30 Easy Christmas Breakfast Ideas

From festive pancakes to quick casseroles, these easy Christmas breakfast ideas are sure to make your holiday morning merry and bright.

Best Christmas Breakfast Recipes

If you are anything like me, you love waking up on Christmas morning without even having to think about what you’re going to make for breakfast. I just want to enjoy the merry-making moments by the tree with my family (and maybe a cup of hot chocolate or Christmas holiday punch) instead of spending my time in the kitchen trying to come up with something to eat.

I learned a long time ago that it is always better to have a plan in place for that busy holiday morning, so now I know exactly what I am going to make (or already have it made, like the cranberry orange bread) before the festivities begin.

With that in mind, I have gathered some of my all-time favorite Christmas breakfast ideas to help you keep your spirits bright all day long.

What to Make on Christmas Morning

Deciding on a Christmas breakfast recipe can be daunting or simply get overlooked when making appetizers for Christmas, planning a dinner menu, and all that Christmas cookie baking. There are, however, a few things to consider when deciding what to serve for a Christmas day breakfast. Here is what I ask myself when trying to narrow down brunch recipes.

• Casual or elevated. The first thing I always ask myself is where will I be serving. Do we want to have a Christmas brunch at the table or eat in our pajamas on trays by the tree? This helps determine if I will be making something that needs to be plated like eggs benedict or not.
• Sweet or savory. I always like to balance the morning meal with a little bit of both, but it’s good to know what you want for the main dish. For instance, if I decide to make eggnog French toast, I will serve it alongside some oven-cooked bacon. Sweet and savory for the holiday win!
• How many people. Will it be just a small gathering or are you hosting guests for a bigger event? This will determine how long it can take to make or if you need more than one dish.
• Time it takes. This is important because I want to know how long I am going to be in the kitchen on Christmas morning. While I love easy breakfast ideas, on a holiday morning it all depends on how I am feeling, so I will choose based on if I want something I can make ahead, like the overnight breakfast casserole with sausage; that require just a little bit of prep in the morning, like the sheet pan pancakes; or something that takes a little bit longer but the time is well spent for how good it is, like the best orange sweet rolls.

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

Oh, how I love eggs and how you can transform them into almost anything. I also can’t get enough of a good breakfast casserole and how easy it is to pack so much flavor and good-for-you ingredients into each bite. When in doubt, I do the egg route because I know I can make something wonderful.

• Easy Ham and Cheese Breakfast Pie: Make this up to 3 days in advance and then all you need is to warm it up on Christmas morning.
• Overnight Breakfast Casserole with Sausage: Another one that is easy to pull together the night before and bake in the morning.
• Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Skillet: With delicious layers of eggs, hash browns, cheese and bacon, how can you go wrong?
• Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole: Make this easy casserole (made with store-bought rolls) the night before and spend more time relaxing by the tree.
• Ham and Cheese Quiche: Just 10 minutes of prep and you have an incredibly impressive and tasty dish.
• Hash Brown Egg Cups: These little savory bites are perfect next to muffins or some other baked good for a breakfast buffet.
• Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Frittata: Have fun with the frittata and make it any flavor you like.
• Easy Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Slider: These may not be fancy, but they are super easy and delicious to eat, especially when there are still presents to unwrap!
• Croissant Breakfast Casserole. Decadent and perfect for a Christmas breakfast morning everyone will love the sweet taste and fresh berries.

Christmas Pancakes

Pancakes are one of my favorite go-to Christmas breakfast ideas, because they come together quickly and they are so fun to eat. Plus, you can make them festive by the way you shape them or what you use as a topping.

• Elf on the Shelf Pancakes: Even if the Elf has gone home for the season, these fun pancakes are perfect for Christmas morning.
• Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: Topped with a cream cheese glaze, these pancakes taste just like a cinnamon roll without the baking.
• Sheet Pan Pancakes: No need to flip thanks to this one bowl, one sheet method for light and fluffy baked pancakes. 
• Reindeer Pancakes: Your kids will love how playful these are and you will love that they take 15 minutes to make.
• Easy Ricotta Pancakes: The ricotta adds a lovely richness to the texture and elevates the everyday pancake.
• German Pancakes: These fluffy pancakes are a family favorite and require very little effort.
• Apple Cinnamon Pancakes: Can you ever go wrong when grated apples are baked right into your pancakes? Nope.

Waffles, French Toast and Crepes

Admittedly, waffles, French toast, and crepes can seem like more effort than some other Christmas breakfast ideas, but they actually can be quite simple. I love to serve them for a sit-down Christmas brunch, where I know the wow factor will be appreciated.

• Eggnog French Toast: I love baking with the traditional holiday drink so why not incorporating it into breakfast?
• Belgian Waffles: These look like more work than they are, and they are ready in just 20 minutes.
• Savory Crepes: The batter is made in a blender and it is completely up to you what type of filling you use.
• Nutella Crepes: Just 5 minutes of prep to make this sweet and nutty breakfast treat.
• Overnight French Toast with Berries: Make this the night before and bake it in the morning for a no-fuss breakfast.
• Brioche Bread French Toast. Using brioche bread makes this version of French toast so delicious! Thick, fluffy slices dipped in creamy custard and topped with fresh berries.

Full List of Easy Christmas Breakfast Ideas

Click on the links below to find all the easy Christmas breakfast ideas for the delicious recipes mentioned above.