and walnuts add a bit of something extra to a classic moist banana bread. It's an ideal option for making ahead to slice and serve on holiday mornings.

Cinnamon Rolls

Nothing says festivity more than the smell of cinnamon filling your home. These homemade cinnamon rolls are a perfect addition to your breakfast menu and absolutely ideal for a holiday morning.

Orange Pecan French Toast

This recipe comes from a bed and breakfast, so you know it’s good. All the prep work can be done the night before, meaning you just need to pop it in the oven when ready for breakfast.

You will make a sugary syrup and pour this into the base of an ovenproof dish before scattering it with pecans. Cover with bread and an orange-flavored custard. Pour this over the bread and place in the refrigerator overnight 

Chia Pudding

Chia pudding has been a classic in the vegan community for many years now. It is a very high protein dish and contains a lot of fiber too.

Chia pudding can be flavored with whatever flavors you like or ingredients that you have on hand. A festive choice would be a stewed apple and cinnamon chia pudding, flavored with maple syrup.

Chia puddings should be made the day before to allow the seeds time to absorb the liquid. This is what creates the amazing gooey consistency characteristic of the pudding. 

Slow Coooker Oats

This is a really hearty breakfast that takes no preparation time in the morning. Add all of your oat ingredients to the slow cooker the night before and mix well.

Set the slow cooker to low and cook for between 6 and 8 hours, depending on the consistency that you want your oats to be. They can be flavored with whatever you like, we love apples, cinnamon, and raisins. 

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

This is a delicious and stress-free take on French toast. It is made in a similar fashion to the orange pecan French toast above, using a casserole dish. We recommend creating alternating layers of blueberries and bread to ensure you get a bit of everything in each bite. 

Place the casserole dish in the refrigerator overnight and remove about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. After this, all you need to do is cook it for 45 minutes covered, and 30 minutes uncovered. 

Overnight Monkey Bread

The beauty of monkey bread is that you can make it as easy or as labor-intensive as you fancy. You can opt to use store-bought bread or biscuit dough as the bulk of the bread, or you can make your own dough.

The most important thing is that each individual ball of dough is fully coated in a cinnamon-sugar crust.

Add all the balls to a bundt tin and place them in the refrigerator overnight. On Christmas morning, take it out of the refrigerator and leave it to warm to room temperature for 45 minutes before baking. 

Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are one of our favorite make-ahead breakfast dishes. Oats are high in protein and fiber, as well as a slow-release carbohydrate.

This means that it will sustain your energy levels throughout the day, which is particularly important during the holiday season. Adding some chia seeds to the oats will help to thicken the dish a little. 

Mango Sticky Farro

Farro is an ancient grain with a high protein and fiber content. It has a slightly nutty and sweet flavor which is perfectly complemented by the sweet juiciness of fresh mango. It has a similar texture to porridge when cooked and will fill you up for hours.

This is cooked in a slow cooker overnight, meaning that it will be ready for you to consume as soon as you wake up. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Carrot Cake Granola

Granola is a classic breakfast that works well as a snack food too. It never hurts to have some granola on hand, as it fills out any meal.

We recommend sprinkling this granola on top of a bowl of natural Greek yogurt and some chopped fruit for a light and delicious breakfast.

We love using this granola on top of lemon or coconut flavored yogurt. 

Savory Make Ahead Breakfasts

If savory breakfasts are more your vibe, here are some ideas. 

Vegetable and Bacon Frittata

This baked egg dish is a apersonal favorite with savory flavors of bacon and the addition of a few favorite vegetables. Top with cheese or salsa for a perfect bite every time!

Mushroom and Sausage Bread Pudding

This is a slightly unorthodox breakfast idea, but it can be made ahead of time and is sure to wow anyone you feed it to. This dish is hearty and filling and makes a perfect cooked breakfast option.

It is worth spending the money on dried porcini mushrooms if you can, you would be shocked at the difference it makes to the overall flavor. 

Savory Bread Pudding 

This recipe incorporates the flavors of apples, chard, white cheddar, and pancetta to make a rich and indulgent breakfast. As the name suggests, it is remarkably similar to a traditional bread pudding.

If you wish to make the pudding the night before, pour the custard over the bread and fillings and place it in the refrigerator. Remove about 30 minutes before you bake it, to allow the custard to reach room temperature. 

Eggs Benedict Casserole

This is a hassle-free alternative to making Eggs Benedict. A greased casserole dish is filled with a flavored egg custard layered with bacon and halved English muffins.

Cover with the remaining egg custard and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, cook the casserole for 30 minutes covered, and 15 minutes further, uncovered. When the casserole is cooked, make up a Hollandaise sauce and drizzle this over the top. 

Overnight Egg and Breakfast Sausage Strata

A strata is similar to a souffle, but in a larger dish - making it essentially an aerated casserole. This will look super impressive to anyone you are serving it to, but little will they know what a breeze it was to make.

This strata can be loaded with anything you like, making it perfect for anyone to eat. We recommend breakfast sausage, onion, cheddar cheese, and asparagus. 

As with many of the recipes on this list, it can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator until the morning.

Allow it to rest on the countertop for 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to return to an ambient temperature. Cook for 35-45 minutes, uncovered, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

This casserole can be prepared the night before, leaving just the cooking time in the morning. It keeps incredibly well and will reheat beautifully if you have any leftovers. This can be made with any type of sausage.

You can switch up the ingredients based on what you have left in the refrigerator, making it the perfect way to use up any produce that is going off. The casserole should be baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for at least an hour in the morning before you serve it. 

Individual quiche cups

Quiche is a classic dish that everyone loves. This recipe can be cooked in advance, frozen, and reheated when it is desired. Quiche can be flavored with anything that you like, and making individual quiche cups allows you to make a range of quiche flavors.

They can be cooked in muffin tins to make perfectly portioned personal quiches. These can be served hot or cold, according to your personal preference. 

Whole Wheat Crumpets

Crumpets are a classic British breakfast food, beloved up and down the country. The fluffy, bready rounds have small air holes that allow melted butter to seep all the way through.

There is nothing more satisfying than the simple pleasure of biting into a crumpet and feeling butter drip down your chin. These can be cooked the night before and stored in an airtight container once they have cooled.

To reheat them in the morning, simply pop in your toaster for a minute or two. They are perfect served with lashings of butter and jam. 

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are a hearty way to start the day. They can be filled with a wide range of foods to fit whatever macronutrient requirements you may have.

They can also be easily customized to suit anyone’s tastes. Vegetarian breakfast burritos can be filled with homemade hash browns, scrambled eggs, black beans, cheese, avocado, and salsa. 

These can be wrapped in wholewheat tortillas and then tightly wrapped in foil. These burritos are suitable for home freezing and should be stored in a ziplock bag.

They can be kept here for up to 6 months without deterioration in flavor or quality. To serve, defrost them and wrap them in a damp paper towel. Microwave them for 3 minutes and then serve. 

Corn and Scallion Tart

This tart tastes equally good at room temperature as it does when warm. The crust is made of a shortcrust pastry which can be made up to 2 days in advance. The filling is a savory custard, flavored with white cheddar, fresh corn, garlic, chili, and scallions. 

Cook the tart in the oven for around 60-70 minutes, until the custard in the middle has set.

Allow it to cool and then store in the refrigerator overnight. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving, or alternatively, reheat in a warm oven. 

Mushroom, Leek, and Fontina Frittata

Frittata is another dish that tastes good warm and cold. This vegetarian dish will turn heads for all the right reasons. It is similar to a quiche, the main difference being that it is crustless.

The frittata is strongly flavored and rich, making it a hugely satisfying way to start your day.

Once the frittata has been baked, allow it to cool to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, you can allow it to return to room temperature or reheat it and serve the frittata warm. 

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