When it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day, there’s no more tried-and-true way to treat Mom like a queen than with a surprise brunch in bed. For someone as special as your mom, though, eggs and toast just won’t cut it on the food-front. Fortunately, our favorite food bloggers have you covered with a stunning lineup of brunch entrees for sweet and savory-leaning moms alike. So roll up your sleeves, throw on an apron, and show Mom how much you really care with one of these eight elegant recipes.
Chocolate Tahini Challah Buns
Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Tahini Challah Buns recipe takes the timeless weekend cinnamon bun and gives it a fresh face fit for a special occasion. The dough recipe is very similar to an egg-based challah bread, yielding a fluffy and tender base. But it’s the filling that really turns up the volume, combining dark chocolate with tahini paste, a traditional Middle Eastern sesame paste that is toasty, creamy, and vaguely reminiscent of peanut butter. It’s this rich duo that really takes this dish from a childhood classic to a grown-up treat fit for the queen in your life. Get the recipe on Smitten Kitchen.
5-Ingredient Buckwheat Crepes
Buckwheat flour is making quite a splash in the food world right now. Not only does it have a beautiful depth of flavor, but it’s also naturally gluten-free, making it a popular substitute for all-purpose flour in baked goods and desserts. Minimalist Baker puts this star flour at the forefront in her Easy Buckwheat Crepes. With only five ingredients, you’d be hard pressed to find a simpler brunch pick. Grab a selection of your favorite spreads — jam, peanut butter, whipped cream, Nutella — and let Mom prepare the crepe of her dreams. Get the recipe on Minimalist Baker.
Balsamic Roasted Asparagus Salad with Fried Capers + 7-Minute Eggs
Does your Mom love checking out the local farmers market every weekend? If the answer is yes, Dolly and Oatmeal’s Balsamic Roasted Asparagus Salad is just the ticket come Mother’s Day. The salad starts with asparagus — which is just coming into season — and gives it a quick roast in the oven with a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. After taking on a bit of color, it gets plated up with mixed greens, a jammy 7-minute egg, and fried capers for an extra salty pop. A beautiful way to celebrate Mom and the arrival of spring in one wholesome dish. Get the recipe on Dolly and Oatmeal.
Blintz Baked French Toast
Blintzes are a traditional Jewish crepe filled with a ricotta and cream cheese mixture and topped off with blueberry sauce. Molly Yeh takes this famous combination and transforms it into a simple one-pan Blintz Baked French Toast. The recipe begins with day-old challah bread, which acts as a sponge for a ricotta-and-egg-based custard spiked with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, and a bit of lemon zest. After spending the night soaking in the fridge to absorb all of that gorgeous flavor, the French toast gets baked off until golden brown and topped with fresh blueberries and powdered sugar. Simple, satisfying, and almost entirely prepared the day before brunch — win, win, win! Get the recipe on My Name is Yeh.
Broiled Salmon with Fennel and Radish Risotto
Who says you can’t have a plated protein and side dish for brunch? It’s Mother’s Day after all — go big or go home! Brooklyn Supper’s Broiled Salmon with Fennel and Radish Risotto is as beautiful as it is delicious and comes together in only 45 minutes. The risotto is prepared using the classic stovetop stirring technique and features two of spring’s star vegetables — radishes and fennel. While the rice is bubbling away, the salmon gets brushed with a lemon-and-herb-studded butter before taking a quick trip to the broiler. Once it’s just opaque and flaky, the salmon is done and ready to get plated alongside the risotto. Top with a squeeze of lemon, some sliced green onion, and a few fennel fronds for an elegant treat your Mom will adore. Get the recipe on Brooklyn Supper.
Sweet Potato Skillet Hash
It’s tough to beat a good vegetable hash come brunch time, and My New Roots’ Sweet Potato Skillet Hash is no exception. The hash is a simple combination of yellow onions and sweet potatoes brought to life by the addition of whole cumin and coriander seeds and a generous pinch of chili flakes. After cooking away in cast iron until the potatoes soften and the mixture gets some color, eggs get cracked on top and the whole dish gets baked until the eggs are just set and the yolks are still runny. Serve with lots of toppings like sliced avocado, fresh lime, hot sauce, cilantro and hot corn tortillas, and let Mom curate her own hash spread. Get the recipe on My New Roots.
Chocolate Raspberry Dreams Breakfast Parfait
If your Mom tends to gravitate toward healthier brunch fare, check out Oh She Glows‘ Chocolate Raspberry Dreams Breakfast Parfait. This striking dish is composed of four different elements — a homemade raspberry chia seed jam, chocolate overnight oats prepared with cocoa powder and almond milk, coconut milk whipped cream, and fresh berries — all fantastic on their own but truly brought to life when combined. The best part of this dish is that all of the components can be prepared the night before so come Mother’s Day morning, all you have to do is layer everything together and serve. Get the recipe on Oh She Glows.
Blueberry Orange Brunch Cake with Agave and Pistachios
Looking for an unforgettable showstopper for Mom this Mother’s Day? Then Pinch of Yum’s Blueberry Orange Brunch Cake is a must. This olive oil-based layer cake is scented with lots of fresh orange zest and blue agave, a natural sweetener that’s reminiscent of maple syrup or honey. After baking and cooling, the cakes are layered with an agave-sweetened whipped cream before getting crowned with even more whipped cream, fresh blueberries, chopped pistachios, and an extra drizzle of agave. A cake that you can feel good about eating for brunch and one that is sure to add a real wow factor to your Mother’s Day celebration. Get the recipe on Pinch of Yum.
More from Make It Better:
- 13 New Favorite Brunch Spots Around Chicago
- 7 Delicious Instant Pot Recipes You Need to Try
- 8 Delicious Spring Recipes Highlighting the Freshest In-Season Produce
Maddie LaKind is a Chicago-born personal chef, caterer and writer. Her love of gastronomy began with an introduction to the Food Network as a teenager and has since blossomed into a deep-rooted passion. She spent her early career in the food world working at the famed Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan, before moving on to other notable spots including Detroit’s Sister Pie bakery, and Floriole Bakery, Read It and Eat bookstore and The Social Table in Chicago. In her spare time, she can be found practicing yoga, hosting dinner parties for friends and sifting through her ever-growing cookbook collection. Maddie is also a supporter of PAWS Chicago. Since adopting her two cats from the shelter, she has served as a volunteer and donated her cooking services as an auction item at fundraisers.
