These easy Christmas breakfast recipes let you feed a houseful on Christmas morning without missing the presents. Every recipe here comes from Fork To Spoon, and most are made in the air fryer, the slow cooker, or assembled the night before, so the morning itself is mostly reheating and pouring coffee.
You’ll find overnight breakfast casseroles, gooey cinnamon rolls and monkey bread, eggnog French toast, cranberry scones, quiche, breakfast sausage balls, and a crockpot peppermint hot chocolate to go with all of it. Pick one sweet, one savory, and one drink, and Christmas breakfast is handled.
How to Plan an Easy Christmas Breakfast
The secret to a stress-free Christmas morning breakfast is doing almost everything on Christmas Eve. A few rules make it work:
- Assemble the night before. Stratas, French toast casseroles, and the slow cooker casserole are better after an overnight soak, so they are ready to bake when you wake up.
- Pick one sweet and one savory. A monkey bread or cinnamon rolls plus an egg bake or quiche covers everyone at the table.
- Use the air fryer as a second oven. While the casserole bakes, the air fryer handles hash browns, sausage balls, or reheating egg bites in 5 to 10 minutes.
- Keep a frozen backup. Frozen French toast sticks or hash brown patties cook straight from the freezer if a crowd shows up hungry.
- Make the drink ahead. A crockpot hot chocolate stays warm for hours and keeps kids out of the kitchen.
Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Casseroles
These overnight breakfast casseroles do the work on Christmas Eve so Christmas morning is just bake and serve.
1. Easy Ina Garten’s Breakfast Strata
A strata is the savory cousin of French toast casserole: cubed crusty bread, eggs, cheese, and savory add-ins soak together overnight and bake up golden and puffy. The easy Ina Garten’s breakfast strata fills a 9×13 dish and feeds a crowd, and it is actually better when assembled the night before.
2. Sourdough French Toast Casserole
Tangy day-old sourdough soaks up a cinnamon-vanilla custard in this sourdough French toast casserole. Cover it and refrigerate overnight, then bake it fresh in the morning and finish with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
3. Air Fryer Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Savory sausage, fluffy eggs, and melty cheddar sit under a crown of crispy tots in this air fryer tater tot breakfast casserole. It cooks start to finish in the air fryer in about 30 minutes, and the circulating heat actually browns the tots instead of leaving them pale.
4. Air Fryer Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole
A crescent roll crust bakes first at 305°F, then gets topped with eggs, sausage, and cheese for a second short cook. The air fryer crescent roll breakfast casserole can be assembled ahead and refrigerated overnight, then cooked in the morning.
5. Air Fryer Breakfast Casserole (Individual Egg Bakes)
For smaller households, this air fryer breakfast casserole bakes eggs, sausage, and cheddar in individual ramekins at 340°F for 5 to 8 minutes. It is keto-friendly, reheats in the air fryer in a couple of minutes, and takes any meat or veggie swap you like.
Cinnamon Rolls and Christmas Morning Pastries
Something warm and sticky is non-negotiable on Christmas morning. These range from canned-dough shortcuts to a full Cinnabon copycat.
6. Air Fryer Eggnog Cinnamon Monkey Bread
Pieces of Grands cinnamon roll dough get tossed in eggnog and cinnamon, then bake in a Bundt pan at 375°F for about 18 minutes. The air fryer eggnog cinnamon monkey bread is the most Christmas-flavored thing on this list, and it uses two cans of rolls.
7. Air Fryer Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
The classic version: two cans of Grands cinnamon rolls, a butter and sugar coating, and a cream cheese frosting drizzle. This air fryer cinnamon roll monkey bread pulls apart in gooey pieces and feeds a table full of kids.
8. Air Fryer Pecan Monkey Bread
Frozen yeast dinner rolls rise overnight, then get coated in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla with caramelized pecans in every bite. The air fryer pecan monkey bread cooks at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Air Fryer Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (Cinnabon Copycat)
If you want from-scratch rolls, these air fryer homemade cinnamon rolls have a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Make the dough on Christmas Eve and let it rise in the fridge.
10. Easy Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls from Frozen Bread Dough
A pound of thawed frozen bread dough becomes a batch of soft cinnamon rolls in this easy air fryer cinnamon rolls recipe. Roll, fill, slice, let them rise an hour, and air fry at 320°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
11. Air Fryer Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls
The fastest option: air fryer Pillsbury cinnamon rolls go from can to table in 4 to 8 minutes at 330°F, iced with the frosting from the package. Keep a can in the fridge as a backup.
12. Air Fryer Cinnamon Roll Braid
A maple-scented cinnamon filling gets rolled into a log, cut, and twisted into a braided wreath that air fries at 375°F for 8 minutes. The air fryer cinnamon roll braid looks like a centerpiece and takes no yeast work.
Pancakes, Waffles, and French Toast
French toast in the air fryer means no skillet, no flipping in batches, and every slice evenly golden.
13. Air Fryer Eggnog French Toast
Swap the milk for eggnog, add cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, and you have the air fryer eggnog French toast that tastes like the holiday in one bite. It uses about two-thirds of a cup of eggnog, so there is plenty left in the carton for the drinks section below.
14. Air Fryer French Toast
Five ingredients and about 10 minutes: the classic air fryer French toast cooks at 375°F for 3 minutes per side. It is the one to make if you have never air fried French toast before.
15. Easy Air Fryer French Toast Bites
Cubes of bread soaked in a cinnamon-vanilla custard air fry at 370°F for 8 to 10 minutes into crispy, poppable bites. These air fryer French toast bites are built for dunking in syrup and are a good choice for a buffet-style spread.
16. Air Fryer Kneaders French Toast (Copycat)
Thick cinnamon bread soaks in a vanilla custard, air fries until golden, then gets a homemade caramel syrup, strawberries, and whipped cream. The air fryer Kneaders French toast is the showstopper on this list.
17. Air Fryer Fruity Pebbles French Toast
A crushed-cereal crust gives this air fryer Fruity Pebbles French toast a rainbow crunch outside and a custardy middle. Six ingredients, under 20 minutes, and the most fun thing a kid can eat on Christmas morning.
18. Eggo French Toast Sticks in the Air Fryer
For the backup plan, Eggo French toast sticks in the air fryer cook from frozen at 380°F in 5 to 6 minutes with a crisp cinnamon-sugar outside. No thawing, no bowl, no pan.
Muffins, Scones, and Quick Breads
Cranberry and orange is the Christmas breakfast flavor, and all three of these bake on Christmas Eve and reheat in the air fryer in a few minutes.
19. Air Fryer Cranberry Orange Scones
Fresh or frozen cranberries, orange zest, and a touch of cinnamon in a tender scone that is ready in about 22 minutes. The air fryer cranberry orange scones make eight, and they are made for the make-ahead tray.
20. Air Fryer Cranberry Scones
A simpler cousin with tart cranberries, orange zest, and a hint of nutmeg. These air fryer cranberry scones come out crisp outside and tender inside; check them about halfway through, since every air fryer runs a little differently.
21. Air Fryer Cranberry Muffins
Juicy cranberries, orange zest, and lemon juice in a tender muffin that bakes at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes. The air fryer cranberry muffins freeze for up to two months, so bake a batch early in December and warm them at 300°F on Christmas morning.
Eggs and Savory Christmas Breakfasts
Balance the sweet rolls with something eggy and savory. These all cook in the air fryer in under 30 minutes.
22. Air Fryer Quiche Lorraine
A blind-baked crust (no soggy bottom), smoky bacon, Swiss cheese, and a silky custard in about 25 minutes. The air fryer quiche Lorraine is sized for a small pan, so bake two for a bigger table or make it the day before and reheat.
23. La Madeleine Quiche Lorraine (Copycat)
A buttery crust, crispy bacon, and melted cheese in a rich egg filling, air fried at 320°F for 20 to 25 minutes. This La Madeleine quiche Lorraine copycat feels like a café brunch and slices cleanly once it rests.
24. Bob Evans Sausage & Egg Breakfast Bowls (Copycat)
Hash browns, crumbled sausage, scrambled eggs, and cheddar layered in ramekins and cooked in the air fryer. The Bob Evans sausage and egg breakfast bowls are an all-in-one breakfast that each person can carry to the tree.
25. Air Fryer Hash Brown Breakfast Sandwiches
Two crispy hash brown patties stand in for the bread, with egg, bacon, and cheese stacked between. The air fryer hash brown breakfast sandwiches cook the hash browns and bacon side by side in the same basket.
26. Copycat Burger King Egg-Normous Breakfast Burrito
Eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and cheese rolled in a tortilla with a zesty sauce. The copycat Burger King Egg-Normous breakfast burrito is the one for teenagers and anyone who skipped dinner on Christmas Eve.
Breakfast Sides to Round Out the Table
A casserole plus one of these sides is a full Christmas breakfast.
27. Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage Balls
Pork sausage, shredded hash browns, Bisquick, bacon, ham, cheddar, and chive cream cheese rolled into balls and air fried at 370°F. The air fryer breakfast sausage balls firm up in the freezer before cooking, which means you can shape them on Christmas Eve and cook straight from the freezer.
28. Frozen Hash Browns in the Air Fryer
Any brand of frozen hash brown patty crisps at 400°F in 8 to 12 minutes with a flip halfway. The frozen hash browns in the air fryer guide covers patties and shredded, plus a time chart, so you never serve a soft one.
29. Shredded Hash Browns in the Air Fryer
For diner-style potatoes, the shredded hash browns in the air fryer cook at 375°F for about 18 minutes with a stir partway through. Serve them right out of the basket while they are crispiest.
Festive Christmas Morning Drinks
Set these up before the presents and they take care of themselves.
30. Crockpot Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Whole milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and peppermint extract melt together in the slow cooker into a rich, creamy hot chocolate for a crowd. The crockpot peppermint hot chocolate stays warm all morning; top with whipped cream and crushed candy canes.
31. Instant Pot Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer
For the grown-ups, a homemade Instant Pot peppermint mocha coffee creamer turns regular coffee into a holiday latte. It also works stirred into the kids’ hot chocolate, and it freezes for later.
Christmas Breakfast FAQs
What is the best breakfast to make the night before Christmas? An overnight casserole. The breakfast strata, sourdough French toast casserole, and crescent roll casserole all assemble on Christmas Eve, sit in the fridge, and bake in the morning.
Can I make Christmas breakfast in the air fryer? Yes, and it is faster than the oven for most of these. Egg bakes, quiche, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, French toast, scones, and hash browns all cook in the air fryer, usually in under 25 minutes.
How do I feed a crowd on Christmas morning? Pick a 9×13 casserole (the strata or French toast casserole), a monkey bread, and the crockpot hot chocolate, then use the air fryer for hash browns or sausage balls while the casserole bakes. Set everything out buffet-style.
Can I freeze these breakfast recipes? Sausage balls, cranberry muffins, egg bakes, and quiche all freeze well. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the air fryer at 300°F to 350°F until hot.
What should I serve with cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning? Something savory and protein-rich so nobody crashes by 10 a.m.: a quiche Lorraine, breakfast sausage balls, or the sausage and egg breakfast bowls.
Still planning? Fork To Spoon’s make-ahead Christmas morning breakfast and brunch recipes has a Christmas Eve game plan, and the festive Christmas breakfast recipes roundup adds bananas foster, beignet, and jam-stuffed French toast to the lineup.
