From eggs Benedict to vegan banana bread, from homemade cereals to homemade croissants, these are our best Mother’s Day breakfast ideas for 2022.
"Your choice of dish should also be determined by what you've got planned for the day," says Senior Food Writer, Jessica Ransom. "If you're heading out for lunch you might want something light like a homemade granola with yogurt and pick and mix style toppings: fresh berries, coconut flakes or grated chocolate."
This year Mother’s Day falls on March 27 in the UK and Ireland, (May 8 in Australia/USA). Originally a religious celebration, it quickly became a day for honouring mothers in general. And what better way to honour her than with a special breakfast? We’ve got recipes that are quick and impressive, as well as easy Mother's Day recipes for kids.
"If you'd prefer to be at a table, pancakes are a fun option - the whole family can build their own," says Jessica. "More substantial sharing dishes like a breakfast traybake are good if you need something that's going to keep everyone full. Don't forget to add a delicious selection of drinks, too. You could make a smoothie or cordial with sparkling water. For boozy options there's the classic brunch cocktails: a mimosa or bellini. Or go straight for fizz." Dress up these Mother’s Day breakfast ideas with flowers and cards and make her morning really special, and fill her up right until it’s time for one of GoodtoKnow's Mother's Day cake ideas.
Mother's Day breakfast ideas
1. Eggs florentine
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins
You can serve up this eggs florentine the classic way - on toast, brioche or an English muffin. Or, if you’re having it as a brunch option, why not serve it over a baked potato for a twist? It’s really easy to make, using a hollandaise sauce from a jar, so you can have it ready in just 10 minutes (or around an hour if you’re baking potatoes).
This recipe serves two, so you can share breakfast with your mum, or let dad take part in the celebration. It’s also easy to multiply all the portions if you want to serve it up to the whole family.
Get the recipe: Eggs florentine
2. Breakfast muffins
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 40 mins | Cook time: 25 mins
If you have to travel to your mum’s place in the morning, this is a brilliant breakfast option to take along with you. You can make them the day before and arrange them in a pretty basket decorated with ribbons. When you arrive at mum’s, either eat the muffins as they are, or quickly warm them in the oven and serve hot, with lashings of butter and jam.
This foolproof little recipe is so easy to do, even the grandkids can get involved. They could even make little flags on cocktail sticks with messages of love on.
Get the recipe: Breakfast muffins recipe
3. Vegan chocolate pancakes with blueberry compote
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 15 mins
Brilliant for mums on a health kick, or anyone trying to reduce the amount of animal products they consume. These are completely vegan, but still a great breakfast treat.
Don't forget you can mix and match, says Jessica. "The blueberry compote would work brilliantly with the french toast recipe below. These pancakes are a great option if mum is lactose intolerant and wants a lighter, chocolatey option for breakfast."
Get the recipe: Healthy chocolate pancakes
4. Full English breakfast on toast
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
This is an easy take on an English breakfast with all the essentials: eggs, sausages, mushrooms, beans and even fancy bacon. It uses the bottom slice of a round loaf as the ‘pizza’ base, which soaks up all the flavours of the fry up: so delicious.
Adapt this recipe to include all of your mum’s fry-up favourites like grilled tomatoes or black pudding, or opt for a vegetarian version with hashbrowns and plenty of mushrooms too.
Get the recipe: Full English breakfast on toast
5. Banana, yoghurt and oats breakfast smoothie
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: Na
This is a lovely superfood option for health-conscious mums - it’s only 197 calories per serving. Pour it into a pretty stemmed glass or tie string ribbons around tumblers to make them look extra special.
This is also a good on-the-go option if you’re meeting mum for a walk - bring one for each of you in a beaker with a lid. You could make breakfast muffins to take along as well.
Get the recipe: Banana, yogurt and oats breakfast smoothie
6. French toast with plum compote
Skill level: Medium | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
Perfect for vegetarians or mums with a sweet tooth, French Toast is a decadent breakfast classic. The plums give this dish a rich colour and flavour. "The compote can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Any leftovers are delicious with yogurt and granola or with a bowl of warm porridge," says Jessica.
Get the recipe: French toast with plum compote recipe
7. Scotch pancakes recipe
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 30 mins
Scotch pancakes are smaller and thicker than traditional crêpes and make a brilliant family breakfast. This recipe makes 12, which you can stack up on four plates of three, with fruit and other toppings in between. It’s ideal if you’re breakfasting as a family.
Cooking the pancakes definitely requires adult supervision, but stacking and adding the toppings can be done by the kids. They can be as creative as they like and make the plates really pretty for mum. They could even write Happy Mother’s Day around the edge using chocolate icing writers.
Get the recipe: Scotch pancakes recipe
8. Homemade beans on toast
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins
Elevate the very simplest of meals into something really delicious and special, by baking your own baked beans. It’s easy and quick to do, but it feels really different and thoughtful.
"Homemade baked beans are delicious and if you make them in batches they are much cheaper than the tins too," says Jessica. "Plus, you can customise them with delicious extras. I like to add lightly fried diced chorizo and a dash of paprika for a smoky finish or add a generous splash of hot sauce for those who like spice."
Get the recipe: Homemade beans on toast
9. Hairy Bikers’ sausage and egg muffin
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
This homemade sausage and egg muffin is a brilliant Mother's Day breakfast treat. You don’t need any special skills for this recipe - if you can fry an egg you’ll be fine.
It only takes 20 minutes to make and there’s even an option for a healthier version using chicken and turkey patties instead of sausages. For a great spread, serve with Bloody Mary cocktails, or Virgin Marys if you prefer.
Get the recipe: Hairy Bikers sausage and egg muffin
10. Blueberry pancakes
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 20 mins
These thick and fluffy American pancakes are great for a family breakfast, with mum as the special guest. The batter couldn’t be easier to make and only takes a few minutes - even kids can get involved with cracking the eggs and mixing in the berries.
This recipe makes about 15 pancakes - plenty for a family of four. You can make them all in advance before your mum gets up and keep them warm in a very low oven until you’re ready to serve, so that the whole family can sit down together.
Get the recipe: Blueberry pancakes
11. Cheese and ham omelette
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins
This soufflé-style omelette is a great option if you’re short on time in the mornings - you can have it plated up in just 10 minutes. It serves one, but just repeat the whole process if you want to share breakfast with your mum. Keep yours warm in a low oven while you cook a second for her. This allows you to perfect the technique on your first go, and gives the special guest the best one.
Eggs make a great champagne breakfast option - the acidity of the champagne really complements the creaminess of the eggs. Serve with a glass of fizz and nice fresh flowers on the table.
Get the recipe: Cheese and ham omelette
12. French toast with bacon and maple syrup
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 8 mins
This is a decadent American-style breakfast and feels quite adventurous because it’s not something mum would have every day. A great treat. It serves six so there is plenty for the whole family.
Because it’s difficult to pretty up the dish itself (no one wants edible flowers on top of their bacon), make sure you put lots of effort into making the table look as lovely as possible, with fresh flowers, a tablecloth, salt and pepper and something lovely to drink.
Get the recipe: French toast with bacon and maple syrup
13. Toasted oats and yogurt
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 2 mins
A brilliant breakfast in bed option because there are no crumbs. You can serve it up in a bowl, on a tray to keep it neat. Add any extra fruits you like to the topping layers - strawberries and raspberries always look pretty. Once the oats are toasted, kids can help put it together by doing the layering themselves.
This is a lovely light option - only about 300 calories per portion, using fat-free yoghurt, so even healthy mums will love it.
Get the recipe: Toasted oats and yogurt
14. Salmon hash with poached egg
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 mins
Salmon hash is a healthy and filling brunch dish that is packed with flavour. It’s simple to make but looks fancy and complicated. Give yourself a good hour before mum gets up to get it ready, so you have time for extras like setting the table.
This is a great thrifty recipe. You only need salmon trimmings, which are the cheapest cuts to buy. It's also a good way to use up leftovers in the fridge. Cold roast potatoes for example are always excellent in a hash.
Get the recipe: Salmon hash with poached egg
15. Gary Rhodes’ bacon and potato frittata
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 35 mins
One of our favourite Mother's Day breakfast recipes. It’s really easy to make and only uses a handful of ingredients. Perfect for messy chefs. You need a grill-proof pan, as you start cooking on the hob and finish it off under the grill.
This recipe makes enough for four, but if the breakfast is only for mum, the other portions can be stored in the fridge to eat as leftovers.
Get the recipe: Gary Rhodes’ bacon and potato frittata
16. Croissants
Skill level: Difficult | Prep time: 45 mins (plus 1hr 30 for proving and cooling) | Cook time: 30 mins
If you want to make something seriously impressive, these light and crispy croissants are a great challenge. You have to make your own puff pastry, but the result is so satisfying. They’re best made and eaten on the same day, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time for the dough to rise and chill before cooking.
This recipe makes eight - you can make half into traditional croissants and half into pain au chocolat.
Get the recipe: Croissant recipe
17. Gordon Ramsay’s healthy full English breakfast
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
Gordon Ramsay’s English breakfast is a light twist on the classic dish. The recipe serves four so you can serve it up to the whole family, or make less if you prefer.
This is an ideal option for mums who are trying to be a bit healthy, but still love a traditional fry up. The secret is to use fabulous ingredients, like a portobello mushrooms and vine-ripened tomatoes - which add all the flavour and make the dish feel that little bit more special. Poached eggs are not the easiest to prepare, but Gordon's precise instructions will get you there.
Get the recipe: Gordon Ramsay’s healthy full English breakfast recipe
19. Chestnut mushrooms on toast
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
These garlicky chestnut mushrooms are just gorgeous on toast and make a brilliant breakfast for mum - as long as she doesn’t have to give dad a kiss straight afterwards.
They’re quick and easy to make. Younger kids can help with wiping and chopping the mushrooms and older ones can probably manage the recipe on their own as long as they are supervised for the cooking.
Get the recipe: Garlicky chestnut mushrooms on toast
19. Vegan banana bread
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 50 mins
This thick and deliciously stodgy banana bread is suitable for almost any dietary requirements - it’s dairy and gluten-free and completely vegan. Not that you’d know - it tastes delicious.
You can make this recipe the day before and serve it up for breakfast, or serve it fresh from the oven the same morning. It’s great for reluctant chefs as it only takes 10 minutes to prepare, then 50 minutes to cook.
Get the recipe: Vegan banana bread
20. Spinach pancakes with avocado and cheese
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
These spinach pancakes might look like a funny colour, but they’re packed with vitamins and iron.
These savoury pancakes work well with so many fillings. "Instead of avocado you could opt for something more seasonal or local," says Jessica. "Fried mushrooms or lightly crushed cannellini beans are both delicious options alongside lightly roasted cherry tomatoes. Asparagus is in season soon and is lovely lightly boiled or griddled."
Get the recipe: Spinach pancakes with avocado and cheese
21. Salmon and scrambled egg bagels
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 5 mins
This is a really neat breakfast - quick and easy to prepare and then you can plate it up easily on a tray for a breakfast in bed.
Since it’s a special occasion we’d serve this with a glass of bubbly - it goes so well with salmon and eggs. However, more traditional mums will also enjoy it with a morning mug of tea.
Get the recipe: Salmon and scrambled egg bagels
22. Classic eggs Benedict
Skill level: Medium | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 25 mins
This really is the king of brunch recipes, perfect for making your mum feel like a queen. You can twiddle with the ingredients to suit your own tastes (or what you have in the cupboard). Toast works as well as muffins, bacon can be swapped for ham, but hollandaise sauce and the poached egg are immovable.
The hollandaise sauce is the trickiest part of the recipe, but don't worry, we take you right through it. However, you can swap in a shop-bought sauce for ease and speed if you’re worried.
Get the recipe: Classic eggs benedict
23. Almond and apricot croissants
Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
If you have time, you can make your own croissants from scratch for this recipe, but honestly we think it looks just as fancy and thoughtful for Mother’s Day when you use shop-bought ones. This means you can make the whole thing in just 20 minutes, too.
This recipe works well for breakfast in bed or at the breakfast table - though we do suggest a knife and fork for eating them.
Get the recipe: Almond and apricot croissants
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