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Christmas mornings have always been special at our house, usually beginning with an early church service. Our daughters are now married with families of their own, so our schedules have changed some, but I still try to offer Christmas Brunch, for whoever might pop in to join us after the service. Below are a few of my favorite Christmas Holiday Brunch Ideas that I have used through the years.
Post modified on 12/14/23.)
‘Tis the season for family gatherings, big or small. At our house, we enjoy time with family whether for an evening dinner, an afternoon tea, or a mid-morning brunch. All joyous occasions filled with love, laughter, and lots of delicious food!
When planning a brunch, your first decision should be who will be in attendance. Do you want to host a large party and serve buffet-style or will this be a smaller event with everyone sitting at a table? If at a table, how many tables will you need?
Dishes and Table Decorations
Once you’ve decided on the guestlist, consider your tableware and decorations. Look through your dishes and tablecloths to see if you have anything festive in red or green for the holidays. If you have a set of Christmas dishes stashed away in the closet, now is the perfect time to use them!
Whether you decide to use fine table linens and grandma’s china, or something easy like paper napkins and plates boasting a fun holiday scene, the choice is yours. Go with whatever works best for your situation and gathering.
If desired, you might want to splurge on a pretty floral arrangement or holiday poinsettia for the table or dining area. Or make one yourself with fresh greenery and bows. There are so many fun options. For ideas, spend a little time browsing a favorite holiday magazine or Pinterest. I made the one above with floral stems from Hobby Lobby at 50% off.
Christmas Brunch Recipes
When planning a family brunch, especially one for Christmas, I try to go the extra mile to cook up something special for the menu. I’ve been collecting my favorite brunch recipes for many years now, so I have quite a stash of them.
Brunch Begins with Beverages
It’s not unusual for us to serve mixed cocktails for a Christmas Brunch, such as Mimosas, Tequila Sunrise, or Bloody Mary drinks. But I’ve also served Old-Fashioned Eggnog, a Citrus Punch, Warm Spiced Chai Tea, or Christmas Wassail with Pomegranate Juice, which is always a hit. See this post for 20 Easy Christmas Cocktails at Insanely Good Recipes for more ideas.
Breakfast Breads
Every brunch should have some sort of bread on the table. Muffins, cinnamon rolls, scones, quick breads, coffee cakes, croissants, or even a special Danish-style loaf. It’s Christmas, so bring on the flavors of the season with cinnamon, cranberries, apples, oranges, or raisins.
Sourdough Blueberry Cinnamon Muffins – The sourdough makes it a dense, yet tender muffin, and the addition of cinnamon brings on a whole new flavor as well as color.
Cranberry Fig Muffins are perfect for Christmas, filled with cranberries, dried figs, warm spices, and English walnuts.
Pumpkin Maple Cinnamon Rolls – Tender pumpkin dough rolled up in sweet cinnamon spices and topped with a yummy maple icing.
Orange Cranberry Scones – This was the first scone recipe I ever made. The chopped cranberries and orange zest give them a wonderful warm flavor of Christmas.
Cranberry Pear Scones – Filled with Bosc pears, fresh cranberries, and walnuts, then seasoned with the slightest bit of black pepper, they are quite delicious.
Cinnamon Coffee Cake – I usually make it during the Christmas holidays, but really, it’s delicious any time of year. It’s moist, packed with cinnamon and pecans.
Sourdough Chocolate Croissants (aka pain au chocolat) are out-of-this-world delicious, bakery-style beautiful, and simply wonderful. They are so flaky, they fall apart at the touch. Lots of buttery layers. With chunks of yummy dark chocolate tucked inside the center that leaves you licking your lips for more. I have been including these croissants for our Christmas brunch for two years now, and will have them again this year!
Cherry Danish Loaves – These ever so light sweet loaves wrap around a delicious cream cheese and cherry pie filling. It’s so yummy and goes perfect with an egg casserole or quiche when you want something special for your family.
Twisted Apple Speculaas Bread – Flavored with Speculaas Spice, a fun mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, aniseed, cardamom, ginger, and white pepper, it’ll fill your house with the delightful scent of Christmas.
Fresh Fruit
Be sure to add some fresh fruit to your Christmas Brunch menu, especially fruit that is in season, such as pears, oranges, pineapple, grapefruit, and even pomegranate. I like to make this Easy Breakfast Ambrosia recipe when we have weekend company. It’s so simple to put together and just the right amount of yogurt and fruit to go with muffins, a breakfast casserole, or French toast.
Serve this Fresh Fruit Cocktail Salad for your next weekend brunch, family gathering, or potluck dinner. Everybody loves fruit, and this fresh fruit salad is a winner. It’s coated in a citrus dressing so your fruit won’t turn color on you, which is also very nice.
The Main Dish
When considering the main dish for your brunch, consider the size of your gathering. If large, you may want to offer a couple items for your brunch. Consider an egg casserole with cheese and ham or sausage. Quiche is a special dish I like to serve at Christmas, but you might also consider pancakes or waffles. Or offer both!
Egg Casseroles and Quiche
If your guest numbers are few, you might consider serving a Skillet Frittata. It’s loaded with lots of colorful vegetables and topped with cheddar cheese. So yummy. Perfect for the holidays, or anytime you’re looking for a filling breakfast.
Weekend Brunch Casserole – Lined with a crescent roll crust and topped with chopped ham or pork sausage, eggs, and mozzarella cheese. Simple and delicious.
Ham and Hash Brown Egg Casserole is one of the easiest breakfast dishes to make. It’s perfect for when you have company or want something special on a weekend. Just mix it up the night before, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Then pop it in the oven the next morning and leave to bake for almost an hour.
Breakfast Quiche is elegant and pretty enough for special Christmas brunch. Yet it’s easy enough to make when you want a light dinner in the spring or summer.
French Toast, Pancakes, and Waffles
There is something about French Toast that I simply love. They’re not fluffy like pancakes, yet they’re sweet from syrup. Chewy, yet delicate. Pleasant to behold and so very tasty! Especially when paired with the saltiness of bacon.
Apple Cider Pancakes are delicious, and a recipe we make over and over again. Made with freshly squeezed apple cider, chunky applesauce, and fall spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cornmeal Buttermilk Pancakes are nice when you want a little change of pace to regular pancakes. The light corn taste, especially when dipped in warm maple syrup, is super yummy!
Blueberry Eggnog Waffles – Filled with plump fresh blueberries inside an eggnog-flavored waffle, served with a dollop of sour cream and a Homemade Blueberry Syrup. A perfect choice for Christmas morning!
I hope these Christmas Holiday Brunch Ideas encourage you to host a morning meal with your family or friends. Be sure to turn on some soft holiday music to play in the background. And no matter what you decide to serve, remember to enjoy the moments.
See more Breakfast Ideas Here. View Christmas Tea Party Ideas Here. Browse Holiday Baking Ideas Here. See my Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes Here.
I liked your Christmas breakfasts! We do things differently, less of baking and more of stove-top cooking, grilling, steaming etc.
Thanks for stopping by to say hello, Joy! Merry Christmas!
I've been digging through my old recipes trying to find breakfast foods for this weekend. I was looking for something 'new' and I'm so glad you posted these delicious looking recipes. Thanks! Merry Christmas, Deborah!!!