Southern Brunch Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

There’s nothing better than brunch for a special occasion, so I’ve pulled together a list of the best Southern brunch recipes, everything from scrambled eggs, shrimp and grits, to braided danish.

Brunch is one of my favorite ways to slow down with family, enjoy time together and have some of our favorite breakfasts. Brunch is also perfect for celebrations like Mother’s day, Christmas morning, and any extra special times.

A southern breakfast or brunch is usually a hearty breakfast and tends to be on the heavier side with lots of meat, different kinds of breads, and lots of cheese. If there’s fruit it’s usually cooked into a pie, cake, or pastry.

Pancakes and waffles with sweet and savory toppings, breakfast casseroles, and sausage gravy and homemade biscuits are all regulars for a breakfast or brunch in the south.

21 Southern Brunch Recipes

There are so many different options for brunch! I put together a list of 21 of my suggestions for different occasions.

Most of these recipes are easy and inexpensive to make, which makes them perfect for a brunch gathering with a group of people. Many of them are also highly customizable to make them perfect for your family’s preferences.

1. Charleston Style Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits is a traditional breakfast and brunch recipe. This recipe is made with creamy, cheesy grits topped with shrimp and bacon.

This is a super rich and hearty southern brunch dish. Not to mention the recipe is so easy to make and only takes 45 minutes. This recipe is probably better for smaller group occasions or even better for just your slow Saturday morning at home.

2. Baked Apple French Toast

French toast is a southern brunch menu staple and this baked apple french toast is dressed up just enough to make the perfect addition to a Christmas brunch or just a nice treat for your family on a Saturday morning.

This is a casserole which means it’s one of those great make ahead brunch recipes that you can prep the night before and then throw in the oven in the morning.

3. Cheesy Bacon Hash Brown Casserole

This cheesy bacon hash brown casserole is a favorite recipe in my house since my husband and boys are the meat and potatoes type of guys.

This casserole is perfect for lazy weekends and the hash browns make it hearty enough to eat for any meal. This makes a great brunch recipe but it’s also a great southern dinner recipe!

4. Bacon Cheddar Quiche

Quiche is such a fancy way to eat eggs and it’s the perfect recipe to take with you to a brunch. These are so easy to make and it would be really simple to make several different kinds of quiche to make everyone happy. This is such a simple recipe is always a hit no matter where I take it and the whole family enjoys it too!

5. Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

Cinnamon rolls are a very popular southern food for breakfast and brunch. This cinnamon roll coffee cake is a delicious take on cinnamon rolls to take to your next brunch get together.

This moist and light cake has warm cinnamon and brown sugar flavors. This will become one of your favorite brunch recipes for slow mornings when you have time to make this sweet treat.

6. Strawberry Jam Baked Brie

This strawberry jam baked brie is a very popular recipe. The best part is that it only has three ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make. This is the perfect brunch recipe for a special event or occasion. Go ahead and make two because it’s not going to last long!

7. Cinnamon Roll Waffles

This is another take on cinnamon rolls and I think it’s pretty genius. This is a great slow Saturday morning brunch idea for you and your family. All you need is a waffle maker and pre-made cinnamon roll dough and icing.

Imagine the gooey delicious flavor of cinnamon rolls but made like homemade waffles. A crispy outside from the waffle maker and that familiar soft cinnamon roll inside. This is an absolutely delicious way to enjoy cinnamon rolls.

8. Cheesy Everything Bagel Overnight Casserole

This is a great hearty casserole to add to a brunch buffet or having ready to pop in the oven for Easter brunch. If you need to feed a crowd, casseroles in general are a good idea. This one is made with bagels, bacon, eggs, and cheese. It’s rich, filly, and satisfying, and best of all, it’s inexpensive to make.

9. Easy Pecan Cinnamon Roll Biscuits

This is another super simple recipe that starts with refrigerated biscuits with some extra toppings that really transform them into a special treat.

These are both stuffed and covered with a cinnamon butter mixture that gets all gooey and bubbly. These are the perfect treat for a holiday brunch and you might want to make extra because they’ll go fast.

10. Apple Danish Braid

This apple danish braid is a seasonal interpretation of my braided strawberry danish. These recipes are so simple, but look so fancy. They would make a great addition to an Easter morning brunch or to the brunch table for a mid-morning baby shower brunch. These Danish braids are so pretty and deceivingly look like they take a lot of work.

11. Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

This slow cooker breakfast casserole can be cooked overnight or started first thing in the morning and eaten for brunch. The ingredients are just layered into your slow cooker and then it’s hands off for hours. Cook it faster just by turning up the temperature. Once it’s cooked, you can add your preferred toppings, but I recommend green onion or salsa.

12. Overnight Breakfast Enchiladas

This recipe is amazing! Not just because it can be prepped the night before, although that helps for sure. It’s amazing because the flavors and ingredients of this dish just melt in your mouth. If you’re looking for make-ahead recipes for brunch, you definitely need to try this one. You won’t be disappointed!

13. Chocolate Babka Bread

Babka bread is a traditional eastern European bread that has made its way to the South. It’s the perfect treat for a holiday brunch spread. This one is great to put on your list of Easter recipes. This one is a little more labor intensive but it’s worth the outcome of this rich, moist, and chocolatey bread.

14. Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole

This apple fritter breakfast casserole is the definition of decadent. It’s rich, creamy, sweet, moist, and so super satisfying. The gooey cinnamon rolls mixed with the cooked apples is an absolutely delicious combination bursting with flavor in every single bite. Everyone will love this casserole for brunch!

15. Breakfast Waffle Tacos

Breakfast waffle tacos are so cute and so tasty! These would be great for a cute brunch set up! Waffles made into taco shells and stuffed with scrambled eggs, sausage, peppers, potatoes, cheese, sour cream and tomatoes. These are an amazing twist on regular old breakfast and brunch recipes.

16. Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is a sweet dessert, and a great way to use up leftover or stale bread. This easy recipe can be made with any bread you have laying around: French loaf, Italian, even regular old sandwich bread!

17. Healthy Huevos Rancheros Bowls 

These healthy breakfast or brunch bowls are perfect for a small brunch gathering or a slow morning with family.

Huevos rancheros are not typically healthy, but this recipe is cleaned up! These are full of healthy beans and topped with an egg and other flavorful toppings!

18. Easy Bacon Cheddar Quiche

This quiche is so easy and delicious! My kids love quiche and will eat it for any meal. This recipe is perfect for a brunch because it’s easy to make and super inexpensive, which makes it great for feeding larger groups of people.

Quiche comes together quickly and is very easily customizable. You can make several different small quiches with added ingredients like veggies or different kinds of meat instead of bacon.

19. Almond Coffee Cake Ring

This almond coffee cake ring has a mild but delicious flavor. It’s perfect paired with coffee or tea! Add this to your brunch buffet and you’ll have lots of satisfied people! This recipe does require quite a bit of time to prepare, but most of the time is hands off while you’re waiting on the dough to rise.

20. Nutella Turnovers

This Nutella turnovers recipe is the easiest recipe on this list. You won’t believe just how easy these are! These make a great addition to a brunch spread.

Warm and flaky puff pastry drizzled with Nutella will probably be the first things gone from your brunch lineup. Everyone will love these! You can even add some sliced or crushed nuts on top like slivered almonds for a little extra flavor.

21. Scrambled Eggs and Corned Beef Hash

We have to admit, we have the secret to perfect scrambled eggs and they are wonderful for a brunch when served up with some corned beef hash! You can cook up crispy corned beef hash from a can or make your own corned beef hash using canned corned beef. Either way, this is a delicious brunch!

22. Tomato Pie

Finally, this list would not be complete without tomato pie! Layers of cheesy sweet tomatoes in a flaky crust make this easy recipe a hit at every brunch.