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30 Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Ideas

ByTiffany Dahle Published: Last Modified:
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These easy make-ahead Christmas breakfast ideas will help you serve a special meal on the merriest day of the year. From sweet to savory, eggs or no eggs, you'll find your perfect Christmas brunch idea here!

A photo collage shows red mugs of hot cocoa with whipped cream, cranberry muffins, overnight french toast, and an egg and sausage casserole.

Choosing something to serve for Christmas breakfast can be such a challenge when you have young kids.

Everyone wakes up and the kids are just so excited to dive right in on that pile of gifts that Santa left under the tree.

I know in our family, if we waited to eat breakfast until after the gifts were opened, the whole family would be melting down and crabby.

I always have a special baked treat for us to eat quickly to help fuel our fun. Then we have a larger meal later in the day.

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When to Make Ahead Christmas Breakfast

On Christmas Eve day, I take less than 1 hour to prep everything I need for Christmas morning.

Some of the recipes can even be prepped and frozen weeks in advance and just thawed overnight for breakfast.

This lets me relax with the rest of my family and not spend my Christmas morning in the kitchen.

I highly recommend choosing breakfast recipes for your Christmas breakfast menu that can be made ahead or take minimal effort the morning you want to serve them.

I have personally tested each and every recipe on this list and they have all been big hits with my family.

All you have to do is serve them with fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee!

Easy Breakfast Pastries

A festive holiday coffee bar and a platter of sweet breakfast pastries with fresh fruit is really all you need for an easy breakfast on Christmas morning.

Here are a few of my favorite baked goodies you can make ahead:

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Cranberry and orange paired together is such a festive flavor combination. Buttery streusel topping keep these easy muffins perfectly sweet.

You can bake them and freeze them.

Simply thaw the night before and reheat in the oven for 2 - 3 minutes before serving.

Cranberry Orange Muffins
Festive cranberry orange muffins are bursting with fresh cranberries and orange zest, a touch of cinnamon and sweet streusel topping. Bake a batch and freeze ahead of your holiday breakfast to save time during the busy season.
5 from 4 votes
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A cranberry orange muffin with cinnamon streusel is wrapped in a bright red muffin paper and sits on a pile of other muffins.

Bread Machine Orange Rolls

These sweet orange rolls can be made ahead the day before or even frozen in advance and simply baked fresh on Christmas morning.

Bread Machine Orange Rolls
This bread machine orange rolls recipe is so easy because you prepare the fool proof dough in your bread maker, roll the dough out and bake it in your oven for perfect golden brown breakfast rolls. The filling is not too sweet and has a fresh burst of orange flavor all throughout the orange flavored dough and orange icing.
5 from 2 votes
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A baking pan filled with finished orange rolls sits on a blue towel.

Chocolate Croissant Puffs

Thaw the puff pastry in your fridge overnight and you're just a few minutes away from fresh homemade chocolate croissants on Christmas morning!

Or, you can go ahead and bake them the day before and just reheat them for a minute in the oven before serving.

Easy Chocolate Croissants
The best beginner baker recipe for young kids to make! This chocolate croissant recipe has just 3 ingredients but tastes like you've been in the kitchen all day.
4.80 from 5 votes
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A white platter of homemade chocolate croissants made from puff pastry. One has been broken in half to show the melted chocolate filling, there's a Hershey's square of chocolate next to it.

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe uses prepared cinnamon roll dough and prepared cranberry sauce for the easiest 5-minute breakfast treat.

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
These easy cranberry cinnamon rolls use Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough (or another brand of prepared cinnamon roll dough) for the easiest Christmas breakfast ever.
4.80 from 5 votes
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A cranberry filled cinnamon roll has a fork serving up a bite.

Blueberry Scones

These blueberry scones are so quick to prepare, they'll be ready to go in the oven before it is even finished preheating!

To make the work go even easier, mix together all the DRY ingredients the day before. Then you simply have to pour in the cream, mix, and bake.

Easy Blueberry Scones
These super easy homemade blueberry scones are the perfect recipe for beginner bakers. Light and flaky, they are a perfect weekend brunch menu idea.
4.64 from 11 votes
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A blue plate has a pile of homemade blueberry scones on top.

Almond Cherry Scones

You could prep these heart-shaped almond cherry scones the night before and just cover the baking pan with plastic wrap.

Pop them in the oven in the morning so they are fresh baked for your holiday breakfast.

Almond Cherry Scones
Sweet almond cherry scones can be patted out and cut into shapes or you can simply spoon and drop them in rounds. Dried cherries plump up while baking and you'll love the drizzle of almond glaze over the top.
5 from 3 votes
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A heart-shaped almond cherry scone with a drizzle of icing over the top is in a heart-shaped plate.

Cherry Almond Streusel Coffee Cake

You can make this juicy cherry almond streusel coffee cake on Christmas Eve afternoon.

Store it covered with foil on your counter and just pop it back in the oven for a couple minutes to warm through before serving on Christmas day.

Cherry Almond Coffee Cake
Use fresh or frozen cherries to make this deliciously easy cherry almond coffee cake for your next brunch. Warm cinnamon streusel on top adds crunch and texture with toasted almonds in the mix.
4.34 from 6 votes
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A slice of cherry almond coffee cake shows the layer of big fresh cherries on the bottom and the crumbly streusel topping on top.

Almond Poppy Seed Bread

My daughter thinks this almond poppy seed bread tastes like Christmas married a Birthday cake.

You can bake the bread ahead of time and freeze it. Thaw in the fridge on Christmas Eve and warm in the oven before serving.

Almond Poppy Seed Bread
This buttery almond poppy seed bread tastes like Christmas married a birthday cake. Serve this easy quick bread recipe for a festive weekend brunch or delight your kids with a special school morning breakfast.
5 from 1 vote
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A sliced loaf of almond poppy seed bread is ready for serving on a white platter.

German Christmas Bread

Pop all the ingredients for this festive Christmas bread into your bread machine on Christmas Eve.

Either set the timer to let the bread start baking before you wake up or simply let the bread rest on your counter. Ice it and serve with fresh fruits.

German Christmas Bread
This festive holiday bread is similar to the sweets sold in the Christmas markets of southern Germany. Studded with dried fruit and hazelnuts, this easy bread machine recipe tastes great with coffee or mulled wine.
4.75 from 4 votes
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A finished loaf of Bavarian Christmas bread from the bread machine. The loaf has a drizzle of white glaze in a criss cross pattern over the top and a red and white striped towel sits next to it.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This delicious and amazing cinnamon swirl bread has a few extra steps but can easily be made ahead the day before.

It's a lot easier to make than a pan of cinnamon rolls but has the exact same flavors.

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread
This delicious homemade cinnamon swirl bread can be easily cut into slices for toast but tastes just like a cinnamon bun with an amazing, rich cinnamon-packed filling.
5 from 3 votes
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A slice of cinnamon swirl bread sits on a cutting board next to the bread pan it came from.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

This sweet cinnamon bread can be prepped the day before or even frozen and then just baked fresh on Christmas morning.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
Make the sweet dough for this cinnamon pull apart bread in your bread machine in just a minute of prep. Then roll it out and bake in your oven for a crispy cinnamon bread that is super fun to serve warm at the table. Each slice is coated with a simple cinnamon sugar mix that cooks into a delicious caramel at the base of the bread.
5 from 3 votes
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A baking pan filled with the finished cinnamon pull apart bread sits on a cooling rack.

Breakfast Casseroles for Christmas

An overnight breakfast casserole is always a great solution. Simply pull the dish from the fridge in the morning and pop it in the oven.

Let the breakfast bake while the kids dig in on the presents.

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Panettone Bread Pudding

At the holidays, this sweet recipe can double as a Christmas dessert or a Christmas morning breakfast.

It tastes even better if it has a chance to soak up the egg custard in the fridge overnight.

Make-Ahead Panettone Bread Pudding
This delicious panettone bread pudding can be served as a Christmas breakfast or a holiday dessert. Warm and fresh from the oven, dust it with powdered sugar and drizzle each serving with a bit of easy homemade amaretto sauce or vanilla creme anglaise.
4.84 from 6 votes
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Overnight French Toast Bake

This overnight french toast casserole is my husband's favorite.

Serve with some peppered bacon for a festive Christmas brunch.

Overnight French Toast Bake with Pecan Praline
This sweet and salty bourbon pecan French toast bake is the perfect overnight breakfast to prep before a holiday. Serve it with peppery bacon.
4.75 from 4 votes
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A serving of French toast casserole topped with pecans has slices of bacon on the side.

Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Most of the ingredients for this overnight egg casserole are prepped ahead so all you have to do is assemble and bake before serving.

Let it cook while the kids dig in on the presents and you'll have a warm breakfast to look forward to afterwards!

Sausage Breakfast Casserole with English Muffins
This deliciously easy overnight sausage breakfast casserole has an english muffin base topped with asparagus, red peppers, and cheddar cheese. It is the perfect easy breakfast recipe for Christmas morning or Easter brunch.
5 from 2 votes
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A white baking dish has a cheesy sausage and egg casserole with green veggies mixed in.

Easy Quiche

Prep the pie crust in the pie dish and whisk together the quiche filling the day before.

In the morning, simply assemble and bake! This is a great savory breakfast to help balance all the Christmas sweets.

Easy Quiche
This classic quiche recipe can be mixed and matched with your favorite fillings to make a delicious egg dish for your brunch menu.
4.50 from 4 votes
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A slice of spinach quiche is on a plate next to additional baby spinach.

Eggs and Ham Breakfast Slab Pie

Another hearty Christmas breakfast for hungry celebrants.

This deliciously flaky breakfast pie would make an amazing Christmas brunch entree served with a simple green salad topped with dried cranberries and pecans.

Egg and Ham Slab Pie
This light and flaky slab pie is filled with savory ham, swiss cheese, and whipped eggs. Seasoned with a slight spicy kick, it is the perfect holiday brunch recipe.
5 from 1 vote
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A metal baking pan has an egg and ham breakfast pie with a buttery, flaky pie crust.

Classic Breakfasts for Families

If you enjoy a traditional sit down breakfast for the holiday, you can still make these favorites ahead of time and freeze them for easy reheating on Christmas morning.

Cherry Pancake with Almonds

You could mix the Dutch baby pancake batter the day before and simply bake it with the fresh cherries on Christmas morning.

Cherry Pancake with Almonds
This Dutch baby cherry pancake with almonds, very similar to a cherry clafouti, makes a delicious breakfast or fruit dessert when served with a dollop of whipped cream. Juicy fresh cherries with a sweet hint of almond in the batter and crispy almonds on top make a delightful treat to share.
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The baked cherry clafouti is in the skillet.

Buttermilk Waffles

You may not want to make homemade waffles from scratch on Christmas morning, but you can still enjoy these lovely treats for breakfast.

This buttermilk waffles recipe can be baked ahead of time and frozen. Pop the waffles in your toaster or toaster oven or on a big pan in your oven to heat through before serving.

Add a drizzle of our favorite strawberry jam for a fun Christmas pop of color.

Easy Buttermilk Waffles
These sweetly spiced vanilla buttermilk waffles are a perfect make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings or for a relaxing weekend brunch. Kids can reheat them in the toaster for fresh and crispy waffles all week long.
5 from 1 vote
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A white plate is filled with buttermilk waffles.

Birthday Cake Waffles

Christmas Day is actually the biggest birthday party ever, right?? So why not surprise the kids with a batch of birthday cake waffles?

These also freeze well and could be prepped weeks in advance. Just pop them in the toaster or warm them through in the oven before serving with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Birthday Cake Waffles
These easy homemade birthday cake waffles taste just like birthday cake and are filled with funfetti sprinkles. Serve them with whipped cream or your favorite jam. They're an easy make ahead birthday breakfast because they can be frozen and heated in the toaster.
5 from 1 vote
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Two waffles on a blue plate have a dollop of whipped cream and pastel sprinkles.

Easy Eggs Benedict for a Crowd

Eggs benedict is surprisingly easy to serve to a crowd if you follow these easy prep tips.

Easy Eggs Benedict
This delicious eggs benedict variation is so much easier to make than the original! Perfect for making a single serving or scaling for a large crowd for a special brunch menu. You can plate the assembled sandwiches or serve the elements family-style at the table.
5 from 1 vote
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An eggs benedict on a croissant.

Easy Christmas Breakfast Drinks

With a table filled with yummy treats, don't forget a sweet beverage to start the holiday off on the right foot.

DIY Christmas Coffee Bar

Start the morning off right and treat you and the other adults in your home to a DIY Christmas coffee station.

All these special add-ins can be prepped days ahead and just set out near your breakfast table or coffee pot!

DIY Christmas Coffee Bar
Let guests mix and match their own festive Christmas coffee with this easy holiday coffee station.
5 from 1 vote
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3 tall bottles hold different flavored coffee syrups for a DIY coffee bar.

Crockpot Hot Chocolate

You can actually make the Crockpot hot chocolate recipe ahead of time and simply reheat it on Christmas morning.

Serve alongside a variety of hot cocoa toppings and a few easy quick breads or cinnamon rolls for an easy buffet-style breakfast that people can refill on their own all morning long.

Ultimate Crockpot Hot Chocolate
This easy Crockpot hot cocoa recipe is perfect for a holiday open house or Christmas Eve! Set up the ultimate hot cocoa bar with one of these fun flavor variations and plenty of festive toppings for guests to mix and match their own custom mug.
5 from 1 vote
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A blue mug filled with hot cocoa has mini marshmallows on top and chocolate pieces and marshmallows scattered around it.

Pomegranate Punch with Sparkling Prosecco

Instead of a mimosa, how about serve this pomegranate punch with Christmas brunch?

Pomegranate Punch with Prosecco
This pomegranate punch recipe is the perfect party beverage to serve at your holiday gathering because you can make it as an adult beverage with the wine or swap sparkling white grape juice to make a mocktail for the whole family.
5 from 1 vote
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A stemless wine glass is filled with pomegranate punch, slices of fresh orange, and fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish.

Easy Side Dishes for Breakfast

Round out the holiday breakfast with these delicious and easy make ahead side dishes.

Fresh Fruit Tray with Fruit Dip

You can prep and arrange a pretty fruit platter and one of these sweet dips for a special treat on the breakfast table.

Peppered Bacon

You can bake my peppered bacon in advance and just warm it on big baking sheets in the oven before serving.

Peppered Bacon
Delicious peppered bacon can easily be turned into candied bacon with brown sugar. Sweet or savory, this is the best bacon for your weekend brunch.
5 from 2 votes
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A platter of candied bacon with pepper is ready to serve.

Breakfast Sausage

This lightened up homemade breakfast sausage is freezer friendly and can be thawed in the fridge overnight and warmed through before serving.

Turkey Breakfast Sausage
This easy turkey breakfast sausage recipe can be made into breakfast sausage patties for breakfast sandwiches or sausage crumbles for adding to an egg scramble or omelette. Lighter and healthier than traditional sausage but this recipe has ALL the same flavor thanks to the seasoning mix.
5 from 5 votes
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A white plate has turkey breakfast sausage patties piled high for serving.

More Christmas Ideas

Now that you've got your Christmas breakfast ready to make ahead, don't miss these other great holiday planning tips:

The photo collage shows several recipes that would be easy to make ahead for Christmas morning.

2 Comments

  1. Pingback: Deliciously easy sausage egg and cheese casserole for Christmas morning

  2. Thank you for such lovely ideas and acknowledging how difficult it can be with younger ones. My youngest is now 6 and it's only now we can use china! Wishing you all a merry Christmas x

    Reply

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