10 Easy Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas

These easy Thanksgiving breakfast recipes can be baked in advance and served outside of the kitchen to keep your family out of the way while you prep the big feast!

The photo collage shows 5 sweet breakfast treats to bake for Thanksgiving morning.

Thanksgiving breakfast just might be the trickiest part of the entire holiday. You need everyone to save room for the BIG FEAST that you're about to spend hours preparing but waiting till 2pm or later is nearly impossible on an empty belly.

I like to keep breakfast on Thanksgiving morning light and simple: a sweet seasonal breakfast pastry and LOTS of coffee for me and milk or juice for the kids.

If you wanted to add some protein in the mix, add a tub of vanilla yogurt, some chopped nuts or coconut, or a platter of hard boiled eggs. This simple breakfast can be set up in minutes so you can get back to the real work of cooking for the holiday.

Air Fryer Apple Turnovers

You could prep these easy apple turnovers the night before and just bake them in your air fryer in minutes in the morning. Light and flaky, it will be just a nice bite to enjoy with your coffee as you get going.

Air Fryer Apple Turnovers

Bake these flaky apple turnovers in the air fryer or in your oven with just 3 simple ingredients plus a sprinkle of sugar on top. Serve them warm for a special breakfast treat or an easy fruit dessert alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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A platter of golden brown apple turnovers.

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Bake a batch of cinnamon streusel muffins to serve on Thanksgiving morning. It will help keep the family out of the kitchen because they can just grab one and scoot right out!

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Buttery cinnamon streusel muffins have layers of crumbly brown sugar and pecan goodness between layers of a light and fluffy cake studded with cinnamon chips. You can make 1 dozen regular muffins or 6 jumbo muffins with this easy recipe.

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A pile of muffins with cinnamon streusel topping sit on a serving platter with a napkin draped on the side.

Fresh Cranberry Bread

This gorgeous fresh cranberry bread would work as a simple breakfast treat in the morning but would make an excellent Thanksgiving bread to pass at the dinner table later, too.

Cranberry Bread

Simple and elegant, this fresh cranberry quick bread makes an excellent brunch item for adding to a holiday menu at Thanksgiving or Christmas time. Fresh whole cranberries in a slightly sweet bread base with a hint of orange has a festive sparkling sugar top.

5 from 4 votes

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A loaf of cranberry bread is on a white platter with fresh cranberries sprinkled around for garnish.

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Once you've prepped my easy cranberry sauce in advance, you can use a few spoonfuls and a package of prepared cinnamon roll dough to make these quick and easy cranberry cinnamon rolls in the morning.

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.

Pumpkin Bread

My freezer friendly pumpkin bread recipe makes 3 large loaves of bread with one bowl of batter. You can prep it in advance earlier in November and just pull out what you need the night before.

Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe

This big batch of pumpkin bread makes three loaves -- 1 to keep, 2 to freeze or share with friends. Such a tasty recipe for fall entertaining and easy breakfasts. Freezes so well!

4.87 from 59 votes

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3 pans of homemade pumpkin bread cool on a stove top.

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles

Homemade waffles may not be the easy breakfast you have in mind, but these pumpkin pecan waffles can be griddled up well in advance, cooled, and then frozen. Have the kids just heat them up right in the toaster for perfect crispy edges.

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles

Delicious homemade pumpkin pecan waffles are an easy recipe for your waffle maker and can be made ahead for a busy week or frozen for a holiday breakfast. Serve them with a dusting of powdered sugar or maple syrup but a handful of butterscotch chips really puts the recipe right over the top!

5 from 1 vote

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A blue plate has 3 pumpkin waffles sprinkled with butterscotch chips and pecans.

Sweet Cheese Ball with Bagels

Prep this sweet chocolate chip cheese ball and offer it up on a breakfast platter alongside mini pumpkin spice bagels or English muffins and some fresh fruit.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

This sweet cheese ball made from cream cheese, powdered sugar, mini chocolate chips, and chopped pecans makes an amazing breakfast spread for bagels, waffles, and pancakes. Serve it as part of a festive brunch with fresh fruit.

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A cream cheese and chocolate chip cheese ball coated in pecans sits next to fresh fruit and a bagel.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Bake a loaf of this easy cinnamon swirl bread, it comes together even more quickly than traditional cinnamon rolls do.

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.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Cranberry orange muffins with a gorgeous streusel topping complement all the savory dishes you'll be preparing later in the day. If you bake a few extra, there's no harm in adding them to the dinner table too!

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.

Almond Poppy Seed Bread

When you want something simple and sweet, this almond poppy seed bread is my go-to favorite. I love my slices gently toasted with butter.

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.