15 Vegan Breakfast Ideas

These vegan breakfast recipes are a great way to start your day, whether you prefer something simple like overnight oats or extravagant like a tall, multicolored stack of unicorn-themed pancakes. (It is the most important meal of the day, after all.)

Many people tend to opt for a first meal that’s relatively well-balanced, delicious, and satisfying.

Most optimal breakfasts – such as those endorsed by health experts and services like the NHS – include a mix of healthy protein, carbohydrates, and fresh produce like fruit. Many of the vegan breakfast recipes included below contain plenty of those key ingredients, and can also be easily adapted to suit dietary requirements, taste, and time constraints.

Overnight oats are a perfect choice for a weekday morning when you’re pushed for time, while more invested dishes like waffles or hot cross buns are good for weekends.

15 vegan breakfast recipes

Whatever your mood, here are our picks of some of the best vegan breakfast ideas to try.

Read more: 15 Vegan Salad Recipes

Double chocolate overnight oats

Vegan overnight oats made to a dairy-free recipe — Niki Webster These double chocolate overnights oats are nutritious and delicious

These double chocolate overnight oats Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club combine the grain with nut butter and plant-based milk for some additional protein. They also have a rich, chocolatey flavor thanks to cocoa and chocolate chips, making them a great mix of easy, nutritious, and delicious. (Make them with just five minutes of prep the night before.)

Find the recipe here.

Banana peel ‘bacon’

plant-based vegan bacon made out of banana peels and marinated — PlantYou This banana peel bacon can transform your breakfast and cut down on household waste

This banana peel-based bacon is a great way of cutting down on your household food waste while making sure you can top your morning pancakes with plant-based goodness. This recipe from PlantYou’s Carleigh Bodrug flavors them with tamari, garlic, nooch, and more.

Find the recipe here.

Pancake cereal

This recipe from Romy London is perfect for folks with a sweet tooth, but it might not be an everyday option. It includes instructions on how to make “silver dollar pancakes,” miniature versions of the fluffy dish. Top with fresh berries and fortified plant milk for some added nutrients, or drizzle with some nut butter and a little additional syrup.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan breakfast muffins

Not all muffins are created equal, but this recipe from Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club includes minimal sugar, muesli, blueberries, nut butter, and raisins for a fluffy, golden, and nutritious breakfast. You could also try making them savory by adding vegetables or swapping the plain flour for oats or almonds for a gluten-free version.

Find the recipe here.

Classic vegan French toast

A plate of vegan french toast covered in fruit and syrup — Rebel Recipes Make your next batch of French toast using high-protein silken tofu

Another one from Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club, this vegan take on a classic French toast is surprisingly high in protein thanks to its inclusion of 175g of silken tofu, nutritional yeast, and wheat bread – which includes around 9g of protein per 100g. Enjoy it sweet and top with your favorite fresh fruit and yogurt, or enjoy it savory with avocado, bacon, and spinach.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan smoked kedgeree

A vegan kedgeree made with swede — Edible Ethics Kedgeree can be consumed hot or cold at breakfast, or at any other time

Traditionally, kedgeree includes flaked fish and eggs cooked with spiced vegetables. However, this recipe from Edible Ethics owner Lucy Johnson swaps meat for a liquid-smoke flavored swede (rutabaga) “haddock,” and tofu in place of eggs.

Find the recipe here.

Pumpkin baked oatmeal

A single cup of pumpkin contains 245 percent of your RDA for vitamin A, and this recipe from World of Vegan combines the vibrant orange vegetable with a classic baked oatmeal. This dish is quick to make, rich in protein, and an ideal alternative to traditional porridge.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan cheese and mushroom omelet

Photo shows a vegan omelette folded in half on a blue plate on a blue background. — Lizzie Mayson Serve this vegan omelet with a side of hash browns and baked beans

BOSH! prepared this recipe by swapping in silken tofu and grated vegan cheese, though you could try making the latter yourself. Tofu is high in protein along with B vitamins, essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6, zinc, iron, and fiber. It also makes for a convincing egg replacer, and if you’re craving a classic omelet, this recipe is for you.

Find the recipe here.

Easy vegan fried eggs

Vegan fried eggs shown as part of a plant-based fry-up on a white plate with sausages, beans and mushrooms — Viva Vegan Recipe Club These vegan fried eggs are surprisingly simple to make

This recipe comes from Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club, too, and is quick and easy to make despite its impressively realistic appearance. (The vibrant yellow “yolks” are also made using mostly nutritious veggies like squash or pumpkin, with turmeric and some other seasonings.)

Find the recipe here.

Vegan waffles

This recipe from YouTube creator Juliet Sear can be ready in just 15 minutes. Top with fresh fruit, nut butter, and a big spoonful of plant-based yogurt for some extra protein. (Swapping traditional buttermilk for a vinegar and plant milk mix is what gives the waffles that extra tangy, sour note. Sear recommends using soy, in particular, for this part.)

Find the recipe here.

Simple tofu scramble

Photo shows a close-up of a tofu scramble topped with spinach and tomatoes — Healthy French Wife Scrambled tofu is one of the easiest, tastiest, and most nutritious vegan breakfasts to master

Another classic, this easy tofu scramble comes from Claire Power, aka Healthy French Wife. It’s quick to make, high in protein, and can be combined with fresh veggies on toast or part of a breakfast burrito for a super nutritious morning meal.

Find the recipe here.

Banana oat pancakes

Another spin on pancakes, this one is super simple and uses just banana, milk, vinegar, baking powder, oats, and optional salt. Created by Veg and Fred, the dish is best topped with fresh fruit, dairy-free yogurt, and whatever your favorite pancake accouterments are.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan hot cross buns

This recipe for vegan hot cross buns was created by Olive Wood Vegan. It takes a little prep time, but it makes 8 servings and is well worth mastering. Don’t forget to glaze the buns with jam: it will keep them moist and shiny, and reduce any oxidation of dried fruit.

Find the recipe.

Sugar-free banana bread

The Vegan Chef School has put this banana bread recipe together without any added sugar, making it an ideal quick and nutritious breakfast. Flax seed, which serves to bind the dough, also contains protein along with phosphorus, fiber, copper, and magnesium.

Find the recipe.

Vegan unicorn pancakes

Photo shows a stack of brightly colored "unicorn" pancakes prepared to a vegan recipe — Deliciously Earthy The bright colors in this recipe come from nutritious spirulina and pitaya powders

This recipe from Deliciously Earthy turns a stack of thick vegan pancakes into a colorful unicorn using just blue spirulina and pitaya (dragon fruit) powders. The former is rich in B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, manganese, copper, zinc, iron, and selenium, while the latter contains vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin E. But perhaps most importantly, these pancakes are brightly colored, delicious, and easy to make.

Find the recipe here.