30+ Recipes to Make for Mother’s Day Brunch

Kristin Appenbrink

updated Apr 26, 2022

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Baked Greek omelette in a large baking dish — Credit: Joe Lingeman

Mother’s Day and brunch are basically synonymous. This year, why not let your mom sleep in as late as she wants and spend the morning doing nothing but relaxing? While she does that, you can head to the kitchen and make her a meal that shows just how much you care. The thought and effort put into a homemade brunch is the perfect way to make her feel special.

If she’s got a sweet tooth, classic custardy French toast is always a guaranteed hit. Want to serve something hearty and savory? A breakfast casserole or savory breakfast cake fits the bill. To round things out, we’ve included a few brunch-worthy summery cocktails and mocktails. Here are more than 30 brunch recipes to help you celebrate the mom in your life on her special day.

In This Article

Casseroles
Sweet Breakfasts
Savory Breakfasts
Brunch Cocktails

Casseroles

If you’ve got your hands full this Mother’s Day, make your life a bit easier by making a casserole for brunch. Casseroles are the best way to make a special brunch dish ahead, and these recipes are guaranteed to put a smile on Mom’s face.

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Potato Breakfast Gratin with Red Peppers & Parmesan

Somewhere between a gratin and a frittata exists this breakfast casserole. It's lighter than a gratin, since the eggs replace much of the cheesy sauce, but heartier than many frittatas, thanks to the layers of potatoes. Basically, it's the best of both worlds.

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Baked Croque-Monsieur Casserole

Make a big batch of croque monsieur without having to toil over the stove for hours. This version, reminiscent of a layered casserole, comes together quickly, and bakes in the oven while you're preparing other dishes.

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Apple-Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

Make this cinnamon and apple French toast casserole the night before and enjoy it fuss free in the morning. Apple butter in the custard is the trick!

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"Ham and Cheese" Breakfast Casserole

This is a classic from The Kitchn's recipe archives. In fact, it still holds the title as the best brunch casserole we've ever made. The key? Instead of using ham, we use prosciutto. Doesn't Mom deserve the best?

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Make-Ahead Spinach and Feta Egg Casserole

Filled with leafy spinach and chunks of crumbled feta, and laced with fresh dill, this egg casserole will remind you of spanakopita.

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Shakshuka-ish Breakfast Casserole with Feta Drop Biscuits Recipe

This playful twist on shakshuka is a hearty, showstopping choice for brunch. Mom is sure to be impressed by this.

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Double Chocolate Croissant French Toast Casserole Recipe

This delicious and decadent casserole will stop mom in her tracks. All you've got to do is soak stale croissants in a chocolate milk custard and shower the whole thing with chocolate chips.

Sweet Breakfasts

If your mom prefers a brunch on the sweeter side, these recipes will be perfect for her. Ranging from homemade doughnuts to a yogurt banana split, these recipes fit the bill for a mom with a sweet tooth.

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German Pancakes

These perfectly fluffy, light golden pancakes baked in the oven are sure to become a favorite family breakfast.

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Bananas Foster French Toast

This French Toast is the ultimate way to eat dessert for breakfast on mom's special day.

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Brown Sugar Cornmeal Waffles

Homemade waffles get an upgrade with light brown sugar and yellow cornmeal.

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Banana Split with Yogurt and Jam

Mother's Day breakfast doesn't have to be fancy, especially if you have small kids who want to help prepare the meal. This easy "banana split" replaces ice cream with yogurt, and hot fudge with jam. You could even serve it as an appetizer in bed while the rest of the brunch meal is being prepared.

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Easy Ethereal Popovers

You can't go wrong adding buttery popovers to your brunch menu. The airy, buttery roll is lighter than the traditional biscuit or scone, but is equally delectable when slathered with butter and jam.

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Lemon Brioche Baked French Toast with Minted Raspberries

What's the fastest way to make French toast fancier? Use brioche in place of the regular bread. The enriched loaf makes for a sublimely buttery and sweet French toast. We love this lemon version because the citrus notes keep the dish from tasting too heavy.

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Mini Apple Rose Pies

Imagine Mom's surprise when you present her with a bouquet — or, rather, a plate — of these mini apple rose pies. While they are shockingly easy to assemble, you will need a mandoline to get the apples sliced thinly enough.

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Chocolate-Glazed Baked Doughnuts with Sprinkles

There's no need to stand over a pan of hot oil to serve fresh doughnuts to Mom. Try making this baked version instead — and don't skimp on those sprinkles!

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Cinnamon Roll Wreath

Why make regular cinnamon rolls in a pan, when you could make this cinnamon roll wreath instead? Don't worry — it's a lot easier than it looks. All you have to do is snip the cinnamon roll log before shaping it into a wreath.

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Yogurt With Caramelized Figs

Simple and elegant, this yogurt dish makes a great side for brunch, or an early morning breakfast to enjoy in bed. If you don't have pistachios on hand, walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds work as well.

Savory Breakfasts

The options are truly limitless when it comes to savory brunch meals. This lineup features a recipe for everyone. You can keep it simple with a beautiful arugula salad or switch things up with a savory french toast.

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Blender hollandaise makes this fancy breakfast a breeze.

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Smoked Salmon Egg Boats

The egg boat is a perfect brunch recipe if you have little hands who want to help in the kitchen. Put them to the task of scooping out the bread for the boat. Just make sure they don't end up eating all of it while you make the filling. If salmon isn't for you, you can substitute in any number of fillings like sautéed mushrooms or cooked bacon.

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Scallion Cream Cheese Scones

Speckled with bits of scallions, this tender cream cheese scone has a sharp, somewhat peppery allium bite that’s perfect for Mother's Day brunch.

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Egg, Arugula, and Herb Tartine

Want to fancy up scrambled eggs? Try making this tartine recipe instead. Simply by adding a handful of arugula and herbs to your normal scrambled egg routine you've taken a weekday staple into brunch territory. Serve them artfully plated atop two slices of toasted and buttered sourdough for a final touch. Bonus points for including sausage and a flower to garnish.

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Green Shakshuka

One of our favorite recipes to make in a cast iron pan is shakshuka, and this green version is a delightful update. The base is made from a range of greens like chard, leeks, celery, and spinach, although you can experiment based on what you have on hand. The best part? There's only one pan to wash at the end of such a flavor-packed dish.

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Deep-Dish Quiche Lorraine with Swiss Chard and Bacon

Make your plain ol' quiche Lorraine more impressive by transforming it into this sky-high, deep-dish version. Yes, it might take a little bit more effort than a normal quiche or scrambled eggs, but isn't Mom worth it?

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Cauliflower Cake

If you have the time and want something seriously impressive, you can't go wrong with an Ottolenghi recipe. The acclaimed British chef makes some seriously delicious, incredibly beautiful vegetarian recipes. This cauliflower cake — perfect for a morning meal — is one of our favorites.

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French Omelette

We're not going to lie, making a perfect French omelette takes a little bit of practice. So you might want to hone your skills by making breakfast for dinner one night this week before you show off your new skills to Mom. She'll love it regardless!

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Spring Frittata with Asparagus & Radishes

We love the combination of asparagus and radishes — it's such an easy way to capture the freshness of spring! Combine the two in an eggy frittata you can serve warm or at room temperature.

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Savory Parmesan French Toast

Think French toast can only be super sweet? Think again! This savory version, made with plenty of Parmesan, is a must-try for non-believers. In place of syrup, try topping it with either tomato chutney or bacon jam (or a combination of the two).

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Crustless Vegetable Quiche

The most finicky thing about a quiche is the crust. Save yourself the hassle and skip it in favor of this veggie-packed recipe. We promise Mom won't miss the crust — especially if you serve popovers, biscuits, or rolls alongside it.

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Arugula & Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

No spring brunch would be complete without a fresh side salad. This peppery version makes good use of the arugula that's popping up in markets now. And fennel adds that slight licorice flavor that helps cut through other rich dishes.

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Basic Breakfast Tacos

We'd eat tacos for every meal if we could, and these breakfast tacos are some of our favorites. Of course, you should customize your recipe to fit your mom's favorite flavors, but use these as a base to get them just right.

Brunch Cocktails

Of course, no brunch is complete without a delicious cocktail (or mocktail), and these drinks are the perfect complement to a special meal made for a special person.

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Breakfast Sangria

No celebratory brunch would be complete without a cocktail. This citrus-spiked sangria recipe is a wonderful alternative to the classic mimosa. Just be sure to make it the night before so it has enough time for the flavors to meld.

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The Bright & Bitter

Want to add something to the brunch spread that's a little more interesting than OJ? This mocktail made with cranberry and citrus juices is the sweet and refreshing answer. And of course, you can always add gin, rum, or tequila to turn it into an easy cocktail.

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Spicy Kombucha Bloody Mary

If Mom is looking for something fizzy and fun on the table, you'll want to make sure this Bloody Mary with kombucha is on the menu. The kombucha gives it just the right amount of kick and pairs well with the tomato juice.

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Elderflower & Lemon Sparkling Sipper

Crisp, refreshing cava serves as the base for this subtly floral cocktail, although you can use just about any bubbly you have on hand. All you'll need to add is elderflower syrup or St. Germain, a bit of lemon juice, and a few raspberries to garnish.

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Rhubarb Basil Cocktail

Take advantage of rhubarb season with this sweet and tart cocktail. You can even prep the rhubarb purée that forms its base a couple of days in advance to save time on Sunday morning.

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Strawberry & Limoncello Rosé Sangria

With very little effort, you can make a pitcher of gorgeous rosé sangria that's perfect for celebrating mom on her special day.

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Blood Orange Mimosa Pitcher Cocktail

A traditional mimosa is an ounce or two (depending who is pouring!) of fresh-squeezed orange juice topped with chilly Brut Champagne. Blood oranges make for a striking and delicious pitcher drink to serve at brunch. And, as we know, nothing makes brunch better than a fabulous cocktail.

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