Christmas morning hits different.
The tree lights are still twinkling, the kids (or the dogs) are losing their minds, and nobody—literally nobody—wants to spend an hour flipping pancakes while everyone stares at you like you’re ruining the magic. I’ve been there. These recipes saved my sanity, and they’ll save yours too.
We’re talking honest-to-god make-ahead breakfasts that taste like you woke up at 5 a.m. just for them, when really you were snoring until the coffee kicked in. Five rock-solid ideas, all tested in my own chaotic kitchen, all designed to be prepped Christmas Eve so you can roll out of bed, hit the oven or the skillet for ten minutes, and be the hero. Let’s do this.
Overnight Eggnog Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting
Yeah, I went there. Eggnog in the dough, bourbon in the frosting, pure holiday decadence you can prep the night before and bake fresh while the stockings get raided.
Ingredients (makes 12 fat rolls)
| Ingredient | Imperial | Metric | Notes & Subs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole milk | 1 cup | 240 ml | Warm, not hot |
| Active dry yeast | 2¼ tsp | 7 g | Instant works too |
| Granulated sugar | ½ cup | 100 g | |
| Eggs (large) | 3 | 3 | Room temp |
| Eggnog (full-fat, please) | ¾ cup | 180 ml | Dairy-free eggnog works surprisingly well |
| Unsalted butter, melted | 6 Tbsp | 85 g | |
| Bread flour | 4½–5 cups | 570–630 g | Yes, bread—not AP. Trust me. |
| Salt | 1 tsp | 6 g | |
| Filling: | |||
| Soft brown sugar | 1 cup | 200 g | Dark or light, both killer |
| Cinnamon | 2 Tbsp | 12 g | Saigon if you can |
| Nutmeg (fresh grated) | ½ tsp | Don’t skip | |
| Soft unsalted butter | 6 Tbsp | 85 g | |
| Frosting: | |||
| Cream cheese, softened | 8 oz | 225 g | Full-fat, always |
| Powdered sugar | 1½ cups | 180 g | |
| Bourbon | 2–3 Tbsp | Or dark rum, or 1 tsp vanilla if kids | |
| Heavy cream | 2–4 Tbsp | For drizzling consistency |
How to Pull These Off Without Stress
- Warm the milk to baby-bottle temp. Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of the sugar over it. Walk away for five minutes. If it’s not foamy, start over—your yeast is dead, sorry.
- In your stand mixer (or a big bowl if you’re feeling strong), beat eggs, remaining sugar, eggnog, melted butter, and salt. Add the yeasty milk.
- Start adding flour one cup at a time. When it gets shaggy, switch to the dough hook. Knead 8–10 minutes until it’s smooth and only slightly tacky. Too dry and your rolls will be bricks.
- First rise: one hour in a greased bowl, covered, until doubled. Or cheat and do it in the fridge overnight for even better flavor.
- Roll that baby out on a floured counter into a 16×20-inch rectangle. Spread the soft butter edge to edge. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and scatter it everywhere.
- Roll tight from the long side. Pinch the seam. Slice into 12 fat rolls with dental floss (clean, obviously) or a sharp serrated knife.
- Nestle them in a buttered 9×13 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The slow cold rise makes them insanely tender.
- Christmas morning: pull them out while the oven preheats to 350°F (175°C). Let them sit 30 minutes to take the chill off. Bake 25–30 minutes until golden and the middle ones hit 190°F internal.
- While they’re still hot, slather with the frosting you whipped up in literally 90 seconds. Watch grown adults cry.
Pro move: if you want them ready even faster, let them do the second rise on the counter Christmas Eve, bake 80% of the way, cool, wrap tight, and just reheat 12–15 minutes Christmas morning. Still ridiculous.
Brown-Butter Cranberry Orange Baked French Toast
This one feeds a crowd, looks like a magazine cover, and tastes like winter hugged you.
The Night-Before Magic
Cube a whole loaf of day-old challah or brioche—about 1 lb / 450 g. Stale is good here; fresh bread gets mushy.
Brown ½ cup (115 g) butter until it smells like hazelnuts. Let it cool slightly.
Whisk:
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- That brown butter you just made
Toss in 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries and a handful of chopped pecans if you’re feeling fancy.
Layer the bread cubes in a buttered 9×13 dish. Pour the custard over. Press down so every piece gets soaked. Cover and fridge overnight.
Morning: 375°F (190°C) for 40–50 minutes until puffed and golden. Let it rest 10 minutes or it’ll collapse like my dreams of sleeping in.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup and extra orange zest. People will fight over the crispy edges.
Make-Ahead Sausage & Gruyère Breakfast Strata
Strata is basically savory bread pudding and it’s the ultimate “use whatever’s in the fridge” dish that still feels fancy.
Sauté 1 lb (450 g) good breakfast sausage—break it up small. Add a diced onion and a red bell pepper if you want color. Cook until the sausage is browned and the veg soft.
Cube another loaf of bread—sourdough this time for tang. About 10 cups.
Layer half the bread in a greased 9×13, then the sausage mixture, then 2 cups shredded Gruyère (or sharp cheddar if your wallet is crying). Repeat.
Whisk 10 eggs, 3 cups milk, 1 cup half-and-half, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Pour over. Press down. Fridge overnight (8–24 hours is perfect).
Bake at 350°F (175°C) covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered 25–35 more until set and golden. The center should jiggle just slightly.
Freezer Breakfast Burritos (Your Future Self Will Thank You)
Make 12 of these in November and you’re basically a Christmas wizard.
Scramble a dozen eggs with a splash of milk, salt, pepper, and a handful of cheese. Cook low and slow so they stay creamy.
Warm large flour tortillas. Layer: eggs, cooked crispy bacon or chorizo, hash brown patties broken up, more cheese, a spoon of salsa. Roll tight, wrap in parchment then foil, freeze.
Christmas morning: unwrap, microwave 2–3 minutes flipping halfway, or oven at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes from frozen. Crispy outside, molten inside.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Babka French Toast Casserole
Because sometimes you just need chocolate for breakfast and I’m not here to judge.
Take yesterday’s babka (store-bought is fine, Trader Joe’s I’m looking at you), slice thick, layer like dominoes in a baking dish.
Custard: 6 eggs, 2 cups milk, ½ cup Nutella warmed with ¼ cup cream so it pours, pinch salt, tsp vanilla.
Pour over. Fridge overnight. Bake 375°F (190°C) 35–45 minutes. Serve with barely sweetened whipped cream and a shower of chopped toasted hazelnuts.
Why Make-Ahead Breakfasts Are Non-Negotiable on Christmas
You only get so many Christmas mornings. Don’t spend them chained to the stove. These dishes all improve with an overnight rest—the bread soaks up every drop of custard, the dough develops insane flavor in the cold, the flavors marry like they’ve known each other forever.
Plus, the house smells like heaven when everyone stumbles downstairs. That first waft of cinnamon rolls or browning butter is pure memory-making.
Storage & Reheating Like a Pro
Cinnamon rolls: keep frosted at room temp 2 days or fridge 5. Reheat individual rolls wrapped in foil at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes—comes out like fresh baked.
Strata: fridge 4 days. Reheats beautifully covered at 325°F (165°C) until steamy.
Burritos: freezer 3 months easy. Don’t skimp on the double wrap or you’ll get freezer burn tears.
Variations That Still Slay
Want it lighter? Swap half the eggs for whites in the French toast custard and use half-and-half instead of cream. Still decadent, slightly less food coma.
Vegan crew coming? Use flax eggs, oat milk, vegan butter, and Just Egg. The strata and French toast versions both work shockingly well.
Gluten-free? King Arthur measure-for-measure flour in the cinnamon rolls, GF bread in everything else. Texture holds up.
Serving Suggestions That Make It Feel Special
Set the table Christmas Eve. Real plates, cloth napkins, the good coffee mugs. Put out a pitcher of icy cold milk, good OJ, and a bottle of bubbly for the adults who want mimosas.
Scatter some fresh rosemary sprigs and cranberries down the table runner. Light candles even if it’s 8 a.m. Make it an event.
When These Dishes Shine Brightest
Christmas morning, obviously. But also New Year’s Day, Easter brunch, Mother’s Day, any day you want to feel like the most thoughtful human alive without actually suffering for it.
Final Love Note
Pick one. Or hell, pick two and look like a total legend. Prep Christmas Eve after the kids crash, pour yourself a glass of wine, and know that tomorrow you get to be fully present—laughing at bad jokes, tearing paper, stealing bites of frosting off someone’s plate.
That’s the real gift.
FAQs
Can I bake the cinnamon rolls right away instead of overnight?
You can, but the overnight cold proof makes them softer and the flavor deeper. If you’re in a rush, let them rise 60–90 minutes on the counter after shaping and bake same day.
My strata came out soggy—what happened?
Either your bread was too fresh or you didn’t press it down enough to absorb custard evenly. Next time use day-old bread and really squish it in there. You can even weight it with a plate overnight.
Can I freeze the French toast casserole before baking?
Absolutely. Assemble, wrap tight, freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in fridge then bake as directed, maybe add 10 extra minutes.
Help—my cinnamon roll dough is crazy sticky!
That’s normal with enriched dough. Resist adding too much flour. Wet your hands or oil them lightly when shaping. The wetter the dough, the softer the rolls.
Any egg-free options?
The burritos can be egg-free—just load with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado, cheese. For the casseroles, silken tofu blended with plant milk and a touch of turmeric plus black salt works surprisingly well.
Now go forth and conquer Christmas morning like the breakfast boss you were born to be.
