The best healthy vegetarian breakfast recipes, including grab-and-go options, savory, sweet, and everything in-between. These meatless breakfasts are packed with nutrients, rely primarily on unrefined sweeteners, and – aside from the category for healthy breakfast ideas with eggs – are almost all naturally vegan (or vegan optional), too!

I’m a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In fact, this blog began from my desire to ditch my negative breakfast habits and share my healthy breakfasts along the way. At the time, primarily consisted of fully loaded smoothie bowls!. With the right healthy vegetarian breakfast recipes, you can not only load up on nutrients but also keep yourself satiated until the next meal. As a bonus, you can help curb cravings (and mid-morning snacking) too!

Below is a list of vegan/vegetarian breakfast ideas that skip all meat yet still pack in flavor and nutrients. So whether you want a hearty breakfast with eggs or want to go entirely plant-based, have some time to spend in the kitchen, or look for make-ahead breakfast ideas to grab and go, there are ideas for you. Plus, for those with a sweet tooth, check out my dessert-inspired options. So keep reading for healthy breakfast ideas made with simple, affordable ingredients and your nutrition in mind!

What Is a Healthy Breakfast?

Honestly, “healthy” can mean something different to each individual. For example, some people prefer to avoid all sugar. Others want the lowest fat possible. And some only consider meals below a specific calorie count. Personally, my idea of healthy is not to reduce calories. Instead, I prefer to pack my body with nourishing, nutrient-dense foods that taste and feel good for the body and avoid “empty calories”!

I recommend including fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, and dairy (if you eat it) throughout the week. Meanwhile, avoid refined sugars, flours, and “empty calories” where possible, for a nutritious and satisfying meatless breakfast. Even better, you can refer to this list of easy breakfast ideas for tons of inspiration!

The Basics

Learning to create these basic plant-based breakfast staples at home can not only save you money but help you make healthier choices. Be 100% in control of all the ingredients and avoid added sugars, fats, preservatives, and more!

• A Comprehensive Guide To Vegan, Dairy-Free Milk: choose from nut, seed, and other (soy, coconut, oat) homemade plant milks. They are perfect for using with cereal, porridge, granola, muesli, overnight oats, and other east vegetarian breakfasts!
• The Ultimate Guide: Homemade seed & Nut butter recipes: avoid added oils and sugars in store-bought versions by making your own. Perfect for spreading over toast, adding to smoothies, and drizzling over oatmeal and yogurt bowls. They provide protein and heart-healthy fats to your quick, healthy breakfast! Meal prep friendly, too!
• How To Make Granola Butter (Oatmeal Butter): combine nuts and oats for this tasty, nutrient-dense oatmeal butter. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, refined-sugar-free, and ready to use in all the ways you do any other nut/seed butter. A tasty, high-protein vegetarian breakfast!
• Coffee Peanut Butter Spread (Espresso Spread): for those who require a little caffeinated pick-me-up in the morning, enjoy this protein-dense nut butter. It’s made with all-natural ingredients and no added oils and the sweetener of your choice!

• Dairy-free soy yogurt, almond yogurt, or coconut yogurt: these homemade yogurt recipes are made with just 4 ingredients. They are lactose-free, dairy-free, and packed with plant-based protein (particularly the soy and almond). Perfect for enjoying in smoothies, topped with granola and fruit, and other healthy vegan breakfast ideas.

Bread Based Breakfast

Making healthier choices: when possible, choose whole grains over refined ones. That way you ditch the processed “empty” calories for more wholesome, nourishing ones. For example, whole grain bread (including bagels and crusty bread) is a great way to easily boost the nutritional content of simple breakfast dishes!

• Easy No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread: use whole wheat flour bread to make this simple no-knead bread, perfect for your morning toast and dipping needs!
• Homemade New York-Style Bagels: like the above, these homemade bagels can be made with wholewheat flour, and are perfect for topping with your favorite breakfast toppings! Want to reduce calories? Make your bagels thinner for delicious “bagel thins.”
• Easy Creamy Mushroom Toast (Vegan Optional): all you need is 15 minutes to prepare this creamy mushroom topped breakfast toast. It’s hearty, filling, and less than 200 calories per portion! Alternatively, you could serve toast with simple sauteed mushrooms.
• Avocado toast: I could write an entire post on the many variations of avocado toast you could enjoy as a healthy vegetarian or vegan breakfast… and I have! Read the post for my favorite simple flavor combo, as well as tons of ways to spruce up this simple, heart-healthy, filling breakfast.
• Pan Con Tomate: you might also enjoy this quick and easy Spanish tomato toast. Ready in just minutes and with fresh, high-quality ingredients, this tomato bread is incredibly delicious!

Fresh Juice and Shots

A single serving of a healthy juice or health shot is an excellent addition to your morning routine (alongside a nutritional breakfast) and is packed with nutrients and health benefits to boost your energy, immunity, and more! Plus, these include great make-ahead breakfast ideas to store in the fridge or freezer!

• Lemon, Ginger, and Cayenne Immunity Shots: these simple lemon, ginger, honey, and cayenne immunity shots are part of a wonderful immune booster juice to start the day right during cold and flu season (or any time of the year!).
• Wheatgrass Shots and Juice: wheatgrass is detoxifying and immune-boosting and can be enjoyed year-round to boost many bodily functions.
• Ginger Turmeric Immune-Boosting Energy Shots (juicer recipe): offer your immune system a daily boost with these simple 4-ingredient juice shots. Anti-inflammatory and digestive aid benefits included!

• Freshly Squeezed Orange Carrot Juice: cut down on all the sugars in store-bought juice with this vibrant, immune-boosting, vitamin-packed (particularly vitamins A and C) orange carrot juice. Perfect for enjoying alongside your breakfast of choice!
• Refreshing Carrot Ginger Juice (2 Methods): all you need are two ingredients to prepare this refreshing, zingy, immune-boosting juice.
• Simple Beetroot And Ginger Juice: start your day with this juice loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and detoxifying benefits!
• Green Detox Celery Juice Blend: with a combination of celery, apple, cucumber, and ginger, this simple green juice is packed with immune-boosting benefits while remaining light and refreshing.

If you prefer your morning drink to be warm and soothing, you might enjoy these fresh mint tea, green tea, or ginger tea recipes. Then, boost the nutrients further with a matcha latte or healing adaptogen mushroom coffee!

Smoothies & Smoothie Bowls

If your idea of “healthy” is a very low-sugar diet, then perhaps smoothies and smoothie bowls aren’t for you. However, if you want a filling, plant-heavy breakfast packed with multiple of your 5-a-day, then look no further! Plus, there are plenty of ways to boost your smoothies further with the addition of healthy fats, protein, etc.! You can also add these smoothies to your make-ahead breakfast ideas!

• Guide to Healthy Smoothie Recipes: want to learn all the top tips and tricks to preparing nutritional smoothies? Look no further! This guide includes all my top tips and tricks and how to meal-prep your smoothies for a fuss-free, quick healthy breakfast. I’ve also included several healthy breakfast smoothie recipes!
• Açai Bowl: just 3 ingredients make the base for this antioxidant-rich acai smoothie bowl, perfect for topping with protein, fiber, and other nutrient-dense toppings!
• Creamy Banana Avocado Smoothie: creamy, sweet, and loaded with heart-healthy fats and antioxidants. Plus, all you need is ½ a banana per serving!
• Super Mixed Berry Smoothie: combine berries, yogurt, and kale for this antioxidant-rich, vitamin-heavy berry smoothie!
• Vegan Chocolate Smoothie: help to curb those chocolate cravings with this naturally sweetened protein and nutrient-dense chocolate smoothie! (there’s even hidden spinach inside—don’t worry, you can’t taste it!)
• Delicious Tropical Healthy Green Smoothie: with a combination of mango, banana, spinach (or kale), and avocado at its base, this green smoothie is naturally sweet, super creamy, and packed with flavor. Top that up with ginger, oats, and even optional protein powder, and this is a wonderfully balanced healthy vegetarian breakfast!

• Mango Chia Pudding Bowl (with Crispy Oats and Yogurt): it combines a mango-yogurt “smoothie” with protein-dense chia seed pudding and lightly spiced crisp oats. It’s a gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, hearty, and balanced vegan/vegetarian breakfast idea.
• 3 Ingredient Chia Pudding: in this post I show how to make a basic chia pudding as well as a lot of variations and FAQs for a healthy snack, breakfast, or dessert loaded with protein, fiber, and omega-3s.
• BONUS Banana Milkshake (Without Ice Cream + Variations): if you’re looking for a sweet but healthy drink to enjoy alongside your healthy vegetarian breakfast, this homemade milkshake is for you. It’s refined sugar free and optionally dairy-free and made with jsut 3 ingredients (banana, milk, and the sweetener of your choice).

I love chia seeds so much that I’ve made several different versions of chia smoothie jars including mint smoothie and pink detox versions!

Savory/Egg Breakfasts

Eggs are a classic breakfast item, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re packed with protein, helping to keep you full until your next meal. They also have several other vitamins and minerals. More so, studies show that the cholesterol level in eggs increases “good” cholesterol and doesn’t raise negative blood cholesterol for the majority of people. Of course, it helps that they’re also super versatile! Below are my top healthy breakfast ideas with eggs.

• How Do You Poach an Egg?: simple methods for perfectly poached eggs. Perfect for a multi-purpose, versatile vegetarian breakfast topper!
• Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash (Vegetarian Hash): this breakfast hash is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and protein, for a hearty, healthy plant-based breakfast idea.
• Eggs In Purgatory (Italian Baked Eggs): eggs simmer in a hearty tomato sauce in this simple, low-calorie, budget-friendly breakfast/brunch dish. Enjoy with the bread of your choice for a simple, flavorful, and healthy breakfast.
• Healthy Easy Shakshuka: similar to the above, but with even more veggies. This healthy shakshuka cooks eggs directly into a fresh tomato and pepper sauce for a healthy, hearty vegetarian breakfast recipe.
• Çılbır (Turkish Poached Eggs): this healthy breakfast idea is as simple as it is delicious (a lot!) and packs in the protein with a combination of eggs and yogurt topped with a paprika butter (or oil for healthier fats) topping.

• Tomato Egg Tortilla Quiche (Breakfast Quiche): swap out the heavy pastry for a light tortilla crust in this breakfast quiche! This healthy vegetarian breakfast recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, with just a few minutes of hands-on prep!
• Veggie Omelette (with tips): this healthy veggie breakfast is packed with vegetables and made fluffy with water rather than milk for a high protein, low-calorie veggie breakfast.
• Easy Turkish Menemen: Turkish menemen is a combination of shakshuka, eggs in purgatory, and scrambled eggs. Cook the scrambled eggs directly into the tomato, pepper, and onion sauce. Then serve it with bread for a simple, wholesome vegetarian breakfast recipe.

For a vegan “eggy” breakfast, you might enjoy this simple scrambled tofu! You can enjoy it on toast or even swap it out in several of the recipes above.

All Things Oats

Oats have lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and taste amazing as well, so what’s not to love?! These simple, healthy oatmeal ideas not only taste delicious. They will help to keep you satisfied until your next meal (perfect for those looking to manage their weight and curb snacking). They also come with a hefty list of health benefits, including reduced cholesterol and blood sugar levels and improved gut health!

• How To Make Oatmeal On The Stove: before anything else, it’s time to get the technique down. Once you know how to make oatmeal perfectly, the sky is your limit to the toppings/mix-ins of your choice.
• Healthy Banana Oatmeal: all you need is 4 ingredients and 10 minutes for this dairy-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, and paleo vegetarian/vegan breakfast idea.
• Berry Oatmeal Bowl 2-Ways: cook mixed berries directly into your oatmeal. On the other hand, you can make a quick 5-minute berry compote in these simple healthy breakfast recipes for berry oatmeal.
• Simple Savory Oatmeal: if you prefer savory breakfast ideas, you can still enjoy a simple oatmeal recipe. A pan-fried egg and kale top this savory oatmeal for a hearty, satisfying, healthy vegetarian breakfast. Swap out the egg for a vegan breakfast, too.

• Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (Vegan, GF, Refined Sugar-Free): for those who need breakfast on the move, baked oatmeal is a perfect option. Prepare it in no time and bake (or reheat) as needed for a simple meal prep oatmeal breakfast.
• Strawberry Baked Oatmeal: when “blended oatmeal” took the world by storm, I hopped right on board. And while most of my creations of this cake-like oatmeal are more dessert than breakfast, this strawberry baked oatmeal is refined sugar-free with 6g of protein and just over 200 calories per portion, but with a hidden cheesecake center!
• Healthy Muesli Recipe (Vegan Protein Breakfast): this homemade muesli is packed with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit with no added sugar. It’s a high protein, hearty breakfast to enjoy with milk or yogurt (dairy or dairy-free). Also, you may enjoy this Healthy Homemade Granola.
• Bircher Muesli: is known as the “original overnight oats.” This meal-prep-friendly breakfast packs lots of wholesome ingredients, including rolled oats, apples, raisins, nuts, and yogurt, left overnight to soak.

• How to Make Overnight Oats (5 Flavors + FAQs): a healthy breakfast loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and flavor. Including a how-to for a base easy overnight oats recipe, 5 flavor variations, + top tips and FAQs!
• Healthy Yogurt Granola Cups: Bake the granola base directly into a muffin tin. Then fill them with yogurt and your favorite fruits for a tasty, delicious, nutritious, easy breakfast idea.

Dessert For Breakfast

Options like muffins, cookies, pancakes, and quick breads may not scream “healthy” but that doesn’t mean they can’t be “breakfast approved.” These recipes include minimal fat, unrefined sweeteners, and wholesome, nourishing ingredients.

Many of the below also make for great make-ahead breakfast options! Meaning more time in the morning to do whatever you need to do!

• Healthy Oatmeal Spinach Pancakes (GF): with a combination of whole ingredients, including spinach, yogurt, and oatmeal, these nutrient-dense pancakes taste great. They also load you up with nutrients and you can’t taste the spinach, either!
• Aebleskiver Danish Pancakes: these mini blueberry pancake balls are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and bursting with blueberries!
• Healthy Banana Bread: swap out sugar for natural date paste and regular flour for whole wheat flour. Then, enjoy a slice alone or topped with a dollop of yogurt and fruit. I have a gluten-free banana bread recipe, too.
• Vegan Choc Chip & Banana Healthy Oatmeal Cookies: with a combination of banana, oats, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips, these cookies are free from flour, egg, dairy, and gluten. They pack lots of fiber to keep you full until your next meal.
• Homemade Almond Butter Granola Bars: these homemade granola bars are slightly crunchy, slightly chewy, and made with wholesome, nourishing ingredients.
• Matcha Green Tea High-Protein Waffles: these waffles are sweet yet refined sugar-free, earthy, crisp, fluffy, and pack in 9 grams of protein per waffle!
• Mixed vegetable savory cupcakes with avocado “frosting”: if I can get away with eating a cupcake as a “healthy” veggie breakfast, then I’ll do it. With these mixed vegetable cupcakes, that’s the case. Absolutely loaded with rainbow veg (including zucchini, peppers, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, and corn), these cupcakes are the perfect way to start your day.

Bonus Healthy Vegetarian Breakfast

7+ Healthy Breakfast Quesadillas (Viral Tortilla Hack): 7+ healthy, nutrient-dense breakfast quesadillas/wraps using the viral tortilla hack. From cheesy omelet-style fillings to Middle Eastern Za’atar salad, there’s a delicious breakfast wrap for all!

And if you want to check out more ideas, then you can browse through my entire collection of breakfast recipes!

More Helpful Roundups

• 25+ Breakfasts From Around The World
• Flavored Water Recipes
• Guide to Healthy Smoothie Recipes
• The Essential Guide to Meal Prep + Meal Prep Ideas
• 50+ Healthy Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas on the Go
• 20+ Best Breakfast Sandwiches

If you try any of these breakfast recipes, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!