40 Quick & Easy Breakfast Ideas
Either you view breakfast as so important that you take the time to cook up something delicious each day, or you're more of a "grab something quick to kickstart your day" kind of person. Either way, it can be challenging to find the time to spend in the kitchen in the morning when you have a busy day ahead. Thankfully, you can still stay on course with your health goals and enjoy one of the easy breakfast ideas we've hand selected for you. Can't beat that, right?
The following list contains over forty recipes you can make for breakfast, ranging from savory egg dishes, to sweet pancakes, to creamy smoothies. We know that everyone's mornings look different, and sometimes the chaos of the day keeps you from treating yourself to a breakfast you actually love.
So whether you're always in a hurry or just need something that doesn't take a ton of effort, you can try one of these quick and easy breakfast ideas that keep you satisfied throughout the morning hours. And, if you're in such a hurry that you don't even have time to cook, here are the 6 Healthiest McDonald's Breakfast Items To Order.
Oatmeal Pancakes With Cinnamon Apples
These pancakes are not only delicious and easy to make, but the oats add in a boost of fiber to your morning meal to help you start your day off right. If you're not a fan of apples, you can top your pancakes with berries or bananas instead.
Get our recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes.
Breakfast Hash With Sweet Potato & Chicken Sausage
For those looking to pack their morning full of protein, this has recipe is for you. The eggs, chicken sausage, and sweet potatoes help pile on the protein and other helpful nutrients like choline and fiber.
Get our recipe for Breakfast Hash.
Savory Artichoke Feta Quiche
It doesn't get much easier than a quiche. Just throw all the ingredients together and let them bake while you get ready for the day ahead. That way, when you're done getting ready, you have a warm, savory slice of quiche waiting for you.
Get our recipe for Artichoke Feta Quiche.
Oatmeal With Peanut Butter & Banana
We love this oatmeal with peanut butter and banana recipe for its good-for-you ingredients. It makes a healthy morning meal you can have ready in minutes.
Get our recipe for Oatmeal With Peanut Butter and Banana.
Egg Sandwich With Pastrami & Swiss
The combination of pastrami and Swiss has long been confined to the realm of the lunchtime deli counter, but we think it works beautifully with soft scrambled eggs—especially because pastrami trounces both sausage and bacon in the calorie department.
Get our recipe for Egg Sandwich With Pastrami and Swiss.
Breakfast Burrito
By swapping out worthless white tortillas for whole wheat, swapping fatty pork sausage for the lean chicken variety, and adding fiber-rich beans and some fresh avocado, we've slashed the calories in half while increasing the overall nutrition (and deliciousness).
Get our recipe for Breakfast Burrito.
Raspberry-Peach Swirled Smoothie
Besides the frozen raspberries and peaches, we combine a banana, orange juice, and Greek yogurt—along with some honey and ginger, too—to create a satisfyingly sweet way to kickstart your day with one of our healthiest easy breakfast ideas.
Get our recipe for Raspberry-Peach Swirled Smoothie.
An Omelet
We spoke with a New York City chef to learn how to cook (and flip) the perfect omelet at home. Here's what we learned when cooking up this easy breakfast idea.
Get our recipe for an Omelet.
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
This peanut butter overnight oats recipe is bound to become one of your go-to easy breakfast ideas! Simply prep it the night before and you're good to go in the morning.
Get our recipe for Peanut Butter Overnight Oats.
Sunrise Sandwich With Turkey, Cheddar, & Guacamole
Not all handheld breakfast bites are so virtuous, because many of them are flooded with excess carbs and fat. In this recipe, we sub in lean turkey for Canadian bacon, adding lycopene-rich tomato, and crowning it all with a spread of heart-healthy guacamole.
Get our recipe for Sunrise Sandwich With Turkey, Cheddar, and Guacamole.
10-Minute Baked Eggs With Mushroom & Spinach
The little ceramic vessels are perfect for housing eggs, meat, cheese, and vegetables and then tossing in the oven. What emerges 10 minutes later is a perfectly cooked egg—whites soft but firm, yolk gloriously runny—surrounded by a tasty and filling supporting cast.
Get our recipe for 10-Minute Baked Eggs With Mushroom and Spinach.
Breakfast Pizzas
Start with the ultimate breakfast bread—the fiber-dense whole-wheat English muffin—as your base and salsa as your sauce, then add eggs, ham, and cheese for flavor, substance, and plenty of protein.
Get our recipe for Breakfast Pizzas.
Greek Yogurt With Pineapple, Kiwi, Mango, & Ginger Syrup
This refreshing concoction pairs tropical fruit with a spicy-sweet blast of ginger syrup for a sweet treat that'll taste like you're on vacation—even if you're just on your couch.
Get our recipe for Greek Yogurt With Pineapple, Kiwi, Mango, and Ginger Syrup.
Spicy Pumpkin Parfaits
This spicy, fall-inspired parfait smells like pumpkin pie and holiday spices, and it'll brighten up any breakfast spread or snack time during the cooler months. It's also so delicious that you'll want it year round, too.
Get our recipe for Spicy Pumpkin Parfaits.
Blackberry Cashew Chia Pudding
Fresh blackberries add a tart-sweet element to the pudding, but you can swap in any other fruit you like, or even omit it altogether.
Get our recipe for Blackberry Cashew Chia Pudding.
Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug
If you want to eat a nutritious breakfast but don't want to deal with the hassle of washing a bunch of cooking pans, this eggs-in-a-mug recipe is perfect for you. It's for one serving, making it a great option for those easy breakfast ideas when you just want to eat something and get on with your day.
Get our recipe for Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug.
Mango-Ginger Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are perfect for busy mornings when you don't want to prepare breakfast. However, if you eat them every day, you might be bored of the standard cinnamon and blueberry topping routine. If your go-to overnight oats recipe could use some help, spice things up with this mango-ginger overnight oats version.
Get our recipe for Mango-Ginger Overnight Oats.
Red & Green Breakfast Salad
Who says you can't have salad for breakfast? With this red and green breakfast salad recipe, you can enjoy a crunchy bowl of veggies any time of day.
Get our recipe for Red and Green Breakfast Salad.
Peaches & Kale Smoothie Bowl
You've heard of peaches and cream desserts, but what about "peaches and green"? OK, fine—that might not technically be a thing, but we're willing to make it one, thanks to this easy peaches and kale smoothie bowl recipe.
Get our recipe for Peaches and Kale Smoothie Bowl.
Icelandic Yogurt With Granola & Fresh Berries
One of the simplest easy breakfast ideas to throw together is a good-old yogurt and granola. We recommend a yogurt like Siggi's Icelandic Skyr, which has between 15 and 17 grams of protein per 5.3-ounce container. Simply top with a handful of fresh berries of your choice, sprinkle on some low-sugar, whole-grain, nutty granola, and you're ready to go!
Make your own granola with our Healthy Honey-Pecan-Cherry Granola Recipe.
Whole Wheat Bread & Lox
For your anti-inflammatory dose of omega-3 fatty acids, serve up some smoked salmon for your morning meal. Smear toasted whole grain bread with whipped cream cheese or goat cheese and top with smoked salmon, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, and capers.
Get our recipe for a Smoked Salmon Sandwich.
Scrambled Eggs With Toast
If you're looking for a warm, easy breakfast idea with at least 12 grams of protein and whole grains, scrambled eggs on toast is a sure-fire way to get it. If you're feeling fancy, add some calcium-rich cheddar or goat cheese.
Get our recipe for Veggie Scramble With Mushrooms, Spinach and Goat Cheese.
Avocado-Berry Smoothie
No sugary smoothies here! Berries have a good reputation in the fruit category because they are one of the few fruits that we haven't genetically modified to be larger and sweeter over the years. They are actually much lower in sugar content than other fruits and fall on the low-carb side of the fruit scale.
Get our recipe for Avocado-Berry Smoothie.
Breakfast Tacos
Breakfast tacos! Scramble eggs with spinach and hunks of chorizo sausage or mushrooms. Serve in warm tortillas topped with black beans, sliced avocado, cheese, and salsa.
Get our recipe for Breakfast Tacos With Bacon and Spinach.
Fig & Goat Cheese Toast
This is perhaps the easiest of all quick and easy breakfast recipes you can make: Toast up some bread, slab on some goat cheese, sprinkle some cinnamon, layer with sliced figs, and top it all off with spiced honey. (Yum!)
Spinach & Mushroom Omelet
For a veggie-filled breakfast, scramble two eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a non-stick pan, add a pat of butter and saute mushrooms until lightly browned. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Pour in the scrambled eggs, top with feta or goat cheese, and cook until your preferred doneness.
Quinoa With Raisins & Walnuts
Combine cooked quinoa in a pan with a half cup of milk, golden raisins, a touch of brown sugar, and toasted walnuts. Heat until hot and creamy.
Mango Banana Smoothie
For a tropical treat, blend together half a cup of coconut water, half a cup of unsweetened almond milk, half a cup of Icelandic or Greek yogurt, half a banana, half a cup of frozen mango cubes, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Waffle With Honeyed Yogurt & Bananas
Toast a whole-grain, high-protein waffle until crispy. Top with honeyed yogurt, sliced bananas, and slivered almonds.
Hash Brown Avocado Toast
Grab a bag of frozen hash browns—we like Alexia Organic Hashed Browns—and fry them up. Top with freshly cubed avocado and an over-easy fried egg. To up the greens, you can even grate some fresh zucchini and mix together with the potatoes before frying.
Nutty Oatmeal
One of the quickest and easiest breakfast ideas that will satisfy your sweet cravings without a ton of added sugar is oatmeal. Just stir a spoonful of peanut butter into a bowl of plain instant oatmeal, then top with diced apples, crushed walnuts, and cinnamon.
Protein Pancakes
Pancakes are probably one of the simplest easy breakfast ideas you can make, but they're usually carb-heavy and don't provide a ton of protein for a satisfying and filling morning meal. Adding protein powder can totally help though!
Get our recipe for Protein Pancakes.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
If you're a chocoholic, you'll love this smoothie. It has all of the smooth and delicious flavors of a chocolate peanut butter cup, without all of the fat and sugar. Blend together chocolate protein powder, a cup of almond milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a frozen banana, a small handful of walnuts, and a dash of cinnamon.
Ricotta Toast and Berries
Have some leftover ricotta from that lasagna or baked ziti you made the other night? Smear some on some whole grain toast, top with berries and chia seeds, and you're good to go.
Omelet With Leftover Broccoli, Ham, & Cheddar Cheese
When you have leftover broccoli from last night's dinner, you might as well throw it into an omelet with cheddar cheese and cubed Canadian bacon.
Monkey Toast
A classic quick breakfast. Spread a toasted whole-wheat slice of bread with peanut or almond butter. Top with sliced bananas, a drizzle of honey, and chia seeds.
Granola With Berries
When in doubt, just throw some low-sugar granola in a bowl with a high-protein milk like dairy or pea protein milk. Looking for a healthy milk alternative? Try the Pea Milk from Ripple.
Egg & Avocado BLT
Instead of saving that Sunday bacon for Monday's lunch, why not double down and have it for breakfast again? But this time, try it on a BLEAT: bacon, lettuce, egg, avocado, and tomato.
Ham, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich
Pop an English muffin in the toaster, then fry an egg in a pan alongside a couple slices of Canadian bacon. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, and place under the broiler until the cheese melts and bubbles. Voilà! You have a deliciously easy breakfast idea to try any day.
Instant Oats With Protein Powder
For a high-protein take on typically carb-centric oatmeal, throw a scoop of your favorite flavored protein powder in with your oats and milk, and then top with your favorite fruit and flax seeds for some extra fiber.
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A previous version of this story was published on April 2, 2022. It has been updated to include additional copy and proofreading revisions, as well as updated contextual links.
