35 Grab & Go Breakfasts For The Days When You Just Cannot
Look, we all love languorous breakfast faves like French toast, omelets, or waffles, but most mornings? Not going to happen. If you’re like us, too often you’re grabbing a bar, a piece of poorly buttered toast, or, the horror, skipping breakfast altogether. That stops now, thanks to this list of 35 grab & go breakfasts that are as easy to throw together as they are to snag on your way out the door.
When it comes to breakfast, there are two camps—sweet and savory. If you’re more in the former, muffins, smoothies, granola bars, and overnight puddings are your best bet for making a quick escape in the morning. We’ve included a variety of our faves here, like our strawberries 'n' cream granola bars, our overnight oats (or our blended overnight oats), our blueberry smoothie, or our morning glory muffins, but feel free to get creative. These recipes are super adaptable based on your mood (and what you’ve got in your kitchen 😉), so you can eat them every day without ever getting bored.
More of a savory breakfast fan? Eggs are always a winner, even when you’re not scrambling them or poaching them to order. The trick? Make them ahead of time, and enjoy them all week long. Make a batch of our egg muffins, our breakfast burritos, or our crescent breakfast squares, then spend just a few minutes heating one up before you head out for the day.
Speaking of heating things up in the morning, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the magic of the air fryer for quick and easy breakfasts. We’ve got recipes here for air fryer hard-boiled eggs and air fryer breakfast bombs (including a Tex-Mex version), but it doesn’t end there. You can heat up almost any of the recipes here in one, meaning you can have a hot breakfast without ever having to turn on your stove or oven. 😍
Want more breakfast inspiration? When you do have more time in the morning, try our favorite brunch recipes and our best brunch cocktails too!
Blended Overnight Oats
When it comes to easy, flavor-packed, and make-ahead breakfasts, overnight oats always deliver. Then blended overnight oats started to pop up on our TikTok feeds, and we needed to see if they lived up to the hype. And did they ever! Blending the ingredients together gives the finished recipe a thick, almost pudding-like texture.
Get the Blended Overnight Oats recipe.
Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry muffins are a quintessential breakfast treat, so for our tried-and-true favorite, we’ve channeled that small-town bakery vibe to create a muffin that hits every nostalgic note. Light, fluffy, and absolutely bursting with blueberries, these muffins will delight everyone who tastes one.
Get the Blueberry Muffins recipe.
Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites
Giving cold hard cash to Starbucks ain't it, even if that cash is in exchange for their fluffy, cheesy, protein-packed egg muffins. Lucky for you (and your wallet), we’ve figured out a perfect dupe for the iconic breakfast bites that will make you swear you shelled out $5 for a serving.
Get the Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites recipe.
Bacon Breakfast Burrito
There's no ONE right way to make a breakfast burrito, but if you follow these easy rules, you're guaranteed perfect results (that can even cure a hangover!) every time. Spoiler alert: We cook the potatoes in bacon fat.
Get the Bacon Breakfast Burrito recipe.
Copycat Chobani Yogurt Protein Drink
Getting all your protein in doesn’t have to be a wallet-busting nightmare—these protein-packed, 5-minute copycat Chobani yogurt drinks will help you start the day off feeling full, focused, and fiscally responsible.
Get the Copycat Chobani Yogurt Protein Drinks recipe.
Bee Sting Bagel Breakfast Sandwich
Picking a favorite breakfast sandwich is hard, but this bagel version—featuring hot honey bacon, scrambled eggs, and scallion cream cheese—is recently top of our list. Wrap them in foil to make them easy to eat while on the go!
Get the Bee Sting Bagel Breakfast Sandwich recipe.
Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Bars
Sick of grabbing the same super-sweet, processed granola bars every morning? Studded with banana chunks and chocolate chips, these hearty oat bars will satisfy your breakfast cravings and sustain you through those long late morning meetings. Oh, and those necessary four o’clock snacks? They’re good for that too.
Get the Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Bars recipe.
Tomato, Basil, Feta Omelet Quesadilla
Here, a pillowy omelet is attached to a crispy tortilla and then folded onto jammy cherry tomatoes, soft melting feta, and bright basil leaves. Wrap this in a piece of foil and eat on the go, or pair with a side salad and dig in with a fork for brunch.
Get the Tomato, Basil, Feta Omelet Quesadilla recipe.
Strawberries 'N' Cream Granola Bars
These strawberries 'n' cream granola bars are so much better than the store-bought kind. Packed with rolled oats, coconut flakes, pepitas, and freeze-dried strawberries for a hit of tart flavor, these are perfect for breakfast or an on-the-go snack.
Get the Strawberries 'N ' Cream Granola Bars recipe.
Ham & Cheese Egg Cups
This low-carb breakfast comes together in no time—seriously, they're ready in less than 30 minutes! We sprinkled the ham with a little shredded cheddar, but feel free to swap in your favorite type of cheese!
Get the Ham & Cheese Egg Cups recipe.
Chia Pudding
Cooking with chia seeds might seem intimidating, but in reality this pudding couldn't be easier to whip up! Simply add liquid, give it a good stir, and let time do the rest. We like ours topped with fresh fruit—juicy berries, sweet bananas, or fragrant pears work great—and crunchy granola, but feel free to go crazy with your favorite toppings.
Get the Chia Pudding recipe.
Breakfast Crunchwrap
You don't have to be a Taco Bell fan to appreciate the beauty of a crunchwrap supreme—it's the perfect marriage between crispy quesadilla and crunchy tostada. In this breakfast version, there's no tostada shell. Instead the crunch comes from hash browns. SO. GOOD.
Get the Breakfast Crunchwrap recipe.
Green Smoothie
For those mornings when we really need to get a boost of greens, we turn to this perfect green smoothie. Packed with good-for-you fruits and veggies, this smoothie has everything you need to keep you full and energized till lunch.
Get the Green Smoothie recipe.
Copycat Egg McMuffin
When the McDonald’s drive-through window is closed, you can rely on this easy-to-follow copycat recipe for backup. All you need are some English muffins, Canadian bacon, American cheese, and eggs.
Get the Copycat Egg McMuffin recipe.
Classic Coffee Cake
Don’t let the name fool you: There’s no actual coffee in a classic coffee cake. The name comes from the quintessential accompaniment to this brunch staple, which is a steaming cup of coffee. Best part? It's also perfect for taking with you as you run out the door.
Get the Classic Coffee Cake recipe.
Rebel Within Muffins
These are a cheesy and herb-studded muffin that is more like a savory scone or biscuit in texture. The muffin itself is fantastic and we wouldn't be upset to eat it all on its own, but add a perfectly soft-boiled egg inside and we're OBSESSED.
Get the Rebel Within Muffins recipe.
Overnight Oats
On busy mornings, nothing beats overnight oats for breakfast. They’re an easy, no-bake version of classic oatmeal that only takes a few minutes to prepare. Prep them the night before, tuck them into your fridge to soak, and you’ll have a chilled, creamy, on-the-go breakfast waiting for you in the morning.
Get the Overnight Oats recipe.
Quiche
Quiche is a perennial fave in the canon of classic brunch dishes, and this version is the best. Soft, creamy filling studded with ham, chives, and Gruyère rests inside a crunchy, buttery pie crust—make one over the weekend then grab and go slices for the breakfast of your dreams all week long.
Get the Quiche recipe.
Morning Glory Muffins
There are plenty of ways to welcome a new day, but these morning glory muffins practically guarantee your day will start off great. They are exactly what you want, even if you’re not a breakfast person.
Get the Morning Glory Muffins recipe.
Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs
Although boiling a pot of water is easy, just tossing as many eggs as you want in an air fryer might be even easier. Simply cook the eggs to your desired doneness then shock them in an ice bath, and you will have perfectly hard-boiled (ok, air-fried) eggs.
Get the Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs recipe.
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Tossing fruit in a blender beats cooking and washing dishes (and that's coming from people who cook for a living). With this easy smoothie, all you need are a few staple pantry ingredients and 5 minutes, you’ll have a versatile, filling, and quick breakfast on your hands to kickstart your morning.
Get the Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie recipe.
Best-Ever Egg Muffins
Egg muffins are one of the BEST healthy breakfasts for meal prepping because you easily make a big batch of them at once. They will keep in your fridge for up to 7 days, so you can grab them on your way out the door all week!
Get the Best-Ever Egg Muffins recipe.
Breakfast Bombs
These easy-to-make biscuit bombs are stuffed with all your favorite breakfast foods—scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and cheese. Pro tip: You can heat these up in the air fryer too.
Get the Breakfast Bombs recipe.
Banana Nut Muffins
Banana nut muffins are the shortcut version to banana bread, and are made for breakfast meal prep. They are light and moist, full of toasted walnuts, and just sweet enough. Grab one next time you're running out the door in the morning to improve your whole day.
Get the Banana Nut Muffins recipe.
British Scones
If you’ve never had a British scone, you’re missing out. Tall and fluffy, soft in the center and just slightly sweet, these staples of British tea time are more similar in texture to American-style biscuits than they are to an American scone.
Get the British Scones recipe.
Blueberry Smoothie
Craving a smoothie, but not a banana fan? This blueberry smoothie is just as creamy, but skips the tropical fruit in lieu of almond butter and oat milk.
Get the Blueberry Smoothie recipe.
Easy Applesauce Muffins
Applesauce is the secret to these super tender and moist muffins, which you don’t even need a mixer to make. Sprinkling the insides of the cups (and the tops!) with cinnamon sugar gives the muffins extra sweetness and a light crispy crunch you'll love.
Get the Easy Applesauce Muffins recipe.
Triple-Berry Smoothie
We chose (frozen!) strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and bananas to be our base here, but any combo of fruit is great. Make a tropical smoothie of pineapple, mango, and banana or add blueberry and peach to switch it up for a summer twist.
Get the Triple-Berry Smoothie recipe.
Perfect Fruit Scones
Fruit scones are meant to be seasonal, so use your favorite farmers' market fruit (or whatever you need to use up in your fridge). Serve with some ice cream or whipped cream for a shortcake-inspired dessert in the evenings too.
Get the Perfect Fruit Scones recipe.
Crescent Breakfast Squares
We love ourselves a good crescent roll dough hack, and for good reason. This one is a simple way to avoid any complaints about the way the eggs are cooked (hint: they’re scrambled, but even haters will enjoy it tucked between flaky pastry), is super-customizable, and makes for a great on-the-go option too.
Get the Crescent Breakfast Squares recipe.
Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Roll-Ups
This easy low-carb breakfast is SUPER satisfying. No bread? No problem. Did we mention it only takes 20 minutes to throw together too? 😍
Get the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Roll-Ups recipe.
Ham, Egg, & Cheese Roll-Ups
These roll-ups are the perfect low-carb substitute to your favorite breakfast burrito. They're enough to make for a crowd, and the filling possibilities are endless!
Get the Ham, Egg, & Cheese Roll-Ups recipe.
Chicken & Waffle Breakfast Sandwich
Chicken & waffles are the perfect encapsulation of the unbeatable combination of salty and sweet. We also feel that sitting down with an entire plate of them can sometimes be a little daunting, especially on busy mornings. Perhaps something handheld might be a good solution?
Get the Chicken & Waffle Breakfast Sandwich recipe.
Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
Nothing beats a perfectly boiled egg for a quick breakfast. But, short of sacrificing an egg and cracking it open, it can be difficult to know when your egg is perfectly cooked! Rest assured, we have a few tricks to get you that perfect hard-boiled texture without tearing apart the cooked whites.
Get the Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs recipe.
NYC-Style Bacon, Egg, & Cheese
Sometimes you just really want a bodega breakfast sandwich, plain and simple. For the authentic experience, top it with ketchup and salt and pepper and chase it with an iced coffee.
Get the NYC-Style Bacon, Egg, & Cheese recipe.
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