4 Christmas Brunch Recipes for a Small Gathering
Christmas brunch recipes are the ideal way to start Christmas day. They can be as simple as a skillet of savory French toast and a loaf you baked the day before.
The French toast here has ham and cheese in the middle, so it can do the job of a breakfast sandwich. If you’d rather make something everyone can pull apart at the table, the buttermilk biscuits bake together in one dish.
You don’t need to make all four recipes, of course. If people are helping themselves at different times, put out the banana bread with some butter nearby and let everyone cut their own slice.
For a sit-down brunch, pair the French toast or biscuits with a cranberry and orange smoothie. The tart fruit makes a nice change from sweet breakfast drinks, and the blender can do its work without taking up any space on the stove.
Christmas Brunch Recipes
- Ham and Cheese French Toast
- Butter Swim Biscuits
- Banana Bread with Applesauce
- Cranberry and Orange Christmas Smoothie
1. Ham and Cheese French Toast
Think of this as a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a French toast crust. More names for this sandwich include Monte Cristo, croque monsieur and ham and cheese toastie, depending on the fillings and where you are!
Thick slices of day-old bread hold the filling together through a quick dip in beaten egg and milk. The sandwiches cook in butter and olive oil until the bread’s golden. There’s no sugar in the egg mixture, and a little whole-grain mustard is optional but I love how it tastes with the savory ham.
Cheddar is a bold choice, while Swiss or Emmental has a milder, nuttier flavor. Each sandwich makes a full serving, so this can be the main dish on your Christmas brunch table. The recipe cooks four in batches. If you’re also putting out banana bread, slice it before you start the sandwiches so it’s ready while you’re at the stove.
2. Butter Swim Biscuits
These square buttermilk biscuits have crisp edges and soft centers. The melted butter goes into the baking dish and the soft dough goes right on top. Since the dough is spread and scored in the dish, there’s no need to roll it out or find your biscuit cutter. The card makes nine squares, which makes it easy to work out how many batches you’ll need.
The buttermilk adds a slight tang and the dough has just a little sugar. Set out honey or jam if you want something sweet, or serve the biscuits with eggs if you’d rather have a savory breakfast.
This is one of the Christmas brunch recipes with reheating instructions, so you can bake them ahead if you’d rather keep the oven free on Christmas morning, which is definitely an important consideration for Christmas morning!
3. Banana Bread with Applesauce
Ripe bananas and vanilla give this loaf its flavor and unsweetened applesauce helps keep the crumb moist. It’s sweet enough to serve in plain slices but I often add a smear of butter just because! If you’re going to butter yours, make the slices quite thick and they’ll hold up well.
Chopped walnuts are an option if you want a little crunch in your Christmas brunch. The recipe also gives chocolate chips and raisins as alternatives, so you can use what you already have. The recipe makes eight slices and this one’s a good pick if you’d rather serve something sweet without standing at the stove.
This is the one to bake the day before brunch. The loaf needs time to cool before you slice it, so it’s better off the morning’s oven schedule.
4. Cranberry and Orange Christmas Smoothie
Frozen cranberries and a whole orange make this smoothie tart and citrusy. Greek yogurt and frozen banana give it a creamy texture, while fresh ginger adds a little warmth.
White cranberry juice helps it blend and there’s also honey in there to soften the tartness of the cranberries. A few cranberries and a slice of orange on top are optional if you’re serving it in glasses at the table.
The recipe makes 2 servings in 5 minutes. If your blender needs a little help, just add a splash more juice. Serve the smoothies as soon as they’re blended and kick off Christmas morning deliciously!
Christmas Brunch Recipes: Plan Christmas Morning
The banana bread and biscuits bake at different temperatures, so bake the loaf the day before if you’re serving both. The biscuits can go in on their own in the morning, or you can bake them ahead too and reheat them using the recipe’s instructions.
If you’re cooking the French toast, put the banana bread on the table before you heat the skillet. Blend the smoothies when the last batch of sandwiches is nearly ready, or serve the drinks on their own while everyone’s waiting for brunch.
Now you can check having a plan for Christmas brunch recipes off your Christmas prep list. Happy cooking and merry Christmas!!
