50 Vegan Breakfast Recipes
Introduction
Whenever I go to some breakfast place or diner, I have to perform a magic trick to make the food vegan. Even after googling vegan options and requesting the strangest dishes, I usually fail at making my order vegan. Granted, Iowans love to put meat and/or dairy in about everything they make.
If you’re vegan or trying to accommodate a vegan, don’t waste your time at breakfast restaurants unless they are entirely vegan or have their vegan options spelled out on their menus. That is because most breakfast foods aren’t vegan and many aren’t vegetarian.
Here are some vegan breakfast recipes for your next breakfast, brunch, or brupper, and if you’re in a big hurry, the following is this blog post’s recipe index.
Feel free to check this page periodically because I continuously add content to it.
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5 Vegan Bacon Recipes
Many non-vegans have told me side comments about bacon. I’m not too fond of bacon, so I don’t get why many are obsessed with it. Nevertheless, it’s not only one of the most common breakfast foods out there but also one of the hardest to make vegan and taste good with all of the bacon lovers out there.
Why isn’t bacon vegan?
Bacon isn’t vegan because it comes from a dead pig’s belly.
Is bacon vegetarian?
No, bacon isn’t vegetarian because it’s a type of meat.
Here are five vegan bacon recipes, and if you’re not into making homemade bacon, try any of these vegan bacon brands.
1. Banana Peel Bacon
This is the first recipe that I’ve found that uses banana peels. Try some vegan banana peel bacon from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.
2. Tempeh Bacon
Tempeh is a popular meat substitute. Make some tempeh bacon with the help of Nora Cooks.
3. Easy Tofu Bacon
When tofu can be turned into almost anything foodwise, then we should transform some tofu into bacon. Try some vegan tofu bacon from Pass the Plants.
4. Rice Paper Bacon
Candice from The Edgy Veg is a vegan junk food extraordinaire. One of her breakfast recipes is this vegan rice paper bacon.
5. Coconut Bacon
The last vegan bacon recipe has the most surprising ingredient: coconut flakes. Make your coconut bacon with the help of A Couple Cooks.
5 Vegan Bagel Recipes
Sometimes, my parents got bagels at the store growing up, but I would rather have toast over bagels. However, my godmother is one of the many who loves Einstein bagels, and that’s why bagels make me think of my aunt.
Bagels come in so many flavors and are great with cream cheese or nut butter. Sadly, many bagels aren’t vegan.
Why aren’t many bagels vegan?
Lots of bakery items contain dairy and/or eggs. Some bagel flavors aren’t naturally vegan, like how chocolate chip bagels contain dairy due to the chocolate chips. Even a good chunk of the bagels that don’t have eggs or dairy in them have non-vegan preservatives. For example, enzyme L is made out of feathers and hair.
Are bagels vegetarian?
Most of the time, bagels are vegetarian. The main exception is breakfast bagel sandwiches because they usually contain meat, usually bacon and/or sausage.
Here are five vegan bagel recipes that you should try today, or if you prefer premade bagels, here are some vegan bagel brands.
6. Quinoa Flatbread Bagels
Quinoa is a popular superfood that’s known for its protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Here are some quinoa flatbread bagels from Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures.
7. Butternut Squash Amaranth Bagels
Amaranth is a fickle grain because it is super tiny and hard to cook. If you’re having more luck than me, try these butternut squash amaranth bagels from kiipfit.com.
8. Loaded Breakfast Bagel
You can’t talk about bagels without mentioning bagel sandwiches. Have some vegan breakfast bagel sandwiches from Sweet Greens Vegan.
9. Homemade Bagels
Bianca Zapatka is a rock star in the kitchen. See for yourself by making these homemade bagels.
10. Hash Brown Breakfast Bagel
I’m a huge fan of McDonald’s hash browns, but I don’t have them anymore because they aren’t vegan. Luckily, This Savory Vegan has me covered with this breakfast bagel recipe.
5 Vegan Bread Recipes
Homemade bread tastes so good fresh out of the oven. It’s my favorite breakfast food. In case you’re confused, I’m not talking about a regular loaf of bread. Instead, I like flavored bread, like chocolate zucchini bread.
What makes bread not vegan?
As I mentioned in the bagels section, homemade bakery items, like bread, tend to have eggs and dairy in them. In other cases, bread isn’t vegan because it contains honey. Stricter vegans might not eat it unless it is organic because regular sugar processed in the United States usually has bone char.
Is homemade bread vegetarian?
Yes, bread is suitable for vegetarians. I can’t think of any reason why bread wouldn’t be vegan unless it were an odd recipe.
Try these vegan bread recipes today.
11. Vegan Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chips
Pumpkin is my favorite fall flavor. Have some chocolate chip pumpkin bread from ElaVegan.
Here are additional vegan pumpkin recipes.
12. Whole Wheat Vegan Monkey Bread
I’m in the mood for some monkey bread because it’s so tasty. One idea is to make this vegan monkey bread from From My Bowl.
13. Vegan Fruit and Nut Bread
This fruit and nut bread recipe from Bianca Zapatka reminds me of the fruitcake in Christmas movies and episodes that everyone pretends to like, but no one does. Fortunately, this bread is delicious.
If you like cake, you may enjoy my vegan cake blog post.
14. The Best Vegan Banana Bread
You can’t call yourself a bread expert without knowing how to make banana bread. Bake some vegan banana bread from The Hidden Veggies.
15. Vegan Cinnamon Bun Bread
Cinnamon rolls are so good that they need to be a bread flavor. Try some cinnamon bun bread from FoodByMaria.
5 Vegan Cereal Recipes
I used to have cereal all of the time for breakfast before I went vegan. I went through stages of eating Corn Pops, Honeycomb Cereal, Cheerios, and more. Nowadays, I sometimes have a cereal mix with granola, puffed grains, chocolate chips, pepitas, and raisins.
Unfortunately, so many cereals aren’t vegan that I only eat cereal labeled vegan.
Why aren’t cereals always vegan?
Numerous cereals aren’t vegan because they contain honey and/or milk. Also, some of their vitamins and preservatives aren’t vegan. For example, vitamin D3 in Chex cereals is made out of sheep wool.
Are all cereals vegetarian?
All cereals should be suitable for vegetarians because there shouldn’t be any meat in them. Even if any of the cereals’ preservatives aren’t technically vegetarian, the majority of vegetarians would still consider the cereals to be vegetarian and eat them anyway.
Make some vegan cereal recipes today. If you prefer store-bought cereal, try these vegan cereals.
16. Homemade Vegan Cookie Cereal
Who wants a vegan alternative to Cookie Crisp? Then have some vegan cookie cereal from Veggie Jam.
If you prefer actual cookies over cookie cereal, check out my vegan cookie blog post.
17. Vegan Pancake Cereal
In 2020, pancake cereal was super trendy on TikTok. Make your vegan pancake cereal with the help of The Foodie Takes Flight.
18. Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal
Most of my family likes Reese’s Puffs, even though I dislike them due to disliking peanut butter. If you like Reese’s Puffs too, try this chocolate peanut butter cereal from Sweet Vegan Sara.
19. Vegan Cereal
If you like Honey Bunches of Oats, here’s a cereal recipe for you. Make some vegan oat cereal from Vegan Heaven.
20. Maple Quinoa Granola Cereal
Another common cereal type is granola cereal. Try this maple quinoa granola cereal from Peanut Butter Plus Chocolate.
5 Vegan Croissant Recipes
I participated in the college marching band as a flute player. While in the band, I traveled to Italy to perform in the 2017 Rome New Year’s Day Parade. Three months before I went vegan, I ate whatever was cheap and looked good on the menu.
For breakfast, my band instructor got the hotel to make exclusive breakfast buffets for the band members and staff in one of the hotel conference rooms. One of the most common breakfast items there was a croissant. To be clear, they weren’t anywhere close to being the cute little Pillsbury crescent rolls that you can find in the refrigerator aisle in most American grocery stores. Instead, they were fresh, huge, and super buttery.
If I go to Italy again, I have no idea what to eat in regular restaurants because most authentic Italian pasta dishes contain eggs. At least I know for sure that I won’t be eating any croissants there ever again.
Why aren’t croissants vegan?
As I hinted with the word “buttery,” croissants aren’t vegan because they contain dairy. They also have eggs. The croissant’s cousin, Pillsbury crescent rolls, isn’t vegan because they contain regular sugar typically processed in bone char.
Are croissants vegetarian?
Croissants are generally vegetarian. The only thing to watch out for is if people stuff croissants with meat, which is abnormal.
21. Vegan Croissants
The first vegan croissant recipe I have for you is by one of my favorite German vegan bloggers, Bianca Zapatka. In addition to croissants, she makes a lot of vegan desserts and German recipes.
22. Super Easy Vegan Croissants
The following croissant recipe is from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. This is a Canadian vegan blog with a ton of vegan comfort food recipes.
23. Vegan French Croissants
Even though all of these croissant recipes are very similar, it’s nice to have multiple interpretations on how to make the same thing. This French croissant recipe is from Veganosity, a Chicagoan vegan blog done by a mother and her daughter.
24. Vegan Croissants
If you have any tips or tricks to making croissants, tell me them in the comments. Either way, check out this vegan croissant recipe from Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen, a vegan blog based in Colorado.
25. The Ultimate Vegan Croissant
Seitan is my Motor is another German vegan blog, which has a lot of German recipes. Here is their vegan croissant recipe.
5 Vegan Donut Recipes
When my siblings and I were little, my parents got us packaged donuts if we behaved in church, one chocolate and another powdered. Nowadays, I don’t have that many sweets anymore, let alone donuts.
We ate at a local vegan-friendly establishment next to a donut shop with a few vegan options two years ago. The donut shop closed right after eating, and my family thought the store purposely tortured its bystanders by leaving the donut display lights on after closing time. I will never forget the disappointment on their faces, but we ended up getting some treats at Hy-Vee on the way home to make up for that.
Sadly, almost all of the tasty donuts that you see at gas stations, donut shops, and bakeries aren’t vegan.
Why aren’t donuts vegan?
Donuts (aka doughnuts) are similar to many bakery items because they aren’t vegan due to dairy and eggs. Also, some people fry their donuts in lard (pig fat).
Are donuts vegetarian?
Most donuts are vegetarian, except when they are fried in lard. However, most vegetarians restrict themselves to eating no meat, like no chicken in their quesadillas or no pepperoni on a pizza. In other words, they usually are less concerned about lard being in their cooking and baking than vegans are. Please don’t use lard when you make food for both vegetarians and vegans to stay on the safe side.
Here are some vegan donut recipes that you should try today.
26. Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Donuts
Hazelnuts can be made into more things besides Nutella. Why not try these chocolate hazelnut donuts from Vegan Heaven?
27. Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
If you like snickerdoodles, here are the perfect donuts for you. Make some cinnamon sugar donuts from The Vegan 8.
28. Vegan Glazed Donuts
Glazed donuts are classics. Make some glazed donuts with the help of Domestic Gothess.
29. Baked Apple Cider Donuts
My family loves eating cider donuts and caramel apples while we’re at the apple orchard. Bake these apple cider donuts from From My Bowl.
Cider donuts are some of many traditional American recipes.
30. Vegan Baked Chocolate Donuts
I love chocolate so much that I had to include another chocolate donut recipe. Here are some baked chocolate donuts from Splurge with Ella.
5 Vegan Egg Recipes
Eggs are the most versatile breakfast food on the menu because there are many ways to make them: sunny side up, fried, scrambled, etc. That does not include the different breakfast dishes that feature eggs, from omelets to frittatas.
In case you are not aware, eggs aren’t vegan.
Why aren’t eggs vegan?
Eggs aren’t vegan because they are unfertilized offspring of hens.
Are eggs vegetarian?
Yes, eggs are vegetarian. To clarify, vegetarians don’t eat chicken because they abstain from meat but eat eggs because they aren’t meat. Since store-bought eggs aren’t fertilized, they are just something that comes out of a chicken, just like milking a cow. When eggs get fertilized, they become chicks, which aren’t vegetarian.
Try these vegan egg recipes, and if you want a plant-based alternative to eggs, many use Just Egg.
31. Cheesy Vegan Breakfast Tacos
Who’s in the mood for some tacos? Have some breakfast tacos from hot for food.
You may also like my blog post on vegan taco recipes.
32. The Best Tofu Scramble
One of the most common ways my family made eggs was scrambled eggs with ham and cheddar cheese. A vegan alternative is this tofu scramble recipe from Sweet Potato Soul.
33. Vegan Sausage Egg and Cheese Rolls
A superb breakfast idea is making breakfast rolls. Try some sausage egg cheese rolls from Make It Dairy Free.
34. Breakfast Noodle Bowl
Noodles are so good, but this was the first time I found a noodle dish for breakfast. Have this breakfast noodle bowl from Cheap Lazy Vegan.
35. Vegan Fried Egg
When we made eggs at home before I went vegan, I had some fried egg sandwiches. Grab a couple of slices of toast to sandwich this vegan fried egg from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.
5 Vegan Cinnamon Roll Recipes
They serve these huge, frosted cinnamon rolls on platters with caramel sticky buns and frosted donuts at church breakfasts. My family and I usually don’t make cinnamon rolls at home, except for the holidays.
However, I made some vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls with my cousin and one of my brothers a couple of times. Otherwise, I haven’t had many cinnamon rolls since going vegan because they aren’t ordinarily vegan.
Why aren’t cinnamon rolls vegan?
Cinnamon rolls contain dairy in the butter, cream cheese (frosting), and milk. They also have eggs like other pastry items. Regular sugar is typically bleached in gelatin (bone char).
Are cinnamon rolls vegetarian?
Cinnamon rolls should be acceptable for vegetarians unless they are picky about making cinnamon rolls without gelatin.
Try these vegan cinnamon roll recipes today.
36. Peaches and Cream Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
For over a month, I’ve eaten a lot of fresh peaches. Try this peaches and cream cinnamon roll recipe from Make It Dairy Free.
Here are more peach recipes.
37. 1-Hour Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
When making cinnamon rolls, remember to have dental floss handy because that is what you use to cut the cinnamon rolls before putting them into the pan. Make some cinnamon rolls with the help of Nora Cooks.
38. Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
When Christmas is in the air, gingerbread-flavored food is perfect for spreading the holiday cheer. Bake some gingerbread cinnamon rolls from Domestic Gothess.
Who wants more gingerbread recipes?
39. Vegan Baklava Cinnamon Rolls
One of my mom’s doctor friends gave my mom baklava as a present for the holidays. Try some baklava cinnamon rolls from Fueled Naturally.
40. Vegan Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
You can make more baked goods with bananas besides banana bread. Have some banana bread cinnamon rolls from Ambitious Kitchen.
5 Vegan Granola Recipes
I recently started eating more granola. I sometimes mix it in my cereal. Other times, I have it plain or with some fruit. No matter if you like granola or not, be aware that a lot of granola that you find in the store isn’t vegan.
Why isn’t granola always vegan?
The main culprits to non-vegan granola are honey, dairy, and regular sugar. Honey isn’t vegan because it comes from bees. Similarly, dairy isn’t vegan due to originating from cows. Lastly, regular sugar sometimes gets processed in bone char, especially in the United States.
Is granola vegetarian?
Yes, all granola should be vegetarian. However, there may be a few vegetarians that don’t eat regular sugar, but I haven’t encountered any vegetarians who eat this strictly yet.
Try these vegan granola recipes today. If you would rather buy some from the store, some vegan-friendly granola brands include but are not limited to Safe + Fair, Nature’s Path, Kind, and Cascadian Farm.
41. Healthy Chocolate Granola Recipe
My favorite granola flavor is chocolate. Have some chocolate granola from The Banana Diaries.
42. Vanilla Almond Granola
The main issue I have with most granolas and granola bars is their nuts and nut butter. I’m apparently an outlier because I don’t like nuts and nut butters.
If you like almonds, make some vanilla almond granola from Simply Quinoa.
43. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Granola
Cinnamon Toast Crunch is one of the best cereals around, so why not make it into a granola flavor? Prep some Cinnamon Toast Crunch granola with the help of Daisybeet.
You may also like the section on vegan cereal recipes.
44. Tiger Nut Granola
Tiger nuts are tubers that look like chickpeas. If you’re interested in trying some, make this tiger nut granola recipe from Healthy Taste of Life.
45. Salty Sweet Squash Seed Granola
You can also save seeds from winter squash to make granola. Try this squash seed granola written by the magazine Closed Loop Cooking.
Here are more winter squash recipes.
5 Vegan Hash Brown Recipes
Hash browns come in many shapes and sizes. From McDonald’s hash brown patties to shredded hash browns, this breakfast potato dish seems like the most likely dish to be vegan behind a fruit bowl. Unfortunately, many hash brown dishes at diners, fast food joints, and restaurants aren’t vegan.
Why aren’t hash browns usually vegan?
Even though hash browns themselves may be originally vegan, their prep typically isn’t vegan. Many food places make hash browns in the same food equipment as non-vegan food without cleaning in between (cross-contamination). Other times, people cook hash browns in butter instead of oil.
Are hash browns vegetarian?
Yes, regular hash browns are vegetarian. The main exception is breakfast casserole. Even though it’s a giant hash brown dish, it may contain ham, sausage, or bacon.
Try these vegan hash brown recipes today.
46. Vegan Breakfast Hash
Who likes diced hash browns? Then try this breakfast hash recipe from plant.well.
47. Vegan Cauliflower Hash Browns
I really like McDonald’s hash brown patties. If you want some vegan ones, have some cauliflower hash browns from Healthier Steps.
48. Hash Brown Vegan Breakfast Casserole
I like making breakfast casserole every once and a while. Use some shredded hash browns in this breakfast casserole recipe from EatPlant-Based.
49. Vegan Hash Browns
Bianca Zapatka is one of the best vegan bakers around. One of her breakfast dishes is this hash brown recipe.
50. Easy Crispy Hash Browns
Shredded hash browns are so good. Make crispy hash browns from The Green Creator.
Conclusion
Even though I’m not that into breakfast food, it’s good to be familiar with why many ordinary breakfast dishes aren’t vegan and how to accommodate vegans, vegetarians, and plant-based eaters. I could give you a thousand hints to make me some brunch if you knew me personally, but don’t hold your breath.
If you have nothing better to do with your life, please let me know what your favorite things are for breakfast in the comments. I’m more of a Buddy the Elf kind of breakfast eater, minus the love for Christmas, sweets, and an overly optimistic attitude.
Yes, I want to eat some plain spaghetti noodles for breakfast with the company of my cats. Begone, so I can eat in peace.