Whether you like it or not, this holiday season is approaching quickly with Thanksgiving not too far in the future. This year, I thought it would be interesting to combine my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving (how could a holiday centered around food not be your favorite?), with my favorite meal, brunch.
At first, I wasn’t too sure how I would pull that off since the traditional way of celebrating Thanksgiving is with a turkey dinner. But then, I realized how groundbreaking it would be to start having Thanksgiving brunch instead.
You always read articles around Thanksgiving that tell you why eating your festive meal earlier in the day is better for digestion, so Thanksgiving brunch would actually be healthier for you. Plus, with almost every major retailer starting their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night nowadays, who has time to be eating green bean casserole for the millionth year in a row when they could be stocking up on every Christmas scented candle from Bath and Body Works?
After collecting all 15 of these recipes and thinking about the reasons I listed above, I am in total support of having Thanksgiving brunch be the new norm. Hopefully after scrolling through this list, you’ll be just as much of a convert as I am.
1. Pumpkin Spice Cookie Butter Waffles
Photo by Eileen Wang
Of course, I had to kick things off with a pumpkin recipe. I mean it is Thanksgiving. These pumpkin waffles are a little unconventional, but in a good way, since they’re made with Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter. Need I say more?
2. Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich
Photo by Ethan Cappello
One of the best parts of Thanksgiving is that the food goes on for days. Make yours like this.
3. Mini Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Photo by Hunter Siegrist
Spice up a classic fall flavor with this recipe.
4. Chunky Monkey Muffins
Photo by Phoebe Melnick
Your favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor plus your favorite breakfast item equals the perfect brunch. Recipe here.
5. Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
Photo by Amber Chen
Make them these as a crispy appetizer on the big day or as a new twist on leftovers for those sad days after. Recipe here.
6. Apple Cider, Pear, and Pomegranate Sangria
Photo by Rebecca Buchanan
Festive, boozy, and so damn easy. Make yours like this.
8. Pumpkin Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast
Photo by Jaime Wilson
Combine your favorite fall classic with french toast to make this epic recipe.
9. Grapefruit Dutch Baby
Photo by Phoebe Melnick
Pancakes. Fruit. Eggs. Sugar. Bye, hangover. Make yours like this.
10. 5-Ingredient Pecan Pie Mini Muffins
Photo by Meredith Ross
A bite-sized way to get your Thanksgiving fix. Make yours like this.
11. Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Photo by Kristen Eisenhauer
That cinnamon glaze though. Make yours like this.
12. Apple Chickpea Hash
Photo by Kendra Valkema
All it takes is a frying pan and five simple ingredients. Recipe here.
13. Apple Cider Fireball Sangria
Photo by Marie Clark
Perfect for using up the rest of those apples you picked. Recipe here.
14. Apple, Goat Cheese and Honey Quesadilla
Photo by Danny Schuleman
A little tart, a little creamy, a little sweet. Make yours like this.
15. Lemon and Fresh Cranberry Scones
Photo by Alia Wilhelm
A little tart with a pop of freshness. Recipe here.
16. Cranberry Champagne Chiller
Photo by Meredith Marcus
If you don’t feel like eating your cranberries, drink them instead. Recipe here.
18. Apple Pie Crescent Bites
Photo by Hunter Siegrist
The easy way to get your apple pie fix. Make yours like this.
19. Pumpkin Butter Pecan Gingersnap Rolls
Photo by Anthony Wan
Pumpkin has never been better. Recipe here.
20. Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Photo by Mackenzie Barth
This surpasses any cookie expectations you may have. Make yours like this.
21. Pumpkin Pie Martini
Photo by Meredith Marcus
Why eat your pumpkin pie when you can drink it instead? Recipe here.
22. Cinnamon Sugar Pop-Tarts
Photo by Kendra Valkema
This recipe is sure to appeal to the younger crowd around the Thanksgiving table. Make yours like this.
23. Sticky Maple Crescent Buns
Photo by Bailey Culpepper
Nothing like sticky sugar to bring your body back to life. Make yours like this.
24. Bacon And Cheese Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
Photo by Carrie Eager
Instead of heating those mashed potatoes up in the microwave, try this recipe.
25. Turkey Tacos
Photo courtesy of cookingchanneltv.com
Just add the vegetables of your choice and wrap it in a tortilla. Make yours like this.
26. Pumpkin Pie Cookie Butter Pull Apart Bread
Photo by Steven Shaltiel
Trader Joe’s FTW. Recipe here.
27. Breakfast Casserole
Photo courtesy of therecipecritic.com
No brunch is complete without some sort of breakfast casserole and this one is pretty traditional, but it definitely won’t disappoint.
28. Caramel Apple Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie
Photo courtesy of runningwithspoons.com
If you’re looking for a bit of a healthier (I say that lightly) option for your brunch menu, try serving this delicious looking oatmeal smoothie.
29. Monkey Bread
Photo by Justin Shannin
For me, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t have monkey bread. My mom makes it every single year, so of course I had to include it on this list. This monkey bread recipe is perfect if you have a large group coming over since it’s super easy to make and is loved by many.
30. Hot Ham and Swiss Croissants
Photo courtesy of lifewiththecrustoff.com
These are also the perfect breakfast item to serve if you have a lot of family or friends in town since you can make them ahead of time and pop them in the oven whenever someone is hungry. Learn how to make some of your own with this savory recipe.
31. Baked Apple Cider Donut Bites
Photo by Christian Stafford
This is a recipe that sounds like it would be really difficult to make, but isn’t. If you’re an apple cider donut freak like I am, you seriously need to try this out.
32. Iced Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Photo courtesy of sallysbakingaddiction.com
Although I tried not to have too many pumpkin dishes on this list, this is one that I just couldn’t leave out. Freshly baked, warm pumpkin coffee cake sounds like the perfect breakfast item on a crisp Thanksgiving morning.
33. Ham, Apple, and Sweet Potato Scramble
Photo courtesy of paleonewbie.com
I don’t know if I’ve ever pinned a recipe faster than I did when I saw this. If you have to have the perfect balance of sweet and savory in every meal like I do, I highly recommend checking out this scramble recipe.
34. Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts
Photo courtesy of cooking classy.com
If you’re up for a bit of a challenge, I think that making homemade Pop-Tarts would be a definite crowd pleaser at your brunch table, especially if there will be some younger guests at your shindig (or adults that still eat pop tarts regularly, like me).
35. Apple Cider Mimosas
Photo courtesy of thecookierookie.com
What brunch would be complete without a little alcohol? Nothing sounds better than drunkenly watching the parade while sipping on some apple cider mimosas with your grandma on Thanksgiving Day.
36. Cranberry Orange Muffins
Photo courtesy of sallysbakingaddiction.com
Cranberry fans rejoice because I found the perfect cranberry orange muffin recipe for you. I love ordering these muffins when I go out to brunch and if you do too, why not try to make some yourself?
37. Apple Cinnamon French Toast
Photo courtesy of lecremedelacrumb.com
Since apple pie is such a staple for any Thanksgiving dinner, obviously apple cinnamon French toast would be the perfect sweet addition to your brunch menu. If you’re not totally convinced that this is an acceptable replacement for real apple pie, take a look at the picture again. Have you ever seen apple pie that looked that good? Didn’t think so.
38. Pumpkin Bread French Toast
Photo by Alixandra Rutnik
If apple cinnamon French toast doesn’t really sound like your thing, how about French toast that uses pumpkin bread? I’m a sucker for a good slice of pumpkin bread, so this recipe sounds super enticing to me.
39. Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Photo courtesy of tablefortwoblog.com
I couldn’t imagine a brunch without some sort of potato, and this sounds like the greasy, cheesy, heart attack inducing hash brown dish we’ve all been known to load up on at the brunch buffet every now and then. Cheese and potatoes are a dynamic duo that should be present at your Thanksgiving brunch this year in the form of this casserole recipe.
40. Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Stuffing Muffins
Photo by Helena Lin
To incorporate stuffing into your Thanksgiving brunch, try making these bacon, egg, and cheese muffins that use stuffing as their base in order to have your brunch stay as true to a real Thanksgiving dinner as possible.
I think that this holiday season I’m going to make it my mission to do some good in the world and redefine what should be the standard meal on Thanksgiving. We’re all tired of eating the same turkey breast and side dishes year after year, so why not refresh your Thanksgiving table this holiday season and serve a decadent brunch instead.