When I sit down to think about or plan out a brunch menu, I go straight to my bookshelf, and pull out one of my favorite selections. These books are covered in flour and mystery stains, have well-loved bookmarked pages, and immediately fall open to my most-used recipes. If your bookshelf isn’t stocked with brunch cookbooks, then it’s time to start building your library.
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I’ll start with my go-to books from my own ever-growing collection. These are the first books I grab off my own shelf, whether I’m cooking a big family style brunch, serving a small group, or just looking for inspiration for a stay-at-home Sunday morning with my husband.
by Sarah Owens
What’s brunch without a bread basket in the middle of the table to get you started? Without this book, my bread variety would basically be entirely quick-rising bites, like muffins and cornbread. Those are all well and good, but sometimes you want a nice rustic slice of Black Bread (p 43) or Pain de Mie (p 57), like Sarah will teach you how to make in this book.
And it doesn’t stop there. In addition to loaves of bread, you can also find recipes for sourdough bagels, scones, soft pretzels, English muffins, and crackers. Not only will these fill out your bread basket, but also start you on the path to some brunch main courses.
The second half of this book is all about the spreads: both sweet jams like Caramel Apple Bourbon Butter(p 129) or Vanilla Marmalade (p 137) and savory spreads, nut butters, and even egg salad. Honestly, if you’re a carb lover like I am, you could probably build your entire menu from just this book.
Over Easy by Joy Wilson
Joy the Baker was one of the first food blogs I started reading, and I still have many of her recipes bookmarked both online and across her various cookbooks. But this one, which is all about brunch, is the one I pick up first when thinking of a menu for my favorite meal.
This book is divided into chapters for all the basics your brunch needs – from co*cktails and coffee, like a Black and White Russian (p 51), all the way through to irresistible baked goods. You will definitely want to try the Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee Cake (p 221)!
But it’s not all sweets. Joy doesn’t forget about brunch main courses either. She includes plenty of options, like egg dishes, salads, sandwiches, and your favorite griddled treats. And the sides! I simply cannot serve brunch without including a tray of her Praline Bacon (p 130).
Brunch at Bobby’s by Bobby Flay
This book is the newest addition to my own brunch collection, and when it arrived, I sat down and read it cover to cover. It feels like Bobby Flay is inside my head when it comes to his philosophy on brunch recipes and flavors. So many of his dishes sound exactly like something you’d see on my table.
The book starts with drinks, just like any good brunch. I am most looking forward to trying the Blackberry Bourbon Iced Tea (p 28), but could also go for some Bananas Foster Beignets (p 165) from the pastry section.
At the end of the book, Bobby provides some menu ideas for putting together a full brunch, including one that is entirely chocolate-themed, which you know I am on board for. Plus there are plenty of potatoes, fruits, biscuits, buns, and the ever-intriguing Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes (p 72).
Sweeter Off the Vine by Yossy Arefi
This one isn’t strictly a brunch book. In fact, Yossy herself describes it as a cookbook full of “fruit desserts for every season.” But in my mind, if it includes fruit, you can call it breakfast. So many of my favorite brunch choices are pulled from the pages of this selection.
I love how it’s organized by season and type of fruit, so you can really focus on building a menu around the best possible dishes for whatever time of year you are in. It’s spring right now, and I am ready to dive right into early produce with a Rhubarb and Rose Galette (p 20). But I am also champing at the bit for some summer Plum Pie with Hazelnut Crumb (p 104).
In the fall and winter, you can find plenty of recipes for old favorites like apples and citrus. But there are also unexpected flavors like Quince and Pistachio Frangipane Tartlets (p 170). Not to mention, this book includes my go-to All Butter Pie Crust recipe (p 228), which would make an excellent starting point for a quiche.
Brunch Cookbook Wish List
Of course, we could all use a few more brunch cookbooks to round out our shelves, myself included! Here are a few selections that are currently on my wish list:
More Cookbooks to Love
If you are crazy cookbook-obsessed like I am, no worries. This brunch list isn’t the only one I have to offer you. If you are more of a baker or dessert lover, then you need to start stocking your shelves with the books from my Baking Survival Kit.
For more general newish releases, I have been making cookbook wish lists for the last few years. Be sure to check out this year’s choices, and then go back for more from 2020 and 2019.
And finally, you can raid my bookshelves! I have a selection of my favorites over on my shop page: just click the Cookbook Library tab.
