10 Vegan Breakfast Ideas (Compilation #17)

Merry Christmas! Trying new breakfasts has been one of the only 2020 goals I set for myself I've been able to keep in quarantine. It's been a fun adventure! And I've eaten a lot more raspberries than probably ever in my life. There are a lot of berries in general here, surprisingly--they've gone on sale a few times recently and I can't resist them. Plus, it's Christmas; time for whatever festive pop of color makes sense. Here are ten ways I broke up the monotony recently.

1. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Breakfast Bake

You know what's better than a hot breakfast in the winter? A hot breakfast that requires the oven to be on! This recipe from Running with Spoons was calling to me on a cold December morning and the result did not disappoint. This is essentially a baked oatmeal, but what an oatmeal it is! I used chocolate chips rather than dark chocolate chunks and soy milk rather than almond milk, but otherwise followed the recipe as written.

2. JUST Folded Egg, Veggie Sausage, and Non-Dairy Cheese Biscuit

Whoever invented the breakfast sandwich, I salute you. I think I might enjoy these more without the sausage, but this was also Wegmans store brand vegan sausage, which is nowhere near as good as Gardein's, so who knows. Pro tip: To make your biscuit sandwiches extra good, butter them (with margarine, of course, if you're vegan).

3. Creamy Cinnamon Farina with Raspberries and Maple Cream

Probably I should give you a proper recipe for this, but really it's too easy for that--cook your farina in soy milk with a cinnamon stick and about a teaspoon of sugar, then top with fresh raspberries and some maple syrup mixed with non-dairy creamer. I tried to drizzle the maple cream beautifully and I don't think I fully succeeded, but that doesn't matter, because it was good.

4. Blueberry-Banana Smoothie Bowl with Chia Seeds and Coconut (Gluten Free)

I looked at a few recipes before I settled on this hybrid of my own invention: Blend one frozen banana, a large handful of fresh or frozen blueberries, some soy yogurt, and a splash of non-dairy creamer (just a tiny bit to keep it thick) until smooth and thick. Put the mixture in a bowl and top with fresh slices of banana, fresh blueberries, chia seeds, and flaked coconut. This is not that wintery, but on a warmer morning in late fall it really hit the spot.

5. Spiced Persimmon Oatmeal (Gluten Free)

I was in the mood for something really different, so I made some spiced persimmon oatmeal from the recipe at the Delicious Plate. (It asked me to use cardamom. I will try nearly anything with cardamom.) I have a tip: Don't skimp on the salt; I found I needed a bit more in mine than the little sprinkle I gave it and I had to add some afterward. I used chia seeds instead of almonds (that reflected the mood I was in), which went well with these flavors.

6. Mango Avocado Toast

I'd seen this idea several times before I decided to try it, but it was actually pretty good in spite of my wariness. I mashed some avocado with lime juice and salt and spread that on some toast. Then I put some mango over the top and sprinkled it with chili powder. I wouldn't have this every day and there are things I usually prefer in terms of avocado toast and in terms of mango, but I was glad to have this as something new and pretty to start my day.

7. Super Green Smoothie Bowl (Gluten Free)

I like the idea of a green salad for breakfast, but so few salads seem like breakfast. Blending up kale and spinach with fruit and almond butter and topping it with more fruit, coconut, and seeds is a bridge of sorts. This is the recipe from Minimalist Baker, and it truly doesn't taste like leafy greens. It's worth trying if you're hoping to incorporate more green leafy things and you, like me, aren't that much of a green leafy salad person, especially at breakfast.

8. Pumpkin Amaranth Bowl (Gluten Free)

I finally cooked some amaranth! I planned to a rather long time ago, actually. When I had a bit of canned pumpkin to use up, this pumpkin amaranth bowl from Clean Eating called my name. Amaranth reminded me of a much finer grain of quinoa, and like quinoa, it is complete protein source, which we vegans are always excited about. (Usual disclaimer: I'm not that kind of doctor; talk to your own about what you need in your diet.) This also had all sorts of interesting things in it I had around but don't necessarily use so much, like canned pumpkin, dates, and pecans. The fact that it also made room for some banana, when quarantine is, for me, so often about dealing with a lot of bananas, was icing on the cake. This is not something I'd eat that often, honestly, but if the ingredients aligned at the right time, I would happily eat it again.

9. Mini Mixed Berry Crescent Braids

The recipe for mini mixed berry crescent braids on the Pillsbury website looked like a reasonable enough one to try veganizing. I used Daiya cream cheese, which you should not melt; it disappeared and this I lived and learned. Also, I don't recommend making the icing drizzle if you're having this for breakfast--that's more sugar than I need in the morning, plus the icing drizzle is too thin to look like what you see on their photos. All that said, this was kind of fun as a new thing to try with crescent rolls on a cold weekend morning when having the oven on was pretty appealing.

10. Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Blackberry Compote (Gluten Free)

Chickpea flour usually goes in savory directions, but it can also go in somewhat sweeter directions. I used the recipe at Conscious Plant Kitchen for the pancakes, and I kind of winged it on the blackberry compote because it was mostly a way to use up the last bit of berries in the fridge. I did still find this a bit too dry so I added some maple syrup, and I think if I had a smaller stack of pancakes (this was three little ones) I would have found some almond butter drizzle a really good addition, too. Next time! These were really filling and didn't leave me with that lethargic feeling I often get from less protein-dense pancakes.