The 22 Brunch Recipes I’m Making All Summer Long

Easy, make-ahead brunch ideas from quiche to cocktails

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
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Published May 10, 2025
Robin Shreeves
Plated serving of blueberry maple breakfast bake, drenched in maple syrup, alongside baking dish of the bake

Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

I love having folks over for brunch since so many of the dishes can be made ahead, leaving more time for me to spend with friends and family. I can prep overnight casseroles, bake quiches or muffins ahead of time, or batch cocktails the day before. Then the work I need to do the morning the guests arrive ends up being minimal.

With all these delicious recipes to choose from below, it’s simple to find the right combination of make-ahead or easy big-batch recipes for a crowd so I (and you!) have plenty of flexibility.

  • Foolproof Dutch Baby

    A Dutch Baby pancake topped with fresh strawberries, blackberries, and powdered sugar displayed in a skillet

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "If you love the taste and texture of crêpes but don’t love the tedious task of painstakingly cooking them one by one, allow me to introduce you to their friend the Dutch baby—ironically, born in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a single giant, shareable, puffy, eggy pancake with a cup-like shape that just begs to be filled with toppings." —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer

  • Classic Mimosa

    Prosecco, orange juice, orange slices and three glasses of the best mimosas are on a tray. Whole oranges are to the left of the tray.
    Elana Lepkowski

    The mimosa is the classic brunch cocktail. Just mix orange juice and sparkling wine, and you're done. You can use Champagne, or prosecco and cava are equally good, less expensive, options. Pouring these for a crowd is as simple as filling up a tray of glasses with prosecco and topping them up with OJ.

  • Salmon Gravlax

    A white serving plate with pieces of toast and salmon gravlax on top

    Simply Recipes / Sheryl Julian

    "This recipe makes enough gravlax for a good-sized crowd. Traditionally, gravlax is served with dark rye or dense grainy bread, but bagels or any good-quality bread are great. The gravlax is so rich that you don't really need cream cheese or crème fraiche, though these extras always make a brunch feel particularly decadent." —Sheryl Julian, Recipe Developer

  • Blueberry Maple Breakfast Bake

    Plated serving of blueberry maple breakfast bake, drenched in maple syrup, alongside baking dish of the bake

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

    "This Blueberry Maple Breakfast Bake is perfect for brunch parties. It's basically a breakfast bread pudding that is easy to assemble the night before. Just pop it in the oven an hour before you need it the morning of your brunch!" —Elise Bauer, Founder

    Continue to 5 of 22 below

  • Quiche Lorraine

    Quiche lorraine with a piece set on a plate behind it.
    Lori Rice

    Quiche Lorraine is the grande dame of quiche recipes. With a buttery crust, rich, eggy custard, and generous bacon content, quiche Lorraine endures as a brunch highlight regardless of trends.

  • Blueberry Muffin Tops

    Stack of Blueberry Muffin Tops on a Plate with the Top Two Muffin Tops Broken in Half, and in the Background, a Bowl of Blueberries, More Muffin Tops on a Wire Rack, and a Glass of

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    Everyone knows the tops of muffins are the best part, so serve your guests only the best with these blueberry muffin tops. They're bursting with pockets of fresh, tangy blueberries and topped with crisp brown sugar and oat streusel. No need for a special pan, they bake freeform on a baking sheet.

  • Millionaire's Bacon

    Overhead view of a white plate of cooked bacon next to a glass of orange juice, a plate of toast and three forks

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "Millionaire’s Bacon is similar to candied bacon but with a more complex flavor and a chewier, more jerky-like consistency compared to its crispy candied cousin. It lives up to its name with a sweet and spicy richness. " —Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

  • Homemade Bloody Mary Mix

    Homemade Bloody Mary mix served in a tall glass.

    Simply Recipes / Elana Lepkowski

    Whip up a batch or two of this homemade Bloody Mary mix 24 hours before your brunch so the flavors all meld together. With the mix on hand that's full of tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and more (including optional horseradish for an added kick), all you'll need to do is add vodka and a celery stick to serve.

    Continue to 9 of 22 below

  • Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

    Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole in a cast iron skillet
    Aaron Hutcherson

    Sausage, eggs, potatoes, and cheese are staples in brunch casseroles, but this casserole uses Tater Tots instead of peeled and sliced potatoes. The tots save time in prep and make the casserole extra appealing to kids. Grown-ups like it, too.

  • Lemon Pound Cake

    Lemon Pound Cake

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickle

    "Pucker up, people! This lemon pound cake is a triple threat of lemon and all its glorious tartness. First, I use both lemon zest and juice in the batter. Second, I soak the cake in lemon syrup, and for the grand finale, the cake is coated with lemon frosting." —Summer Miller, Recipe Developer

  • Rösti with All the Fixings

    Rosti in a Skillet Surrounded by Bowls of Sour Cream, Avocado, and Herbs

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    Swiss-style rösti is a crispy, creamy fried potato pancake. Cook it in a cast-iron or nonstick skillet and cut in wedges. You can serve it as-is, or with toppings such as crumbled feta, pickled onions, and fresh dill. To get a jump-start, you can boil the potatoes a day ahead or even cook the entire pancake, and then reheat it.

  • Ginger Peach Rum Punch

    Two Glasses of Ginger Peach Rum Punch Garnished with Mint Next to a Pitcher

    Simply Recipes / Elana Lepkowski

    "Batch up all the ingredients except the ginger beer. When you’re ready to serve, pour the pre-made base into individual glasses filled with ice, then top with the ginger beer. Keep the pre-made base and ginger beer cold on ice so that your guests can drink at their leisure." —Elana Lepkowski, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 22 below

  • Sheet Pan Fried Eggs

    Wooden Spatula Lifting a Sheet Pan Fried Egg From a Baking Pan, and Next to the Sheet Pan, a Stack of Plate With Utensils and a Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

    "Say hello to the easiest way to make fried eggs for a crowd. In fact, this sheet pan technique for frying eggs might just be the best thing to happen to breakfast since oven baked bacon." —Sarah Epperson, Recipe Developer

  • French Toast Casserole

    Syrup Being Poured On Square of Easy French Toast Casserole
    Lisa Lin

    Sweet French toast casserole is always a hit for brunch. You can put it together the night before and let it sit overnight before baking or put it together in the morning and bake it right away. The overnight option makes a creamier texture. If you want some fruit in your casserole, try this blueberry French toast version.

  • Cranberry Orange Scones

    Citrus and cranberry scones on plate with butter.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "Like all good scones, Cranberry Orange Scones have a tender crumb and crunchy edges. Each bite contains tart cranberries and a scent of orange, and the powdered sugar sprinkled on top makes them look magical." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake

    Loaf of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake on a Platte, and in the Surroundings, a Knife and a Cup of Coffee

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    If you think chocolate chip banana bread coffee cake is a mouthful to say, wait until you get a mouthful of this heavenly mashup of classic banana bread and a streusel-topped coffee cake.

    Continue to 17 of 22 below

  • Zucchini Tomato Quiche

    Overhead view of tomato and zucchini quiche
    Elise Bauer

    Grated zucchini, tomatoes, and basil are abundant in the summer, and this quiche makes good use of that bounty from your garden or the farmers market. Quiche is also a great make-ahead dish. You can make it and freeze it, uncooked or cooked, weeks ahead of time if you're that much of a planner.

  • Hibiscus Spritz

    Horizontal view of two side by side tall glassed with hibiscus cocktails inside. Ice cubes are inside the glass and a lime wedge sits on the lip of each glass with additional lime wedges to the right of the glasses. Partial view of a bowl of dried hibiscus in the background to the right of the second glass.

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "Even if you aren’t drinking, this simple syrup is a delicious thing to have in your fridge. Just a splash of it in any ice water or sparkling water is a nice treat. It will keep for a couple of weeks." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Eggs Benedict

    Side view of eggs benedict on a plate.
    Elise Bauer

    Make the Hollandaise sauce for this eggs Benedict recipe in a blender, and suddenly putting this brunch classic together is much easier. You can also poach the eggs a day ahead of time—instructions are on the recipe page.

  • Berries and Banana Fruit Salad

    Berries and Banana Fruit Salad
    Elise Bauer

    There are plenty of fruit salad combinations that are great for brunch, but this one always satisfies. A touch of lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey complements the mixed berries, apple, and bananas perfectly. The recipe takes only 15 minutes to make and keeps for 2 hours if you want to make it ahead.

    Continue to 21 of 22 below

  • Spinach Frittata

    Spinach Frittata Raised from Pan with More Frittata

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    This easy and quick frittata is like an open-faced omelet of sorts, or an eggy crustless quiche. You can use fresh or frozen spinach and add tomatoes and goat cheese to pull it all together.

  • Chocolate Fondue

    Dipping food into fondue chocolate.

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    Dessert isn't always part of brunch, but I'd love some chocolate fondue at the end of brunch, wouldn't you? Cut up bananas, apples, pineapple, and strawberries for dipping. And if you made the blueberry muffin tops listed above, I think leftover pieces would be particularly good dipped in chocolate.

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