What's your favorite vegan breakfast?

February 24, 2022 1:07 PM

I'll be vegan before six for lent this year. But it'd almost be easier to be vegan after nine, because while I've got a lot of vegan lunch and dinner recipes, pretty much everything I eat for breakfast has eggs or dairy. What are your favorite options?

Breakfasts are usually pretty simple (cereal and milk, toast and cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs and a granola bar), and while I'm interested in more complicated things for the weekend, I'll need to keep things simple during the week.

I'm especially interested in things that aren't just "replace the dairy milk with a substitute." I know Cheerios and oat milk will be a staple, but what else can we do?

posted by thecaddy to Food & Drink (61 answers total)

Easy, quick, portable: Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich on multigrain bread.
posted by mmf at 1:09 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]

Oatmeal + nut butter (or sunflower seed butter etc.) + maple syrup
posted by wintersweet at 1:09 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oatmeal (or overnight oats).

Fruit and granola
posted by hydra77 at 1:09 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]

Oatmeal, granola, fruit, and coffee is my breakfast every day (I don't like variety). If you want some more protein there are some high-protein seeds or muesli for mixins instead of g.

Toast + nut butter + banana is a good balanced breakfast too.
posted by muddgirl at 1:13 PM on February 24, 2022

Ah! Can't believe I forgot the breakfast of champions: avocado toast!
posted by muddgirl at 1:14 PM on February 24, 2022 [11 favorites]

I see you're in the US - yes, classical American breakfasts lean into dairy/eggs, but in many countries beans and grains are part of breakfast. Cooked rice and prepared beans can be made in large quantities and stored in the fridge, and easily reheated in the morning. I've had this be my go-to breakfast at times when I needed a really hearty breakfast.
posted by coffeecat at 1:15 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]

tofu scramble! there are about a million recipes out there for it, but the gist of it is you crumble a block of firm tofu into a pan, and fry it up with a bunch of spices to make a vegan version of scrambled eggs - Turmeric is the main spice, both for flavour and for the sunny colour, but also salt pepper, cumin, onion and garlic, it's awesome
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:18 PM on February 24, 2022 [8 favorites]

You can make a decent pancake with bananas and oats.
posted by redlines at 1:18 PM on February 24, 2022

Steelcut oats (cooked in Instant Pot with banana, cinnamon, ginger and teeny bit of cloves), with frozen blueberries. Every day! Sometimes sprinkle of ground flax on top. I used to sprinkle brown sugar or some maple syrup on top, but haven't in ages.
posted by Glinn at 1:19 PM on February 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

You can make delicious oatmeal porridge with plant-based milk alternatives. Coconut, oats, soy, rice, almond... so many options. Try them all and find out which one you like best!
Of course, you can also have these with your regular cereals. But you knew that.

Instead of toast and cottage cheese: toast and nut butter, jam, hummus...
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:20 PM on February 24, 2022

Go international? Rice with brown curry and nattō? Vegan pan dulce? Beans, potatoes, and soyrizo?
posted by eotvos at 1:21 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]

Or consider a vegan Full English:
fried tomatoes + mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns. Tofu scramble if it appeals to you. Optionally: soy bacon or meat-free sausages.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:24 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]

Potatoes. You can microwave them or cook them ahead of time and store them.
posted by gt2 at 1:30 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]

Beans.

Soak a pound of dried beans. I love white beans for this recipe but you can do whatever you want.

Sautee some onions and chopped garlic in olive oil; add seasonings you're interested in. I'm really in to turmeric lately but you can do whatever. Add the soaked beans and water and bring to a simmer, then cover; when the beans are tender you can cook the cooking liquid down and then season to taste. Garnish with whatever fresh herbs you have lying around (I added tarragon and chives last time and they were delicious, but parsley is also great).

Eat them later with toast, or just on their own. I know you're asking for vegan recipes but I also really like them with a poached or fried egg on top.

Keep the rest of them in the fridge and they'll last you a good long while, depending on portion size and people eating.
posted by kdar at 1:40 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

My own breakfast is either oatmeal or a smoothie, but if you're missing eggs and you don't mind spending some money, I'd suggest giving Just Egg a try. It is miraculously like scrambled eggs. I eat it in a breakfast burrito with salsa, vegan sausage, and chopped green onions. I don't bother with vegan cheese. You could also skip the Just Egg and use tofu scramble or have bean burritos for breakfast.
posted by FencingGal at 1:42 PM on February 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

Rice, cocowhip (it’s like cool whip but made from coconut), and pineapple mixed together. Mmmm.

Toast, almond butter, banana, drizzle of maple syrup

Mashed banana, oats, mixed with fresh blueberries, cook like a pancake. Drizzle with maple syrup.

Oat/almond mild smoothie with frozen fruit
posted by Sassyfras at 1:43 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Most days, I either eat avocado toast or toast with hummus. Cereal with some kind of plant milk works too.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:43 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

I have a friend who can't get it past her nose, but kala namak (Himalayan black salt) has an eggy, sulphurous flavour that I love. You might enjoy it on your tofu scramble. It's also fabulous on the aforementioned avocado toast. Pro tip: rub your toast with a split garlic clove as soon as it comes out of the toaster.
posted by kate4914 at 1:43 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]

Oh, if international, pongal/khichdi (sub oil for ghee). Probably more of a weekend thing, though it can be a quick weekday breakfast if you make the pongal in a batch ahead of time.

Or, dosa made with a premixed dosa batter available in Indian grocery stores. Just spread onto a griddle like a thin pancake -- fairly quick.
posted by redlines at 1:44 PM on February 24, 2022

Cantonese breakfast tend to be rice crepes (cheong fun), rice porridge (with whatever extra fixings), and maybe some of the vegetarian dimsums like spinach dumpling. Add soy milk and fried Chinese donut (youtiao).
posted by kschang at 1:44 PM on February 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

I've done the British beans on toast thing before for breakfast, and it's an easy way to get some protein in the morning.
posted by indexy at 1:45 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Freeze two large peeled bananas. Break into pieces and drop into a food processor and process until it has a texture of panko. Add into it any one of the following items:

• 1 clementine
• half a tangerine
• a few tablespoons of OJ or other fruit juice
• 2 T of cocoa powder and a few tablespoons of fresh coffee
Process until you get a texture like ice cream. Top with granola if you like. Enjoy your nice cream for breakfast.

posted by plinth at 1:46 PM on February 24, 2022

Coconut yogurt is the bomb imo and I eat dairy. I mean I know you said no substitutes but it's so easy and great. Coconut yogurt and a little granola with some fruit.

I also like a Johnny Boy, coined from a local coffee shop sadly long gone, bread, nut butter, sliced banana, cinnamon and honey or vegan alternate.
posted by rdnnyc at 1:48 PM on February 24, 2022

There are many brands of frozen waffles and pancakes that happen to be vegan. This list is very useful. I 'll make a couple of frozen waffles and top them with chopped fruit and a handful of nuts and a little maple syrup. This morning I had the waffles with apples, pecans and maple syrup. Very delicious. I've also been known to use the waffles as a vehicle for almond butter and jam.
posted by Pineapplicious at 1:53 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Cubed potatoes cooked with chopped onion and bell pepper (frozen potato cubes work great). Add hot sauce to taste.
posted by neushoorn at 1:53 PM on February 24, 2022

Breakfast tacos! Versatile and filling. You can prep everything in advance and throw together in three minutes or less. If you make it a burrito or a bowl, you could just grab one out of the fridge and reheat. Protein: beans, tofu scramble, vegan cheese or sour cream. Carbs: tortilla, rice, hashbrowns, breakfast potatoes. Toppings: salsa, cilantro, onion, avocado, tomatoes, corn, peppers, hot sauce...
posted by lloquat at 1:57 PM on February 24, 2022 [5 favorites]

Breakfast sandwiches are quick. Just pan-fry some slabs of tofu (if you really want to go to Flavor Town, first spray with Bragg's Liquid Aminos or soy sauce and then sprinkle with nutritional yeast before it hits the hot pan), serve on a toasted English muffin with vegan mayo. You'll never look at breakfast the same again.
posted by mezzanayne at 1:58 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

I really enjoy chia pudding. Sub maple syrup or agave for the honey. It’s great with fruit: berries, bananas, even avocados are good.
posted by jeoc at 1:59 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Really anything can be a breakfast burrito if you eat it for breakfast, but I recommend meal-prepping a can of refried beans (or make your own) sauteed with a lot of soyrizo - get the whole mess pretty orange. And then also prep some arroz con tomate, with cilantro if you like it, or even lime and cilantro. I personally get pouch guacamole to not have to deal with avocado ripeness, but you do you. If you want it extra creamy, either go with dairy free sour cream or cheese; I do like mine that way. If you want an extra layer of something, do up a big batch of sauteed mushrooms or stir-fried eggplant or artichoke hearts or tofu or potatoes or whatever. Also pretty much every vegan meat-maker has a good breakfast-sausage-seasoned patty and/or link, if you do want that familiar flavor.

It's controversial, but I make mine by spreading the beans etc on the tortilla and throwing it in the air fryer unrolled, then I take it out and add my sauces, and then a big handful of lettuce, and then I roll it up. Lettuce is so good in burritos.

You can also go with a Mediterranean/Turkish-style breakfast of breads, beans and bean dips, pickled vegetables, and falafel or vegetable fritters.

Oatmeal is traditionally made with water rather than dairy, and you can go sweet or savory from there. Same with rice porridges, congee, jook, etc which can be made with vegetable broth and toppings.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:05 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

If you are looking for egg replacement I would suggest skipping "Just Egg" and looking up recipes for Cheela. Just Egg is a rip-off of Cheela - westernized and made more expensive.
posted by Julnyes at 2:08 PM on February 24, 2022 [7 favorites]

Another vote for avocado sandwiches, though I feel they are even better on whole grain rye bread. If you have the ingredients ready, it takes less than five minutes to make a delicious, filling and healthy breakfast. I have a tall glass of fennel tea with mine.

I like peanutbutter on whole grain rye two, it sticks less to the top of your mouth. Specially if you top the peanutbutter with a few slices of fresh-tasting apples.

In the Middle East, ful is a popular breakfast. It is often served with egg, but IMO that can be a bit overwhelming. I like to cook it a bit longer than in the recipe, but it keeps well, so cook a big batch for several days (maybe alternating with other foods).

We also eat fried rice for breakfast, if we have had rice with dinner the night before.
posted by mumimor at 2:11 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

I agree that Just Egg is expensive but if it's just a Lent thing idk it might be easier than soaking your own mung beans or whatever. I like their frozen pre-made squares of "egg" better than the liquidy stuff in the bottle. Just nuke for a minute and you have a little folded patty of egg like substance that fits perfectly on toast or a bagel.

I also like scrambled tofu with black salt and other spices, I prefer the extra firm silken tofu for the most egg-like texture. It's not as good as a runny fried egg but is good and really quick to make.
posted by misskaz at 2:13 PM on February 24, 2022

Also, most vegan cheese is awful but Tofutti vegan cream cheese is pretty good, and I just tried some Kite Hill vegan cream cheese a couple weeks ago that is delightful (but expensive and hard to find; my grocery store had it once and apparently never again).
posted by misskaz at 2:24 PM on February 24, 2022

All this talk about tofu reminds me that miso soup with silken tofu cubes is also a delicious light breakfast.
I have finally found an instant miso that I enjoy. Find the brand you like for fast breakfast food.
posted by mumimor at 2:26 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]

beans! on! toast!

about as easy to assemble as most toast situations, and features the protein hit you seem to gravitate towards in your breakfasts — in case you are, like Past Me, a clueless American unfamiliar with the process of beans on toast, it goes:

- make toast
- heat canned baked beans
- put some margarine on the toast
- put the toast on a plate
- spoon the beans over the toast
- eat with fork and knife

portion size very adjustable based on your needs; half a tin of beans to one slice of standard toast is a good ratio, you can save the other half for tomorrow if you’re a one-toast kind of person
posted by cabbage raccoon at 2:36 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]

Bite size shredded wheat (not frosted!), raisins, soy milk, banana, PB2. Every morning for last 20 years. Never got tired of it.
posted by charlesminus at 2:37 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Savory pie with silken tofu.

Cubed firm tofu roasted with potatoes topped with fresh or fire roasted salsa. You can cook it in batches Sunday night and parcel it out into a few meals.

Nthing oriental soups like the miso murmimor mentioned.

Quinoa bowl with avocado and fresh citrus.

Bagel and hummus.
posted by Candleman at 2:43 PM on February 24, 2022

and if it makes it easier, Archimandrite Adekllny of the First Church of MeFiOpolis absolves you of the need to do this the hard way, and go vegan after 9AM (terce, natch) instead. So it is written, so may it be done, or not; whatever and ever amen.

+in nomine dairy, et ovum, et cottage cheese, ramen+
posted by adekllny at 2:46 PM on February 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

My breakfast every day is a smoothie made with about 3/4 cups of water, six or seven ice cubes, six or seven frozen banana slices, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, a scoop of vanilla flavored vegan protein powder, about a tablespoon each flax and chia seeds, and about a cup of torn up kale. I look forward to it each morning. Oh, and with a black coffee chaser.
posted by Dolley at 3:32 PM on February 24, 2022

Nutritional yeast is good for a cheesy flavour - I like it on toast.
posted by elizabot at 3:47 PM on February 24, 2022

Almond or soy milk and oatmeal might have a bit more protein. Add a few almonds or walnuts and apricots.
A white or sweet baked potato with vegan butter is delicious, filling, warm, easy.
Wraps. any combination of refried or just mashed beans, mashed sweet potato, any leftover cooked veg., maybe some vegan sausage, rice, avocado, plus salsa.
Bagel or toast with peanut butter & Marmite(acquired taste, but I love it). Or peanut butter & fluff.
Brown rice with some oil, heated, and a bunch of kimchi. I go to the Asian market where kimchi is reasonably priced and fresh.
I had chickpea, garlic, lemon, spinach soup for breakfast today.
posted by theora55 at 3:51 PM on February 24, 2022

Grits! A nice creamy bowl of stone ground grits. Add vegan things to them.
posted by wondermouse at 3:58 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Instant oatmeal - Quaker packs with boiling water.
Add ins:
A big tablespoon of wheat bran for fibre
Frozen berries
Sliced banana or apple
Raisins
Any other dried or fresh fruit
Peanut or other nut butter
Non dairy Yogurt, cream, or milk
Protein powder
Cocoa powder
Nuts or seeds
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:00 PM on February 24, 2022

I'm lazy and depressed, so I've just been eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast lately. I mean, it's like having a slice of toast with jam and a slice of toast with peanut butter, except not toasted and stuck together.
posted by fiercecupcake at 4:00 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Toasted pita with hummus and other toppings (cucumber, tomato, olives, pickled vegetables, pine nuts?)
posted by vunder at 4:04 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]

You can pre-make vegan frittata/crustless quiche with tofu and/or chickpea flour. Here's one version that looks like the one I make. I also love these mini quiches with vegan breakfast sausage added (broccoli is nice too).

You can also make a quick "omelette" sort of thing (that's actually pudla) with equal parts chickpea flour and water with some salt and whatever herbs/spices you like - fry up some onions, add frozen peas or other veggies, pour over the batter, cover and cook for maybe 5ish minutes (until it's set and browned on the bottom; you can flip it to brown on both sides but mine tends to tear down the middle when I do).

All the things on toast mentioned above are great too.
posted by snaw at 5:05 PM on February 24, 2022

Steel cut oats with sesame oil, soy/tamari sauce, and any pickled vegetables or other savory things you wanna add to it.
posted by Liquidwolf at 5:24 PM on February 24, 2022

someone already mentioned natto but may I also recommend natto toast? mix up natto with Japanese mustard and tare or soy sauce (the tare packet that comes with typical frozen natto is usually not vegan, containing bonito flakes, so that might be out depending how strict you are being) and then spread it on toast. if you want a bit fancier, butter the toast first with margarine and add vegan parmesan (Violife is pretty good) shredded on top with black pepper.

regular natto can be a bit of an acquired taste, so if you are not already a natto fan, try the black natto from NYC's Nyrture (much nicer than frozen and they will ship in a glass recyclable jar instead of styrofoam clamshell, without mustard and tare packet). it's a bit milder with a nice nutty flavor and great for breakfast with coffee.
posted by okonomichiyaki at 6:02 PM on February 24, 2022

Other people have given good advice but ... unless you are really dedicated to breakfast food, just eat what you'd have for lunch otherwise for breakfast. Hummus wrap? Breakfast. Peanut/nut butter sandwich? Breakfast.

But yeah, overnight oats with non-dairy yogurt/milk works (and can be sweet or savory). I did a whole-grain toast with fat for a long time -- so either nut butter or avocado. Or hummus on toast.

For me, the main thing for breakfast was a carb + fat & protein. You may differ, though.
posted by edencosmic at 6:27 PM on February 24, 2022

Coconut yogurt is the bomb imo and I eat dairy. I mean I know you said no substitutes but it's so easy and great. Coconut yogurt and a little granola with some fruit.

Hell yes. If you want to step it up:
- delicious frozen fruit, thawed in the microwave. I usually do cherries
- coconut yogurt
- hemp hearts (could also do chia seeds) for extra protein and omega fats
- granola
posted by medusa at 7:06 PM on February 24, 2022

Socca! They're chickpea pancakes, super easy to make, and can be topped with just about anything from pico de gallo to avocados to vegan cheese.
posted by Tamanna at 7:33 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

My weekday breakfasts are both vegan (and both made in an instant pot but could be done on the stove). These each make 4-5 servings and can be topped with whatever nuts, fruit, non-dairy milk, etc.
- 1 cup steel cut oats, 3.5 cups water, 1 medium apple diced, all tossed in the pot and run on the pressure cook setting for 4mins. Great with cinnamon.
- 1 cup pearl barley, 1 can light coconut milk, 1 can water (just the same can of coconut milk but filled with water), cook on porridge setting for 20mins.
posted by leastlikelycowgirl at 7:42 PM on February 24, 2022

Yeah I usually have steamed broccoli, tofu and nutritional yeast for weekday breakfasts. Easy, fast, nutritious. Sometimes I get fancy and toss in some baked squash or sweet potato. All made in the microwave.
posted by hilaryjade at 8:11 PM on February 24, 2022

Add soy milk and fried Chinese donut (youtiao).

Make sure it's unsweetened soy milk, and warm it up. You can dose it with chili oil/ fried garlic*/ chopped green onions/ ginger shreds. Perhaps an acquired taste, but I love dumping a tablespoon or two of pungent chopped mustard green pickles into it.

Yao tiao ([oil(fried) twin; yàuhw tiew] or colloquially, yàuhw jah gwái [oil-boiled devil], has a badassed mythology) is sometimes available frozen that you can bake-reheat. Even fresh(ish) you can bake back into awesomeness. You can snip them into ~1" chunks, or dunk them by hand in the hot soy milk whole and tear off sodden chunks with your teeth).

If you want, you can make some scallion pancakes on the side; pan-toasted sesame seeds add extra some umami.


*fried garlic: start with a cold small saucepan, either mulch or slice raw garlic, throw in pan, add a non-olive (higher smoke point) vegetable oil (barely cover or a little less), splash a bit of table salt over, turn on electric burner to max or gas burner to 3/4. Toss/ stir until crispy, slotted-spoon/ whatever into a bowl with a paper towel in it. Shake. Non-burnt crispy fragrant garlic.

Save the cooled garlic-infused oil for something. Hemp seed oil (no CBD/ THC) is great (and has an excellent omega-3 profile), and garlic-infused makes it a even better (part of a) salad dressing.
posted by porpoise at 8:11 PM on February 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

Smoothies are quick, simple & nutritious. Grocery stores sell bags of mixed frozen fruit. Blend a cup or two of fruit in a blender with some ice and soymilk or water.
posted by Lil' Blue Goat at 8:20 PM on February 24, 2022

I have been lazy, so my breakfasts lately have been me noshing on a bowl of baby spinach leaves, mixed with some salted cashews. My ratio is about 1/3 cashews, and 2/3 spinach leaves. If you toss them, some of the salt from the cashews gets on the spinach leaves, making them even yummier. You don't need to use cashews; any nut or seed will work for this. I just plop them both in the bowl, stir it around, and eat it raw.

I'll add a piece of fruit on the side for something sweet, if I'm craving sweet foods.

I stumbled across this food pairing by accident, because I wanted to have snacky foods around me at all times at work. Planned out this, because otherwise I'll just eat junk food all day. Now it's one of my favorite dishes.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:32 PM on February 24, 2022

When my son was allergic to eggs and dairy, we found some great swaps... he outgrew the allergies, but we've kept some of the recipes. One decadent and delicious one is vegan french toast. Make the dip batter out of overripe bananas whisked into coconut milk (canned, full-fat is extra delicious), add some vanilla. Make as usual, and enjoy the tropical-ish goodness. (On second thought, if this is a Lent thing, "decadent vegan" is maybe not what you're looking for?)
posted by hessie at 7:50 AM on February 25, 2022

My favourite breakfast lately is whole-grain toast with cashew cream cheese (I’m obsessed with the Spread ‘Em brand, but not sure if this is sold outside Canada) topped with hemp seeds and a drizzle of flax oil. Same combo is good on toast with hummus or avocado too. Hemp and Flax are both good sources of Omega-3, which vegan diets are often lacking.
posted by vanitas at 9:57 AM on February 25, 2022

Hash browns with a side of sauteed chard, tomatoes & green onions, topped with tahini sauce and a little sriracha has become a go-to weekend breakfast for me.
posted by zombiedance at 11:40 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

Rolled oats mixed with almond butter and some spices like cinnamon,paprika,nutmeg,salt with blueberries(or any berries)is one of our favorite breakfast.

Steel cuts oats cooked with almond milk,sprinkle some sliced almonds, goji berries,maple syrup or any sweetener makes a great fiber-rich breakfast.

Also, if you like something different, you can make this steel cuts oats indian breakfast in instant pot with onion,peas,carrot,beans(or any veggies) with some spices like this
posted by SunPower at 2:01 PM on February 25, 2022

This mung bean frittata is amazing.

I also sometimes pre-bake sweet potatoes and have one for breakfast with a little coconut oil or buttery spread and toasted pecans.
posted by lgyre at 6:59 PM on February 26, 2022 [2 favorites]