Recipes & Cooking Holiday Recipes Easter Recipes Make-Ahead Easter Brunch Recipes to Sweeten the Holiday Our make-ahead brunch menu features easy, delicious recipes everyone will love. By Karla Walsh Karla Walsh Karla Walsh began her career at FITNESS magazine in 2010. Since, she's worked at a wide variety of publications full-time, including BHG.com, Recipe.com and as a cross-brand social media specialist. From search engine optimization to features for print to video strategy, she has a diverse background in all things magazines. At the start of 2019, Karla chose to pursue full-time freelance writing and has contributed to more than 3 dozen brands. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 20, 2024 Close Photo: Carson Downing With the hurry-scurry of egg hunts and activities, Easter morning can be hectic. But bake, slow-cook, and prep these Easter menu ideas in advance and you'll have more time for the fun—and for sleep the night before. Featuring seasonal ingredients and holiday all-stars like carrots and ham, these Easter brunch recipes include ideas for appetizers, entrées, and desserts that are sure to please. All you'll need to do on Easter morning is put on a pot of coffee and relax. Make-Ahead Easter Brunch Menu Build your Easter brunch menu with these easy recipes for the most relaxed holiday meal you've ever made. No one will guess you've prepared everything ahead of time. Appetizer: Peach-Prosciutto Cornmeal Muffins Main Dish: Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole Main Dish: Cherry-Cola Ham Dessert: Coconut-Pecan Coffee Cake Dessert: Carrot-Parsnip Cakes Drink: Carrot Mexican Mule Andy Lyons Appetizer: Peach-Prosciutto Cornmeal Muffins Fresh or frozen peaches are the star of these salty-sweet Easter muffins. Stir together the cornmeal batter and add the peaches and chopped prosciutto before baking. You can make these the night before, or keep the baked muffins in the freezer for up to three months. When you're ready to serve, thaw them overnight in the fridge, then all that's left to do is warm them. View Recipe Blaine Moats Main Dish: Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole Monte Cristo, a mash-up of powdered sugar-dusted French toast and a ham and cheese sandwich, is the inspiration behind this casserole recipe. If you don't feel like baking a whole roast leg of lamb or a spiral ham, this showy dish can more than handle the spotlight as a centerpiece. Build it the night before the holiday meal, refrigerate, then pop it in the oven as you enjoy your appetizers. View Recipe Blaine Moats Main Dish: Cherry-Cola Ham Here are the top three reasons we can't get enough of this best make-ahead brunch recipe: It requires just 20 minutes of prep time before an overnight shift in the slow cooker. A splash of soda offers just enough sweetness to balance the salty pork. It can feed a big crowd (like really big: our Cherry-Cola Ham makes 20-24 servings!). View Recipe Scott Little Dessert: Coconut-Pecan Coffee Cake With chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, and a moist sour cream crumb, we're deeming this coffee cake more dessert than bread. Regardless of what category you think this make-ahead Easter brunch recipe lands in, you'll be convinced once you see the scrumptious ingredient list—and the fact that it can be made up to a day before and cooled on a wire rack. Test Kitchen Tip: Present the coconut coffee cake on a pretty round white platter, then, for a final flourish at the table, dust it with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. View Recipe Carson Downing Dessert: Carrot-Parsnip Cakes No Easter brunch feels complete without cake. And why not a spring carrot cake? Our festive orange-frosted version contains shredded carrots and parsnips for more nutrition and flavor. The result is a delicious confection that tastes perfectly sweet and flavorful. Prepare and bake the cake up to five days ahead, then frost Sunday morning before your brunch guests arrive. View Recipe Blaine Moats Drink: Carrot Mexican Mule While the kids sort through their Easter basket treats, the over-21 crowd can sip carrot-infused mules. To mix this cocktail recipe for six ahead of time, muddle a dozen rosemary springs and 12 fresh-sliced jalapeños in a pitcher. Pour in 1 ½ cups of carrot juice, 1 ½ cups of silver tequila, and a ½ cup plus one tablespoon of lime juice. Stir well and refrigerate up to a couple of hours. When cocktail-o'clock rolls around, strain the mix into six ice-filled copper mugs and top them off with ginger beer. Cheers to a picture-perfect Easter! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit