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40 Quick & Easy Breakfast Ideas

Tackle the day after fueling up in minutes with these easy breakfast recipes.
FACT CHECKED BY Jordan Powers Willard
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Either you view breakfast as so important that you take the time to cook up something delicious each day, or you're more of a "grab something quick to kickstart your day" kind of person. Either way, it can be challenging to find the time to spend in the kitchen in the morning when you have a busy day ahead. Thankfully, you can still stay on course with your health goals and enjoy one of the easy breakfast ideas we've hand selected for you. Can't beat that, right?

The following list contains over forty recipes you can make for breakfast, ranging from savory egg dishes, to sweet pancakes, to creamy smoothies. We know that everyone's mornings look different, and sometimes the chaos of the day keeps you from treating yourself to a breakfast you actually love.

So whether you're always in a hurry or just need something that doesn't take a ton of effort, you can try one of these quick and easy breakfast ideas that keep you satisfied throughout the morning hours. And, if you're in such a hurry that you don't even have time to cook, here are the 6 Healthiest McDonald's Breakfast Items To Order.

Oatmeal Pancakes With Cinnamon Apples

Oatmeal pancakes with cinnamon apples
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

These pancakes are not only delicious and easy to make, but the oats add in a boost of fiber to your morning meal to help you start your day off right. If you're not a fan of apples, you can top your pancakes with berries or bananas instead.

Get our recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes.

Breakfast Hash With Sweet Potato & Chicken Sausage

Breakfast hash with sweet potato and chicken sausage
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

For those looking to pack their morning full of protein, this has recipe is for you. The eggs, chicken sausage, and sweet potatoes help pile on the protein and other helpful nutrients like choline and fiber.

Get our recipe for Breakfast Hash.

Savory Artichoke Feta Quiche

Vegetarian artichoke feta quiche
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

It doesn't get much easier than a quiche. Just throw all the ingredients together and let them bake while you get ready for the day ahead. That way, when you're done getting ready, you have a warm, savory slice of quiche waiting for you.

Get our recipe for Artichoke Feta Quiche.

Oatmeal With Peanut Butter & Banana

Oatmeal with peanut butter and banana recipe
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

We love this oatmeal with peanut butter and banana recipe for its good-for-you ingredients. It makes a healthy morning meal you can have ready in minutes.

Get our recipe for Oatmeal With Peanut Butter and Banana.

Egg Sandwich With Pastrami & Swiss

Egg sandwich with pastrami and swiss
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The combination of pastrami and Swiss has long been confined to the realm of the lunchtime deli counter, but we think it works beautifully with soft scrambled eggs—especially because pastrami trounces both sausage and bacon in the calorie department.

Get our recipe for Egg Sandwich With Pastrami and Swiss.

Breakfast Burrito

Healthy breakfast burritos
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

By swapping out worthless white tortillas for whole wheat, swapping fatty pork sausage for the lean chicken variety, and adding fiber-rich beans and some fresh avocado, we've slashed the calories in half while increasing the overall nutrition (and deliciousness).

Get our recipe for Breakfast Burrito.

RELATED: The Healthiest Starbucks Breakfast Menu Orders

Raspberry-Peach Swirled Smoothie

Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Besides the frozen raspberries and peaches, we combine a banana, orange juice, and Greek yogurt—along with some honey and ginger, too—to create a satisfyingly sweet way to kickstart your day with one of our healthiest easy breakfast ideas.

Get our recipe for Raspberry-Peach Swirled Smoothie.

An Omelet

breaking into a cooked omelet on a grey plate
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

We spoke with a New York City chef to learn how to cook (and flip) the perfect omelet at home. Here's what we learned when cooking up this easy breakfast idea.

Get our recipe for an Omelet.

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

overnight oats finished with a spoon of oats on the marble counter
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

This peanut butter overnight oats recipe is bound to become one of your go-to easy breakfast ideas! Simply prep it the night before and you're good to go in the morning.

Get our recipe for Peanut Butter Overnight Oats.

Sunrise Sandwich With Turkey, Cheddar, & Guacamole

Sunrise sandwich
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Not all handheld breakfast bites are so virtuous, because many of them are flooded with excess carbs and fat. In this recipe, we sub in lean turkey for Canadian bacon, adding lycopene-rich tomato, and crowning it all with a spread of heart-healthy guacamole.

Get our recipe for Sunrise Sandwich With Turkey, Cheddar, and Guacamole.

10-Minute Baked Eggs With Mushroom & Spinach

Baked eggs with mushroom and spinach
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The little ceramic vessels are perfect for housing eggs, meat, cheese, and vegetables and then tossing in the oven. What emerges 10 minutes later is a perfectly cooked egg—whites soft but firm, yolk gloriously runny—surrounded by a tasty and filling supporting cast.

Get our recipe for 10-Minute Baked Eggs With Mushroom and Spinach.

Breakfast Pizzas

Healthy breakfast pizzas
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Start with the ultimate breakfast bread—the fiber-dense whole-wheat English muffin—as your base and salsa as your sauce, then add eggs, ham, and cheese for flavor, substance, and plenty of protein.

Get our recipe for Breakfast Pizzas.

RELATED: 7 Best Breakfast Ideas for Longevity

Greek Yogurt With Pineapple, Kiwi, Mango, & Ginger Syrup

Gluten-free yogurt with pineapple kiwi mango and ginger syrup
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

This refreshing concoction pairs tropical fruit with a spicy-sweet blast of ginger syrup for a sweet treat that'll taste like you're on vacation—even if you're just on your couch.

Get our recipe for Greek Yogurt With Pineapple, Kiwi, Mango, and Ginger Syrup.

Spicy Pumpkin Parfaits

spicy pumpkin parfait in a mason jar with spoons
Blaine Moats

This spicy, fall-inspired parfait smells like pumpkin pie and holiday spices, and it'll brighten up any breakfast spread or snack time during the cooler months. It's also so delicious that you'll want it year round, too.

Get our recipe for Spicy Pumpkin Parfaits.

Blackberry Cashew Chia Pudding

Homemade paleo chia pudding cup
Rebecca Firkser/Eat This, Not That!

Fresh blackberries add a tart-sweet element to the pudding, but you can swap in any other fruit you like, or even omit it altogether.

Get our recipe for Blackberry Cashew Chia Pudding.

Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug

broccoli cheese eggs in mugs with forks
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

If you want to eat a nutritious breakfast but don't want to deal with the hassle of washing a bunch of cooking pans, this eggs-in-a-mug recipe is perfect for you. It's for one serving, making it a great option for those easy breakfast ideas when you just want to eat something and get on with your day.

Get our recipe for Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug.

Mango-Ginger Overnight Oats

mango ginger overnight oat jars with spoons and pomegranate seeds
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Overnight oats are perfect for busy mornings when you don't want to prepare breakfast. However, if you eat them every day, you might be bored of the standard cinnamon and blueberry topping routine. If your go-to overnight oats recipe could use some help, spice things up with this mango-ginger overnight oats version.

Get our recipe for Mango-Ginger Overnight Oats.

Red & Green Breakfast Salad

red and green breakfast salad in bowls with eggs and oil
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Who says you can't have salad for breakfast? With this red and green breakfast salad recipe, you can enjoy a crunchy bowl of veggies any time of day.

Get our recipe for Red and Green Breakfast Salad.

Peaches & Kale Smoothie Bowl

peaches and green kale smoothie bowl on white background
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

You've heard of peaches and cream desserts, but what about "peaches and green"? OK, fine—that might not technically be a thing, but we're willing to make it one, thanks to this easy peaches and kale smoothie bowl recipe.

Get our recipe for Peaches and Kale Smoothie Bowl.

Icelandic Yogurt With Granola & Fresh Berries

Bowl of yogurt granola berries
Shutterstock

One of the simplest easy breakfast ideas to throw together is a good-old yogurt and granola. We recommend a yogurt like Siggi's Icelandic Skyr, which has between 15 and 17 grams of protein per 5.3-ounce container. Simply top with a handful of fresh berries of your choice, sprinkle on some low-sugar, whole-grain, nutty granola, and you're ready to go!

Make your own granola with our Healthy Honey-Pecan-Cherry Granola Recipe.

RELATED: The Worst Breakfast Habits for Inflammation, Say Dietitians

Whole Wheat Bread & Lox

easy breakfast idea, Smoked salmon sandwich
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

For your anti-inflammatory dose of omega-3 fatty acids, serve up some smoked salmon for your morning meal. Smear toasted whole grain bread with whipped cream cheese or goat cheese and top with smoked salmon, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, and capers.

Get our recipe for a Smoked Salmon Sandwich.

Scrambled Eggs With Toast

Vegetarian shiitake, spinach & goat cheese scramble
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

If you're looking for a warm, easy breakfast idea with at least 12 grams of protein and whole grains, scrambled eggs on toast is a sure-fire way to get it. If you're feeling fancy, add some calcium-rich cheddar or goat cheese.

Get our recipe for Veggie Scramble With Mushrooms, Spinach and Goat Cheese.

Avocado-Berry Smoothie

avocado berry smoothie
Rebecca Firkser/Eat This, Not That!

No sugary smoothies here! Berries have a good reputation in the fruit category because they are one of the few fruits that we haven't genetically modified to be larger and sweeter over the years. They are actually much lower in sugar content than other fruits and fall on the low-carb side of the fruit scale.

Get our recipe for Avocado-Berry Smoothie.

Breakfast Tacos

Breakfast tacos
Jason Varney/Galvanized

Breakfast tacos! Scramble eggs with spinach and hunks of chorizo sausage or mushrooms. Serve in warm tortillas topped with black beans, sliced avocado, cheese, and salsa.

Get our recipe for Breakfast Tacos With Bacon and Spinach.

Fig & Goat Cheese Toast

fig and goat cheese toast
Shutterstock

This is perhaps the easiest of all quick and easy breakfast recipes you can make: Toast up some bread, slab on some goat cheese, sprinkle some cinnamon, layer with sliced figs, and top it all off with spiced honey. (Yum!)

Spinach & Mushroom Omelet

spinach and mshroom omelet
Shutterstock

For a veggie-filled breakfast, scramble two eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a non-stick pan, add a pat of butter and saute mushrooms until lightly browned. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Pour in the scrambled eggs, top with feta or goat cheese, and cook until your preferred doneness.

Quinoa With Raisins & Walnuts

easy breakfast ideas: Quinoa raisins walnuts breakfast
Shutterstock

Combine cooked quinoa in a pan with a half cup of milk, golden raisins, a touch of brown sugar, and toasted walnuts. Heat until hot and creamy.

Mango Banana Smoothie

Mango banana smoothie
Shutterstock

For a tropical treat, blend together half a cup of coconut water, half a cup of unsweetened almond milk, half a cup of Icelandic or Greek yogurt, half a banana, half a cup of frozen mango cubes, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Waffle With Honeyed Yogurt & Bananas

waffle with yogurt and fruit
Shutterstock

Toast a whole-grain, high-protein waffle until crispy. Top with honeyed yogurt, sliced bananas, and slivered almonds.

Hash Brown Avocado Toast

Hashbrown with avocado
Shutterstock

Grab a bag of frozen hash browns—we like Alexia Organic Hashed Browns—and fry them up. Top with freshly cubed avocado and an over-easy fried egg. To up the greens, you can even grate some fresh zucchini and mix together with the potatoes before frying.

Nutty Oatmeal

Oatmeal cinnamon apples raisins

One of the quickest and easiest breakfast ideas that will satisfy your sweet cravings without a ton of added sugar is oatmeal. Just stir a spoonful of peanut butter into a bowl of plain instant oatmeal, then top with diced apples, crushed walnuts, and cinnamon.

RELATED: 9 Best Mediterranean Diet Breakfast Recipes

Protein Pancakes

easy breakfast ideas: protein pancakes
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Pancakes are probably one of the simplest easy breakfast ideas you can make, but they're usually carb-heavy and don't provide a ton of protein for a satisfying and filling morning meal. Adding protein powder can totally help though!

Get our recipe for Protein Pancakes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Chocolate cinnamon smoothie
Shutterstock

If you're a chocoholic, you'll love this smoothie. It has all of the smooth and delicious flavors of a chocolate peanut butter cup, without all of the fat and sugar. Blend together chocolate protein powder, a cup of almond milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a frozen banana, a small handful of walnuts, and a dash of cinnamon.

Ricotta Toast and Berries

Berry toast ricotta
Shutterstock

Have some leftover ricotta from that lasagna or baked ziti you made the other night? Smear some on some whole grain toast, top with berries and chia seeds, and you're good to go.

Omelet With Leftover Broccoli, Ham, & Cheddar Cheese

broccoli omelet
Shutterstock

When you have leftover broccoli from last night's dinner, you might as well throw it into an omelet with cheddar cheese and cubed Canadian bacon.

Monkey Toast

Peanut butter banana toast
Shutterstock

A classic quick breakfast. Spread a toasted whole-wheat slice of bread with peanut or almond butter. Top with sliced bananas, a drizzle of honey, and chia seeds.

RELATED: Is Peanut Butter Good For You? 20 Effects of Eating It

Granola With Berries

Granola- easy breakfast ideas
Shutterstock

When in doubt, just throw some low-sugar granola in a bowl with a high-protein milk like dairy or pea protein milk. Looking for a healthy milk alternative? Try the Pea Milk from Ripple.

Egg & Avocado BLT

blt with avocado sandwich
Shutterstock

Instead of saving that Sunday bacon for Monday's lunch, why not double down and have it for breakfast again? But this time, try it on a BLEAT: bacon, lettuce, egg, avocado, and tomato.

Ham, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich

Egg sandwich with ham
Shutterstock

Pop an English muffin in the toaster, then fry an egg in a pan alongside a couple slices of Canadian bacon. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, and place under the broiler until the cheese melts and bubbles. Voilà! You have a deliciously easy breakfast idea to try any day.

Instant Oats With Protein Powder

Frozen berry banana oatmeal
Shutterstock

For a high-protein take on typically carb-centric oatmeal, throw a scoop of your favorite flavored protein powder in with your oats and milk, and then top with your favorite fruit and flax seeds for some extra fiber.

A previous version of this story was published on April 2, 2022. It has been updated to include additional copy and proofreading revisions, as well as updated contextual links.

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Samantha Boesch
Samantha was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and now works as a writer in Brooklyn, NY. Read more about Samantha