Breakfast doesn’t have to be all eggs or yogurt. These tasty vegan breakfast ideas are full of whole grains and protein and best of all, totally delicious.
Looking for vegan breakfast ideas? Breakfast doesn’t have to be all eggs or yogurt.
Whether you eat fully plant-based or want to cut dairy and meat out of your morning, we’ve compiled our most delicious vegan breakfast ideas for you! The recipes are full of whole grains and protein, and most importantly: totally delicious. From cashew butter steel cut oats to carrot cake breakfast cookies, there are hundreds of ways to start the day with plant based breakfasts! Here are our favorite ways to eat vegan in the morning.
And now, our top vegan breakfast ideas!
Toast: Humble & Fancy
Almond Butter Toast with Strawberries
First up in our vegan breakfast ideas: toast! It’s ultra simple, but something we eat all the time. No joke, we love us some nut butter toast for breakfast. It’s protein packed and keeps us satisfied all morning long! Use purchased almond butter, or our Homemade Almond Butter if you have a food processor, and top with berries. For added flair, try our Cherry Chai Chia Jam for a delicious morning meal.
Vegan Banana French Toast
Now of course, toast can be fancy too! This vegan french toast recipe uses bananas in two ways: both in the bread soak and caramelized on top. Combined with chia seeds and chopped pecans, it makes for a more nutrient-filled, real food rendition of the traditional brunch recipe. And wow, is it delicious! As a vegan breakfast idea, we suggest slathering with a bit of peanut butter to balance the sweetness and make it a bit more filling. Another option is to scrap the breakfast idea all together and make it for a dessert!
Colorful Smoothies & Bowls
Homemade Acai Bowl
Next up in our vegan breakfast ideas: smoothies! They pack in the vitamins and nutrients: and add some nut butter to keep them filling. This acai bowl is a perfect vegan breakfast, topped with nuts and fruit. If you’ve never had one, it’s a smoothie bowl with the smoothie made from acai berries. The bowl is loaded with toppings like fruit, granola, coconut and almond butter. Where does acai come from? Acai berries actually grow on palm trees and are native to Brazil! Acai bowls are a popular dish in Brazil, and they’ve now become very popular here in the US as a healthy breakfast or snack.
Glowing Green Apple Smoothie
Another favorite smoothie is this sweet tart glowing green apple smoothie, which is loaded with leafy greens and lightly sweetened with maple syrup and green apple. The tangy is balanced with sweet, and it has a loose but creamy texture that’s easily drinkable and a vivid, glowing green color. We can’t promise that it will make you skinnier or healthier or immune to all disease, but it tastes incredible and it is literally packed with nutrients.
Oatmeal…need we say more?
The Best Toasted Oatmeal
Oatmeal is the powerhouse of vegan breakfast ideas. And we’ve got all sorts of options! The Best Toasted Oatmeal is chewy and toasted, and the flavor has readers around the world swearing off “normal” gooey oats. After a few minutes, the nutty sweet smell alone that fills your kitchen will have you convinced that this is indeed the best oatmeal ever.
Apple Cinnamon Pressure Cooker Steel Cut Oats
Another vegan breakfast idea: make up a big pot of steel cut oats and you can eat off of it all week! This one is apple cinnamon flavored and oh so delicious! We topped it with fresh fruit and cashew butter. Why make steel cut oats? Nutritionally, steel cut and rolled oats have the same benefits: lots of fiber and plant-based protein to start your day. But an additional health benefit of steel cut oats is that since they are processed the most minimally, they may be digested more slowly and have a lower glycemic index. This may allow you to feel fuller and have less of a “spike” of energy after eating.
DIY Instant Oatmeal
For the easiest breakfast idea ever, try our DIY instant oatmeal! You can make up a batch in 5 minutes. Then when you go to eat it, you can microwave it in just 2 minutes. Breakfast in 2 minutes? Yes please.
Granola & muesli
Healthy Granola Recipe
Next up in our vegan breakfast ideas: granola and muesli! As a rule: granola is not so healthy. Many storebought granolas and homemade granola recipes are full of sugar and oil. Many are also super high in calories. But! This healthy granola recipe came about because we wanted to feed our son Larson something that was actually healthy. It ended up being healthier than most granolas, and easy to make too. And it’s so delicious: perfectly crunchy, warmly spiced, and just the right amount of sweetness.
Cinnamon Pecan Muesli
Muesli is homemade breakfast cereal: it’s similar to granola but with no oil and very little sweetener. Our Chocolate Muesli recipe and Cinnamon Pecan Muesli recipe are fan favorites. Top with your favorite almond milk and enjoy!
Muffins & breakfast cookies
Turmeric Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Muffins and breakfast cookies are perfect vegan breakfast ideas for mornings on the go. These Turmeric Vegan Blueberry Muffins are another fan favorite recipe: they’re lightly sweet featuring tangy blueberries and a hint of turmeric. Here’s what one follower told us: “My daughter and I made your vegan blueberry muffins yesterday. We had a lot of fun and they’re so good! I love that you have so many vegan recipes since she can eat them!”
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
Another idea is to make a big batch of these Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies. They’re hearty, tasty, and the texture is just right: pleasantly chewy, almost like a Cliff bar–but better! They’re also easily portable for traveling or breakfast on the go. Pull them out of the freezer when you’re running out the door!
Tofu scrambles
Tofu Scramble Recipe with Black Beans
And last but not least in our vegan breakfast ideas: a tofu scramble! The concept of a tofu scramble recipe couldn’t be simpler: crumble the tofu, then saute it in a skillet, similar to scrambled eggs. For our tofu scramble recipe, we’ve added fresh garlic, cumin, and plenty of salt and pepper. Adding the garlic and cumin brings a super savory umami element. To make it a protein packed breakfast idea, we’ve served it with zesty black beans on the side. It’s seriously flavorful and so, so satisfying.
Looking for more vegan breakfast ideas?
And that’s it: some of our very favorite vegan breakfast ideas! If you’re looking for more, here are a few additional ideas that we love:
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie
- Superfood Pecan Energy Bars
- Coconut Strawberry Smoothie
- Cherry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal
- Chocolate Brownie Spelt Pancakes
- Vegan Banana Pancakes
- Cherry Granola Smoothie Bowl Recipe
- Coconut Apricot Muesli Cereal
- Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (use the flax egg variation)
Vegan Breakfast Ideas
Vegan French Toast with Caramelized Bananas
This delicious vegan french toast recipe features a blend of bananas and almond milk to soak the bread, and caramelized bananas as a topping.
Homemade Acai Bowl
Love acai bowls but don’t want to leave your house? This homemade acai bowl recipe is incredibly delicious and easy to make.
The Best Toasted Oatmeal
What’s the best oatmeal recipe? This toasted oatmeal takes the cake: it has an irresistible nutty flavor and chewy texture.
About the Authors
Sonja Overhiser
Cookbook Author and writer
Sonja Overhiser is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best healthy cookbooks of 2018. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food blog A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.
Alex Overhiser
Cookbook Author and photographer
Alex Overhiser is an acclaimed food photographer and author based in Indianapolis. He’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the recipe website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Alex is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best vegetarian cookbooks by Epicurious.
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