Our 21 Best Mother's Day Brunch Recipes

Croque Madame
Photo: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Whether it's built around a savory Ham and Cheese Danish or colorful Strawberry-Pistachio Sweet Rolls, cooking up a homemade brunch for Mother's Day is always an option. Impress the mother figures in your life with dishes like tartines, baked eggs, and rich breakfast pizzas, alongside fun drinks like a Cucumber-Rose Gin Spritz to match. Need something sweeter? Go for this Lemony Crêpe Casserole, which is finished with lemon sauce and a dusting of powdered sugar. You can pick and choose a recipe or two from this collection, or build your whole menu from it — the gesture will be appreciated all the same. Read on for even more Mother's Day brunch ideas.

01 of 21

Smoky Breakfast Pizzas

Smoky Breakfast Pizzas
Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Chef Justin Bazdarich makes his Kind Brother pizza at Speedy Romeo in Brooklyn extra rich with a combination of béchamel and smoked mozzarella. This easy version also gets a kick from smoked mozzarella, plus a drizzle of fresh basil oil for a pop of freshness.

02 of 21

Breakfast Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata and Mushrooms

Prosciutto Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata Recipe
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners

These elegant, savory herb-topped eggs bake up in a muffin pan, so it's easy to make breakfast or brunch for a few days—or for more than a few people. Serve any leftover breakfast egg cups sandwiched between buttered, toasted English muffins or brioche slices.

03 of 21

Strawberry-Pistachio Sweet Rolls

Strawberry-Pistachio Sweet Rolls
Jennifer Causey

A yeast dough enriched with milk and eggs is essential for bakery-worthy breakfast pastries. While both sweet and savory fillings are numerous, we love the combination of fresh strawberry preserves and chopped pistachios. Be sure to roll up the filled dough tightly to get a defined spiral throughout.

04 of 21

Cucumber-Rose Gin Spritz

Cucumber Rose Gin Spritz
Victor Protasio

A classic combination of gin, lemon, and club soda gets a refreshing twist with cucumber, basil, and black cardamom infused syrup. Dried rose petals add a subtle floral flavor and act as a beautiful garnish.

05 of 21

Lemony Crêpe Casserole

Lemony Crepe Casserole
Jennifer Causey

Reminiscent of a classic bread pudding, this sweet-tart crêpe casserole has a beautiful lacy top and tender-but-sliceable center. Using store-bought lemon curd and crêpes saves time, resulting in an impressive dish that's ready in just under an hour.

06 of 21

Asparagus and Fava Bean Tart with Herbed Ricotta

Asparagus and Fava Bean Tart with Herbed Ricotta
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Lemon zest and thyme add subtle fragrance to this show-stopping tart's ricotta filling, balancing the savory Parmesan and prosciutto. Gently pressing on the par-baked pastry while spreading the filling is key to creating a crisp crust.

07 of 21

Basted Egg Tartines with Creamed Mustard

Basted Egg Tartines with Creamed Mustard Recipe
John Kernick

Sour cream adds milky richness to both Dijon and whole-grain mustards with a splash of lemon juice for brightness. This simple, creamy sauce pairs with lightly bitter greens and rich, runny egg yolks for a beautiful breakfast.

08 of 21

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This streusel-topped rhubarb coffee cake is a standout celebration of spring. With a tender, springy crumb, the cake is the perfect match for the rosy, tart rhubarb on top. The addition of buttermilk lends tanginess and richness to the cake batter, while the rhubarb is marinated in sugar before baking, softening the fibrous stalks to result in a deliciously jammy texture.

09 of 21

Croque Madame

Croque Madame
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

The French croque madame sandwich is a lesson in extravagance, made with white bread, butter, cheese, ham, Mornay sauce, and a fried egg. It's a luxurious, deeply comforting dish. If you like, turn it into a croque monsieur by simply skipping the fried egg. Serve the croque madames with cornichons and a green salad tossed with a bright vinaigrette to offset the richness of the sandwiches.

10 of 21

Chilaquiles Rojos with Fried Eggs and Cotija

Chilaquiles Rojo Recipe
Greg Dupree

Here, charring the tomato and onion before adding them to the red chile sauce is a quick way to create rich, slow-cooked flavor. Thick-cut fresh tortilla chips soak up the sauce and runny egg yolks without getting soggy.

11 of 21

Savory Granola

More-Savory-Than-Sweet Granola
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Mary Clayton Carl

If you're looking to start your day on a savory note, here's a great recipe to try. Store-bought granola is often packed with lots of sugar, and while there are sweet notes to this granola, with its maple syrup, orange zest, and cardamom, it leans much more savory with smoked almonds, buttery pine nuts, millet, and tahini. Try this granola with yogurt or kefir and fresh fruit.

12 of 21

Vietnamese Iced Coconut Coffee

Ice Coconut Coffee
Photo by Alex Lau / Food Styling by Tyna Hoang / Prop Styling by Sophia Pappas

Combining coconut milk, whole milk, and sweetened condensed milk, this refresher by Sahra Nguyen, founder of Nguyen Coffee Supply, shows off the bold flavor of Vietnamese coffee beans. "We believe in building a diverse and inclusive coffee culture. It is a collective investment with everyone along the entire supply chain," says Nguyen. For best results, use a Vietnamese slow-drip phin filter to brew the coffee, and shake the coconut milk before opening to ensure it is smooth.

13 of 21

Boursin Omelet

Boursin Omelet Recipe
Victor Protasio

This omelet is an homage to chef Michael Tusk's love of dairy. Spreadable garlic-herb cheese melts richly into the creamy center of the tender eggs, creating a satisfying breakfast. Serve it on its own, or pair the omelet with a crusty baguette, a crisp salad, and some Chardonnay.

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Earl Grey Tea Bread

Earl Grey Tea Bread Recipe
Victor Protasio

"Tea loaves have roots that branch out across Britain and Ireland, from Irish barmbrack to Welsh bara brith and Yorkshire tea bread," says food writer and Great British Bake Off finalist Ruby Tandoh. "There are purists in all corners and plenty of debate about which version is best, but the basic premise remains the same wherever you go: Strong tea is used to make a silky, only lightly sweet cake batter, often with spices, which is then baked into a hearty loaf with dried fruit. In this version, Earl Grey tea, along with the addition of a little orange zest, brings a welcome aromatic edge, which I'm especially fond of at this grey time of year. There's no fat in this recipe, but please don't think that this is out of any kind of ascetic virtue. Making a low-fat batter simply means that the crumb will be springier and more robust, and so able to withstand being sliced, toasted, and — wait for it — spread with a perfect, thick layer of butter before serving."

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Tofu Bhurji

Tofu Bhurji
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Medium-firm tofu has just enough moisture to crumble into a scrambled egg–like texture in this breakfast dish inspired by Indian anda bhurji. Slightly pink in color, the kala namak (black salt) adds eggy, sulfurous flavors to this dish.

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Little Gem Salad with Toasted Spice Vinaigrette

Little Gem Salad with Toasted Spice Vinaigrette Recipe
Eva Kolenko

Toasting whole spices deepens and opens up their flavors, perfuming and flavoring the dressing for this fresh salad. Use leftover dressing as a marinade for chicken or fish.

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Za'atar Baked Eggs

Za'atar Baked Eggs
John Kernick

"In my teens, I spent a summer on a kibbutz in Israel working in my first professional kitchen," cookbook author and Top Chef judge Gail Simmons says. "I was assigned to breakfast duty and fell in love with scrambling, poaching, and frying eggs by the dozens. Today, one of my go-to brunches is baked eggs in a cherry tomato–pepper mix seasoned with the Mediterranean spice blend za'atar. It never fails to conjure happy memories of that magical time."

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Khaliat Al Nahl (Honeycomb Buns)

Khaliat Al Nahl (Honeycomb Buns)
Alex Lau

A traditional Yemeni pastry, khaliat al nahl are sweet, cloudlike balls of dough that are filled with cream cheese and drenched in cardamom-infused honey before they are topped with crunchy white sesame seeds and black nigella seeds. Pair these Yemeni honeycomb buns with a strong cup of Yemeni coffee for a sweet breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up.

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Ham and Cheese Danish

Ham and Cheese Danish
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This buttery ham and cheese pastry was inspired by one of the most popular offerings at Chicago's Kasama, Genie Kwon and Tim Flores' bakery by day and fine dining restaurant at night. The flaky pastry balances sweet and savory flavors from the nutty Gruyère cheese sauce, salty ham, and crunchy turbinado sugar. It's lovely as a brunch offering, or serve it with Champagne for a party. At Kasama, they finish it off with a drizzle of black pepper caramel, but to make this at home, warm honey seasoned with black pepper creates a similar effect.

20 of 21

Quinoa Pancakes with Ricotta and Lemon

Breakfast scene with quinoa pancakes, blueberries, syrup
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Kathleen Varner / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey

Nutty whole wheat flour, fluffy ricotta, and tender cooked quinoa add flavor and texture to these light pancakes, due to the clever addition of whipped egg whites. Lemon zest, vanilla, and maple syrup add just enough sweetness to balance the slightly bitter quinoa. Choose a creamy, whole-milk ricotta here — the finer curd incorporates best into this batter, adding moisture and richness without a grainy texture.

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Cornmeal Skillet Cake

Strawberry Rhubarb Cornmeal Skillet Cake
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb stud the golden brown top of this simple skillet cake. The mix of all-purpose flour and fine cornmeal gives this dessert a pound cake-like density, while goat cheese and buttermilk keep the crumb nicely tender and moist. A dollop of rosemary-infused whipped cream ties the sweet and savory flavors together.

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