53 Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas Better Than Any Bargain Bouquet
Put down the scented candle. Turn away from the fancy bubble bath. A homemade Mother’s Day brunch is what your mom really wants on her special day…probably—you know her better than we do. But, what says “thank you” better than feeding the hand that’s been feeding you, well, forever? (Keep in mind it’s also helpful to say “thank you.” Out loud. A lot.)
Our best Mother’s Day brunch ideas will guide you in the right direction whether she has a sweet tooth—think giant blueberry pancake, Instagram-famous croissants, or a beautiful Bundt cake—or a craving for the savory (e.g., a full-on meat-carving station). For more Mother’s Day brunch recipes fit for your favorite lady, read on—and, please, don’t forget to do the dishes.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Sean Dooley1/53Fuatha With Honey Glaze
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua2/53Extra-Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
3/53Lamb and Feta Frittata
We often talk about the frittata as a good way to use up what’s in your fridge (case in point: the Use-It-Up Frittata), but today is a day to be extra. The ground lamb, feta cheese, and za’atar paste in this version will get you there.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua4/53Crispy, Crunchy Chicken and Waffles
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea5/53Creamy Preserved Lemon Dressing
Vinaigrette is all well and good, but Mother’s Day should be about decadence, at least a little bit. If your mom still wants to eat her veggies, we recommend serving colorful crudités with this citrusy take on blue cheese dressing.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh6/53Shrimp and Grits With Fennel Potlikker
This one’s a bit of a project—but oh so worth it—so roll up your sleeves and start preparing a few days in advance. (And not for nothing, the entrée is also a Father’s Day banger.)
Photographs by Jenny Huang, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio7/53Granola Scones
Mom loves granola. Mom loves scones. Mom loves granola scones—and she didn’t even know it until you introduced her to the slightly sweet, crunchy invention.
Photograph by Carl Ostberg, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Andrea Bonin8/53Curried Chickpeas and Baked Eggs
This is one of our favorite breakfast recipes, whether it’s Mom’s Day or not. The chickpeas (canned, by the way) soak up the (homemade) green curry sauce.
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Judy Kim.9/53BA’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes
If you’re serving a crowd for Mother’s Day, this pancake recipe doubles easily. Just be sure to keep the pancakes warm in a 250° oven between batches.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni10/53Crispy Mushroom Toast With Ricotta
We used to joke that we should be called Stuff on Toast Magazine, because, well, we love stuff on toast. This recipe, though, takes the cake—er, slice of sourdough?
Photo by Alex Lau11/53BA's Best Soft Scrambled Eggs
What brunch menu is complete without soft-scrambled eggs? The key to the fluffy but creamy texture is an immersion blender and some patience. Watch how to make it right.
Photograph by Allie Holloway, food styling by Taneka Mooris.12/53Herby Dutch Baby With Smoked Salmon
This savory, supergeen Dutch baby hits that elusive middle ground of festive and fast. If you have any leftover smoked salmon, this leveled-up avocado toast is a great way to use it. (We told you we liked toast.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley13/53Cajun Chicken Gravy and Biscuits
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua14/53PB&J Dome Cake
The dome cake is the It Girl of cakes; she’s completely unique and impeccably styled. And on the inside? She’s full of delicious and juicy secrets.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.15/53Bloody Mary Salmorejo
We like to ladle this chilled soup into bowls and give it the Bloody Mary treatment with toppings such as jammy eggs, prosciutto or jamón Serrano, stuffed green olives, anchovy fillets, or pickles.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua16/53Eggs en Cocotte
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca17/53Brown-Butter Banana Nut Muffins
These banana and nut muffins—you can use walnuts or pecans—scratch the cupcake itch (hello, chocolate chips) but are perfectly acceptable to be called breakfast or brunch.
Photo by Gentl and Hyers, food Styling by Susie Theodorou, prop Styling by Nina Lalli18/53Fresh Fruit With Cheese and Peppery Nuts
Fruit platter, but make it savory with salty cheese, coarsely chopped nuts, and ground pepper scattered over the top. Another garnish we could see working? Crispy fried capers.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley19/53Sheet-Pan Merguez Hash With Fried Eggs
This hands-off hash makes the most of store-bought merguez and trades active stovetop cooking for a stint in the oven, but tell your mom you made her “merguez hash with tahini-infused yogurt, finished with mixed tender herbs” and you’ll sound pretty darn impressive. (And you’ll be telling the truth.)
Alex Lau21/53Raspberry-Peach Bellini Ice Pops
Prosecco adds a little bit of a kick to these fruity pops. If your mom is the traditional Bellini type of gal, though, we have a recipe for that too.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Pearl Jones22/53Double-Crumb Crumb Cake
The best part of a crumb cake is the topping (this is not a debate), so we basically doubled it in size. Technically also a coffee cake, this is designed to be eaten with coffee, so don’t forget Mom’s morning cup.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro23/53Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad
On paper, this might not be the most exciting Mother’s Day brunch idea. What will excite your mother, though, is when you tell her that you made her brunch as well as lunch the next day, as well as dinner the next day. True to its name, this hearty salad only gets better as it sits, dressed, in the fridge.
Photo by Emma Fishman25/53Lacy Cornmeal Pancakes With Strawberry Compote
We didn’t think a light and tender 100 percent cornmeal pancake was possible until now. This pancakes recipe proves that, with the right technique, cornmeal pancakes can be delightfully fluffy inside.
Photo by Andria Lo, prop styling by Jillian Knox27/53Salvadoran Quesadilla
Not to be confused with the Mexican dish by the same name, a Salvadoran quesadilla is a sweet-salty cheesecake that’s often eaten for breakfast with coffee
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea28/53Sparkling Preserved Lemonade
Photographs by Jenny Huang, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio29/53Ricotta Cornmeal Pound Cake
This is a pretty cool alternate ingredient, actually: While ricotta adds a buttery richness and bit of tang to this cake, you can substitute full-fat cottage cheese. Genius.
Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio30/53Simplest Rosti
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'Mytrek Brown31/53Huevos Rancheros con Rajas y Champiñones
You’ll find innumerable versions of huevos rancheros throughout Mexico, but at its heart, the dish consists of fried corn tortillas, fried eggs, and a generous amount of tomato salsa.
33/53Creamy Green Asparagus Polenta
Who would say no to a bowl of warm, creamy, steaming hot polenta, especially when it’s topped with bright green asparagus and a spicy chili oil? Not Mom.
Alex Lau35/53Crepe Cake With Whipped Cream
"It’s an impressive dessert that doesn’t take a lot of skill, just patience and time," wrote one of our readers. We’d say that’s a fair assessment. And just look at it.
Alex Lau37/53BA’s Best Quiche Lorraine
Call it retro if you want—we say quiche is back. (Mom always knew it would come back around, anyway.) This one’s buttery, bacon-y, and custardy with a rich crust.
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua38/53Carrot Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Whip
Laura Murray39/53Pea and Prosciutto Salad
Not only does this dish look like a work of Impressionist art, but also the sweet peas, peppery fresh arugula, and salty ham make for a beautiful flavor combination.
Alex Lau41/53Gluten-Free Chocolate Buckwheat Waffles
Nutritious waffles do exist. The batter recipe for these ones contains buckwheat, which helps keep your heart healthy, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder, and flaxseed, a source of fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and some key vitamins and minerals.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea43/53Pasta al Preserved Limone
Pasta for breakfast? Yes, you can. Instantly transform simple buttered spaghetti into a bright, complex dish with a healthy dose of chopped up preserved lemon.
Alex Lau45/53Mango Toast With Hazelnut-Pepita Butter
Hi. Toast again. This time it’ll expand your mind, because, yes, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, mangoes, honey, red pepper flakes, and flaky sea salt do go fabulously together.
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott46/53Deviled Eggs on Biscuits With Trout Roe and Dill
Deviled eggs can be polarizing, but if you love them, you love them. Which means that you’ll really love them when they’re served on biscuits and topped with salty pops of trout roe.
Marcus Nilsson47/53Salmon Niçoise
This take on a Niçoise salad uses salmon instead of tuna and mâche instead of traditional frisée. Your mom’s gonna love it.
Alex Lau50/53Turmeric Fried Eggs With Kale, Yogurt, and Bacon
There’s so much to love about this Mother’s Day brunch recipe: kale crisped up on a baking sheet in the oven, eggs based in turmeric-infused oil, a bed of salted yogurt underneath it all, and, well, bacon.
51/53Kouign-Amann
