March 31 is Easter Sunday: This is not the time for soggy cereal and toast. If you’re celebrating the day with brunch (you know, in between the holiday crafts and copious amounts of candy), might we suggest one of these 62 Easter brunch ideas? They’re festive and spring-y—think kale quiche, feta tart and carrot cake doughnuts—while still being ridiculously easy to prepare, which means you’ll have plenty of time for an egg hunt.
62 Easter Brunch Ideas That Are Quick, Easy and Festive
There will be ham (and so much more)
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Published Feb 22, 2024
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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Individual Breakfast Shakshukas
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, <500 calories, vegetarian
While traditional shakshuka calls for serving bread on the side, this riff calls for baking the eggs and tomato sauce in its own bread boats. The carbs-to-protein ratio is on point, and you’ll score bonus points for the Insta-worthy presentation.
2. Baked Strawberry and Cream Stuffed Croissant French Toast
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Decadent? Yes. Impressive? Oh yeah. If there’s ever a morning to splurge for the OTT brunch, Easter morning is it. (Cut yourself a break and use store-bought croissants—you deserve it.)
3. Classic Banana Bread
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We’ve found the perfect use for those sad, sagging bananas you’ve been “saving” on your counter for weeks. A stand mixer will make this recipe come together the fastest, but you can also use a hand mixer. And if you don’t have sour cream, it can be swapped in equal amounts for plain yogurt.
4. Sweet Potato, Bacon and Broccoli Egg Muffins
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, kid-friendly, Mediterranean diet, paleo
Want to shake things up? Swap the veggies for whatever you have. Just don’t skip the bacon.
5. Poached Egg with Frisée and Arugula Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, <500 calories, special occasion-worthy
This feels like a fancy restaurant salad even though it’s super easy to pull off in your own kitchen. (Just don’t tell anyone that.) The secret to a perfectly poached egg lies with vinegar, which helps it hold its shape as it cooks.
6. French Toast Sticks
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly
Sure, you could serve these with maple syrup. But we think our honey-vanilla dipping sauce is also worth a try.
7. Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, low carb, keto
We really do like green eggs, at least when they’re these delicious bites. A touch of hot sauce is optional, but adds welcome flavor—just warn your guests beforehand.
8. Skillet Blueberry Cornbread
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <500 calories, special occasion-worthy
If a coffee cake and cornbread had a very tasty, crumb-topped baby, this would be it.
9. Sheet Pan Pancakes with Chocolate Chips
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
It’s Easter and you don’t have time to flip pancakes while everyone hunts for eggs. With this sheet-pan wonder, you don’t have to flip a thing.
10. Veggie Niçoise Salad with Red Curry Green Beans
- Time Commitment: 1hour
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Come for the tender potatoes; stay for the impeccably cooked hard-boiled eggs. Instead of the usual tuna, we loaded this salad with perfectly cooked vegetables.
11. Cherry Tomato Galette with Garlic and Herbs
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
This is like a fancy pizza that got dressed up in its Sunday best. (Psst: The crust is store-bought puff pastry.)
12. Doughnut Muffins
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
The only thing tastier than a dozen doughnuts? A dozen of these fluffy, sugary treats, which are brushed with butter before getting a generous coating of confectioners’ sugar or cinnamon.
13. Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Is it a cake or is it a quick bread? We’re not sure, but we’re definitely having a second slice. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, just use the regular ones.
13. Baked Cheddar Pesto Egg Boats
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, sheet pan recipe
Your BEC just reached new heights: These fluffy, cheesy eggs are speckled with pesto and topped with bacon, all tucked inside a crispy-edged ciabatta. The everything bagel seasoning is optional, yet highly encouraged.
14. Tempeh Bacon Bagels
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Even non-vegans will gobble up these breakfast sammies. The four-ingredient glaze gives the dish its smoky-meets-sweet, bacon-like flavor.
15. Chocolate Banana Bread Babka
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
She is beauty, she is grace and she is positively going to steal the brunch show. The bananas add tons of moisture to the dough, so the end result is basically the opposite of the sad, dry babka you might be used to.
16. Breakfast Caprese with Soft-Boiled Eggs
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, <30 minutes, high protein, low sugar
Salad for breakfast is a thing, guys. And it’s better than you’d expect. Slice the eggs and drizzle on some olive oil and it basically makes its own dressing.
17. Deviled Eggs, Three Ways
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein
It isn't Easter without a bunch of deviled eggs. The real question is: What will it be, roasted garlic, sriracha or capers? (The correct answer is all three.)
18. Eggs Benedict with Easy Hollandaise Sauce
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy
The secret to making rich, creamy homemade hollandaise lies with your blender. Trust us, it’s much easier than whisking until your bicep starts to hurt.
19. Sheet Pan Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Dill
- Time Commitment: 32 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, low carb, sheet pan recipe
We’ll be the first to admit that cooking eggs for a crowd isn’t the easiest task. Enter this one-pan wonder, which happens to pair splendidly with a mimosa.
20. Nutella Pancakes
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Slathering chocolate-hazelnut spread on top of a stack is fine, but we much prefer to stuff it inside. You know, for effect.
21. Eggs In a Basket
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, sheet pan recipe, special occasion-worthy
Since the entire dish is baked in the oven, you can quickly assemble and let it cook while you sip coffee and catch up with guests (or dip into the hidden Easter baskets).
22. Citrus, Fennel and Avocado Salad
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: one bowl, <500 calories
You know how on Easter it’s usually freezing, raining or snowing? Thank God we have citrus to remind us of the sunny days to come.
23. Beet and Goat Cheese Tart
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <500 calories, vegetarian
A good cook always has a little frozen puff pastry hidden up her sleeve…er…in her freezer. Not a fan of beets? Swap in potatoes, no problem.
24. Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, vegetarian
Store-bought dough will shave hours off the prep time. Tell everyone you’ve been up since 4 a.m.
25. Green Shakshuka
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <500 calories, special occasion-worthy
The original is made with tomato sauce, but we like to mix things up every once in a while, so this one features jalapeños and spinach. (We never skip the crusty bread for dipping, though.)
26. Slow Cooker Mediterranean Frittata
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, slow cooker recipe, <500 calories
Drop everything into the slow cooker the night before, then wake up to brunch ready and waiting for you. Even better, you only need eight ingredients.
27. Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
If you’re going to serve a post-brunch dessert, Easter is the time to do it. And mini carrot cakes? C'mon, they’ve got to be bunny-approved.
28. Cherry-Almond Baked Oatmeal
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: one bowl recipe, crowd-pleaser
Oatmeal is usually reserved for weekdays. This baked version, however, feels special enough to serve to a crowd. Prep it the night before for the ultimate convenience.
29. Monkey Bread Danish
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Cinnamon streusel, meet cream cheese filling. You’re going to be best friends, we can tell. Can you guess the secret to making these pastries at home? (It’s our BFF, store-bought puff pastry, once again.)
30. Bacon-Wrapped Eggs
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd pleaser, low sugar, low carb, keto
When it comes to entertaining, we’d be lost without our muffin tin. These babies are going to disappear the minute you pull them out of the oven.
31. Waffle Iron Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
The ratio of crispy-to-soft spuds is going to rock your world. (The three-item ingredient list will too.)
32. Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: high protein, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
They’ll think you made regular old muffins until they take a bite. Use any melty cheese as the topping—we’re partial to cheddar.
33. Roasted Potato Galette with Crème Fraîche and Smoked Salmon
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, special occasion-worthy
We’ve never met a potato recipe we didn’t like, but this one takes the cake. Pile it high with all the fixings and wait for the oohs and ahhs.
34. Kale Quiche with Cheddar-Rice Crust
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten-free, vegetarian
The easiest way to get your requisite greens is to bake them into a pie. Since the crust is made with rice, it’ll be hit for any gluten-free guest at your gathering.
35. Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Is it breakfast or dessert? All we know is that it’s delicious, no matter when you eat it. Baking doughnuts is, in our opinion, way easier than deep-frying. The only tradeoff? You’ll need a doughnut pan. We like this nonstick one from Wilton.
36. Whole Wheat Feta Tart with Caramelized Onions and Herbs
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
The easy press-in crust and quick filling make this impressive savory pie a no-brainer addition to your spread. It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit salty and extremely delicious.
37. Spicy Orange-Honey Glazed Ham
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, sheet pan recipe, special occasion-worthy
Glazed ham for brunch? On Easter, it’s fair game. Green eggs optional, Sam I Am.
38. Sunday Morning French Toast
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, one pan recipe
It’s a classic with the best kind of twist: A whole batch is made in one pan, so you can skip the frying-slices-at-the-stove thing.
39. Johnnycakes with Rhubarb and Sour Cherries
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy
Rhubarb season will be gone in the blink of an eye, so take advantage if you’re fortunate enough to get your hands on some. (FYI, johnnycakes are kind of like pancakes but with cornmeal for added texture.)
40. Maple Candied Bacon
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Sweet and salty is our favorite flavor combination. This treat is way easier to make than you might think.You just slather thick-cut bacon in maple syrup, sprinkle it with brown sugar and a hint of black pepper and wait for everyone to say, “Ohmygosh, I need another piece.”
41. Joanna Gaines’s Asparagus and Fontina Quiche
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients
It’s not a real brunch until a gorgeously flaky quiche hits the table. This one stars seasonal asparagus, because, well, duh!
42. Giant Cinnamon Roll
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
You have two options here: Slice it into pieces and plate it like a fancy-pants, or set out forks and let everyone dive right in.
43. Asparagus, Pea and Ricotta Tarts
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 minutes, <500 calories, low sugar, special occasion-worthy
Spring produce + store-bought puff pastry = the crowd-pleaser that looks much more sophisticated (and time-consuming) than it is.
44. Quiche With Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Crust
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free
We guarantee at least one person at the table won’t be eating gluten. Luckily, this beauty will please the whole guest list. It’s filled with kale, leeks and cheese, but you can try any combination of greens and aromatics. (Garlic and Swiss chard? Sounds delish.)
45. Mini Citrus Monkey Bread
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
They’re even better than the ones from that upscale bakery down the street, and no one needs to know that you started with store-bought pizza dough.
46. Everything Bagel Tomato Galettes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Quick, easy, cute and ready to eat straight out of the oven. You might want to make a double batch.
47. Layered Smoked Salmon Dip with Mini Bagel Chips
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, 10 ingredients, low sugar
Everything tastes better when it’s three times smaller, even bagels and lox. This also takes ten minutes to put together, so everybody wins.
48. The Best Potatoes au Gratin Ever
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
If you’re going the savory route, we highly recommend something cheesy or potato-y. If it checks both boxes, even better. This crowd-pleaser can be assembled ahead of time and held in your refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it.
49. Sheet Tray Pancakes with Peaches and Strawberries
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
Pancakes that don’t need to be flipped are like the best thing since sliced bread. You can swap the fruit for whatever looks best at the farmers market.
50. Slow-Cooked Salmon
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low carb, high protein
Not everyone is a ham person. We get it. Serve them a fancy (yet secretly easy) fillet of salmon instead. This method involves cooking the fillets undisturbed over super-low heat, so it’s basically foolproof.
51. Broiled Citrus Ricotta Toast
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, 10 ingredients, <500 calories, vegetarian
Regular old buttered toast just won’t cut it on a holiday, but add a schmear of ricotta and honey-soaked citrus and now we’re talking.
52. Glazed Blueberry Cake
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Cake for breakfast? We wouldn’t dare. Cake for brunch, on the other hand…you better pass us another slice. Especially when it's topped with a mountain of blueberries.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes, special occasion–worthy
Orange juice is fine and all, but this Easter we’d like to switch things up. So what’ll it be? Paloma, tropical or strawberry-basil? (One of each is an acceptable answer too, if you’re seated next to the uncle who asks personal questions at brunch.)
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Save the mayonnaise-based salad for your next picnic; this vinegar-seasoned number somehow feels more appropriate for a sit-down brunch. Serve it warm, or make it ahead and dish it up at room temperature.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
To keep this soup from tasting one-note, it starts with lots of aromatics—here, leeks, celery and garlic. Any mix of soft herbs will work, but we’re partial to the flavor combination of parsley, mint, dill and chives.
56. Bitter Greens Salad with Herby Ranch Dressing
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, vegetarian, gluten free
All delicious feasts should have a fresh salad to brighten up the menu, and Easter brunch is no exception. A mix of frisée and radicchio is pleasantly bitter, while the creamy dressing balances everything out.
57. Deb Perelman’s Carrot Tarte Tatin
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
This gorgeous tart is as impressive as it is (shockingly) easy to pull off. Stash a round of prepared puff pastry in your freezer and you’ll be the talk of the Easter table.
58. Bacon Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Drumroll, please…introducing a four-ingredient recipe that proves side dishes don’t need to be overly complex. If you can’t find rainbow carrots, use the standard orange. They’ll taste just as good.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Inspired by the savory Greek pastry, these egg bites are packed with feta, spinach, parsley and mint. They’ll keep in the fridge for three to four days, so feel free to make them ahead.
60. Hawaiian Roll French Toast
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
These mini slices are sweet, fluffy and (obviously) kid-pleasing, so making a batch for the kid’s table is a given. Serve them with maple syrup, fresh fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar to gild the lily.
61. Spring Pea Fritters with Whipped Feta
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, high protein, one bowl
This light and fresh spring appetizer seems high-effort, but it actually comes together in one bowl (all in less than an hour). If you have frozen peas and eggs on hand, you’re essentially already halfway there.
62. White Shakshuka with Roasted Crispy Eggplant
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, high protein
Unlike the tomato- or herb-based shakshuka you’ve had before, this version stars dairy. The yogurt base, seasoned with lemon and herbs, turns almost ricotta-like, while the eggplant gets crispy on top.
