If you’re used to bacon and eggs for breakfast, but can’t have that on Friday during Lent, this list of Lent Breakfast Ideas will help you come up with great options.
For more ideas of what to cook during Lent, check out all of our vegetarian recipes.
If you’re Christian, you know Ash Wednesday is this week. And that means no meat all day. Or on any Friday between this coming Friday and Good Friday.
If you’re not Christian, quick recap. There are 40 days of Lent. Those days, between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday, are the Lenten Season. And then, the next day is Easter Sunday.
During Lent, there are a few rules that Christians adhere to. The most important, for this round up, is that on Ash Wednesday and each Friday through Good Friday, most Christians (Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, etc.) abstain from meat.
In addition to meatless meals, Christians fast on Ash Wednesday and Lenten Fridays, eating one full meal and two smaller meals on those days.
It sounds so easy, but it’s a lot harder to think of vegetarian meals when you’re in a pinch. Planning ahead helps.
This list is filled with Lent-friendly breakfast recipes because when you just woke up and you’re hangry and your brain doesn’t have any fuel, it’s really hard to figure out what to eat that’s not just “open a box of sugary cereal and pour it in a bowl.”
Now that you have breakfast recipe ideas, you might be wondering what to have for dinner. Check out our list of the Best Lent Dinner Ideas.
You can also get some ideas for meatless meals for Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent when you click that link.
25+ Delicious Lent Breakfast Ideas
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On this breakfast ideas for Lent list, there are some that are hot meals and the other meal ideas are make ahead/baked options. So, if you stick with those, you can actually meal prep. Make a bunch, portion them out, then freeze one for every Lenten Friday. It’ll make this time of a little bit easier.
Two quick side notes:
First, none of these recipes use plant-based protein. Yes, technically those are vegetarian and can be eaten during the season of Lent, but that sort of feels like it’s not following the spirit of Lent, even if it’s technically following the rules.
Second, these are all vegetarian as is. You don’t have to remove any of the ingredients in order to make them for Lent. You can just make all of these recipes as written.
Hot breakfast ideas for Lent
Breakfast Croissant Boats
These Breakfast Croissant Boats are the perfect breakfast for your whole family to enjoy during Lent because you fill them then bake them all at the same time, so everyone eats at once.
The croissants are filled with cheese, eggs, cilantro, and grape tomatoes. They’re so flavorful, you won’t miss the meat.
Overnight French Toast Casserole With Crumb Topping
If you’re having guests on Easter weekend and need a great recipe to feed a crowd for Good Friday, this Overnight French Toast Casserole with crumb topping is it.
It only takes a couple minutes to feed your whole family (and then some!).
Homemade Pop Tarts
Pop Tarts are such an easy breakfast idea because you just open a box and toast them. But trust me. These homemade Pop Tarts are so much better (and cheaper) than the ones you get at the store.
You can vary the fillings too, so you’re not eating the same flavored Pop Tart every Friday in Lent.
Banana And Nutella Croffles
If you wat to try something new, these Banana And Nutella Croffles are great. They’re croissant waffles, croissant dough filled and rolled, then cooked on a waffle maker.
You can fill them with whatever you like (like strawberries and peanut butter), but we like banana and Nutella ourselves — except for me during Lent because I give up chocolate every year.
Egg In A Hole With Mushrooms And Spinach
If you have time to make a really good breakfast on a Friday (like maybe Good Friday, if your job gives you off that day), this Egg in a Hole recipe is great.
Cooked spinach and mushrooms move out of the way (literally) to let the egg shine.
Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
A little sweetness in the morning never hurt anyone. If you agree, these Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes are for you (not me because, like I said, I give up chocolate for Lent).
The best part is you can make a ton and freeze them, taking them out when you’re ready for breakfast.
Tater Tot Waffles
Any sort of waffles are a good breakfast for Friday during Lent.
But if you want something a little more exciting than frozen waffles, go with these Tater Tot Waffles. The base is, you guessed it, tater tots.
Cottage Cheese Sheet Pan Pancakes
Pancakes can take a while, especially for a crowd, since you are making them one by one.
If you’re trying to feed your whole family on a Friday, these Cottage Cheese Sheet Pan Pancakes are made in a sheet pan so you make a bunch at once.
Cheesy Egg Sandwich
One of my favorite breakfast sandwiches is this Cheesy Egg Sandwich. An egg and cheese sandwich is such a classic breakfast recipe, and this one is really satisfying.
I always make it without breakfast meat, so it’s always Lent friendly.
Oatmeal Pancakes
These Oatmeal Pancakes are not your typical pancake recipe. They’re packed with rolled oats, which give them a different texture than traditional pancakes.
They’re great all Lenten season long.
Make Ahead/Baked Options
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Banana bread doesn’t have to just be something you make when your bananas are too ripe. It’ll be something you buy bananas for once you start making this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
You can have it for your Lent breakfast (as long as you didn’t give up chocolate like me). It’s so good cold or warmed with a pat of butter.
Cheesy Zucchini Cornbread Casserole
Cornbread is one of our favorite breakfasts.
This Cheesy Zucchini Cornbread Casserole has a bunch of zucchini and shredded cheese in it, so it’s a pretty filling breakfast, which is good when you can’t have breakfast meats on the side.
Honey Vanilla Overnight Oats
Overnight oats got really popular a few years ago and once you make this Honey Vanilla Overnight Oats recipe, you’ll understand why.
They’re delicious and decadent and really easy to make ahead of time. Make them on Thursday night and they’ll be ready for Friday morning.
2 Ingredient Dough Rainbow Bagels
This 2 Ingredient Dough Rainbow Bagels recipe combines two trends from a few years ago: 2 ingredient dough (self-rising flour and Greek yogurt) and rainbow bagels.
Just because it’s Lent doesn’t mean you can’t eat something fun.
Zucchini Bread
If you’ve never had Zucchini Bread, this is a good reason to start. It’s similar to the texture of Banana Bread, but has a different flavor because of the zucchini in it (instead of the banana, of course).
This is a good idea if you’re like me and gave up chocolate for Lent, so you can’t have the banana bread with chocolate chips that we posted above.
Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are such a treat for breakfast.
You can either serve them warm, or you can bake them ahead of time and have them ready to go for Friday morning.
2 Ingredient Dough Flax Seed Bagels
If bagels are your go to breakfast, you’ll be happy to know if you can easily make them at home when you follow this 2 Ingredient Dough Flax Seed Bagels recipe. It doesn’t require yeast, proofing, or boiling, making it so much easier than traditional bagels.
Bake a batch earlier in the week, then pop these out on Friday when you need a meatless breakfast.
No Bake Chocolate Chip Walnut Energy Balls
Energy Balls are such an easy grab and go breakfast idea. You make them ahead of time with oats, honey, chocolate chips (so sigh, not for me right now because, you guessed it: I gave up chocolate for Lent), and a few other ingredients. Roll them into balls and freeze them.
Grab a couple when you’re ready for breakfast.
Freezer Challah Bread French Toast Sticks
French Toast Sticks are a fun breakfast idea. But you don’t have to buy them premade. They’re really easy to make at home.
Freeze them, then grab a couple on a Friday during Lent and microwave them for a meatfree meal.
Egg Salad Sandwich
Egg Salad is really good for any meal of the day, but we like it for breakfast.
It’s a protein packed way to kick off the day, which is really important if you also fast on Fridays during Lent.
Mango Banana Berry Smoothie
Smoothies are a really great option for breakfast on the go. You don’t have to worry about eating, just drinking. Plus, they’re great for Lent Fridays because, of course, there’s no meat in a smoothie.
If you’re looking for a fun smoothie idea, go with our Mango Banana Berry Smoothie. It’s a good combo.
Bread Pudding Muffins With Crumble Topping
Bread pudding is good; Bread Pudding Muffins With Crumble Topping are better.
You can make a bunch of them ahead of time, then eat them during the week or save them for Fridays during Lent when you can’t think of anything else to eat.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Pumpkin spice isn’t just a fall flavor. It’s good for Lent too. If you agree, you’ll love these Pumpkin Spice Muffins for breakfast.
If you don’t like pumpkin spice, but you like this idea, we have a bunch of other mini muffin recipes (which are made the same way) for you to try instead.
Oat Flour Bread
Toast is a good breakfast, but it’s a really light breakfast, which is not great if you fast on Fridays during Lent.
So instead, make yourself some of our Oat Flour Bread. It’s a lot denser and more filling than plain white bread. And you can top it with things like avocado or fresh tomato to make it more filling.
More Meatless Recipes:
This list is filled with our best Lent recipes for breakfast. But, if you’re looking for more ideas of what to eat, we have a bunch of other round ups that you might want to check out.
If you’re sticking with strictly meatless dinner ideas, we have Vegetarian Sandwiches and Vegetarian Soup recipes for you. We also have a great list of Lunch Ideas For Lent that are meatless too.
And, if you’re okay with lots of seafood recipes to get you through Lent, try our Shrimp Recipes, Shellfish Recipes (that aren’t shrimp), and Fish Recipes.
Which of these Lent Breakfast Ideas are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments.