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Brilliant brunch recipes to elevate your weekend feast
Brilliant brunch recipes you'll love
By loveFOOD Staff · September 26, 2026
Originally published on loveFOOD
Mid-morning indulgence
Brunch has become a staple part of indulging at the weekend – it’s a chance to gorge on pancakes, delve into savoury dishes and nibble on sweet treats. Leave the soggy breakfast cereal behind and try some of these impressive recipes, from quirky takes on shakshuka to mouth-watering bacon crumpets.
American pancakes
These fluffy pancakes are a staple at American diners, and now they can have a special place at your brunch table too. This 25-minute dish uses a basic batter mix to deliver thick pancakes topped with sea salt flakes, maple syrup and blueberries. If you’ve got extra time, why not take it to the next level with some tasty strips of streaky bacon?
Aubergine shakshuka
This one-pan Middle Eastern recipe brings an array of colours to the brunch table with its blend of bold and tasty ingredients: aubergine, chopped tomatoes, green herbs, feta and eggs. You can vary the dish by adding whatever flavour to the tomato sauce that you have to hand (we've opted for garlic). While your shakshuka is baking, heat up some pittas to serve on the side.
Buttermilk drop pancakes
Dine on some dainty drop pancakes using this 15-minute buttermilk batter recipe, which is guaranteed to be a hit with your brunch guests. Serve them to warm, with a generous dollop of lemon curd, crème fraîche, a sprinkle of mint sugar and a topping of all your favourite berries. We find a handful of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries does the trick.
Pistachio, citrus and dark chocolate cinnamon rolls
Why not satisfy your sweet tooth with some freshly baked cinnamon rolls? This is one to save for a slow weekend as you’ll need to give your pastries time to prove before cooking. This recipe delivers seven delicious treats with a twist; they're packed with dark chocolate, candied citrus peel and pistachios, which are also sprinkled on top.
Get the recipe for pistachio, citrus and dark chocolate rolls here
Corn fritters with lox and poached eggs
This may look like a luxurious brunch option, but you can make this dish in 30 minutes. Simply grab a tin of corn kernels to make a bed of corn fritters, then add fresh slices of smoked salmon and some yolky poached eggs on top.
Get the recipe for corn fritters with lox and poached eggs here
Courgette, pea and broad bean tortilla
If you're looking to up your vegetable intake, this veggie recipe is an easy win. Using either Jersey Royal or new potatoes, combined with flavoursome red onion, courgette, fresh peas, broad beans and eggs, this tortilla dish is a dense meal for hungry brunchers. While it cooks, why not throw together a green salad to serve on the side?
Get the recipe for courgette, pea and broad bean tortilla here
English breakfast tortilla
Eggs are a common part of both British and Spanish breakfasts – so why not combine the two? This delicious deep-dish tortilla incorporates sausages, smoked pancetta rashers, chestnut mushrooms, sunblush tomatoes and sliced spring onions. Serve with a dollop of your favourite condiment to add an extra burst of flavour.
French toast-style bacon crumpets
Five minutes is all it takes to prep these squidgy, extremely indulgent crumpets – and once you've made them, we're sure you'll be cooking them time and time again. We recommend you top them with crispy bacon, a generous grating of Parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. However, you can always opt for a sweeter topping like fresh fruit if you have fussy brunchers at your table.
Green baked eggs with asparagus
Not quite Dr Seuss’s green eggs, but this one's still a fun twist on traditional tomato shakshuka. The creamy feta in this quick one-pan dish is balanced by the freshness of green veggies like spring onions, asparagus and spring cabbage – plus, it gets a slight kick from the addition of crushed garlic, cumin seeds and sliced green chilli. Don't forget to add a side of fancy bread.
Get the recipe for green baked eggs with asparagus here
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Green shakshuka
Ditch the morning green juice and try this vegan, 30-minute take on classic Middle Eastern shakshuka instead. The addition of cannellini beans and avocado, alongside leeks, herbs, spinach and peas, should make this a pretty filling brunch option. However, if you’re feeling particularly peckish, we recommend serving it with some crusty wholemeal bread too.
Loaded breakfast burrito
Bring the flavours of Mexico to your brunch table with these spicy breakfast burritos, which are packed with sliced chorizo, spring onions, Cheddar, sweetcorn, guacamole and eggs. For those who want their burrito to have a real kick, add a glug of hot chipotle sauce or a pinch of chilli flakes. Plus, plant-based brunchers needn’t miss out – just swap the chorizo with a can of black or kidney beans, and add some smoked paprika.
Mushroom and brie stuffed pancakes
Ditch the traditional lemon and sugar crêpes, and opt for a savoury stuffing of garlic mushrooms and oozy baked brie. These pancakes are quick to make (depending on your pancake-flipping skills), and extra flavoursome, due to the addition of spring onion, thyme and 4 tbsp of white wine. Pair them with crispy lettuce leaves to add some greenery to your plate.
One-pan fry-up
Forget the endless rounds of washing up after cooking a traditional English fry-up at home. This quick one-pan fry-up dish is exactly what its name suggests – a one-pan deal. Take your classic British breakfast ingredients – smoked or unsmoked bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes and eggs – as well as one glug of olive, sunflower or vegetable oil for frying, then chuck them all in a pan. Total cooking time: 20 minutes.
Get the recipe for one-pan fry-up here
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Pesto baked eggs
This one-pan Middle Eastern-inspired dish is super quick to make, and provides plenty of dipping sauce for a hunk of nice bread. Whack out that can of chopped tomatoes that’s been sitting around at the back of your cupboard, and use it to create the base for this eggy number – adding a generous topping of basil pesto and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Smoked salmon frittata
Smoked salmon has a decadent reputation – and this one-pan Australian recipe enables you to give this impressive ingredient a prominent position in your weekend brunch. Simply beat eggs, cream and grated Parmesan together in a bowl, stir in dill, then place in a skillet on a medium heat. Add the salmon, and sprinkle with dill fronds. Voilà!
Spanish potato and egg hash
Traybakes are a wise option if you want to look like you’ve put a lot of effort into brunch, without really having to. Throw some Maris Piper potatoes, red onion, red peppers, eggs, chorizo, and a handful of fresh parsley into a baking tin, then sit back for 35 minutes while your Spanish brunch cooks itself. Serve with green vegetables for a balanced meal.
Sweet potato, feta and red onion frittata
Sweet potato, red onions, eggs, feta, parsley and garlic give this brunch frittata a mouth-watering, caramelised texture. This is a quick one-pan dish, and the leftovers are a great option for lunch. The key is not to overcook the frittata, as it will be dry in texture. You can always swap the feta for goats' cheese or ricotta, depending on what's in the fridge.
Get the recipe for sweet potato, feta and red onion frittata here
Sweet potato rösti with poached eggs
These sweet potato röstis, topped generously with guacamole and oozing poached eggs, make a brilliant weekend brunch. Making this dish does take a little bit of time – the cooking time is 40 minutes – but they’re easy to put together, and delicious to eat. Ingredients such as chopped spring onions, dried chilli flakes and avocado help to make this a real taste sensation.
Get the recipe for sweet potato rösti with poached eggs here
Banana pancakes
If you're looking for a healthier take on traditional pancakes, we've got you covered. Bananas have a creamy texture that's ideal for making particularly light and fluffy pancakes. Best of all, when it's topped with honey, walnuts and Greek yogurt, this brunch recipe makes a fun breakfast version of an American banana split.
Sweet potato shakshuka
This brunch dish doesn't provide the usual liquid consistency that a traditional tomato shakshuka offers, but the moisture from the sweet potatoes is enough to bake the eggs beautifully. Keep the skin on your potatoes and use any kind of cheese for the base – we've opted for Cheddar. You can save minutes on the cooking time by blasting the taters in the microwave too.
Vegan breakfast burrito with pico de gallo
These quick breakfast burritos make the most of staple vegan ingredients like tofu, tempeh and plantain, and are super easy to assemble. Pico de gallo – a type of Mexican tomato salsa – brings fresh flavour to the dish, and you can bulk the recipe up by adding tomatoes and coriander leaves.
Get the recipe for vegan breakfast burrito with pico de gallo here
Vegan fried chicken and waffles
If you fancy a savoury, meat-free brunch, give this dish a try. The recipe uses soya yogurt and vegan 'chicken' pieces to create fake fried chicken, which is then planted on homemade waffles with a generous glug of maple syrup for a truly delicious breakfast. To get that extra crunch, we recommend dusting the vegan 'chicken' with a spiced golden coating made from polenta.
Apple pancakes
These traditional pancakes are perfect for anyone trying to lower their sugar intake, as the apples provide a natural sweetener. As the recipe uses a basic batter – made up of eggs, almond milk, vanilla extract, melted butter, plain flour and baking powder – you’ll be able to make this tasty brunch with ease in 15 minutes.
Bánh xèo
If you’ve got a free morning to spend diving into some Vietnamese cuisine, give bánh xèo – known as 'sizzling cakes' – a try. These savoury pancakes encase pork or chicken breast, onion, prawns, beansprouts and lots of herbs (think coriander, mint and Thai basil), and are well known for the famous sizzling sound they make when the batter hits the pan. Eat them the traditional Vietnamese way – by wrapping bits in lettuce leaves.
Egg and pancetta parcels
These pancetta parcels, which encase eggs, spinach and goats' cheese, look extremely intricate to put together. However, they take no time at all – 15 minutes in total – and are very straightforward. Use six rashers of pancetta, and be sure to slice them lengthways to achieve the best effect. Serve with crusty, toasted sourdough bread to make sure your brunch is substantial.
Eggs Benedict
This classic British breakfast dish has become a firm favourite with brunch-goers. The recipe is straightforward to knock up at home, simply using avocado, tomato, ham and poached eggs stacked on top of toasted English muffins. Usually, the Hollandaise sauce is the trickiest part of the meal, but our recipe hack means you’ll be able to whip these eggs Benedict up in around 10 minutes. You're welcome.
French-style galettes with chard and gruyère
If you fancy turning your hand to the delights of French cuisine, this brunch dish is for you. Making the buckwheat pancakes for the galettes takes some dedication in terms of time – there is a 60-minute batter resting period – but the combination of egg, chard and finely grated gruyère makes the wait worthwhile.
Get the recipe for French-style galettes with chard and gruyère here
Kimchi pancakes
These Korean savoury pancakes – known as pajeon – add a bit of spice to brunch time by using Korea’s national dish, kimchi. This recipe incorporates mushrooms, garlic, courgette and spring onions into a batter to make for a light and savoury meal, ready in just 10 minutes. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, why not add some seafood to the mix to make haemul pajeon?
Wheat-free pancakes
Going gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a big pancake brunch. While the process may be slightly more complicated, this buckwheat flour-based dish is still quick to make, with a prep time of 15 minutes. Top your pancakes with your favourite fruit and honey, or opt for some grated dark chocolate for a more indulgent experience.
Huevos rancheros
This brunch option combines all the ingredients that many of us consider staples of Mexican cuisine, such as avocados, limes, hot sauce and, of course, tortillas. It can be made at lightning speed – in 15 minutes – and you can chuck the tomatoes in when heating the black beans to cut down on chopping time too. When cooking, stir occasionally until the tomatoes have burst and the beans have broken down slightly.
Get the recipe for huevos rancheros here
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