With 50 recipes to choose from, this collection of savory brunch ideas gives you tons of options to put together an unforgettable brunch menu!
Special occasion breakfast or brunch calls for delicious food. Sweet dishes like French toast, pancakes, and pastries often take center stage, but this collection of savory brunch ideas will show you just how delicious the savory side of brunch is!
Any way you do it up, I absolutely love brunch.
Brunch at a restaurant with a few girlfriends is always so much fun! You can order mimosas and breakfast-y finger foods, and chat away the morning and afternoon. (True story - When I lived in Orlando, I once met up with a few ladies for brunch around 10am and didn't end up getting home until after 6pm! Granted, we did switch venues a couple times to get the best of all worlds, lol.)
But brunch at home is also pretty fantastic. It's great for holiday mornings, birthday breakfasts, Mother's Day, Father's Day, or just a lazy weekend. You can pick the menu you want, ask people to bring a dish to share (potluck-style), and customize the whole thing your way. This collection of savory brunch ideas will inspire you to put together a delicious, beautiful brunch menu!
Sweet stuff, step aside! There's a new brunch in town.
The Best Savory Brunch Ideas
With this collection, we start off with finger foods that are great for nibbling as you chat and sip drinks. Mimosas, Espresso Martinis, or my grandmother's signature favorite - the Bloody Mary - are all good brunch cocktail options. And then the real fun begins - the food!
Do you want to serve toast? Don't limit yourself to just butter and jam as toppings! There are so many fun, fancy toast toppings now. Also, there are tons of savory breakfast bread recipes, as well as savory muffins, scones, and biscuits. (And the great thing about serving baked goods like these at brunch is that a lot of them can be made in advance.)
Think about breakfast side dishes. Potatoes are a classic choice because they're great made into hash browns, or served as a vegetable hash.
And just because we're keeping things savory doesn't mean you have to rule out breakfast classics like pancakes, waffles, and French toast! All of these can be made savory-style, and are absolutely decadent.
For something a little different, you could set up a breakfast bowl bar. This is fun because it lets people customize their bowls the way they want. And it's also less work for you as the host because you're not having to assemble everyone's meal.
Breakfast sandwiches and wraps are a good option for brunch. You can batch-make some of them, and others you can make ahead of time and reheat.
Savory breakfast casseroles are perfect if you're making brunch to feed a crowd! With minimal effort, you can assemble the casserole and bake it off. Add a couple breakfast side dishes and your brunch menu is complete.
Egg dishes, such as quiche (both crustless and with a pastry crust), egg muffins, eggs benny, and shakshuka are easy-to-make crowd-pleasers!
And there are tons of options that are special diet-friendly in this savory brunch recipe collection. There's a whole list of vegan breakfast ideas that are perfect for brunch. A lot of these recipes are gluten free, and many of them are low carb and/or keto friendly.
Let's dig in!
Brunch Finger Foods
Just because it's brunch doesn't mean we can't be snacky, right? Unlike regular old breakfast, which is usually a hurried affair before work or school, brunch is leisurely. We take our time and enjoy the food and the company! And what better way to make it so people want to chat and connect than to serve a little nibble or two?
With everything from smoked salmon dip (that's also the perfect bagel topping!), elegant little cucumber bites, breakfast pizza, spicy deviled eggs, and breakfast sliders, there's sure to be something here to please any palate.
Toast Ideas
If you're thinking along the lines of toast with butter and jam, get that idea out of your head! (Or at least save it for later, lol.) There are so many other delicious savory toppings for toast to choose from! For starters, pretty much anything involving avocados or eggs with runny yolk. Or cheese!
Savory Breakfast Bread and Muffin Recipes
Not all breakfast bread has to be sweet! Here are a few savory breakfast bread and muffin ideas that pair well with just about anything and everything else on your brunch menu.
I'm sharing my absolute favorite skillet cornbread recipe here! It has a moist, soft crumb with sweet buttery corn flavor. It's definitely on the sweet side in terms of cornbread, but it also has a savory quality that makes it a good pairing with other brunch items.
Savory Scone and Biscuit Recipes
If you've never tried savory scones, you're in for a real treat! Here are a few savory scone and biscuit ideas for your next brunch gathering.
Brunch Side Dishes
Breakfast potatoes definitely reign supreme when it comes to brunch side dishes. If you're looking for some low carb brunch ideas, be sure to check out the cheesy cauliflower hash browns!
Savory Waffles, Pancakes, and French Toast Recipes
Get ready for the fresh face of pancakes! This once-sweet-only-breakfast-treat is now just as delicious savory. Same thing goes for waffles and French toast too.
Savory Breakfast Bowl Ideas
Oatmeal, grits, and baked beans are all classic breakfast dishes. Why not turn them into a full meal-in-a-bowl for brunch? You can set up a breakfast bowl bar and let people customize their own bowls!
Breakfast Sandwiches and Wraps
The beautiful thing about breakfast sandwiches is that you can use so many different things as the bread! Make your sammy on English muffins, croissants, waffles, or even pancakes. And also, a tip from one brunch lover to another - if you've never tried a Croque Madame, make it a priority. You won't regret it, lol!
Savory Breakfast Casseroles
I really, really like the ease of making a breakfast casserole to bring to a brunch. Many times they can be made ahead of time and then just baked in the morning. They're good if you need to feed a crowd because they usually make a big pan. And like other casseroles, breakfast casseroles are usually affordable, especially when you consider how many servings they make.
There's a good variety of savory breakfast casseroles here. There's one that uses crescent rolls and sounds like fun! Another is made overnight in the slow cooker, which makes it perfect for holiday brunch. And I can't wait to make the Pierogi Casserole, it sounds really unique and delicious!
Savory Egg Recipes
Eggs are a classic breakfast and brunch dish, and for good reason. They're affordable, easy to make, really versatile, and definitely a crowd-pleaser! But instead of whipping up a big pan of scrambled eggs to feed a crowd, why not try one of these savory egg recipes for your next brunch?
Savory Vegan Breakfast Ideas
If you're having brunch with a group of people, it never hurts to have a vegan option or two on the menu. And these breakfast recipes are delicious whether you're vegan or not - I can't wait to try the Vegan Masala French Toast and how gorgeous is the Vegan Lox?!
Savory Brunch Ideas FAQs
What is a Typical Brunch Menu?
A typical brunch menu for a group of people includes one of each of the following types of items:
- Fresh fruit salad
- Pancakes, waffles, or French toast
- Assorted croissants, muffins, biscuits, scones, and/or breads for making toast
- An egg dish, such as scrambled eggs, quiche, or eggs benedict
- Some type of breakfast meat, for example, bacon, sausage, or a vegan version of bacon or sausage
- Or instead of an egg recipe and breakfast meat, it's common to find a breakfast casserole served instead
What is a Good Food to Bring to a Brunch?
I love potluck brunches where everyone brings a dish to pass. It makes it so much easier on the host! Here are a few ideas for what to bring to a brunch:
- An assortment of bagels and cream cheese - the beauty of this is that you can pick up everything at your local bagel shop without having to make anything
- Stuff to make mimosas - all you need is Champagne (or Prosecco) and orange juice, so this is a good option if you still want to contribute, but don't really want to cook
- Fruit salad - go for a mix of fruit that doesn't get mushy or turn brown quickly; good fruit for a salad includes blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, orange segments, and peaches
- Homemade muffins - if you're not much of a cook but you still want to bring something homemade, muffins are a good option because they're really easy
- Breakfast casserole - these are easy to whip up, can usually be assembled the night before (so on the morning you want to serve it, all you have to do is pop it in the oven), and typically feed a crowd
What Do You Put on a Brunch Charcuterie Board or Breakfast Board?
The sky is the limit here! You can go with a variety of sliced cheese, cream cheese, mini bagels, waffles, pancakes, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, and jams.
A while ago, I put together a huge breakfast board, which you can check out for more inspiration!
What Do You Serve for Dessert at Brunch?
If you'll have a big crowd for brunch, it's good to have a few sweet options on the menu in addition to savory brunch items. Here are some dessert ideas for brunch:
- Strawberry Lemonade Muffins
- Blackberry Crumble
- Copycat Crumbl Cornbread Cookies
- Nana's Pineapple Delight (aka Pineapple Bars)
- The Best Carrot Cake of Your Life
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Betsy says
Wow, Faith, there is literally something here for every palate across the globe! I think I’m gonna have to close my eyes and point to one to try first, because they all look incredible! 🥰