Cozy Holiday Breakfasts

Healthy, festive recipes for holiday mornings

I hope you have a nice long break this week between Christmas and New Year’s. But even if you have to work like I do, this slice of time has a certain relaxed peacefulness to it. Hopefully it’s a little less demanding than most, allowing, perhaps, for a more leisurely breakfast, ideally while still in your pajamas and in the company of family and/or friends. These breakfast/brunch recipes are just what you need to bring cozy, holiday vibes to the table in a healthy way. Enjoy!

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Gingerbread Oatmeal

This recipe give you the essence of gingerbread served in a warm bowl for breakfast. Aromatic cinnamon, cloves, and ginger wafting from a comforting bowl of oatmeal provides all the cozy holiday vibes in the most nourishing way. An optional dollop of whipped cream on top makes it extra festive.

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Mushroom and Swiss Chard Strata With Gruyere

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg and food styling by Lisa Cherkasky; for The Washington Post

Here’s a crowd-pleasing, make ahead breakfast/brunch dish that’s ideal for the holiday week. It has all the ease and splendor of a typical overnight breakfast bake, but in a more healthful way. Made with whole-grain bread, it brims with sautéed mushrooms and ribbons of Swiss chard, is fragrant with herbs and has just enough nutty Gruyere cheese to make it rich and flavorful. Once baked, it puffs gloriously with a bread-pudding-like texture inside and a crispy top.

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Banana Bread with Chocolate Drizzle

Photo by Sreal Boruchin

This decadently moist, delightfully sweet cake is made with whole-grain flour and much less added sugar than what's called for in typical banana bread recipes, giving you all the sweet satisfaction you crave, in a more healthful way, and making it an easy fit for a holiday breakfast spread, or with a hot cup of whatever you brew in the afternoon.

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