Easter Brunch Ideas

Easter Sunday is typically a busy morning if you’re attending a church service so you’re going to want to prepare a brunch meal that’s easy to make ahead, or at least quick to make at the last minute.

These menu items can mostly be made ahead, while some can be prepped the night before and cooked while guests are sipping drinks and nibbling on appetizers.

If you’re looking for a menu that’s great for later in the day, check out my Easter dinner ideas.

What Do You Eat for Easter Brunch?

Brunch is traditionally served between 10am and 2pm and may have elements of both breakfast and lunch. Some favorites are ham, breakfast casserole, quiche, fresh salads or fruit, and sweet dessert options like pastries.

Here’s a sample of what a meal might include for up to 6 people. Just add another dish for each category as you add more people to the guest list.

• 1-2 appetizers or charcuterie board
• 1 breakfast casserole or 2 quiches
• 10-pound Baked Ham or mini baked sandwiches
• 1 Vegetarian option such as quiche
• 1 green salad
• 1 brunch side dish like cheesy grits or fruit salad
• 1-2 breads like toast or biscuits
• 1-2 pastries and sweet baked goods
• 1 signature cocktail like mimosa, plus coffee and juice

See the full menu items below for a collection of recipes from savory to sweet.

Good Easter Brunch Menu

Prepare an Easter brunch with these recipes that have been chosen for their flavor, and how they pair with the holiday.

Start with a relish dish. My grandmother ALWAYS included a relish plate at holiday meals. Add caper berries, mini sweet pickles, olives, and nuts. TIP: Use an egg dish to serve it in to keep with the Easter theme.

A veggie crudité platter is always a welcome snack to nosh on before the meal. It’s light, fresh and perfect for all diets.

Easter Appetizers

Include some light bites and breakfast appetizers. These are delicious to snack on while the main course is cooking.

These deviled eggs with bacon are an elevated take on a classic food, but they’re still easy to make. A few staple ingredients give these extra depth of flavor.

Another way to add club crackers to the menu is with these adorable Easter appetizer cheese and crackers. The topping is a sweetened cream cheese base that’s piped on to look like little carrots.

Easy smoked salmon appetizers are a terrific brunch item. Waffle fries are the base for these delicious finger foods. Make-ahead tip: pre-slice the salmon, and prepare the cream sauce the night before. Then cook the potatoes and assemble in the morning.

A brunch charcuterie board is easy to nibble on and makes a pretty presentation with bacon, fruit, breakfast breads and condiments.

Bacon is the quintessential breakfast food. Add it in the form of bacon wrapped crackers that are made with just 3 ingredients and can be made sweet or savory.

It’s hard to beat brown sugar with little smokies as the best bacon appetizers. They’re sweet and salty and pack a protein punch!

Another 3-ingredient recipe includes bacon-wrapped dates with blue cheese. They’re sweet, salty and tangy. Use a mild blue cheese like gorgonzola dolce for best flavor.

These bacon wrapped apricots with almonds are sweet and salty but also have a crunchy element that’s very satisfying. Plus, there’s a yummy simple dipping sauce that takes them to the next level.

Salads & Side Dishes

Add a green salad to round out any menu. Assemble the fresh ingredients in a large bowl and let guests pour the dressing on themselves. That way the greens don’t wilt as they sit.

Salads are a simple way to add something fresh and bright to the menu. It’s got layers of flavor that combine crunchy and creamy with the addition of cheese, nuts, or fruit.

Add this green salad with roasted grapes to the table. It’s mile and flavorful with prosciutto, pistachios and goat cheese. The grapes are roasted to a sweet caramelized treat for your mouth!

Another terrific salad for brunch is this pretty and colorful salad with orange and other citrus. The combination of flavors includes fennel, avocado, goat cheese and walnuts.

You’ll love the combination of flavors in this spinach and orzo salad. The orzo makes it a bit more hearty while the spinach, onions, pine nuts and feta cheese add crunch and creaminess.

This spinach and strawberry salad with balsamic dressing, blue cheese and sweet & spicy pecans looks as good as it tastes! Serve it in a basket-weave bread bowl for the occasion.

I love making decadent cheese grits casserole for holidays. It’s so rich and delicious and makes a terrific side dish.

Savory bread pudding is moist and cheesy with hints of rosemary and plenty of parmesan. It’s a fabulous side dish and great for vegetarians.

Breads

These Easter bunny rolls are so cute and easy to make! It all starts with refrigerated bread dough.

Don’t forget about biscuits, croissants or scones. They’re easy to pick up at the bakery section and serve with some flavored butter, honey, and jam on the side.

Food Bars

Want to keep things more simple and at a leisurely pace? Set up a breakfast buffet where guests can help themselves.

Serve a hot oatmeal toppings bar or yogurt bar. This can be especially good for vegetarians.

Add an indulgent donut toppings bar with all the best sauces and toppers.

Create the ultimate bagel bar or pair it down to a simple bagels and lox board. There are options for breakfast or lunch, sweet or savory.

Main Dishes

If it’s Easter brunch then it’s the perfect time to serve up a spiral sliced ham flavored with a delectable peach glaze.

Breakfast Casseroles

Breakfast casseroles are the backbone of brunch parties, and nothing is easier to prepare ahead! 

My hearty ham and cheese breakfast casserole uses frozen cubed potatoes with peppers and onions as a base for this tasty dish. With plenty of ham and cheese throughout, and a crunchy potato chip topping, it’s so satisfying.

Overnight Bisquick breakfast casserole has spicy pepper jack cheese and an egg base. It’s got a hint of Tex-Mex flavor so we serve it with pico de gallo and fresh cilantro to enhance the taste.

Here’s a good casserole for vegetarians. Creamy hash brown casserole is full of shredded potatoes, a creamy mushroom sauce and crunchy Ritz cracker topping.

Make this easy breakfast casserole with canadian bacon or sausage for a simple classic option.

Although hot chicken salad isn’t a breakfast casserole, it’s definitely a great brunch casserole to serve. It’s a fantastic option to cross over into the lunch hour.

Quiches

Quiches are a close second to brunch casseroles and you can serve 2 or 3 different varieties.

Serve this easy chicken quiche that starts with canned chicken. Two kinds of cheese, including Swiss and cheddar, make this a scrumptious entrée.

This goat cheese and red pepper quiche is a super option for your vegetarian guests. It’s loaded with roasted red peppers, mushrooms and goat cheese.

Small Bites

In addition to baked dishes, we love to serve breakfast sandwiches and small finger foods.

A good alternative or addition to a large casserole is mini sandwiches and these ham and Swiss mini sandwiches are a classic crowd pleaser.

For a little more sweetness added to the savory, make ham and cheddar baked party sandwiches with brown sugar glaze. These are drool worthy and guests will be begging for the recipe.

Another finger food that pairs well with brunch items is ham and cheese pinwheels with puff pastry. All you need is 4 ingredients to make these and you can even prep and freeze for a couple of months before baking them. That’s the ultimate in make-ahead!

Drinks

Set up a Coffee bar for guests to help themselves. As an extra special treat you can set up an iced coffee bar too.

To welcome your guests serve up a pitcher of sparkling fruit punch that can be tailored for the kids or adults. Use ginger ale for a non-alcoholic drink, or champagne for mimosa style cocktail.

Serve a crowd with sunshine punch. It starts with frozen juice concentrate and has flavors of lemon, orange and pineapple.

Add a pear mimosa as your signature drink. The addition of ginger liqueur makes this extra tasty!

Desserts & Baked Goods

The cool thing about brunch is that many breakfast foods are sweet so they act as dessert. Here are some of my favorite morning sweets as well as a few traditional dessert recipes that work well for Easter brunch.

Make homemade spice muffins with crunchy oatmeal topping and a surprise jam-filled center. These are special enough for the holidays and you can make them the day ahead.

Homemade cinnamon sugar muffins are also made from scratch but they’re super easy. The sugar coating makes these a great sweet option.

Who doesn’t love coffee cake? This coffee cake recipe has mini chocolate chips that take the cinnamon swirl to the next level.

Add a refreshing creamy finger food dessert with lemon and lime mini cheesecakes. They’re sweet, tart and delicious!

Or, make these yummy mini cheesecakes with Oreo crust. Garnish with edible flowers for a touch of spring.