How Much Food Should I Make for a Brunch Party?

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
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updated May 11, 2022
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Q: How do I figure out how much food to make for a brunch? I am having about 20 people over for an informal brunch buffet, and planning: Fritatta squares, Faith’s lemon sticky buns, cheddar-leek muffins, fruit salad, and orange juice/mimosas.

I was thinking to have one muffin and one sticky bun per person, plus 20% or so more to be sure there’s enough, but is that overkill or insufficient? I don’t want to run out and also don’t want to end up with a house full of leftover baked goods. I was also thinking about making mini-sized sticky buns since people might not indulge in a whole one. I expect people to come and go over a three-hour window. Any advice would be welcome — thanks!

Sent by Nadia

Editor: Nadia, wow, we’re flattered you’re doing such a menu of Kitchn recipes! Best of luck — we love all of those recipes a lot.

A few thoughts on your planning. Yes, the amounts you have listed out sound good to us. (20% over is a catering rule of thumb.)

But it is also important to know your crowd. Are you inviting a lot of people who just nibble and leave half a muffin on their plate? Or will it be a crowd of hungry men who plow through half a tray of rolls on their own? Do take that into consideration — quantities eaten will vary from crowd to crowd.

Readers, do you have any advice for Nadia?

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Related: Throw a Fancy Brunch on a Budget

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