40 Healthy Brunch Recipes That Won't Put You Back to Sleep
Sometimes the only thing that gets us out of bed on the weekends is the thought of French toast. But sometimes the reality of that French toast (coupled with a mimosa or two) sends us right back to bed. This weekend, we're luring our friends over for egg-white chalupas and chile-lime-pineapple spritzers, or any one of the healthyish brunch recipes below. And if we still want to take a nap later, well, that's on us.
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Chris Morocco1/40Simple Quiche With Sweet Potato Crust
The Topanga Living Cafe in Topanga, CA, inspired this gluten-free quiche that uses caramelized sweet potato instead of dough.
- Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski2/40
Whole Grain Pancakes with Blackberries
When you want a skillet-sized pancake, burnished from whole wheat flour and studded with cooked grains, flavorful and with a hardy texture.
- Alex Lau3/40
Breakfast Rice Bowls With Smoked Fish
Whether it’s part of a Japanese breakfast or a classic bagel spread, smoked fish is never a bad idea.
- Alex Lau4/40
Mixed Grain and Coconut Porridge
Hot tip: Make porridge on the weekend. Reheat this in the time it takes to make instant.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Andy Baraghani7/40
Vitamin C Superfruit Salad
Feeling under the weather? This superfruit salad will give you the perfect jolt of vitamins you need to get back on the path of recovery.
- Alex Lau8/40
Turmeric Fried Eggs With Kale, Yogurt, and Bacon
Breakfast bowls shouldn’t take 2 hours to make; this one is ready in about 20 minutes.
- Alex Lau11/40
Baked Eggs with Coconut Milk and Cilantro
A simple, creamy baked egg recipe with a limey-hot sauce on top.
- Peden + Munk13/40
5-Grain Porridge With Bee Pollen, Apples, and Coconut
If you don’t have each and every grain listed, don’t stress. Use what you’ve got—just bump up the quantity.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen14/40
These Onion-y Turmeric Eggs Are the Perfect Breakfast Comfort Food
Andy Baraghani shares his dad's classic recipe.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen15/40
Grain-Free Tahini Granola
If you’re missing the oats in this gluten-free, make-ahead granola, simply swap out 1 cup of the nuts for ¾ cup rolled oats.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li16/40
Egg White Chalupa
Don’t overdo it when seasoning the egg whites; the lack of fat will allow you to taste the salt that much more.
- Alex Lau17/40
Fried Egg Tacos With Chile Jam
Sambal oelek and chili-garlic sauce are similar except the latter has garlic in it. Glad we could help clear that up.
- Alex Lau18/40
Fried Brown Rice With Kale and Turmeric
Yes, fried rice for breakfast counts if there's an egg (or 3) in it!
- Peden + Munk19/40
Cinnamon-Date Buns
Yes, the dough is buttery, but replacing the brown sugar with puréed dates is a nutritional game-changer.
- Peden + Munk20/40
Chickpea Pancakes with Leeks, Squash, and Yogurt
Weekday pancakes sound like a stretch? Make the batter Sunday evening and start the week strong.
- Peden + Munk21/40
Chile-and-Olive-Oil-Fried Egg With Avocado and Sprouts
To cook the perfect olive oil–fried egg, make sure the skillet is really hot.
- Photo by Peden + Munk22/40
Chocolate-Rye Crumb Cake
Because it contains more essential oils, whole grain rye flour can spoil quickly. Store the unused portion in the fridge or freezer.
- Peden + Munk23/40
Smoked Salmon Breakfast Salad With Crispbread
Everything good about a lox and bagel sandwich (minus the bagel).
- Peden + Munk24/40
Sweet and Salty Fig Toast
Taste a fig first to see how sweet it is... and thus how much honey you want to add.
- Gentl & Hyers25/40
Egg Salad Tartines With Mixed Herbs
Not a mayo maker? Season your favorite brand with vinegar and hot sauce to bump up the tang and add heat.
- Alex Lau26/40
Buckwheat Banana Cake With Yogurt-Espresso Frosting
Earthy, nutrient-rich whole grain flours give this classic banana loaf cake recipe some added personality.
- Alex Lau27/40
Oat and Apple Pancakes
This apple pancakes recipe features a serving of whole grains and produce that you get to pour maple syrup over. Yes please!
- 28/40
Lamb and Feta Frittata
We fell hard for the za’atar paste in this everyday frittata, which combines olive oil, lemon zest, and garlic.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott29/40
Carrot Pancakes With Salted Yogurt
With a texture somewhere between a latke and a pancake, these vegetarian fritters are also gluten-free. (Thanks, chickpea flour!)
- Alex Lau30/40
Skillet Phyllo Pie With Butternut Squash, Kale, and Goat Cheese
When overlapping the phyllo over the filling in this recipe, work carefully but quickly so the phyllo doesn’t dry out before baking.
- Alex Lau31/40
Green Shakshuka
Say that three times fast! Watch closely toward the end of the cooking time and remove from oven when the eggs have plenty of wobble left in them for this shakshuka recipe.
- Peden + Munk32/40
Muesli Toast with Labneh, Hazelnuts, and Honey
This toast also works well divided into fourths and served as an appetizer.
- Alex Lau33/40
Gluten-Free Oat and Buckwheat Pancakes
These pancakes make an addictive snack: Freeze any extras and toast gently to reheat.
- Alaina Sullivan34/40
Cromlet with Wilted Greens and Fennel and Olive Salad
This savory gluten-free vegetarian pancake recipe can be made in the same pan as the wilted greens, maximizing efficiency for a healthy weeknight meal.
- Bobbi Lin35/40
Persian Herb and Leek Frittata
It's all about the herbs—almost five cups of them! Proceed with a sharp knife.
- Ted Cavanaugh36/40
Whole Grain Salad With Jammy Eggs and Shallot Yogurt
Rye berries are sold with their hull intact, which means they’ll take a bit longer to cook than other grains but will reward your patience with al-dente chewy nuttiness.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li38/40
Eggs in Purgatory
Any type of tomatoes will work, though cherry tomatoes hold their shape well. If what you’ve got is a couple of ripe beefsteaks or Romas, cut them into 1" pieces and carry on.
- Alex Lau39/40
Spiced Chickpeas With Crispy Pita, Yogurt, and Brown Butter
This version of the Levantine breakfast dish, known as fatteh hummus, is all about the contrast of textures and flavors: crunchy pita chips, creamy chickpeas, and tart yogurt.
- Alex Lau40/40
Sumac Fried Eggs With Red Chile and Garlic
We added garlic and chile in addition to the traditional sumac for these Lebanese-style fried eggs.