Here are our favorite Mother’s Day brunch recipes to celebrate Mom! Many of these are simple recipes, some of which you can even make ahead! Whether you are feeding a crowd or a small gathering, you’ll find a wide selection of brunch dishes to lavish her with. There are many gluten-free and vegan options, too.
Savory Brunch Recipes
Here are some savory egg recipes that can be made ahead.
Sweet Brunch Ideas
Whether she loves pancakes, waffles, or french toast- here are a few sweet treats!
Springy Brunch Ideas!
Asparagus Frittata
Asparagus Frittata- aka “Spring Egg Puff” a simple, delicious vegetarian meal, perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner!
Asparagus Tart
Asparagus Tart with tarragon, chives and gruyere in a flakey puff pastry crust- a simple elegant dish perfect for a special occasion.
Spanakopita Pie
Spanakopita Pie – an easy, healthy recipe for spanakopita, with double the spinach filling, made in a pie pan! A delicious Greek-style lunch or brunch idea!
VEGAN BRUNCH IDEAS!
We have many plant-based breakfast and brunch ideas on the blog- here are a few of our favorites!
Vegan “Eggs” Benedict
Vegan Benedict features a sumptuous vegan hollandaise sauce, tofu bacon, and wilted spinach, all served atop a sourdough English muffin.
Vegan Frittata
This Vegan Frittata recipe celebrates the flourishing greenness of springtime. It’s delicious, loaded with fresh herbs, leeks, asparagus, and a creamy chickpea flour filling.
Baked French Toast
This Baked French Toast is vegan, made with fresh berries, orange zest and almonds. An adaptable, foundation recipe for different seasons and your own creations.
Vegan Bacon
This smoky, crispy Vegan Bacon is made with tofu and is perfectly chewy and savory.
Vegan Breakfast Tacos
Vegan Breakfast Tacos with flavorful Mexican scrambled tofu, toasty tortillas, avocado, radishes, cilantro, and pico de gayo.
Seafood Brunch Ideas
Does your mom love seafood and fish? Here are a few brunch recipes she might like!
Stuffed Avocado
Stuffed Avocado with Shrimp and Tarragon- a light and healthy summer meal perfect for brunch, lunch or a light dinner.
Mini Crab Louie
Mini Crab Louie wraps- a refreshing and light appetizer or brunch recipe that is very simple to make, yet delicious and elegant!
Crab Cakes
A punchy recipe for Crab Cakes with cilantro, lime zest and jalapeno served with a sweet and tangy Red Pepper Vinaigrette.
Salmon Wellington
This Salmon Wellington recipe, also known as salmon en croute, is made with wild salmon, and a fresh spinach filling enhanced with lemon zest and fresh dill, baked in a golden puff pastry crust.
Mother's Day Brunch Salads
Delicious Sides
Grilled Artichokes
Grilled artichokes are deliciously tender and smoky. Skip the butter and aioli and serve them up with our punchy Italian Salsa Verde. A tasty vegan appetizer or side dish that presents beautifully!
Crispy Mashed Potato Cakes
Fluffy, light and crispy, these Mashed Potato Cakes are a simple, delicious way to repurpose your leftover mashed potatoes. Fast and easy, made with only 4 simple ingredients!
Tender-Crisp Roasted Asparagus
Learn the secret to perfect Roasted Asparagus that turns out deliciously tender-crisp every time. Fresh garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes give a fresh, punchy, bright flavor—a beautiful spring side dish. It’s vegan.
Breakfast Potatoes
These easy breakfast potatoes require only 10 minutes of hands-on time before roasting in the oven. With a crispy exterior and a creamy interior, they are delicious for brunch or any time of day!
Mother’s Day Desserts
These spring-inspired desserts are sure to please mom!
Pavlova
Pavlova is a simple dessert in elegant disguise! Light and airy, topped with whipped cream and fresh berries, it’s perfect for celebrations and gatherings. Make it ahead! Gluten-free.
Lemon Cloud Pie
Lemon Cloud Pie- a light and refreshing lemony dessert, that feels like a cloud!
Strawberry Galette
This Strawberry Galette is bright, cheery, and full of springtime flavor. Lemon and rosemary perfectly complement the sweet-tart berries.
Olive Oil Cake
Enhanced with fresh rosemary and orange zest this Olive Oil Cake is easy to make, has a lovely rustic texture and stays moist for days.
Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake
A one-bowl recipe for vegan lemon bundt cake with toasted coconut, topped with a lemon glaze.
Rhubarb Tart
A rustic Rhubarb Tart with lemon, cardamom and vanilla tucked into a flakey free-form buckwheat crust.
Luscious Lemon Cookies
These lemon cookies are sure to brighten your day! The unique addition of semolina flour lends an irresistible texture, while lemon zest and vanilla extract add warmth and vibrancy—the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Bread)
A traditional recipe for Pulla – a buttery Finnish Cardamom Bread that tastes and smells heavenly.
Strawberry Shortcake
Luscious strawberry shortcake with flakey biscuits, jammy strawberry sauce, and yogurt whipped cream.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler with Orange and Ginger is a homey delicious treat. The fruit really shines here, making it great for brunch as well as dessert.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Sweetened with maple syrup, this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is a healthy, vegan, gluten-free dessert that highlights spring rhubarb.
Mother's Day Drinks!
Serve up a mimosa or fresh juice or try one of these.
Homemade Mother's Day Gifts
Keep it simple with something homemade with love!
On the homefront: What we plant will outlive us.
When I was just a little girl, my mother planted a little lemon tree after moving into our new house in Southern California. It was 1973. Over the years, the small tree grew and grew and produced thousands of lemons. Forty years later, when my parents got too old to live in the house, before selling it, my mom asked me to pick as many lemons as I could from her tree before the new owners moved in. So I returned and picked several grocery bags full of lemons, which she promptly juiced and froze. She would thaw the lemon juice as needed, and drink lemon water every morning.
And time went on… fast forward to last spring, Brian and I happened to be visiting Los Angeles, near where I grew up, and coincidentally, it was Mother’s Day. My mom had passed away several years before. Probably because it was Mother’s Day, I started to think about our old house and that giant old lemon tree and how badly I wanted to pick some of her lemons. I was missing her.
So Brian drove me up the big hill to my old house. He cautiously stayed in the car while I walked up the long driveway I had walked up a thousand times before as a kid. I nervously knocked on the door. It was such a strange feeling knocking on my old door. No answer. I knocked again, and still no answer. I knew someone was home, I could hear them, but they would not answer.
I considered just going into the backyard, grabbing the lemons, and running! And honestly was about to, but I knocked again and said boldly, I know you’re in there; I can hear you! Then, finally, an older woman’s voice, “Who are you?” said gruffly through the door. I explained that I used to live there. “What do you want?” Still gruff. I explained again, through the door who I was, as sweetly as I could, and after a few more questions and answers through the door, I finally just said, exasperated, “Look, I’m not going to hurt you, could you please just open the door?”
It was good that my husband stayed in the car because he would have been mortified at my persistence. Hesitantly, she cracked open and eyed me. A tiny, 80-year-old woman stood there with a look on her face that could have killed. I told her one more time “I grew up in this house. I’m visiting from Washington, and today is Mother’s Day, and I’m sorry to bother you, I just want a lemon from my mother’s lemon tree. Would that be OK?”
Finally, it began to dawn on her. “You lived here? Your mom planted that tree?” She pointed. “Yes, yes! ” I said. Her eyes changed as she began to comprehend. “Come, come!” she said as she ushered me around the house to the tree.
The tree was enormous. For a moment, there we stood, two strangers just looking up at that tree, now 30 feet tall, full of hundreds of lemons. I got teary. I couldn’t speak.
When I finally got the courage to look at her, I was surprised to see, she had tears in her eyes too. She told me then how she missed her mother too. And how she had to leave her mother in Korea many decades before.
And in those unfolding moments, we understood each other, feeling the loss that all humans feel at some point. Yet in the midst of that sadness, we kept looking up at that amazing tree, how blatantly alive it was, full of juicy ripe lemons!
It felt like such a miracle. Like something of my mom was still alive in that tree. I felt so much joy, and so much sadness, wrapped up all together in my heart. There really needs to be a word for that.
I took a bag full of lemons home that day, and the lady I met, Kris, told me to come back and visit her and my mom’s lemon tree any time.
xoxo
Print
Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: brunch
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Here are our favorite Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas to celebrate mom- whether you are looking for savory, sweet brunch or lunch, you’ll find inspiration here: Spring Veggie Scramble with asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 medium leek – white and light green parts thinly sliced, rinsed, about 1 cup
- 1 cup chopped asparagus – do not use the tough ends (about 1/2 a bunch)
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter or combination
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
- salt and pepper to taste (1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese, about 2 ounces
- 1/8 cup fresh chopped dill
Instructions
- In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, saute leeks in oil over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes until melting and tender, turning the heat down further if starting to brown.
- Whisk eggs with sour cream, salt, and pepper.
- Add asparagus to the leeks and cook for a few more minutes, until asparagus is crisp, bright, and cooked al dente (you may want to turn the heat up to medium for just a minute or so).
- If the pan seems dry, add a touch more oil or butter.
- Pour in eggs and gently fold and stir with a rubber spatula, over medium-low heat, for 2-3 minutes. Add crumbled goat cheese. Continue folding gently until cooked to your desired doneness.
- At the end, add the fresh dill and stir to combine.
Notes
See the Veggie Scramble recipe post for more details.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cup
- Calories: 425
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 979.6 mg
- Fat: 20.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.9 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 13.8 g
- Cholesterol: 259.5 mg
Thank you for the lovely account of your visit to see that lemon tree. Some memories are so precious aren’t they? How great that you were able to achieve that meeting of hearts with the elderly lady in that garden of your childhood, where your mum’s lemon tree still stood , laden with fruit, as in those childhood days, and your mum still felt ‘there’ too. I would think your visit meant so much to the lady who lives there now. A beautifully expressed Mother’ Day tribute.
Thanks Margaret! It was one of those moments I will never forget. Still makes me teary. In a good way. 🙂
Thank you Sylvia for sharing your sweet story about your mother and the lemon tree. I love your blog and always find inspiration for new things to cook for my family.
Thanks Amy!
Sylvia, I loved your story about your Mother’s lemon tree. Your tears, Kris’ tears, my own tears at the longing for my mother, who passed away five years ago…I think that when you have a mother who really loves you, really, really loves you, you will always miss her. I still think of my Mom every single day. p.s. I drink lemon water every morning, too! I love lemons!
Awww…. thanks so much and glad this found you!
These recipes look spectacular! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, these look amazing!
I made the Strawberry Arugula Black Rice Salad For Mothers Day and it was fantastic. All I added were some slivered toasted almonds. Everyone asked for the recipe. Thank-you!
Im so glad you liked it!!!
What a beautiful collection of recipes perfect for Mother’s Day or any day.