Category: Breakfasts

Apple cider donuts get all the glory each fall, but pumpkin treats deserve more fanfare. Pumpkin donuts, specifically. The pureed gourd makes this dessert extra moist, which is complemented by a hearty jolt of cinnamon sugar to add some sweetness and spice. It’s well balanced, which is not what I can say about my diet after I devoured, ahem, six mini donuts over the course of a single afternoon.

You could make these cinnamon sugar pumpkin donuts in a traditional donut pan, cooking them at 350 degrees for about 15ish minutes, as King Arthur Flour recommends. My version makes a few minor modifications, and I used a mini donut machine.

What’s the Best Mini Donut Machine to Use?

Honestly, they’re all pretty comparable. I love the giant donut aesthetic of my ol’ Sunbeam, but it’s no longer made. Dash sells a pretty solid machine that whips up seven mini donuts at a time for $22 on Amazon, but if you want something that takes up slightly less shelf space, you could go with the Babycakes design (which is 4 inches smaller). Just know that that model makes four donuts at a time, so you’ll be baking in bigger batches.

Can I Substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice for the Seasonings?

Yes! Mix in two teaspoons and call it a day.

Can I Use Pumpkin Pie Filling Instead of Pumpkin Puree?

I wouldn’t recommend it. The added sweetness and slightly different viscosity could affect bake times and overall flavor.

Onto the recipe!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Donuts

Step aside, cider donuts—these minis are every bit as addictive. (Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour's version for simplicity and to work with a mini donut maker.)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 30 mini donuts

Equipment

• measuring cups
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 silicone spatula
• 1 mini donut maker
• 2 large resealable bags

Ingredients

  

Pumpkin Donuts

• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions

 

• Make the Pumpkin Donuts: In a large mixing bowl, whisk—or beat using an electric mixer—the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin and cinnamon. Stir in salt, baking powder and flour. Pour batter into a large resealable bag.
• Spritz the wells of the donut maker with cooking spray or grease with a little vegetable/canola oil. Heat, and when it's ready to cook, snip a corner of the resealable bag. Use that to pour batter into each donut mold in the donut maker, filling them about two-thirds full. Close the lid and bake according to the machine's instructions, about 3 to 5 minutes per batch.
• Use a fork to remove each batch of donuts, placing them on a cooling rack.
• Make the Cinnamon Sugar: In a large resealable bag, combine cinnamon and sugar. As you're ready to serve the donuts (preferably still warm but not hot), toss a few in the bag, seal and shake to coat them. Only coat as many donuts as you plan on eating; otherwise, the coating will get moist and soggy.

  Store the donuts in a resealable bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Keyword cinnamon sugar, donuts, fall, pumpkin

As much as I love a fluffy stack of pancakes, they’re a pain to serve to a group. You’re flipping forever. A quiche, however, feels faaahncy even though it’s a cinch to throw together, especially if you sauté the broccoli and cook the bacon ahead of time. Heck, even if you don’t, it’s not that big of a time commitment.

When making this broccoli cheddar bacon quiche, for example, I typically cook the bacon in the oven while I sauté the broccoli and let the pie crust thaw (and yes, I use frozen, store-bought dough), then throw it all together in a pie plate with the cheese and egg mixture and let my oven do the rest of the work.

What to Serve with Quiche:

• Fresh berries
• Tossed greens with a basic vinaigrette (arugula, spinach, pepper, oil, vinegar & a squirt of lemon can go a long way)
• Sliced oranges, melon or other fresh fruit
• Hash browns
• English muffins with butter and jam

My Go-To Broccoli Cheddar Bacon Quiche Recipe:

Broccoli Bacon Cheddar Quiche

An easy weekend brunch recipe to please a crowd.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 Baking sheet
• parchment paper
• oven mitts
• medium-sized sauté pan
• 1 (9-inch) pie plate
• 2 dinner plates
• 2 paper towels
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 whisk

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon
• 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
• 1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets
• 1 9-inch pie crust, thawed
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Prepare the Bacon: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place slices of bacon on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 15 to 18 minutes.
• Prepare the Broccoli: As the bacon cooks, add canola/vegetable oil to a medium-sized sauté pan and warm on the stovetop over medium heat. Add broccoli florets and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Place on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Prepare the Quiche: Roll out the pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle shredded cheddar all over. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, pepper and salt. Pour into the crust.
• Once the bacon has cooked, place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Let the bacon cool for a few minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle all over the egg mixture.
• Bake quiche for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center has set and is no longer gooey. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes to set before serving.

Keyword bacon, breakfast, brunch, cream cheese, deviled eggs, quiche

This post contains affiliate links, which help fund the operation of the site.

One of my mom’s specialties growing up was biscuits and gravy. (My mom’s recipe is a riff on Pioneer Woman’s, with extra Jimmy Dean sausage.) Whether they’re made from scratch or aided with a few shortcuts—hey, Pillsbury Grands are pretty good—the Southern staple is the kind of soul-satisfying meal that’s so hearty you can skip lunch. Or at least second breakfast.

Because it’s so filling, it can easily bog you down, and it feels like it needs a little something alongside it to round out brunch. But if you’re anything like me, figuring out what to serve with biscuits and gravy can be a little challenging: What complements the creamy, salty, smoky gravy and fluffy pile o’ carbs? Here are some of my top picks.

1. Fresh orange slices (or any fresh fruit, honestly)
2. Fruit salad
3. Over medium eggs
4. Roasted asparagus (follow steps one and two for the asparagus alone, but if you want to go all out, take on Ina Garten’s entire recipe and include scrambled eggs. Now, it’s brunch.)
5. Air fryer home fries (less oil, still crispy)
6. Bacon & eggs breakfast salad (egg topping optional; the tangy vinaigrette helps cut through the heaviness of the gravy)
7. Brussels sprouts hash
8. Sweet potato hash browns (bonus points if they’re crisped in a waffle iron, like this recipe)
9. Omelettes
10. Soft-scrambled eggs (Bobby Flay’s tips are legit, if you like fluffy eggs)
11. Cheese grits (perfect for particularly frigid days; you won’t need lunch!)
12. Cauliflower grits (you know, in case you want to feel semi-virtuous)
13. Maple-glazed bacon
14. Roasted tomatoes
15. Country ham

If you like the flavor of rye or pumpernickel bread, you’re going to love this riff on an everything bagel. It’s just as chewy and pillowy as a regular bagel, only it takes advantage of some of the health benefits of rye flour (like a boost of fiber and vitamin B, with less of a blood sugar spike). You can find it in the flour section of health food stores, or order some on Amazon.

This recipe calls for starter dough, but don’t freak out—it’s not as complicated as you might think. Plus, since it uses instant yeast, there’s less concern about having the exact right temperature to get things going. BUT! Since the starter dough needs to rest for at least four hours before you proceed to the second step, I recommend whipping together the starter the night before, then finishing the bagels in the morning. (While you’re at it, it’s worth making some bacon scallion cream cheese the night before too, giving the flavors plenty of time to meld.)

Note: This recipe calls for a mix of all-purpose flour and rye flour. Since rye flour contains very little gluten, a little AP flour was necessary to preserve the bagels’ texture. The rye flavor still comes through, albeit not as intensely as straight-up rye bread.

Want less of a time commitment? Try Greek Yogurt Everything Bagels instead.

Rye Flour Everything Bagels

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour's Ultimate Sandwich Bagels

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 52 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

Starter Dough

• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/16 tsp instant yeast
• 1/3 c water, cool

Dough

• starter dough
• 3/4 c water, room temperature
• 2 tsp barley malt syrup (or honey)
• 3/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c rye flour
• 1 c all-purpose flour

Water Bath

• 6 c water
• 2 tbsp barley malt syrup (or honey)

Everything Bagel Topping

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 c Everything Bagel seasoning

Instructions

 

• Make the Starter: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine starter ingredients. Cover and rest at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Make the Dough: Add remaining dough ingredients to the starter. Knead about 10 minutes, or until the dough is very elastic and easy to stretch. Cover and let rise until it has grown about 50 percent larger in size, about 2 hours.
• Lightly flour tabletop. Divide dough into four pieces and roll into balls roughly the size of your fist. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Prepare the Water Bath: In a large saucepan, add water and barley malt syrup (or honey). Bring to a gentle boil. Place 1 to 2 bagels into the water bath, depending on how many fit. Boil for 60 seconds, using a spatula or tongs to gently flip the bagels, boiling the other side for 60 seconds. Place each one on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Top the Bagels: Brush each bagel with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with everything bagel seasoning. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until they're a light golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Keyword bagels

It’s bold to call this the best bagel schmear, but we’re going there. For five years, Nate and I had Brooklyn Bagel at least once a week, and our order rarely changed: everything bagel, toasted, slathered and stacked with bacon scallion cream cheese. Since moving away, we haven’t just endeavored to replicate the epic bagels; we’re all about the cream cheese too. Thankfully, that’s been a little easier to replicate. Here’s our go-to recipe for making bacon scallion cream cheese at home.

Pro tip: Make this cream cheese the night before you plan on using it—and perhaps whip up a double batch—so the smoky, salty bacon and tangy kick of the scallions can infuse the schmear. Or at least whip it up before you start making your Greek yogurt bagels (you are making ’em, right?!). That’ll buy you at least 30 minutes of meld time.

Bacon Scallion Cream Cheese

An epic (and epically easy) schmear for your bagels

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 4 bagels

Equipment

• 1 small mixing bowl
• 1 silicone spatula

Ingredients

  

• 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 4 strips cooked, crumbled bacon

Instructions

 

• In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, scallions and bacon. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. (NOTE: This dish tastes better after the flavors have had time to meld, so it's great to make the night before—or at least 30 minutes before slicing and toasting your bagels.)

Keyword bagels, breakfast, cream cheese, schmear

Ever since moving out of New York City, I’ve been on the hunt for a bagel that can rival the best ones I’ve ever had: the poppy-garlic-dried-onion-smothered balls of carby wonder at Brooklyn Bagel. No place has come close, so I’ve set out to make my own. This Greek Yogurt Everything Bagel recipe has the heft and pillowy texture of BB—although it’s not quite as chewy—but I love it because it takes hardly any time to whip up.

No fussing with yeast, no letting it rest, hardly any kneading—with just a few ingredients (many you probably have in your pantry), you can have an excellent weekend brunch. Just be sure to whip up an infused schmear to go with it. After all, if you’re going to go all out, you might as well opt for the bacon scallion cream cheese too, right?!

If you want to make Greek Yogurt Asiago Bagels, simply sub the everything bagel seasoning for an equal amount of shredded cheese. (Or heck, go wild and opt for a half cup! We support it.) Instead of dipping it, we’ve found it’s easier to sprinkle the tops of the bagel.

Greek Yogurt Everything Bagels

Not into everything bagels? Feel free to substitute any toppings you desire (Shredded Asiago cheese is also popular around here!)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 heaping tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp water
• 1/3 cup everything bagel seasoning (or shredded Asiago cheese)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. As it heats, grab a medium-sized bowl and combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add yogurt, stirring until a craggy dough forms.
• Lightly flour a clean countertop or work surface. Add the dough, kneading it about a dozen times, just to form a somewhat sticky ball. Divide it into six balls. Use your fingers to form a half dollar-sized hole in the center of each one.
• In a small bowl, crack egg and add water. Beat together until combined. Brush the egg wash on one side of each bagel.
• In a shallow plate or bowl, add everything bagel seasoning. Dip each bagel egg wash-side down into the seasoning. Flip, brush the other side with egg wash, and dip that side too, so the whole thing is covered.
• Place bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bagels are lightly golden and no longer gooey or jiggly. Cool before slicing and schmearing.

Keyword bagels

You could use a little moment of levity in your day. We all could. And there’s something undeniably gleeful about staring at a shortstack of flapjacks studded with rainbow cereal. These Fruity Pebbles pancakes are so easy to make that you have no excuse not to try them, really, so give it a go and let me know what you think.

If you really want to infuse this breakfast with even more Fruity Pebbles flavor, you could finely crush a handful of cereal, steeping it in the wet ingredients beforehand, though that might turn your batter a grayish color. Personally, I like the slight touch of sweetness and crunch you get from adding in the cereal just after pouring a pancake on the griddle.

Fruity Pebbles Pancakes

These are in no way endorsed by Fruity Pebbles or Post, but they're so good they should be. Just sayin'.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• nonstick pan
• spatula
• measuring cups

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp butter, plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 1/4 c milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c Fruity Pebbles cereal
• maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

 

• Divide the butter into 2 tbsp and 1 tbsp. The single tbsp will be used to grease the skillet in a bit. Place the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Set aside. (You'll use it later, but we want to give it time to cool a little before adding it to the batter.)
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• In a smaller bowl, crack the eggs, whisking them gently. Add milk and vanilla extract, stirring until combined. Add to the flour mixture, along with the butter. (Make sure the butter isn't hot; if so, it can start to cook the eggs.) Mix everything until a thick batter has formed, using your spoon to break up any large clumps.
• Bust out that remaining tbsp of butter! Melt it in a nonstick pan over a burner set to medium heat. Once melted, pour about 1/4 cup of pancake batter onto the pan. Sprinkle the batter with Fruity Pebbles cereal. Cook until bubbles start to form in the batter and the underside of the pancake turns lightly golden, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until lightly golden, about 1 to 2 more minutes. Top with additional butter and maple syrup before serving, if desired.

Psst…as you may have noticed, this recipe is pretty simple: You’re just adding Fruity Pebbles to pancake batter like you would chocolate chips, blueberries or bananas. So keep it on hand as a base to use for whatever pancakes you’re in the mood for, and just swap out your mix-ins as desired.

Conversely, if you’re serious about the slightly tangy flavor and extra fluffiness you get from buttermilk flapjacks, go ahead and use your go-to recipe. These Fruity Pebbles pancakes get their lift from baking powder, and I tend to favor this version simply because I never keep buttermilk on hand–and I don’t love waiting around to make my own. You do you!