23 Easy Mother’s Day Brunch Recipes (Because Going Out Is a Nightmare)

Let Mom stay in her pajamas, and make one of these for her instead.

Many moms love the hustle and bustle of a fancy brunch place on Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday. (We have plenty of suggestions for them.) But a lot of us just want a quiet, cozy morning at home, a hot cup of coffee we get to finish and a meal we don’t have to cook. If that’s you, click that share tool above, and send this list to your loved ones as a not-so-subtle hint. And if none of these dishes delight you, we have many more Mother’s Day breakfast and brunch ideas to choose from.

1. Crustless Egg and Cheese Quiche

This crustless quiche from Sarah Copeland ditches the pastry completely and comes out of the oven custardy but firm. It’s delicious from a touch of nutmeg, heavy cream and plenty of grated cheese and button mushrooms.

Recipe: Crustless Egg and Cheese Quiche

2. Mimosa

Cheers to Mom for, well, everything. This classic version from Rosie Schaap calls for just orange juice and Champagne, but if you’re feeling flush, drizzle in a little Cointreau and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Recipe: Mimosa

3. Waffles

If there’s one occasion worth busting out the waffle iron for, it’s Mother’s Day. Melissa Clark’s no-frills recipe yields buttery, rich waffles that are the perfect amount of crispy and fluffy. Top with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, and you win the holiday.

Recipe: Waffles

4. Big Jam Danish

Go big and stay home! Carolina Gelen’s six-ingredient recipe delivers an oversized jam and cheese Danish that’s sure to impress. Store-bought puff pastry gets filled with a custardy, lemony cream cheese mixture and small dollops of store-bought (or homemade) jam.

Recipe: Big Jam Danish

5. Everyday Pancakes

This is, by far, our most popular pancake recipe. Mark Bittman’s classic is reliably tender and fluffy whether you add blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter, or nothing at all.

Recipe: Everyday Pancakes

6. Eggs Benedict

Making eggs benedict is easier than it looks, and doesn’t involve having to wait in line at a brunch restaurant. Alison Roman recommends making the hollandaise sauce in a blender, which easily yields a creamy, stable emulsion. Then, poach some eggs, toast off some English muffins and assemble.

Recipe: Eggs Benedict

7. Lemon-Honey Nian Gao (Mochi Cake)

Jessica Wang sells a version of her mother’s nian gao at her Los Angeles pop-ups. Here, she uses a mix of honey and lemon to flavor it, rather than red bean as her mom traditionally does. The end result is a lightly sweet-tart, perfectly springy pastry that’s as simple as it is satisfying.

Recipe: Lemon-Honey Nian Gao (Mochi Cake)

8. Overnight French Toast

Samantha Seneviratne’s make-ahead French toast is as convenient as it is rich and delicious. Challah and brioche work beautifully here, but take it from me, stale hot dog and hamburger buns work just fine, too.

Recipe: Overnight French Toast

9. Strawberry Matcha Latte

Gabriella Lewis’s recipe is cheaper than going to Starbucks and easier to love. Just layer macerated strawberries and mom’s choice of milk, then add a matcha mixture to top it off.

Recipe: Strawberry Matcha Latte

10. Baked Eggs With Crème Fraîche and Smoked Salmon

Baked in individual ramekins, this elegant egg dish from Melissa Clark feels like something you’d order at a restaurant. Covered in a creamy sauce of sautéed shallots and dill, the eggs are cooked until just barely set, and topped with smoked salmon. Serve with toasted baguette for dunking.

Recipe: Baked Eggs With Crème Fraîche and Smoked Salmon

11. Giant Almond Croissant

You shouldn’t hold back when it comes to celebrating the moms in your life (biological and otherwise). This large-format almond croissant from Sohla El-Waylly makes it pleasurable, and even easy. It’s supremely shareable, made with store-bought puff pastry, and can be baked in advance for a stress-free morning.

Recipe: Giant Almond Croissant

12. Rosé Sangria

Use whatever red, pink or purple fruits you like in this pretty punch from Rosie Schaap. Set a reminder on your phone to make it: The fruit needs to macerate for at least four hours for flavors to develop and for the fruit to soften and slump.

Recipe: Rosé Sangria

13. Huevos Rancheros

Kay Chun’s rendition of “rancher’s style” eggs is a hearty breakfast of tortillas, refried black beans, salsa and fried eggs that will sustain her all day long while she leads a family hike or binge-watches her favorite show from the couch.

Recipe: Huevos Rancheros

14. Quiche Lorraine

This recipe from Craig Claiborne is a New York Times classic, hearty with cheese, onions and bacon, and fragrant with a touch of nutmeg. If you don’t have time to make the crust, go for store-bought; she’ll appreciate it all the same.

Recipe: Quiche Lorraine

15. Chocolate Waffles

Chocolate is great. Waffles are great. Yewande Komolafe’s chocolate waffles are the greatest.

Recipe: Chocolate Waffles

16. Monte Cristo

This recipe from Lidey Heuck brings the diner to her. It’s basically a croque-monsieur, sans béchamel sauce, that’s griddled in a thin layer of beaten egg. A dusting of powdered sugar and side of raspberry jam make it perfect for salty-sweet lovers.

Recipe: Monte Cristo

17. Eggs Kejriwal

This fiery open-faced sandwich originated in Mumbai, but it has found love and adoration around the world. Tejal Rao’s updated version calls for topping toasted bread with shredded Cheddar that’s been tossed with green chiles, red onion and cilantro leaves. It’s all broiled until bubbly, then crowned with a fried egg.

Recipe: Eggs Kejriwal

18. Tea Sandwiches

These simple but delicious sandwiches make any day fancy, and they are easy to scale up or down as you need. Priya Krishna opts for classic cucumber and smoked salmon, but what’s important is that you use soft white bread and plenty of butter.

Recipe: Tea Sandwiches

19. Crepes

Maybe you can’t afford to take her to Paris yet, but you can make Nigella Lawson’s crepes and play Edith Piaf while she dines. Serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, a pile of fresh fruit or a pitcher full of orange syrup for a lovely Crêpes Suzette.

Recipe: Crepes

20. Kimchi Cheddar Biscuits

Bryan Washington’s biscuits include Cheddar, kimchi and a touch of brown sugar for a well-balanced and unexpectedly complex treat.

Recipe: Kimchi Cheddar Biscuits

21. Coffee Cake

Lidey Heuck’s classic coffee cake is chock-full of cinnamon-sugar crumble, which runs through the middle and along the top. Feel free to amp it up with chopped nuts, or whatever fillings you like.

Recipe: Coffee Cake

22. Narjissiya With Asparagus, Halloumi and Sumac

In medieval Arab cookbooks, narjissiya, which means “like narcissus,” referred to several dishes made with sunny-side-up eggs (probably because the yellow and white colors evoked the narcissus, or daffodil, flower.) This springy take from Reem Kassis features asparagus, halloumi, tangy yogurt sauce and bright sumac oil. Crunchy pita chips are scattered across the top for added texture.

Recipe: Narjissiya With Asparagus, Halloumi and Sumac

23. Buttery Breakfast Casserole

If you’re having the whole crew over for Mother’s Day brunch, throw together Melissa Clark’s elevated — it has croissants! it has Gruyère! — version of a cheesy, eggy brunch casserole. Put it together the night before, and you can just slide it into the oven about an hour before you’re ready to eat.

Recipe: Buttery Breakfast Casserole

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