Budget Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Great for breakfast on the go! Golden roasted nuts, seeds and oats are enveloped by flavorful almond butter in these delectably chewy, no-fuss energy bars. Unrefined turbinado sugar adds a deep caramelly undertone. Feel free to use light brown sugar instead. Bars stored at room temperature will be softer than those that are refrigerated.

Sweet figs and a filling of tangy goat cheese give a surprising twist to these hearty breakfast muffins. Make a batch of these on the weekend and enjoy them for breakfast all week long. If you're not a fan of goat cheese, try them with cream cheese instead.

The slight acidity of buttermilk tenderizes and moistens baked goods while allowing you to cut way back on butter or oils. Here, it also lends a slight tanginess to the winning combination of bananas and blueberries. To make muffins instead, see Muffin Variation.

This oatmeal-meets-muffin-tin cake recipe is perfect for having a healthy breakfast available on busy weekdays. Make a batch on the weekend and keep them in your freezer. For a grab-and-go breakfast, reheat the oatmeal cakes in the microwave for about 40 seconds.

These carrot-flecked, whole-grain morning glory muffins can be made ahead for breakfast or a snack so you can hit the ground running on a busy morning. Add a nonfat latte and your day will be off to a healthy start. Or make this coconut-carrot morning glory muffin recipe for a special brunch. Look for coconut oil, in jars or tubs, near other cooking oils in large supermarkets, in the natural-foods section, or in natural-foods stores.

Huevos rancheros or “ranch eggs” is a classic Mexican dish that is great for a quick dinner. Traditionally, it's made with a red tomato-based sauce. Here we use tart and tangy green salsa instead. Serve with: brown rice and slices of avocado.

The slight acidity of buttermilk tenderizes and moistens baked goods while allowing you to cut way back on butter or oils. Here, it also lends a slight tanginess to the winning combination of bananas and blueberries.

This recipe was inspired by chef Lars Kronmark's granola wedges from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Substitute your favorite fruit, nuts and/or seeds for the sunflower seeds and/or dried cranberries in these granola bars.

Quick and easy hashes are fabulous one-pot meals for those nights when getting dinner on the table fast is a priority.

Here's a super-quick all-in-one-skillet breakfast to start your day, loaded with hash browns, spinach, egg and cheese.

If you want to give this a fancy name, call it a crustless quiche.

Here's a super-simple zucchini bread recipe. The addition of chocolate chips makes it more like a dessert than a breakfast, but you can enjoy it anytime. Skip the chocolate and try it with toasted walnuts or raisins if you prefer. Freeze 2-cup portions of shredded zucchini so you can make zucchini bread all year long.

Packed with a flavorful medley of chewy wild rice and three kinds of mushrooms, this satisfying frittata is perfect for Sunday brunch. Don't worry if you can only find one kind of mushroom--the richly aromatic top of baked Parmesan and crisp prosciutto will make up for it.

These lemony cranberry-studded muffins crunch lightly with cornmeal and are topped with a kiss of sugared lemon zest. They're great warm from the oven, but also keep well for a few days and freeze beautifully.

These high-fiber oatcakes are made with 100% whole grains and no butter. A quick raspberry compote is a nice change from maple syrup.

This puffed cherry pancake is similar to an Apfelpfannkuchen--a puffy German pancake full of apples. Dust it with confectioners' sugar or drizzle with maple syrup for a special breakfast treat.

Quinoa is often turned into a creamy hot breakfast cereal in Bolivia, where much of the world's quinoa is grown. This healthy breakfast quinoa recipe is a hot cereal that is infused with an aromatic chai-inspired blend of spices--cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

In this healthy oatmeal recipe, cook apples into your morning oatmeal and you'll start the day right with whole grains and a serving of fruit.

Get your daily dose of dark leafy greens any time of day with this delicious green smoothie. Ground flaxseed adds omega-3s. Pour any extra into a freezer-pop mold and have it later as a frozen green smoothie pop.

In this savory quinoa muffin recipe, grated apple adds moisture, quinoa adds protein and sharp Cheddar cheese makes these healthy muffins a perfect pairing for soups and stews. To make these quinoa muffins gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole-wheat flour.