The holidays are the perfect time to bring friends and family together for a festive brunch. A mix of warm drinks, savory dishes, and sweet treats will make your table memorable. Start with coffee and spiced beverages, then serve comforting mains and indulgent desserts—holiday flavors lift even the simplest recipes.
Warm apple cider fills the house with a sweet, spicy aroma and is ideal for chilly mornings. It’s family-friendly and can be spiked for adults. Ingredients: apple juice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange slices, and optional bourbon, rum, or brown sugar. Heat the apple juice in a large pot over medium heat, add cinnamon, cloves, and orange slices, and let it simmer for 10–15 minutes. Add alcohol just before serving if you like, and garnish with a cinnamon stick or orange slice.
Eggnog is a rich, creamy holiday drink flavored with nutmeg and cinnamon. Make it ahead and chill for an easy brunch option. Ingredients: eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, rum or bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. To make it from scratch, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Warm milk and cream with vanilla and spices, then slowly whisk in the eggs. Heat gently until it thickens, strain, chill, and stir in the spirit before serving. Finish with freshly grated nutmeg.
A cranberry mimosa adds bright color and a refreshing, tart note to your brunch. Ingredients: cranberry juice and champagne or sparkling wine; use sparkling water for a non-alcoholic version. Pour cranberry juice about two-thirds into a flute, top with champagne, stir gently, and garnish with fresh cranberries or a rosemary sprig. Serve immediately.
Bacon and egg breakfast muffins are savory, portable, and satisfying—great for feeding a crowd. Ingredients: eggs, cooked bacon, shredded cheese, muffin batter (store-bought or homemade), plus optional vegetables like spinach or bell peppers and seasonings such as salt, pepper, chives, or thyme. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a muffin tin, fill cups with batter, add a piece of cooked bacon and crack an egg on top of each. Bake 18–20 minutes or until eggs are set. Serve warm.
A holiday fruit salad brings a fresh, colorful balance to richer dishes. Use seasonal fruit like citrus, apples, pears, pomegranate seeds, and grapes. Add nuts (walnuts or pecans) for crunch. For the dressing, mix honey, lime juice, and a pinch of cinnamon. Peel and chop fruit into bite-sized pieces, toss with the dressing, refrigerate for 30 minutes to let flavors meld, and serve.
Smoked salmon bagels offer an elegant, easy-to-assemble option. Ingredients: bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, red onion, fresh dill, and lemon wedges. Spread cream cheese on bagel halves, top with salmon, add capers, red onion, and dill, and serve with lemon for a bright finish.
Pecan sticky buns are a warm, gooey treat with caramel and toasted pecans. Ingredients: yeast dough, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans, heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt for the caramel. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out dough, spread with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, roll into a log, slice, and place pieces in a baking dish with pecans and caramel. Bake 25–30 minutes and drizzle with remaining caramel before serving.
Egg and cheese croissants make a rich, satisfying brunch sandwich. Ingredients: croissants, eggs, cheese (cheddar or Swiss), butter, and optional additions like bacon, sausage, spinach, or mushrooms. Cut croissants in half and place on a baking sheet. Scramble eggs in butter, spoon onto croissant halves, top with cheese, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 5–7 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve warm.
Pumpkin spice French toast brings cozy fall flavors to your table. Ingredients: eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bread (brioche or challah preferred), plus butter for cooking and toppings like whipped cream, maple syrup, or toasted pecans. Whisk eggs, milk, pumpkin, and spices. Heat a pan over medium, melt butter, dip bread in the batter, and cook 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Top and serve.
Cinnamon sugar donuts are soft, warm, and perfect for a holiday brunch dessert. Ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. For the coating, mix cinnamon and sugar. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine dry ingredients, add wet ingredients to form a dough, shape into small rounds, and bake 12–15 minutes. While still warm, roll in cinnamon sugar.
A chocolate yule log cake is a festive, elegant dessert— a rolled cake filled with chocolate cream and decorated to look like tree bark. Ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, eggs, sugar, butter, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and chocolate; use powdered sugar, whipped cream, or marzipan for decoration. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare batter, bake in a jelly roll pan for 10–12 minutes, roll the cake in parchment to cool, unroll and fill with chocolate cream, then re-roll and decorate.
Cranberry orange bread is moist and full of holiday flavor, great as a side, dessert, or gift. Ingredients: flour, sugar, cranberries, orange zest, eggs, milk, butter, baking powder, and optional cinnamon or nutmeg. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine dry and wet ingredients separately, mix together, fold in cranberries and zest, pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake 60–70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
