20 Best Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfasts for a Houseful of Holiday Guests

The Night Before:

• Assemble breakfast. All of the recipes in this collection can be either cooked ahead of time or assembled the night before and cooked in the morning. Be sure you've done all of your recipe prep work on Christmas Eve and have at least a loose game plan for anything that needs to be done in the morning. If you want to provide a few breakfast side dishes as well, you can always cut fresh fruit the night before and plan to cook bacon in the oven the next day. (The oven is the best, no-mess method for cooking bacon for a crowd).
• Set up a beverage station. Set up your coffee maker for quick deployment in the morning; better yet, set the automatic timer on your coffee maker to go off as you're getting up. For larger groups, it helps to have an extra stainless-steel coffee carafe. Rinse the carafe with hot water, then transfer the first pot of coffee to the carafe so you can prep the coffee maker for the next pot (which will inevitably be needed). Remember to put out creamer and sugar — one pair at the "coffee bar" and another one or two on the breakfast table. You can consider setting up a hot cocoa bar for the kids, too.
• Prep the buffet. Pull out enough serving utensils and hot pads to protect surfaces from just-out-of-the-oven dishes. Napkins, breakfast plates, and eating utensils can be set out the night before, too. It may sound like a lot of effort for Christmas Eve, but any degree of prep you're able to knock out the evening before will make a difference. Morning-you will be very thankful to nighttime-you!

Now that you have your bases covered, get inspired with our collection of make-ahead breakfast recipes.

Orange Pecan French Toast

Home cook SR got this recipe from a bed & breakfast she and her husband stayed in, making it a slam-dunk, Christmas-worthy dish. It needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour, but can also sit overnight for an easy Christmas morning bake.

Bacon, Cheddar, and Spinach Strata

Home cook annaweezie makes her strata in advance, then lets it sit in the fridge overnight, to delicious results. "From the first fork-full, everyone was impressed," she says. "I made it as written but added two small boxes of frozen spinach, drained. Not difficult to make, either."

Tip: Did you know that spinach and nutmeg taste great together? Don't skip the pinch of nutmeg in this recipe — it makes all the difference.

• Watch the video.

Eggs Benedict Casserole

"Just served this for Christmas morning breakfast," says Allrecipes home cook HOLLYBELL. "The immediate comments were that it looked so beautiful. Someone said it looked like a picture out of a magazine. I made it exactly as stated in the recipe."

Many reviewers, including HOLLYBELL, said a homemade hollandaise sauce is the way to go, and it takes only minutes to make.

Tip: A sprinkling of paprika over the top does more than just add color-it also lends a dusting of peppery flavor to the dish.

• Watch the video.

Overnight French Toast II

Dare we say, overnight French toast is even more delicious — not to mention easier — than traditional French toast. Add bread slices whole, or cube them up to make better use of the space in your casserole dish.

Quiche

Swiss cheese, ham, parsley, and pimento peppers come together deliciously in this recipe that's specifically meant to be a make-ahead option. Recipe submitter MORGIE says, "My mother used to make mass quantities and take them out whenever she needed an easy meal or hors d'oeuvre." So if you need to feed a crowd, this one's going to be a winner!

Tip: Be sure to add the ¼ teaspoon ground dry mustard to the mix to amplify the flavor of the cheese.

• Watch the video.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins freeze nicely, making them a great option to help you get a jump on Christmas day. If you want to freeze them, be sure to wait until muffins have cooled completely, then wrap them tightly in two layers of plastic and place in the freezer. Wrap them in aluminum foil and warm in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Don't forget the brown sugar and cinnamon topping!

• Watch the video.

Apple Pie Muffins

Just like the blueberry muffins above, these are a great option for making a few days ahead of time. Home cook Jillian says she doesn't make any changes when making this recipe: "It's like eating apple pie in a muffin! What a perfect name for these moist, delicious, nicely spiced treats."

• Watch the video.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls I

These cinnamon rolls do their final rise overnight in the fridge, so all you have to do on Christmas morning is bake for 30 minutes, then drizzle with frosting. Italiana says, "to make them SUPER moist, put a very small pat of butter on top of each roll before baking."

Slow Cooker Oats

Load up the slow cooker with hearty steel cut oats, chopped apple, raisins, brown sugar, butter, and ground cinnamon. In the morning your home will smell amazing and breakfast will be hot and ready. Reviewers urge you to use steel cut oats and not regular rolled oats or else it'll turn out mushy. Here's a quick primer on the different kinds of oats and how to use them.

Home cook Mother Ann says, "Everyone loved them! I filled my crock pot, turned it on and went to bed. It was great to wake to a house smelling like apple pie."

• Watch the video.

Monkey Bread I

This top-rated gooey, pull-apart favorite will be a hit Christmas morning. And it only takes 15 minutes to prepare — or less: "To make this recipe even quicker," says CFLOWRY, "use a pizza cutter to cut up the biscuits. A quick addition to any breakfast."

Overnight Caramel Pecan Rolls

"Everyone will think that you got up very early to make these rolls because they are hot in the morning!" says recipe creator ERIBERRY of these sweet and nutty cinnamon rolls.

• Watch the video.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

This ham and cheese casserole with a cornflake cereal topping is pure comfort food. "I found this recipe on Allrecipes in December 2001," says reviewer Ellen. "We've been making it for our Christmas breakfast every year since. It's our absolute favorite!"

Overnight Eggnog French Toast

Use what's left of last night's eggnog to make this festive French toast.

Tip: Serve with whipped cream and sliced fruit as recipe creator Tillie'sHeadCook suggests.

Cranberry Sour Cream Kuchen

This German breakfast cake can be made days in advance, meaning there's no cooking for you to do on Christmas morning. Fresh cranberries add seasonal flavor and color.

Cranberry Eggnog Cornbread Scones

Make these holiday-appropriate scones in advance and reheat in the morning for a few minutes in the oven at 350 degrees F.

Tip: Try drizzling with an eggnog glaze for double the festive flavor.

Bagel and Cheese Bake

This warm and hearty make-ahead breakfast dish is the perfect choice for anyone looking to change up their usual breakfast casserole this holiday season. "This recipe is made the night before and popped in the oven in the morning," according to recipe creator MUSE. "A great homemade breakfast sandwich taste in a casserole form." Although the recipe calls for plain bagels, you can definitely use your favorite savory variety, such as onion or everything.

Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

If there's ever a day to eat cake for breakfast, it's Christmas. You simply won't find a better coffee cake than this classic from Chef John, which emphasizes the buttery, crunchy crumb topping (i.e. the best part). You can bake the cake in a variety of dish sizes and shapes, but you will likely need to to adjust the cooking time if you stray from the 8-inch by 10-inch dimensions called for in the recipe.

Brunch Enchiladas

The 200+ glowing reviews on these make-ahead breakfast enchiladas don't lie — this recipe is a crowd-pleaser, through and through. Plus, it's fantastically flexible: You can substitute bacon for the ham, incorporate jalapeños or green chiles for an extra kick, or put your custom spin on the dish in whatever other way you like. Reviewer k sa says, "This is wonderful! Have been making this for Christmas morning for years."

Easy Overnight Pancake Casserole with Streusel Topping

Just because you're trying to prep ahead for Christmas morning doesn't mean pancakes have to be off the table, not with this overnight pancake casserole handy. "Absolutely Awesome! So delicious and very easy to make. I couldn't stop eating it!" says reviewer rasmith0. "This recipe will be my go to for holidays."

More Christmas Breakfast Recipes:

• Pictured: Christmas Breakfast Sausage Casserole
• 15 Christmas Breakfast Casseroles That Will Become Tradition
• 17 Christmas Breakfast Dishes to Make the Morning Memorable
• Browse our entire collection of Christmas Breakfast and Brunch Recipes.