12 Warm and Cozy Breakfasts for Dark Winter Mornings

Start your winter morning with one of these warm, hearty breakfasts—and set the tone for a better day.

By Robin Shreeves
Published January 09, 2026
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On cold winter mornings, when it’s hard to pull off the covers because you know you’ll be greeted by a blast of cold air, the promise of a hot breakfast can help you get out of bed. Slide into your coziest slippers, wrap yourself in a warm robe, start a pot of coffee, and get to work on one of these 12 warm and comforting breakfasts. A few of these recipes can even be assembled the night before, then baked the morning of to enjoy.

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  • Creamy Irish-Style Oatmeal With Brown Sugar Recipe

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    Vicky Wasik

    Cooking steel-cut oats takes more time than other varieties, but the reward is well worth it. For deeper, more complex flavor, start by dry-toasting the oats—a step that’s optional but worthwhile. Then cook the oats in water, milk, or a combination of both: about 5 minutes if they’ve been soaked overnight, or 20 minutes if not. Finish by dividing into bowls and sprinkling with brown sugar.

  • Bacon, Cheese, and Kale Strata

    Kale and bacon strata in a baking dish with one portion removed

    Liz Voltz

    This strata—essentially a breakfast casserole reminiscent of savory bread pudding or eggy stuffing—is filled with bacon, cheese, eggs, milk, kale, and seasonings. Toast cubes of supermarket French or Italian bread (skip the expensive artisanal stuff), then combine them with the rest of the ingredients in a casserole dish. You can bake it 30 minutes after assembling (the bread needs time to absorb the egg-and-milk mixture), or refrigerate it overnight to pop into the oven as soon as you wake up.

  • The Easiest, Fluffiest Pancakes

    Side view of pouring syrup on pancakes

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    With pantry staples and a specific mixing method, you can whip up piles of fluffy pancakes everyone will love. Break out the good butter and real maple syrup, and enjoy a satisfying, belly-filling breakfast. Leftovers freeze well, too.

  • Maple-Banana Baked Oatmeal Recipe

    the finished baked oatmeal with a serving spoon beside it
    Yvonne Ruperti

    This no-fuss, hands-off method for making oatmeal combines rolled oats with banana, maple syrup, walnuts, and warm spices, all soaked in a milk-and-egg mixture in a casserole dish. After 30 minutes in the oven, you get a warm, slightly sweet breakfast that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

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  • Savory Turmeric Masala Oats

    Bowl of garnished Savory Tumeric Oats with a hand taking a spoonful of it. Side dishes of yogurt and sliced of lime.

    Serious Eats / Shri Repp

    If you’ve only ever had sweet oats, try this savory version, which starts with spices like cumin and coriander bloomed in oil along with onion and garlic. Next, tomato and green pepper are sautéed in the pot before adding the oats and water. Serve with optional toppings like hard-boiled eggs and yogurt.

  • Green Shakshuka

    Pot of shakshuka on grey stone surface, with coffee cup, and side of pita.

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    You may be familiar with traditional shakshuka, eggs poached in a tomato sauce, but have you tried it with a green sauce loaded with fresh herbs, spinach, and spices? This method creates a vibrantly green sauce out of cilantro, parsley, spinach, celery, green bell pepper, and leeks (all things green), along with plenty of seasoning and lemon for brightness, used to poach the eggs. Topped with avocado, pickled red onion, and feta, it’s a breakfast you must experience.

  • French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) Recipe

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    Emily and Matt Clifton

    You can enjoy this for breakfast, and if there’s any leftover, it works for lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack, too. Start with caramelizing onions (you gotta put in the work, but you won’t be mad about it once you get your first forkful). Add them to a cast iron skillet along with toasted bread and a seasoned egg/milk mixture, finally, topping it all with Gruyère before baking.

  • Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

    Serving of baked casserole square from the side on a plate with a gold fork. Coffee and basket of bigger casserole are in the background.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

    Overnight casseroles are fantastic for when you want something hearty and warm in the morning, but you don’t want to do any work in the morning. This casserole is assembled the night before from cooked sausage, sautéed veggies, cheese, and a seasoned egg/dairy mixture. You can cook it right away, or you can cover it and put it in the fridge overnight – then pop it in the oven as soon as you wake.

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  • Buttermilk Vanilla Waffles Recipe

    buttermilk waffle segments topped with butter and maple syrup on a baking sheet
    Vicky Wasik

    One of the tricks to these delicious waffles is using powdered sugar rather than regular sugar, because it dissolves more easily. Another trick? Using egg whites instead of whole eggs helps the waffles become fluffy and crisp. Use them in a batter that also includes vanilla bean and buttermilk to create waffles with a crisp exterior and a light, airy interior.

  • Dutch Baby Pancake

    A baked Dutch baby pancake with berries and lemon slices on top

    Serious Eats/ Morgan Glaze

    Highly adaptable, this is a simple way to make something pancake(y) without having to portion, flip, and stand over a hot stove for too long. The batter goes into a pre-heated cast iron skillet and is baked in two stages to create a custardy center and crispy edges. Everyone gets a piece and can top with what they like. We suggest berries and whipped crème fraîche here, but you can also top it with syrup, bananas, chocolate chips - whatever you’re you love.

  • Dak Juk (Korean Chicken and Rice Porridge) Recipe

    Overhead view of dak juk on a wooden background

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This savory rice porridge is a comforting meal full of finely minced vegetables, good chicken stock (made by simmering a whole chicken in water and aromatics), and rice, topped with shredded chicken. If it sounds like chicken soup with rice instead of noodles, that’s not too far off, but the porridge ends up thick, not soupy. It’s hearty will warm you up on any chilly morning.

  • Migas With Scrambled Eggs, Tortilla Chips, & Chiles

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    Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: Serious Eats Video

    This breakfast scramble has a Tex-Mex origin. It starts with pre-salted scrambled eggs, and adds salted and drained tomatoes, fried tortilla strips, and sautéed vegetables. Seasoned with Mexican hot sauce and served with avocado and refried beans, it's a warm, hearty breakfast (and not a bad hangover cure).

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