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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.
Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe
The best easy smoked salmon dip recipe is a beautiful balance of flavors: smoky salmon in a creamy base that’s brightened with capers and lemon, and laced with fresh dill and red onion. It’s decadent but whips up in just 10 minutes, and is perfect for a special brunch or afternoon snack. And bonus, this salmon dip is naturally gluten free and low carb!
Summer Sausage Cucumber Bites with Cream Cheese Mousse
These cucumber bites are the PERFECT filling keto snack-y finger food for parties and gatherings. They're great for brunch too! The creamy mouse is a delicious contrast to crisp and fresh cucumber, and summer sausage adds a savory touch.
Enjoy breakfast in pizza form in just 20 minutes! Eggs, bacon, spinach, and goat cheese are supremely delicious atop this healthy breakfast pizza recipe.
Spicy deviled eggs with candied bacon have a creamy filling and are topped with a sprinkle of chives and a drizzle of sriracha! It's the perfect amount of heat mixed with a bit sweetness for a deliciously balanced take on a classic appetizer. Save this spicy twist for your next party for a fun take on traditional deviled eggs!
These Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Sliders are the ultimate combination of sweet and savory flavors. Perfect for holiday breakfasts or lazy weekend brunches.
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!
10-Minute Welsh Rarebit Recipe (aka Welsh Rabbit)
This Welsh Rarebit recipe (aka Welsh Rabbit) is a classic British dish of smooth, velvety, and savory cheese sauce that's broiled on toasted bread. It’s hearty, satisfying comfort food that whips up in just 10 minutes.
Learn how to make the super easy and delicious viral TikTok food trend Pesto Eggs on Toast with this simple recipe. Whip up your own fresh basil pesto or use store bought. This recipe doubles easily to make four servings!
A beautiful plate of bacon avocado toast is calling your name! It's a savory breakfast recipe with simple steps that make for an absolutely perfect way to start the day.
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.
Overnight Sausage Egg and Cheese Stuffed Bread Strata
Heart and delicious sausage, egg, and cheese-stuffed bread is a simple, make-ahead breakfast that’s great for weekends and holidays.
Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread Recipe (Moist Sweet Cornbread!)
This Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread recipe has a rich, sweet buttery corn flavor, and is crisp and golden outside with a soft, tender, and moist crumb inside.
These delicious gluten free sourdough English muffins are a great idea for a savory breakfast. Use sourdough starter or sourdough discard to make them!
These spinach and feta muffins are beautifully moist, balanced with salty and rich flavors, and packed with greens. It’s a great savory bake for your next brunch.
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.
Garlic Bread Drop Biscuits Recipe
This easy, 1-bowl Drop Biscuits recipe yields tender, fluffy biscuits that are crispy outside and have a rich, buttery flavor. They’re ready in 25 minutes and pair well with just about any dinner!
This Keto Low Carb Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Recipe pairs flaky, tender, and flavorful biscuits paired with a rich, creamy Italian turkey sausage gravy!
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!
Cheesy Cauliflower Hash Browns
These crispy oven-fried keto cauliflower hash browns are even better than potato hash browns, and they have just 4g net carbs per serving! Savory with spices and cheese, they pair well with eggs any way you like, any time of day.
This is a delicious recipe you can eat any time of the day. Made with relatively few ingredients, herb and garlic breakfast potatoes are a mouth-watering favorite.
This Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes recipe makes the crispiest and creamiest potatoes. They are fried in just 15 minutes. They have the same flavor as the potatoes you would have at a restaurant, but they are healthier and contain far less oil!
Roasted Skillet Breakfast Potatoes With Peppers and Onions
A down home country classic! The best Roasted Skillet Breakfast Potatoes with Peppers and Onions! It's an easy recipe that's gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and allergy-free. These rustic cast iron spuds can be a side dish for breakfast, brunch, or any meal!
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 Pancetta and Cheddar Waffles
A twist on a breakfast favorite, these savory pancetta and cheddar waffles are topped with flavorful garlic compound butter and a perfectly fried egg! And a few extra dashes of hot sauce wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Filled with nutritional benefits, savoury lentil pancakes are a great healthy breakfast to start the day. Red lentils are an excellent source of iron, protein, and fibre. They’re egg-free, making them a great pancake alternative for those with egg allergies. Oh, and they’re delicious too!
Southern chicken and waffles are a sweet and savory dish of flavorful, crispy fried chicken and light, airy Belgian waffles, topped with scoops of honey-cinnamon butter. This classic Southern dish is perfect for brunch.
Savoury French Toast with Bacon makes a super indulgent breakfast or brunch! Cheesy eggy bread and bacon topped with an egg, all scattered with fresh herbs! It’s a truly savoury breakfast dish that is a great change from traditional French toast.
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!
Savory Oatmeal Breakfast Bowl with Egg
This savory oatmeal breakfast bowl with egg is a well-balanced meal that's easy to make any time of day. With protein, whole grains, fresh vegetables, and healthy fats, it's nourishing, satisfying, and delicious!
This creamy, savory semolina porridge recipe is easy to whip up for a warm, cozy breakfast that will keep you feeling full all morning! Enjoy it as is or jazz up your breakfast porridge with the addition of fresh vegetables and a perfectly jammy egg!
This recipe features slightly sweet, tomato-y, smoky white beans simmered then topped with poached eggs. It’s a rich dish, cut beautifully by the pickled red onions and cilantro for brightness.
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!
Croque Madame Recipe
A Croque Madame is a next-level grilled ham (or turkey) and cheese sandwich with Mornay sauce that’s topped with fried egg. Find out how easy this French bistro classic is to make at home, including a homemade Mornay sauce that whips up in 5 minutes!
For a fun twist on smoked salmon spread, serve it in a wrap! Smoked salmon wraps are loaded with lemon cream cheese, red onions, cucumbers, and fried capers.
These waffled turkey sandwiches are a fun spin on brunch featuring fluffy buttermilk waffles, roasted turkey deli meat, eggs, and mixed greens. Enjoy with a side of tater tots for the ultimate morning fuel.
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!
Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole
Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole is a savory brunch casserole with layers of fluffy crescent rolls, eggs, ground sausage and cheese. It's super quick and easy to make, so delicious, and always a hit!
This recipe is a great option for a breakfast or brunch dish that can be prepared the night before or on the day of the event. The casserole includes ingredients such as ham, eggs, vegetables, cheese, and hash browns, creating a delicious and flavorful meal.
This cheesy, make ahead Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole can be prepped the night before for an easy breakfast the whole family will love! This simple recipe combines frozen hash brown patties, eggs, bacon, veggies, and cheese to make the perfect casserole!
This Pierogi Breakfast Casserole is the ultimate lazy perogy casserole made with frozen perogies. Make-ahead and chock-full of yummy breakfast things like cheese, eggs, dill, sauerkraut, bacon bits, and onions, it's the perfect breakfast potluck dish because everyone loves perogies!
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?
Cilbir (Turkish Eggs Recipe)
This 15-minute Turkish Eggs Recipe (Cilbir) pairs creamy garlicky yogurt, spiced butter, poached eggs, and fresh dill for a meal that’s satisfying for breakfast or any meal of the day.
By skipping the crust, this recipe is quick and easy to prepare, making it the perfect option for any meal of the day. Rich and creamy, this quiche is also loaded with nutritious ingredients, making it a healthy choice for any diet.
This classic Eggs Benedict Florentine recipe combines all the best elements of breakfast, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce with savoury sautéed spinach and a crispy English muffin base. It’s the ultimate brunch dish for Eggs Benedict lovers!
This classic Shakshuka dish is a savory eggs in tomatoes vegetarian meal that satisfies nearly everyone. Canned tomatoes make it easy to make year round, but it is also excellent with in season fresh tomatoes. Just chop them up and simmer them longer to break them down.
Egg muffins in the oven are a perfect brunch option that are easy to make and can be customized with your favorite ingredients. These delicious and filling egg muffins can be made in advance and reheated throughout the week for a quick and healthy breakfast on-the-go.
Whether you’re serving breakfast, brunch, or lunch, quiche is an easy and flavorful option. Here I’ve combined a few of my favorite ingredients to make this Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Quiche.
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?!
Vegan Lox
This carrot lox is perfect on toasted bagels piled high with vegan cream cheese, capers, and red onion. A perfect savory brunch recipe!
Vegan Eggs Benedict – reminiscent of a classic! Made with buttery English muffins that are piled-high with vegan ham, fried tofu eggs, and the creamiest hollandaise sauce you'll ever have! Plus, it'll be on your table in just 30 minutes or less.
This delicious breakfast casserole combines a silken tofu base with shredded potato (or hash browns) with the veggie and protein fillings of your choice for a plant-based nutrient and protein-packed baked vegan potato frittata. Make ahead and freezer friendly!
These savoury muffins are packed with spinach and have a deliciously cheesy taste, yet are totally vegan! Perfect for breakfast on the go, or to serve as a brunch treat.
Fluffy Vegan Masala French Toast is a simple breakfast recipe that comes together in less than half an hour. This savory French Toast is bursting with flavor from a handful of spices sprinkled into the chickpea flour mixture that's used to delicately coat your Masala Toast.
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:
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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! 🥰
Faith spent a significant amount of time living in Syria, Jordan, and Kuwait where she immersed herself in Middle Eastern culture and cuisine. Her first cookbook is a celebration of authentic Middle Eastern recipes made approachable for home cooks.
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! 🥰