Valerie Bertinelli’s 20 All-Time Best Family Brunch Recipes

A cross between scones and muffins, dried chopped cherries and shredded coconut make these sweet treats irresistible. The plain Greek yogurt makes the cake velvety soft and adds a protein punch to jump-start your morning.

Aside from abundant health and nutrition benefits, the fruit’s soft, creamy interior is incredibly versatile and boosts morning meals. For a quick, colourful brunch dish, try this 15-minute “avocado toast” recipe. Easy and delicious!

Cheesy and creamy with a flaky crust, this quiche is packed with flavour – courtesy of fresh herbs, vegetables, and three kinds of cheese. Make a day before and just reheat when the rooster crows.

A baked French dessert of fruit mixed with an eggy batter, clafouti is the elegant relative of cobblers and crisps – but much easier to make. In this recipe, swap out the traditionally-used black cherry filling with apricots and lemon zest. Best topped with a dollop of lemon-vanilla whipped cream, it makes a rich breakfast or a swoon-worthy dessert.

Short on time? For simpler and speedier “Eggs Benny,” it only takes 20 minutes to prep and assemble this dish. Just top half a toasted English muffin with ham slices and a poached egg, and then sprinkle with sauce and chives. Voila – you’ve got a gourmet on-the-go breakfast.

Dessert for breakfast? Yes, please! This fluffy challah bread is light-as-air and has a citrusy-sweet glaze that’ll have everyone licking their lips.

Fast and flavourful, spice up the morning with these zesty breakfast fajitas. Packed with protein, each tortilla is filled with eggs, vegetables, salsa, and a spice mix with a zing. Talk about a wake-up call!

For a marriage of sweet and savoury in your mouth, try making Valerie’s bacon caramel “scuffins.” Bits of crispy Applewood smoked bacon are baked into the crumbly batter and pair perfectly with a scoop of clotted cream and caramel sauce on top. An ideal item for brunch or High Tea.

Stuffing isn’t just for Thanksgiving! This savoury and sweet dish will have everyone drooling when they wake up in the morning. Buttery and garlicky, the spicy Italian sausage and cinnamon raisin bread give the stuffing a zing, and you can coat the mixture with eggs for extra protein.

What’s fab about frittatas is how simple they are to make. With this recipe, just mix together eight eggs with tomatoes, asparagus, herbs and goat cheese, and then cook in a 10-inch skillet until golden brown. A “one-and-done” dish done in 30 minutes with minimal mess. Save the leftovers for weekday meals!

This rustic and gorgeous breakfast dessert combines the complimentary flavours of sweet cream cheese and tart sour cherries, making for one delicious brunch showstopper.

For something completely different, why not serve tapas for breakfast? Just cut a baguette into 12 diagonal slices and toast until golden and crispy. Watch these bite-sized treats disappear from the table.

For a dressed-to-impress dish, try your hand at making this fancy French toast topped with a rich compote made of apple cider, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Best served with a spoonful of apple-mascarpone cream on the side.

Pie doesn’t always have to be sweet! Mushrooms, shallots, Parmesan and mozzarella make fabulous fillings inside crescent roll dough. Serve for brunch as an appetizer, a light meal or on the side with a salad.

This bite-sized recipe looks beautiful on a plate and makes a superb appetizer. Each flaky crescent roll is stuffed with asparagus and smoked salmon cream cheese – guaranteed to get everyone at the table munching.

Pie for breakfast, anyone? This sweet dish makes for an easy morning meal, prepared in 15 minutes. Just toss pears with oats, lemon juice, spices, sugar, vanilla, nuts and flour in a bowl and bake in mini pie plates or ramekins until the fruit is bubbling and the crumble mixture is golden brown.

Variety is the spice of life, so why not infuse some funkiness into your breakfast eggs? After cooling 12 hard-boiled eggs, slice in half, scoop out the yolks and stuff ‘em with three different Asian-inspired fillings. A protein boost in the morning that also makes a great portable snack or lunch.

This recipe is so simple that you can make it in your sleep. Before bedtime, put steel-cut oats, mashed bananas, spices and a cinnamon stick in a six-quart slow cooker. Add water and cook on low for eight hours. Then, rise and shine to a healthy breakfast, ready to go. Sprinkle with toppings as you like it.

Let them eat cake … for breakfast. Light and spongy, this cake is baked with frozen blueberries and served with a dollop of homemade lemon and mascarpone cream on each slice. Serves six, but don’t expect leftovers!

Ready from start to finish in under an hour, this hearty breakfast bread is best served warm and straight out of the oven.