Christmas breakfast ideas on a festive table with a golden sausage and egg breakfast casserole, sticky caramel monkey bread, overnight French toast bake dusted with powdered sugar and mugs of peppermint hot chocolate with whipped cream

12 Easy Christmas Breakfast Ideas (Many Make Ahead)

ByEmma Huntley

Christmas morning in my house is pure happy chaos: wrapping paper everywhere, kids in pajamas, coffee brewing and something sweet baking in the oven. Over the years I learned that the secret to a relaxed Christmas breakfast is choosing recipes you can prep the night before, so you get to enjoy the morning instead of standing at the stove. These 12 Christmas breakfast ideas are my favorites, from cozy casseroles to festive sweet treats.

Quick answer: The best Christmas breakfast ideas are make ahead dishes like an overnight breakfast casserole, French toast bake, cinnamon roll casserole and monkey bread, plus easy extras like a breakfast board, festive fruit salad, coffee cake and hot chocolate. Assemble them on Christmas Eve, refrigerate, and bake in the morning while you open presents.

Below you will find each idea with quick instructions, a sample menu, and a simple Christmas morning timeline.

How I Plan a Stress Free Christmas Breakfast

  • Pick one savory and one sweet main. For example, a breakfast casserole and monkey bread.
  • Choose at least one make ahead dish. Anything you can assemble on Christmas Eve is gold.
  • Add easy sides. Fruit, yogurt and something to drink fill out the table with almost no effort.
  • Use your oven wisely. Pick dishes that bake at the same temperature, around 350°F (175°C), so they can go in together.
  • Set the table the night before. Plates, mugs and napkins ready means one less thing to do in the morning.

Christmas Breakfast Shopping List

These basics cover most of the ideas below:

  • 2 dozen eggs
  • Milk, heavy cream (double cream) and butter
  • Breakfast sausage and bacon
  • Shredded cheddar and cream cheese
  • Frozen hash browns
  • A loaf of brioche or challah
  • Canned cinnamon rolls and canned biscuits
  • Brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla
  • Berries, pomegranate, oranges, kiwi and grapes
  • Coffee, cocoa and orange juice
Christmas breakfast ingredients including eggs, brioche, cinnamon roll dough, cranberries, oranges and cinnamon on a festive counter

12 Christmas Breakfast Ideas

1. Overnight Sausage Breakfast Casserole

This is the heart of our Christmas morning. Layer hash browns, sausage and cheese in a 9×13 inch dish, pour over 10 eggs whisked with 2 cups (480 ml) milk, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes. My full breakfast casserole recipe has every detail and lots of variations.

2. Overnight French Toast Bake

Cube a loaf of brioche into a greased 9×13 inch dish. Whisk 8 eggs, 2 cups (480 ml) milk, ½ cup (120 ml) cream, ½ cup (100g) brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp vanilla, pour over and refrigerate overnight. Top with a crumble of brown sugar and butter and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.

3. Sticky Monkey Bread

Canned biscuit pieces rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked in a buttery caramel. Everyone pulls off their own piece, and kids love it. Assemble it on Christmas Eve and bake it in the morning. Here is my easy monkey bread recipe.

4. Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Cut 2 cans of cinnamon rolls into quarters and spread in a greased 9×13 inch dish. Whisk 4 eggs, ½ cup (120 ml) cream, 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp cinnamon, pour over and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Drizzle with the icing packets.

5. Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Bake it on Christmas Eve, cover it and it will be perfect in the morning. A soft sour cream cake with a thick, buttery cinnamon crumb is made for slow mornings with coffee. Try my coffee cake with extra crumb topping.

6. Christmas Breakfast Board

A beautiful no cook option for a crowd. Arrange mini pancakes or waffles, boiled eggs, bacon, sausage links, berries, sliced oranges, yogurt cups, cheese, mini muffins and little bowls of syrup, jam and Nutella on a big board. Add rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds for a festive look.

7. Gingerbread Pancakes

Add 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves and 2 tbsp molasses to your favorite pancake batter. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. They make the whole house smell like Christmas.

8. Christmas Tree Fruit Platter

Arrange green grapes and kiwi slices in a tree shape on a platter, decorate with pomegranate seeds and raspberries as “ornaments,” and put a star cut from a pineapple slice on top. Kids love helping make it.

9. Eggs Benedict Bake

For a fancy but easy brunch, layer torn English muffins and diced Canadian bacon or ham in a dish, pour over 8 eggs whisked with 2 cups milk, refrigerate overnight and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve with quick blender hollandaise.

10. Cranberry Orange Muffins

Bright, tangy and festive. Fold 1 cup (100g) fresh or frozen cranberries and the zest of 1 orange into a simple muffin batter. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 18 to 22 minutes and drizzle with an orange glaze. They freeze beautifully, so you can bake them a week early.

11. Yogurt Parfait Bar

Set out vanilla yogurt, granola, berries, pomegranate seeds, chopped nuts and honey and let everyone build their own parfait in a glass. It balances out all the sweet bakes on the table.

12. Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Festive Drinks

Warm 4 cups (950 ml) of milk with ½ cup (90g) chopped dark chocolate and 3 tbsp cocoa. Stir in ½ tsp peppermint extract and top with whipped cream and crushed candy canes. Keep a pot of coffee going for the adults and a jug of fresh orange juice too.

Christmas breakfast table with breakfast casserole, monkey bread, French toast bake, a Christmas tree fruit platter and hot chocolate

Sample Christmas Breakfast Menu

Here is the menu I actually make for 8 to 10 people:

  • Savory: Overnight sausage breakfast casserole
  • Sweet: Monkey bread or cinnamon roll casserole
  • Fresh: Christmas tree fruit platter
  • Drinks: Coffee, orange juice and peppermint hot chocolate

Christmas Morning Timeline

My Tips for Christmas Breakfast

  • Do not try new recipes on the day. Test anything new a week or two before.
  • Let dishes sit out before baking. Cold glass dishes can crack in a hot oven, and cold food takes longer to bake.
  • Keep it simple. Two mains, one fresh side and drinks are plenty.
  • Accept help. Let kids decorate the fruit tree or set out the yogurt bar.
  • Use the warm setting. Keep finished dishes covered in a low oven at 200°F (95°C) while everyone gathers.

Christmas Breakfast FAQs

What is a traditional Christmas breakfast?

It varies by family and country. In the US, breakfast casseroles, cinnamon rolls and French toast bakes are popular. In the UK, many families enjoy a cooked breakfast, smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, or mince pies and Buck’s Fizz.

What can I make the night before Christmas?

Breakfast casseroles, French toast bakes, monkey bread, cinnamon roll casseroles, overnight oats and coffee cake can all be prepped or baked on Christmas Eve.

How do I keep breakfast warm on Christmas morning?

Cover dishes with foil and keep them in the oven at 200°F (95°C) for up to 30 minutes.

What is a good Christmas breakfast for kids?

Monkey bread, gingerbread pancakes, the fruit Christmas tree and peppermint hot chocolate are always big hits with kids.

How many dishes should I make?

For most families, one savory dish, one sweet dish, a fruit side and drinks is perfect.

Final Thoughts

Christmas morning should be about the people, not the dishes. Choose two or three of these Christmas breakfast ideas, prep them on Christmas Eve, and you will get to sit down, sip your coffee and enjoy every moment.

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