8 Make-Ahead Breakfasts You Can Freeze for a Stress-Free Mornings

Side view of syrup being poured on pancakes — Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Is it just me, or are weekday mornings and the ensuing scramble to get everyone out the door progressively starting earlier and earlier? For my friends with kids, hectic mornings are unavoidable. And even for those of us without kids, breakfast can become a casualty of the morning rush on busy weekdays, when it's easier to just start the day with coffee and dive straight into work. It doesn't have to be that way, though—especially if you've stocked your freezer with ready-to-heat options.

We've pulled together a variety of great freezer-friendly breakfast recipes that you can prep on the weekend—or in the case of our pressure-cooker oatmeal, set up the night before—and reheat during the week. Many, including our fabulously portable make-ahead egg bites, will last up to a month in the freezer—and will save you a trip to Starbucks. With these recipes, you can reclaim part of your morning and actually enjoy breakfast.

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Make-Ahead Bacon and Cheese Egg Bites

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Our take on the Starbucks sous vide egg bites hits all the same delicious notes as the high-protein cafe favorite, and is similarly loaded with smoky bacon and nutty Gruyère cheese. The egg mixture is gently cooked in small mason jars using a sous vide immersion circulator, a tool that helps you achieve that signature silky, custardy texture. You can refrigerate the egg bites in the jars for up to five days or pop them out and freeze them in an airtight container for up to a month.

Make-Ahead Bacon and Cheese Egg Bites
Make-Ahead Instant-Pot (Pressure-Cooker) Oatmeal

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Why bother with packaged instant oatmeal when it's just as easy to use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to make oatmeal ahead of time? All you have to do is cook steel-cut oats with a bit of butter—which adds toastiness and helps reduce foaming—add water, and set the timer before turning in for the night. Make a big batch, portion out the leftovers into individual servings, and freeze them for up to a month.

Make-Ahead Instant-Pot (Pressure-Cooker) Oatmeal
Muffin Tin Egg Bites with Mushrooms, Kale, and Swiss Cheese

Serious Eats / Shri Repp

These mini frittata-esque bites are ideal for an on-the-go breakfast. They have the luxurious texture of a well-set custard, reminiscent of our sous vide version, but this time they're conveniently baked in muffin tins. Just process the egg mixture with cornstarch or rice starch, cottage cheese, and chopped kale to ensure even distribution and a silky consistency when baked.

Muffin Tin Egg Bites with Mushrooms, Kale, and Swiss Cheese
The Easiest, Fluffiest Pancakes

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

These fluffy pancakes take 25 minutes to make, and the batter comes together with a few pantry staples, a couple of eggs, milk, and oil. They're also great to make ahead: Simply layer parchment paper or foil between each pancake, then wrap each stack tightly in plastic wrap or transfer them to a zip-top bag or reusable airtight container and freeze for up to three weeks. You can reheat them in the microwave or the oven, and the recipe includes full instructions for freezing and reheating.

The Easiest, Fluffiest Pancakes

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Harcha (Moroccan Semolina Flatbread)

Serious Eats / Two Bites

This golden, tender Moroccan semolina flatbread has a faintly nutty aroma, crumbly texture, and a rich flavor reminiscent of a biscuit or cornbread. It pairs equally well with butter, jam, and honey as it does with cheese, charcuterie, and tapenade. The dough comes together very quickly in one bowl and can be shaped and cooked after a brief rest. Once cooled and individually wrapped, the cooked harcha can be frozen for up to two months.

Harcha (Moroccan Semolina Flatbread)
Extra-Flaky Scallion Pancakes Recipe

Serious Eats / Mateja Zvirotic Andrijanic

Crispy, flaky scallion pancakes are a breakfast staple in China, where they're often wrapped around scrambled eggs and a variety of savory accompaniments, such as pork floss and pickled vegetables. Here, former Serious Eats editor Kenji guides us through the laminating process to create all those irresistible layers. Once formed, the thin discs of scallion-studded dough can be stacked between double sheets of parchment paper and frozen for up to three months, then pan-fried from frozen.

Extra-Flaky Scallion Pancakes Recipe
Conchas

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

Etched with an iconic seashell pattern, conchas are perhaps the most recognizable pan dulce (sweet bread) at Mexican panaderias. Philadelphia-based pastry chef Roxxanne Delle Site-Jeronimo's recipe makes it possible to recreate conchas, complete with their signature soft, fluffy interior and sweet, buttery, crunchy crust, at home. This recipe yields 16 conchas; you can wrap them individually in a double layer of plastic wrap, then freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to a month.

Conchas
Empanadas de Queso (Argentine Cheese Empanadas)

Serious Eats / Two Bites

For those who prefer their morning pastries savory, these Argentinian cheese empanadas are sure to hit the spot. Red chile powder gives the dough its distinctive gold color, which is characteristic of the famous empanadas from Salta in Northwest Argentina. The filling is packed with onions, potatoes, and three types of cheese, giving it a balanced, tangy flavor and an appropriate stretchiness that feels rich without being greasy. Cooked empanadas can be frozen for up to three months in a tightly sealed container.

Empanadas de Queso (Argentine Cheese Empanadas)