10 Vegan Breakfast Ideas (Compilation #41)

Summer is giving way to fall, and that shows up in my food. There are meals here from high summer and from the early transition to cooler weather. One thing I find really interesting is how my tastes change with the seasons, and how I gravitate toward the savory as the chill sets in. This is still a very fruity compilation, but I end here with some savory options. If you can guess what they are before you see them, you deserve a prize--I think I've gone pretty far off the beaten path in some cases!

1. Almond Butter Smoothie Bowl with Cherries (Gluten Free)

I followed this recipe for the base for this smoothie bowl, substituting almond extract for vanilla, then topped it with fresh cherries, slivered almonds, more almond butter, vanilla granola, hemp seeds, and chia seeds. On a hot morning--and all the mornings seemed hot as summer drew to a close--this was a special treat.

2. Orange Spice Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup (Nut Free, Soy Free)

These pancakes are from the recipe at Go Dairy Free, though I did have to increase the orange juice pretty significantly to get the batter thin enough to scoop out with my 1/4 cup measure--I'd have added more for a pourable batter, which is how the recipe was described. With these delightful little orangey pancakes, I had some homemade blueberry syrup using my usual favorite recipe (from Laura Fuentes) and some banana slices. I rounded out the meal with a glass of soy milk. It's a great transitional meal, with the warming spices of fall and wintery citrus combined with the freshness of berries.

3. Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats (Gluten Free)

Sometimes, you just want to put stuff in a slow cooker overnight and wake up to breakfast. When that happens, there is this recipe from Dishing Out Health. It's great to wake up to a ready made meal, but it's even better when it makes your kitchen smell amazing! I topped this bowl of oats off with some fresh sliced apple and a drizzle of peanut butter.

4. Microwave Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Cake (Nut Free)

While we're on the subject of apples, here's a reminder that there's more than one way to enjoy them in the morning. If you're in the mood for a decadent breakfast, and you're anything like me, cake will be calling your name sometimes. Fortunately, this microwave apple cake is a quick way to get some! This recipe is the easily veganized one from Nibble and Dine; all you have to do is use vegan butter and plant-based milk. To make it an upside down cake, invert the cake into a bowl. I did find that the original recipe needs a larger vessel for microwaving than a mug--I used a small glass bowl and it was fine, but anything smaller and it definitely would have boiled over. If you want a less decadent version, cut the recipe in half and add some non-dairy yogurt.

5. Sunflower Seed Butter and Blueberry Chia Jam Toast (Nut Free, Soy Free)

Start with whole wheat toast. Spread it with sunflower seed butter, then add a thick layer of blueberry chia jam. If you're avoiding gluten, use gluten-free toast and then you have something that avoids all top 8 allergens. I had this with a glass of soy milk, though, because I'm not avoiding allergens, just offering some suggestions. It was a lovely breakfast.

6. Cherry Plum Crumble (Gluten Free)

It may be a little redundant at this point to keep showing you fruit crisps and crumbles, but I love them for breakfast and there are so many combinations of fruit that work so well! This one has extra protein since it uses almond flour rather than wheat flour, too, which gives it a delightful nutty flavor. I found the recipe at Healthy World Cuisine. Rather than serving it with whipped topping, I had some vanilla almond milk yogurt with it. A glass of soy milk rounded out the meal.

7. Millet Porridge with Maple Poached Pears, Vanilla Yogurt, and Chia Seeds (Gluten Free, Nut Free)

This one's pretty easy, but I recommend it for a weekend, not at any time you might be needing to get somewhere quickly after breakfast, because it may take a while to cook. The recipe for the porridge and pears is from Sugar Salted. Though I do love a good poached pear, and these are lovely! Though Alice, the recipe developer, does recommend non-vegan toppings, the recipe itself is vegan. I topped mine with some non-dairy vanilla yogurt and chia seeds, and drizzled some of the pear poaching liquid over the top. This breakfast whispers "fall is coming."

8. Banana Apple Smoothie (Gluten Free, Nut Free)

Apples aren't the most common smoothie ingredient, but they can be a great addition, especially in season. This recipe is from Plant Based Folk. I used soy milk instead of almond, and a red apple instead of green, and soaked my date overnight, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. I liked how I got longer-term staying power from the hemp seeds in the mix. It may not be the most beautiful smoothie in the world, but it's definitely worth trying out!

9. Eggy Breakfast Sausage Fried Rice (Nut Free)

I took a non-vegan recipe and veganized it and made it my own with what I had around for this delicious savory breakfast! This began with some vegan butter, melted in a skillet. From there, I threw in some chopped onion and red bell pepper. When those were softened, I added some Don't Be Piggy sausage crumbles and cooked them through, then added some leftover rice I had in the fridge. After heating the rice through, I poured on some soy sauce, a bit of salt, and a bit of pepper. After mixing that in, I scooted it out to one side of the skillet, and poured my usual JUST Egg scramble mix (JUST Egg, non-dairy creamer, and a pinch of black salt) into the empty part of the skillet. When that was scrambled, I mixed it into the rice with some frozen peas and Daiya shreds. It was ready to serve when that was heated through and the cheese was melted. This is easily one of my absolute favorite breakfasts ever.

10. Bagel with Dilly Carrot Tofu Spread (Nut Free)

I used the recipe for tofu spread from Plant Based Jess here, slathered on a bagel and topped with dill instead of chives because that's what I had and also because dill is delicious. It's creamy and satisfying as a way to top your bagel, toast, English muffins, crackers, what-have-you, and if I had tomatoes on hand I'd probably add them, too. You'll never really notice the carrots, but isn't it nice to get a little hidden veggies in the morning?