10 Vegan Breakfast Ideas (Compilation #50)

Here is the installment that brings my breakfast ideas to 500. I should write a book. In this case, I was really enjoying pineapple season, so pineapple crops up more than usual. But there are plenty of other things here, including some veggies, both hidden and in the foreground.

1. Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes with Vanilla Coconut Yogurt 

The pancake recipe is found at Running on Real Food. I'm sure you've seen them before with peanut butter syrup, but that doesn't mean that's the only way to eat them. They're delicious pancakes just begging for creative toppings. Here, they have some vanilla coconut yogurt, sliced bananas, and chopped strawberries. This is a wonderful way to start the day alongside some soy milk.

2. Banana Zucchini Overnight Oats with Maple Syrup and Toasted Walnuts (Gluten Free, Soy Free)

Though dedicated readers know by now I'm not the biggest fan of the texture of overnight oats, I am warming up to them, because I've discovered the glory that is blending the oats first. So I decided that this recipe from Hummusapien looked like a good one for experimenting with this method. I added the shredded zucchini after I blended the rest of the overnight oats ingredients together and just stirred it in so I would still have zucchini shreds. In the morning, I toasted some walnuts and put them on top with some extra sliced banana and maple syrup. 

The walnuts truly make this dish. It's delicious anyway, but with walnuts, it's amazing. I will definitely be trying more overnight oats.

3. Creamy Cranberry Smoothie (Gluten Free)

I love produce in season, but one of the best things about the modern world is having a freezer with out-of-season goodies. I had some frozen cranberries to use up, and this creamy cranberry smoothie recipe intrigued me. All the flavors are so perfect here. The pecans are an inspired addition, and I loved that this wasn't citrusy the way so many cranberry smoothies are. Don't get me wrong. I love the citrusy ones, too! But sometimes you don't have citrus around and still want a cranberry smoothie. I had this with toast with nut butter and strawberry jam for breakfast and I was ready to start my day.

4. Blended Spirulina Chia Pudding with Mango and Cacao Nibs (Gluten Free, Nut Free)

I made this with soy milk; you could easily use another plant milk if you need to avoid soy. The recipe is from Sweet Potato Soul, as well as the idea to top it with mango and cacao nibs. I did make one change, though. As per my usual pattern, I took the extra step of blending the chia seeds with the liquid mixture before putting the pudding in serving dishes to chill overnight. (A texture thing.) I worried that maybe it would get dingy as sometimes chia puddings do but I need not have worried because the spirulina stayed vibrant. The color contrasts are amazing here, but the flavor of the mango and cacao as well as the texture variations make this an absolutely perfect breakfast option.

5. Mochi Waffle with Raspberry Pear Compote (Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free Option)

A co-worker had some sweet rice flour she wanted to be rid of, so I happily took it. The first thing I made with it was this waffle--probably the easiest waffle recipe I've ever tried! You can find it at Plateful of Veggies. I used soy milk, but this would be free of all major allergens if you used oat; you can use whatever plant milk you like. When my waffle was done, I topped it with some raspberry pear compote I had in my fridge, which I'd based loosely on the one from the BBC meant to go with rice pudding. This was great! It had that wonderful chewy mochi texture inside a crispy crust. I had this alongside some vegan sausages to round out the meal.

6. Pineapple Barley Pilaf (Soy Free)

This is an easily veganized recipe from An Edible Mosaic. Just swap out vegan honey or agave (I used vegan honey here). I really love barley with fruit in the morning, and this is a lovely, light way to do that. The fresh mint adds a little intrigue as well as some color contrast. Though there are almonds in this, I still felt like I wanted more protein, so I had this with a soy Cafix latte.

7. Peppers and "Eggs" Toast (Nut Free)

I love red peppers cooked down and caramelized with onions, so one morning I decided that could be the basis of my breakfast. I cooked onions and peppers in vegan butter for a while, and then when they were done to my satisfaction, I set them aside while I made the equivalent of one JUST Egg (scrambled). I put the egg on a slice of toast and topped that with my pepper and onion mixture, and then added a garnish of chives. This was delicious!

8. Blended Blueberry Baked Oats (Gluten Free)

This recipe from Life Made Sweeter made me rethink my aversion to protein powder. I think I'm slowly coming around as I find not-smoothie ways to incorporate it into my life, so by the time I make it through the container I have, perhaps I'll want more of it. Go figure me out. Anyway, this is one way to make baked oatmeal seem like cake for breakfast. I could eat one whole batch in one sitting, but I prefer to have half with some extra toppings, like non-dairy yogurt, and a nice soy latte.

9. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple and Pecans (Gluten Free, Soy Free)

This recipe from Cuisine at Home is not envisioned as breakfast food, but it's great for breakfast! On a chilly spring morning (those are my absolute favorite kinds of spring mornings) when it makes sense to have the oven on and pineapples are in season, these are great to bake while you prep the rest of your meal. They go well with more savory things like a scramble and veggie sausage, or with sweeter things, like yogurt and granola. Choose your own adventure!

10. Blueberry Silken Tofu Breakfast Pudding (Gluten Free, Nut Free)

Not only is this easy and gorgeous, it also hides some spinach! And it isn't a smoothie bowl, though it looks like one. The recipe is from My Quiet Kitchen. It combines silken tofu, frozen blueberries, chia seeds, lemon juice, a bit of agave nectar, and spinach into a delightful, creamy pudding. Just like a smoothie bowl, you can top it with whatever strikes your fancy; here I went with banana slices, hemp seeds, and more chia seeds for the photo, but I also added pumpkin seed butter and granola before I ate it. (It was not photogenic, but it was delicious.) If you like the smoothie bowl concept but it either seems a little too cold for you on a given morning, or if you're just not that into bananas, this could be a good alternative. I really love tofu puddings of all sorts as breakfast, and I will be experimenting more with it, I think.