Brunch is the perfect excuse to get together with friends, enjoy some delicious food and spend quality time together. Winter gatherings are extra-special because it’s a cozy time of year. You can enjoy comfort foods and not feel guilty for hanging out indoors. To create an unforgettable day, use these winter brunch ideas to inspire your plans.
Winter Brunch Decoration Ideas
Brunch is all about the food, but why not decorate your space to make the event feel more special? Here are some ideas to help you get started.
1. Winter White Girlfriend Lunch
How gorgeous is this brunch theme? The white theme is fitting for winter, and you can make your decor pop with little pops of color, like sprigs of green pine or red berries.
Create a pretty centerpiece with holly and berries, along with candles (LED is safer). Use white crockery and add a fancy white tablecloth to your table.
2. Festive Brunch
Although this is listed as a Christmas brunch, you can absolutely use it anytime during the winter.
Add pretty garland to the table to set the scene. Weave in some candles. For place settings, use neutral-colored tableware and elegant napkins.
Gold, green and red decor will make the space feel warm and inviting.
3. Winter Wonderland
One of my favorite winter brunch ideas is to create a magical space. Add some fake snow to the table around the serving dishes. Pepper in some fake trees with snow and golden fairy lights.
You can add garland and other winter-themed items into the mix.
I recommend using pedestal serving dishes to make the space look more elegant and to create space for your fake snow.
4. Enchanted Brunch
You don’t have to go crazy with your decorations. Some simple garland and mason jars filled with fairy lights create a beautiful space for you and your guests.
Add some LED candles into the mix and put down a pretty white tablecloth to complete the table setting.
5. Woodland Theme
One of the cutest winter brunch ideas is this woodland theme. It fits the season and still looks magical.
Set the table with wood slices or logs surrounded by greenery and pinecones. Add LED candles to create a cozy ambiance. For place settings, go with something neutral-colored. Stick to browns, greens and whites.
This is a simple theme but a beautiful one that everyone will appreciate.
6. Snowflake Brunch
Here’s a pretty and cozy theme for your brunch. Start by covering your seats with warm blankets or white sweaters to make the space even cozier.
Then:
- Add a white tablecloth
- Layer on a knitted table runner
- Add white candlesticks
- Create a centerpiece with white branches
- Use white dishes for place settings with snowflake placemats and white cloth napkins.
- Place the silverware in small, white knitted mittens
- Add a snowflake ornament to each place setting with the person’s name attached
Winter Brunch Easy Make Ahead Recipes
You can’t have brunch without tasty food. Here are some of the best make ahead recipes to try.
Cinnamon Roll Casserole
How delicious does this cinnamon roll casserole look? It’s incredibly easy to make, too. You can either buy cinnamon rolls from the bakery or buy premade dough and bake some fresh.
You’ll also need some quick custard, which you’ll bake with the rolls. The custard acts as a built-in frosting and adds so much depth to the dish.
Be sure to serve these with spoons, so everyone can enjoy the sticky edges.
Breakfast Casserole
Casseroles are always crowd-pleasers, especially for breakfast. The best part about this recipe is that it’s flexible and you can customize it however you want.
The recipe calls for:
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Cheddar cheese
- Swiss cheese
- Onion
- Cooked sausage
- Cubed bread
- Spices
It has everything you love about breakfast in a convenient casserole form.
Whenever I make this, I like to add extras, like green onions, roasted peppers and bacon. You can add whatever ingredients you want.
I highly recommend cooking the sausage and whatever other meat you add first. Eggs cook quickly, and you want to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly.
Be generous with the cheese, and serve this meal in a pretty casserole dish. Don’t forget to sprinkle some freshly minced parsley on top just before serving.
Holiday Eggnog French Toast
Winter brunch ideas don’t get much better than this French toast recipe. It’s a rich and delicious dish that’s very seasonal.
You’ll need a large country-style loaf of bread sliced into thick slices.
For the batter, you’ll need warm spices, like nutmeg and cinnamon. You’ll also need vanilla extract, eggs, dark rum and eggnog.
Dip each slice of bread into the batter and fry in butter. Brown, flip and brown the other side of the bread.
For a make-ahead version, cook all of your slices and refrigerate overnight. Reheat in the oven just before your guests arrive.
Top each slice with whipped cream and maple syrup.
Related: 25+ Delicious Make Ahead Casseroles for Brunch and Dinner
Crème Brûlée French Toast
French toast like this is my weakness. Brioche or challah bread adds a punch of flavor, and you’ll start the dish off by cutting your bread into thick slices. Place the slices in a greased baking dish and then make your custard out of:
- Eggs
- Cream
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Vanilla
Once mixed well, you’ll soak your bread in the custard and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. You can even do this overnight if you like. Afterwards, you’ll bake the French toast for 25 to 30 minutes.
Want your toast to be even crunchier?
Broil it on each side for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add a thin layer of sugar on top of the toast. Use a kitchen torch to heat the sugar until it caramelizes into a crispy crust.
Winter Fruit Salad
Winter brunch ideas always need a tasty salad to go with them, like this one. You’ll appreciate the versatility of this salad because it can be an entire breakfast or just a side dish that goes with the other food you’re serving.
If you have just 15 minutes, this salad is as easy as combining:
- Red and green apples
- Oranges
- Pears
- Pomegranate seeds
- Kiwi
- Honey
- Lime juice and zest
- Mint leaves
If you prefer other sweeteners, you can swap the honey out for agave nectar or maple syrup.
Chai Blondies
Cozy, spicy, sweet – these blondies have so many adjectives that can describe them. On a cold winter morning, the taste of cinnamon, cardamom, chocolate chips, vanilla extract and allspice is definitely welcome.
Plus, you’ll top your blondies with a glaze made out of:
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
Line a baking pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350°F. Melt butter and white chocolate chips together in your microwave and stir until the ingredients are fully combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk your eggs, yolk and sugar together. Next, incorporate your cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, flour, cloves, cardamom, ginger and salt into the mix.
Pour in your vanilla extract and white chocolate mix before folding together.
Spread the batter in your baking pan, sprinkle ground cloves on top and bake. Prepare the glaze and add to the top of your blondies.
Complete Brunch Spread
Sugar cookies are a great first start, but this full brunch spread adds so much more:
- Bacon strips
- Cheese slices
- Pancakes
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Raspberries
- Whipped cream
You can make the cookies ahead of time as well as slice up all of the fruits that go on the side. For the pancakes, you can premake them or buy frozen ones that you only need to heat up before serving.
But for the bacon, I do recommend making it before serving so that it’s still crispy and delicious when you bite into it.
Related: 20 Delicious Vegan Brunch Recipes That Are Easy to Make
Tasty Ham & Cheese Puff Pastry Trees
Ham and cheese are the perfect brunch idea, but this recipe adds the twist of making your puffs into cute little trees. You’ll also enjoy the flair of Gouda, cheddar, Swiss or mozzarella cheese, melted butter, parsley, garlic and puff pastry.
You will need a baking sheet and pastry brush for this recipe, but the rest is as easy as:
- Laying out your thawed puff pastry
- Adding slices of cheese on top
- Adding your ham next
- Placing a second layer of puff pastry on top
- Slicing the pastry into 1” strips
- Melting your butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl
- Brushing the mix on top of your pastry
- Baking for 20-25 minutes
Berry Croissant Breakfast Bake
Berry croissants round out my list of winter brunch ideas. You’ll need about an hour to make these, but they’re rich with a delightful custard filling and flaky exterior that you’re sure to love. For this recipe, you’ll start with six croissants that are a day old or a little stale.
The mix combines blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.
Slice your croissants in half and layer them in a dish. Sprinkle your berries on top and then make a custard of:
- Cream
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sugar
- Vanilla
If you like, add some lemon zest to the mix for added flavor. Pour the custard on the bread, gently press the mixture into the bread and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Bake for 35-40 minutes, top with powdered sugar and serve.