Our Best Mother's Day Brunch Recipes

August 27, 2019
Celebrate mom with our favorite brunch recipes for pancakes, waffles, fruit salad and more. These recipes use the fresh ingredients of the season and are a nutritious way to start the day. And of course we didn't forget the cocktails.
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Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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This healthy whole-grain buttermilk pancake recipe adds mini-chocolate chips and mashed banana to the 100% whole-wheat flour base. If you want to experiment with different types of whole grains, replace up to 1/2 cup of the whole-wheat flour with cornmeal, oats and/or buckwheat flour. Or add extra fiber and healthy omega-3 fats by adding up to 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.

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Sunrise Bellini

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This slightly tart fruity Bellini recipe will zing you awake. It's the prettiest color imaginable and it makes a brunch instantly fun! You can serve the Bellinis in champagne flutes or in simple Mason jars--be creative!

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Strawberry-Ricotta Waffle Sandwich

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Here's a sweet spin on a healthy breakfast-sandwich recipe. Other seasonal fruit, such as blueberries or sliced peaches, would be tasty toppers too.

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Banana Bread French Toast

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Take banana bread to the next level when you soak it in a classic French toast batter and fry it for an impressive (but oh so easy!) breakfast or brunch. Top with chopped walnuts, sliced bananas and maple syrup for extra decadence.

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Strawberry Fruit Salad

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This summer berry fruit salad recipe makes enough for a crowd. Serve with granola and yogurt at brunch, as a healthy potluck side, or halve the recipe to serve 4.

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Mimosas with Juice Ice Cubes

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Take your mimosas to the next level with this fun hack! Make freeze juice in ice cube trays for a pretty and frosty way to add a splash of juice to your Champagne while keeping it cold.

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Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche

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This quiche recipe is full of broccoli, Cheddar cheese and smoky ham surrounded by a crispy hash brown crust. Look for precooked shredded potatoes in the dairy section or in the produce section--or use frozen hash brown potatoes in this easy quiche recipe.

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Whole-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes

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This healthy whole-grain buttermilk pancake recipe uses 100% whole-wheat flour, heart-healthy canola oil and just a tablespoon of sugar. Compared to most store-bought mixes or a classic recipe, this recipe saves about 30 calories, 3 grams saturated fat and 4 grams total sugar per serving, plus you'll dish up 2 extra grams of fiber. If you want to experiment with different types of whole grains, replace up to 1/2 cup of the whole-wheat flour with cornmeal, oats and/or buckwheat flour. Or add extra fiber and omega-3s by adding up to 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.

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Strawberry & Brie Bites

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Strawberries, Brie cheese, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar come together in this addictive one-bite appetizer recipe.

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Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

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These rolls are wonderfully fluffy and packed with cinnamon flavor--you'd never know they're gluten-free. Plus, with only one rise time, this recipe is quicker to make than other yeasted doughs.

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Fig & Ricotta Toast

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This easy Mediterranean-inspired toast makes a quick breakfast for any day of the week.

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Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

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This healthy pound cake recipe isn't just delicious--it also only requires one bowl to make. For the best cake texture, be sure to beat the sugar and butter together long enough in Step 2 to look creamy--the time it takes to get there varies according to the type of electric mixer you have. Serve with brunch or alongside a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

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Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata

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This vegetable-studded frittata recipe is one of the quickest meals you can make. Make it for breakfast, or serve for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a slice of olive oil-drizzled crusty baguette.

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Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones

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No bakery degree required for this recipe: these healthy lemon-poppy seed scones are as easy to make as a batch of muffins. White whole-wheat flour adds a boost of fiber, and just enough butter gives them great flavor and texture without going overboard on calories. For a sweeter scone, drizzle with the optional scone glaze.

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Asparagus Salad Topped with Poached Eggs

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This asparagus salad topped with poached eggs is satisfying yet light, making it a nice option for lunch, brunch or even dinner with some crusty bread. Roasting brings out a toasty flavor in the asparagus. We like this salad with medium-set poached eggs so the yolks are still a little runny, but poach your eggs for the full 8 minutes if you prefer hard-set yolks.

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Seeded Whole-Grain Quick Bread

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Bake this healthy, seedy loaf on Sunday and you can enjoy it all week--if it doesn't disappear first. This quick bread recipe is the perfect vehicle for both sweet and savory toppings, so try it as avocado toast one day and with honey the next. Store it tightly wrapped, as all the seeds make it a little more apt to dry out than typical whole-wheat breads.

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EatingWell Frozen Mochaccino

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If you lust after those frothy frozen coffee drinks at your local coffee shop, then this mochaccino recipe is for you. This easy homemade version uses low-fat milk, cocoa powder, coffee and just a little bit of maple syrup, so it has a fraction of the calories of a traditional version. (A small mocha frappuccino at Starbucks is 270 calories!) Coffee ice cubes, made by freezing coffee in an ice cube tray, make this drink frosty and give it a big, strong coffee flavor. Recipe by Joyce Hendley for EatingWell.

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Very Berry Fruit Salad

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This easy fruit salad recipe is a dazzler: a large bowl of colorful berries served with a cool lemon curd sauce. Use room-temperature fruit in this berry salad (or if you are taking the berries out of the refrigerator, set them in an oven that's recently been on to gently warm them). The flavor of warm or room-temperature berries is so much better, as if they're fresh-picked and still hold the warmth of the sun.

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Raspberry Rhubarb Bread

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Sweet raspberries and tangy rhubarb jibe beautifully in this spring-inspired whole-wheat quick bread recipe.

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Bloody Mary with Shrimp

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This bright, vitamin-packed cocktail is eye-opening whether or not it's spiked with vodka.

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