15 Fall Breakfast Recipes So Good, You'll Want to Eat Them for Dessert

apple pie bread

Apples, pumpkins, pears, cinnamon and ginger are fall ingredients that are front and center in these sweet breakfast recipes. From flavorful French toast to pie-inspired smoothies, these morning meals are so delicious, you'll want to eat them for dessert. Recipes like our Apple-Pie Bread and Breakfast Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cakes are tasty ways to bring in the season.

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Apple-Pie Bread

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This easy everyday apple-pie bread makes a great breakfast-on-the-go with a cup of coffee. The fragrant spices typical of apple pie and the tender bits of baked apple inside also make it worthy as a healthy after-dinner dessert. Enjoy it warm from the oven with a pat of butter or cream cheese or keep it on your counter for a tasty treat during the week.

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Breakfast Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cakes

Breakfast Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cakes
Ali Redmond

Peanut butter is the star ingredient in these oatmeal cakes, providing not only flavor, but a boost of plant-based protein too. Hiding a bit in the center of each muffin is a fun way to ensure that peanut butter makes it into every bite.

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Gingerbread Waffles with Caramelized Squash

Gingerbread Waffles with Caramelized Squash
Brittany Conerly

Makini Howell's Plum empire in Seattle includes a fine-dining restaurant, salad-bar joint, dessert shop and food truck—to give people plenty of ways to try out plant-based eating. These aromatic waffles are a fall favorite at Plum Bistro.

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Apple Dutch Baby Pancake

Apple Dutch Baby Pancake

This one-pan puffy oven-baked pancake recipe will wow brunch guests. Make it your own by swapping out the apple for pear slices, or switch up the spices and try cardamom or ginger in place of the cinnamon.

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Vegan Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Vegan Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Christine Kelly, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin

This vegan coffee cake with cinnamon streusel is subtly sweet, with a nutty streusel spiked with just enough spice and walnuts. Whip up this dairy- and egg-free cake for your next brunch to satisfy vegans and non-vegans alike!

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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

This healthy smoothie recipe has all the flavor of a pumpkin spice latte without all the sugar. Made with real pumpkin and frozen banana, this whips into a creamy, luscious grab-&-go breakfast (or snack) in just 5 minutes.

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Banana Bread French Toast

Banana Bread French Toast

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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Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

This healthy whole-grain pumpkin pancake recipe produces fluffy cakes with a beautiful orange hue from pureed pumpkin and light crunch from toasted pecans. 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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Chocolate Waffles with Strawberries & Cream

chocolate waffles with strawberries and cream
Photographer / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Chelsea Zimmer Hall, Prop Styling / Lydia Pursell

Here we stir cocoa powder into a classic waffle batter to yield rich, chocolaty waffles. Topped with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberry slices, this decadent brunch could even pass as dessert.

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Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

a wire rack with Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

Muffins meet oatmeal in these moist and tasty grab-and-go oatmeal cups. Feel free to swap out the pecans for any other nut--walnuts would be great--or omit them altogether. Make a batch on the weekend and keep them in your fridge or freezer for quick and easy breakfasts all week. Reheat in the microwave for about 40 seconds.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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What could possibly make pumpkin muffins even better? Mini chocolate chips! Our healthy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are made with white whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour and are sweetened with just the right amount of brown sugar to make them sweet without being cloying.

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Breakfast Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal Cakes

breakfast apple cinnamon oatmeal cakes
Ali Redmond

These handy cakes are a great way to start your day. If you're in a hurry, toss one in a food storage container to enjoy once you get to work. If you have more time, pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds, then top with a little milk and enjoy!

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Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
Will Dickey

These vegan pumpkin pancakes are sweet, soft and soufflé-like, with a hint of spice from pie spice and ginger. Optional pecans add crunch.

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Baked Oatmeal with Pears

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This comforting baked oatmeal is perfect for cozy weekend mornings and doubles as a make-ahead breakfast that you can meal-prep for healthy grab-and-go meals all week.

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Brioche French Toast with Griddled Apples

Brioche French Toast with Griddled Apples

This brioche French toast recipe calls for cooking the bread and the apples over high heat in coconut oil--a fat with a high smoke point that adds its own delicious flavor--for a nicely caramelized crust. This recipe was developed as a deluxe breakfast for a camping trip, but you can also cook it at home on the stovetop.

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