Refresh your morning routine and discover a world of delicious and energizing plant-based breakfast ideas. For many, eggs and yogurt are staples, but the possibilities extend far beyond these traditional options. Dive into classic vegan recipes and innovative ideas to add more plant-based meals to your diet or simply shake up your morning routine.
Oat and Porridge Creations
It's impossible to discuss vegan breakfast ideas without highlighting the versatility of oats. They can be soaked, simmered, baked, and customized with an array of sweet and savory toppings.
Overnight Oats: Prepare cool and creamy oats the night before for an endlessly customizable and convenient breakfast.
Steel-Cut Oatmeal: Warm up on cold mornings with a comforting bowl of steel-cut oatmeal, experimenting with various toppings.
Savory Porridge: Venture beyond sweet flavors with miso, tamari, green onions, and squash for a complex and savory porridge.
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Homemade Granola: Indulge in lightly sweet, warmly spiced granola with almond butter and maple syrup, perfect for a special occasion brunch.
Quinoa Breakfast Bowl: Use quinoa as a protein-rich alternative to oats in a cinnamon-spiced breakfast bowl.
Grain-Free Chia Seed Pudding: Enjoy a hearty and convenient grab-and-go breakfast by preparing this creamy pudding with chia seeds the night before.
Pancakes, Waffles, and French Toast Delights
Enjoy fluffy pancakes, tender waffles, and custardy French toast without eggs. Prepare these vegan breakfast recipes on the weekend and freeze any leftovers for busy weekdays.
Vegan Banana Pancakes: These healthy pancakes made with oat flour and whole wheat pastry flour are soft, fluffy, and bursting with banana flavor. To prepare these vegan banana pancakes, combine ground flaxseed, water, and mashed banana in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Add olive oil, vanilla, and almond milk, then whisk. Add whole wheat and oat flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until just combined. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle to medium heat, brush with olive oil, and pour ⅓-cup of batter onto the pan. Cook until bubbles appear, about 1½ minutes per side, reducing heat as needed. Serve with maple syrup, sliced bananas, and/or pecans.
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Vegan Waffles: Discover that vegan waffles can be even better than those made with butter or eggs.
Pumpkin Pancakes: Start Saturday mornings with fluffy pumpkin pancakes during the fall season.
Carrot Waffles: If you love carrot cake, these cinnamon-spiced carrot waffles are a must-try. Top them with maple syrup and coconut whipped cream.
Savory Vegan Breakfast Inspirations
Explore savory vegan breakfast options beyond the typical sweet offerings.
Tofu Scramble: Create the ultimate plant-based breakfast with a flavorful tofu scramble. Scramble the tofu with spices, then heat black beans. Top with avocado slices, cherry tomatoes, pepitas, and salsa for a protein-packed and fiber-rich meal. This recipe is also great for meal prepping.
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Avocado Toast: Experiment with fresh and bold topping combinations or keep it simple with this trendy and delicious breakfast staple. Toast whole grain sourdough, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and mash avocado on top. Add toppings like garlic, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, tomato slices, or broccoli sprouts.
Breakfast Bowl with Roasted Vegetables: Utilize leftover roasted sweet potatoes or broccoli from dinner to make a comforting breakfast bowl.
Homemade Bagels: Bake crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside homemade bagels that rival store-bought versions.
Vegan Lox: Replace salmon with salt-roasted carrot strips in this all-veggie lox recipe.
Vegan Breakfast Cookies and Muffins
Like pancakes and waffles, vegan breakfast cookies and muffins are freezer-friendly.
Carrot Breakfast Cookies: Enjoy cookies for breakfast with these carrot-flecked cookies that make it easy to eat your veggies.
Vegan Muffins: Relive childhood memories with warm muffins, especially banana muffins with optional banana-berry combinations.
Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls
Breakfast Smoothie Bowl: This breakfast bowl tastes so good that it could pass as dessert.
Avocado Smoothie: Elevate your smoothie game by adding avocado for a whole new level of creaminess.
Cauliflower Smoothie: This smoothie includes a secret ingredient: frozen cauliflower, which adds a thick and frosty texture without affecting the taste.
Tropical Smoothie: This filling tropical smoothie is packed with nutritious ingredients. Chelsea Jackle, RDN
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie: This protein-packed smoothie is a delicious and healthy meal for anyone who loves pumpkin pie.
Dairy Free Smoothies Base Recipe: Chef Vahista Ussery, MS, MBA, RDN of To Taste, provides a great base recipe for dairy free smoothies that are great for breakfast or a snack.
Healthy Avocado Smoothie with Grape Juice: Amy Gorin, MS, RDN offers a recipe for a delicious energizing beverage with grape juice.
Coconut and Mandarin Orange Vegan Smoothie Bowl: Amy Gorin, MS, RDN offers a recipe for a tasty vegan smoothie bowl recipe.
Giant Smoothie: When trying to maintain weight or during periods of normal training, blend 2 ripe bananas, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 cup frozen mango, a big handful or two of baby kale, 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, 2 tablespoons raw walnuts, and 2 to 3 cups water until smooth.
Quick Breads, Rolls, and Scones
Banana Bread: Enjoy slice after slice of this classic quick bread.
Biscuits: Try these cozy biscuits.
Gluten-Free Scones: These yummy scones are not only vegan but also gluten-free.
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls: Make ooey, gooey vegan cinnamon rolls with coconut oil for holidays or special occasions.
More Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas
Hash Browns: Cook hash browns on a nonstick pan without oil and enjoy them with fresh salsa made with tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and lime.
Breakfast Beans: Sauté yellow onion and tempeh bacon, then add vegetable broth, tomato sauce, maple syrup, and beans. Simmer and season to taste, then enjoy over toast or rice.
Fruits & Applesauce: Eat fruit for breakfast, such as bananas, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and applesauce.
Overnight Oats: Mix oats with dairy-free milk and ground flaxseed, let it sit overnight, and add fresh, seasonal fruit in the morning.
Simple Oatmeal Protein Cookies: The Oregon Dietitian offers a simple recipe for vegan & gluten-free oatmeal protein cookies.
5 Minute Granola: KeyVion Miller Registered Dietitian Nutritionist offers a low calorie, low sugar 5 minute granola using simple ingredients.
Easy Apple and Peanut Butter Waffles: Melissa Altman-Traub MS, RDN, LDN offers a terrific plant-based breakfast option with these waffles.
Crunchy Homemade Buckwheat and Seeds Cereal: Kristine Duncan, MS, RDN, CDCES offers a recipe for crunchy cereal with protein, healthy fats, and whole grain.
Sweet Potato Kale Hash: Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN of Bucket List Tummy offers an easy way to add veggies to your breakfast.
Ultimate High Protein Breakfast Burritos: Melissa Altman-Traub MS, RDN, LDN offers a recipe for breakfast burritos filled with scrambled spiced tofu and black beans.
Vegan Breakfast Scramble: The KidneyRD team offers a recipe for those following a plant-based diet and missing scrambled eggs.
Stuffed French Toast: KeyVion Miller Registered Dietitian Nutritionist offers a recipe for baked stuffed French toast, the ultimate comfort food breakfast with fewer calories!
Strawberry-Banana Baked Oatmeal: Kristi Ruth RD, LDN offers a recipe that is packed with ‘good for you’ ingredients and easy to prepare.
Breakfast Burritos and Freezer Meal Prep (vegetarian): Kelly Jones Nutrition offers a recipe that is a great on the go option for busy parents, athletes, or anyone who likes to hit snooze again!
The Importance of Breakfast
Eating a balanced breakfast meal offers many health benefits. It can reduce the chance of snacking on high sugar, high fat foods later in the day and can also mean you are less likely to overeat. This can include wholegrain cereals made using wheat, bran or oats. Carbohydrates found in bread/cereals are also important for providing fuel for the brain and body to get through the day. When eating bread products, choosing a wholemeal/wholegrain variety is key. Wholegrains are a key source of fibre which is important for keeping you fuller for longer and for having regular bowel movements.