The only problem with “losing weight after the holidays” is that, well, it seems like there’s a holiday every month. Valentine’s Day chocolate, patriotic cookouts, and of course Easter dinner all make sticking to resolutions difficult. Even if you don’t have weight loss goals, eating healthier around the holidays can help improve your mental health and make you feel better inside and out. Easter brunch recipes are notoriously packed with unhealthy ingredients, but they don’t have to be.
How to Make Your Easter Brunch Healthier
Some healthy dishes are just as impressive as those gooey cinnamon rolls and trays of greasy bacon. While those indulgences might feel amazing at the moment, they can make you feel heavy and slow-moving for the rest of the day. Instead, opt for recipes with less sugar and more whole grain ingredients.
Processed and refined food is heavy on our bodies, and just choosing the right recipes and ingredient swaps can help you feel better.
Easter Brunch Ingredient Swaps
Whether you’re making pancakes, french toast, or a savory dish, there are several ingredient swaps you can do to make a dish healthier. Cut the fat and sugar with these swaps. You can also add veggies like zucchini into baked goods without affecting the taste.
- Swap dark chocolate with cacao powder
- Substitute whole wheat/quinoa flour for white flour
- Swap milk with coconut/almond milk
- Swap butter for Greek yogurt
Whether you’re cooking for two or a large group, we scoured the web for the tastiest (and most nutritious) meals around. Avoid the post-Easter food coma with these super satisfying and healthy Easter brunch ideas. From healthy-ish to ultra-nourishing, here are our top 15 sweet and savory picks.
1. Tie Dye Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are tasty frozen treats that make it feel like you’re eating ice cream for breakfast. Whereas some smoothie bowls are overly sweet and sugar-packed, this one blends sweet fruit with complex, nutrient-packed ingredients like kale, tahini, and avocado. The result is a tie-dyed green smoothie bowl that tastes incredible with any toppings.
2. Butternut Squash Shakshuka
The classic shakshuka is made with tomato sauce and feta, but this healthy and easy recipe features butternut squash as the main star of the dish. A creamy and hearty addition to the tangy feta cheese and aromatic herbs, this filling meal is best served with grilled pita. An unusual special occasion brunch that’s also great for everyday meals.
3. Build-Your-Own Waffle Bar
If you need to feed a lot of people with different tastes, you can never, ever go wrong with a waffle bar. The only catch is that you need to make the waffles with good-for-you ingredients. Much like the pancakes, avoid white flour and cane sugar. Use whole wheat or buckwheat-based batter, and, add healthy toppings to the bar. Honey, fruit, and nuts make a healthy alternative to unhealthy ingredients.
4. Turkey Sausage Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast burritos are both versatile and delicious They’re supremely filling but can be laden with secretly unhealthy ingredients. While using flour tortillas is cheating a little bit, keeping the filling healthy balances everything out. Instead of using regular, fatty sausage, try seasoning some turkey sausage in its place. Eggs, mushrooms, spinach, tomato, onion, peppers, etc. make excellent additions to the filling.
5. Spiced Butternut Squash Muffins
You might see sweet potato muffins more commonly, but butternut squash is a vitamin-packed powerhouse that adds a subtle sweetness to a muffin without giving it that overly healthy feel of a bran muffin. Spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger, this is a perfect recipe to swap butter for Greek yogurt.
6. Italian Breakfast Casserole
If quiche is a little too much work for you, consider making a breakfast casserole. Breakfast casseroles consist of eggs and anything else you want easily baked together in one dish. For a healthier option, I love an Italian breakfast casserole. Spinach or arugula, tomato, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese make a delicious addition to the eggs and keep things on the healthier side.
7. Citrus Cured Salmon
Is any holiday brunch meal really complete without smoked salmon? This citrus-cured option is healthy yet still tastes decadent. It can be added to salads or served as a tartine. If guests are coming over, you can even display it buffet-style as an impressive but low-maintenance spread. Complete it with plates of capers, red onion, whole wheat bagels and vegan or low-fat cream cheese.
8. Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread
In lieu of that calorie-laden lemon pound cake from Starbucks, opt for a homemade glazed lemon zucchini bread instead. It tastes gourmet but is no-fuss to put together. It’s also is an ideal way to use over leftover zucchini – while getting your daily vegetable quota. Ideal for anti-veggie kids who need their daily serving.
9. Zucchini Feta Bread
A great alternative to cornbread or savory cheese scones, this zucchini feta bread is the ultimate side or main dish to your Easter brunch. It can be served as a side with eggs, or with a shakshuka-style dish to soak up a flavorful stew. Bake it in a loaf pan and once the skewer test is completed, dig in. If you want a sweet alternative, sub the feta for
10. Healthy Berry Streusel
Did you know you can make healthy streusel? And that it actually tastes amazing? Neither did I. If you use fresh berries, whole-grain oats, almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, etc., you end up with an amazingly sweet brunch item that costs you very few calories. This is one of the most popular Easter brunch ideas for a crowd, so give it a shot!
11. Buckwheat Crepes
Like a waffle bar, the trick of pulling off healthy crepes is to watch the toppings. These crepes are made with buckwheat crepes and are entirely customizable but always a crowd-pleaser. From egg, veggie, and cheese combinations to sweeter choices like fresh fruit, yogurt, and honey, the possibilities are endless with this holiday-appropriate dish.
12. Pesto Potato Crustless Quiche
While a full-sized quiche is definitely a classic, these bite-sized versions are little morsels that your tastebuds are missing out on. Swapping the traditional crust for a healthier potato substitute, these protein-loaded mini quiches are filled with potatoes, basil pesto, and turkey bacon, which can always be subbed for veggie bacon. Plus, they’re freezer-friendly for make-ahead meals.
13. Spring Brunch Cobb Salad
The news is in: salads are officially not boring anymore, and this salad proves it. Just swap that bacon for a turkey, chicken, or vegetarian alternative and you’re good to go. Filled with gorgeous colors and textures and served with a herb vinaigrette, this smoked salmon and veggie-packed superfood salad will be the best Cobb Salad you’ve ever had.
14. Avocado Deviled Eggs
This recipe merges avocado toast with deviled eggs with a genius recipe we never knew we needed. Swapping the typically unhealthy filling of devilled eggs with a unique take on guacamole, you can easily binge-snack on these all day without feeling guilty. A creamy and mild dish that’s appropriate for kids, but you can always add jalapeno, cayenne, or sriracha.
15. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Somehow, when you take oatmeal from its porridge-like consistency to baking it in the oven, something magical happens. It’s essentially the sweet, healthy version of an eggy breakfast casserole. Very filling and packed with fiber, you can top this nutritious alternative to baked French toast with any seasonal fresh fruit your heart desires.
Healthy Easter Brunch Cocktail Recipes
We couldn’t give you all these mouthwatering Easter brunch/breakfast recipes without something to wash it down with. Alcohol is a major contributor to calories, especially when you pair it with sugary mixers. Instead, get your buzz on with these healthier holiday cocktail alternatives – omit the alcohol for the mocktail version.
Strawberry Basil Kombucha Cocktail
Kombucha is filled with probiotics, making this a delicious choice that’s good for your gut.
Sparkling Pomegranate Mimosas
Skip the sugary fruit juices and opt for antioxidant-packed pure pomegranate juice. With just a splash and the addition of some pomegranate seeds, this champagne-based breakfast drink is sure to impress. For mocktails, swap champagne for sparkling water.
Honey Mint Melon Wine Cocktail
With or without alcohol, this is one of the most unique wine cocktail recipes we’ve come across. The result is an unexpected blend of flavors that work in perfect harmony – for a slushie-like consistency rather than a smoothie, blend for a shorter amount of time. This is a spritzer you’ll never forget.
Ready to Succeed?
Hopefully, you now feel prepared to cruise past Easter without sacrificing your health goals. That said, balance is everything. If you do want to indulge, do so without feeling guilty and try to get a little gentle movement in throughout your day. While we encourage healthy eating and believe food can be medicinal, breaking free of the diet mindset can be surprisingly freeing. Don’t forget to treat yourself every once in a while, even if that means using real bacon instead of turkey bacon. Life is short! Enjoy every moment.
