18 Brilliant Breakfast Ideas For A Potluck

Potlucks are every small bite-lover's dream, offering up a convenient way to enjoy several, if not dozens, of foods instead of having to commit to one main dish. The nature of potlucks, regardless of whether they take place in someone's house, at a party, or at work, typically involves everyone bringing a little something to share, resulting in a big smorgasbord of goodies. Though we may most often associate potlucks with being evening affairs, who said that a breakfast potluck can't also be a thing?

If you are hosting or attending a brunch potluck, we've got great news: There's a whole world of breakfast items that are very well-suited for a sharing environment, and we've rounded up some of our best recipes that fit the bill. When selecting breakfast potluck recipes, we considered those that are bigger-batch recipes or result in larger yields and those that produce easily grabbable or shareable foods — think pastries, breakfast sliders, bagels, and even casseroles and quiches. Plus, we've made sure to include recipes that will cater to just about anyone's preferences; whether your fellow potluckers prefer sweet treats or savory bites, there's a little something for everyone in this roundup.

Warm, cozy, spiced, and subtly tart thanks to the clever use of Granny Smith apples, this apple fritter casserole would make a wonderful addition to any breakfast potluck. Like many sweet breakfast casseroles that rely on some sort of bread as the base, this one uses croissants (grocery store croissants will work just fine) as the carby base, along with additions like heavy cream, applesauce, and cinnamon for a flavor boost. Spiced apples go on top, and the whole casserole is topped off with an extra touch of sweetness in the form of a simple glaze. 

Most casseroles are well-suited for potlucks because they're big-batch by nature and can easily be cut up into pieces for easy sharing. This recipe is especially ideal because it yields a whopping 12 slices, and you could stretch that number even further by simply halving one of the generous portion sizes.

Recipe: Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole

It's important to stay mindful of cross-contamination at potlucks and to keep things as sanitary as possible, and there's perhaps no better way to do so than by providing individually contained snacks to share. Muffins fit this bill perfectly, with a batch yielding enough to feed a crowd, but each muffin coming wrapped and self-contained, so whichever one you grab wasn't touched by dozens of eager fingers.

As for what kind of muffins you bring to the potluck, we strongly recommend these crab and chive corn muffins to satisfy those savory flavor lovers out there. Somewhat like jazzed-up cornbread muffins, these bad boys also feature goodies like crab meat, corn, diced tomatoes, and chives, making for delightfully dense muffins that aren't just the same old iteration of blueberry or lemon poppyseed.

Recipe: Savory Crab and Chive Corn Muffins

There's a good chance that someone at your breakfast potluck will be vegan, so it's always a good idea to try to accommodate various dietary preferences whenever possible. It's pretty easy to do so with recipes that are so easy to make and taste so good, like this vegan blueberry coffee cake recipe. The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn't call for any rare or particularly specialty items to transform a classic coffee cake into a vegan version, just simple swaps to dairy-free butter, milk, and yogurt.

Even those potluckers who aren't vegan will love this delightfully sweet coffee cake, which features blueberries for a fresh, fruity pop. And, like any type of coffee cake, the recipe yields a pretty large serving amount. You'll get nine servings out of this recipe as-is, but of course, you can always reduce slice sizes to cater to larger crowds.

Recipe: Vegan Blueberry Coffee Cake

There's something about the combination of ultra-rich white chocolate and tart raspberries that just makes a whole lot of sense. The flavor profiles work exceptionally well together, with the sweet and creamy chocolate offsetting some of the raspeberries' tartness, and vice versa. We see this wonderful flavor duo at play in these raspberry white chocolate chip muffins, which come with a streusel topping and even an optional glaze, should you want to hone in on the sweet nature of the pastry even more.

Something nice about this recipe is that you can use either fresh or frozen raspberries, so if the produce at your local grocery store isn't looking too fresh, that won't be a problem. Otherwise, the ingredients here are pretty straightforward and likely already in your pantry if you're a frequent baker. The recipe yields 12 muffins, so it's ideal for sharing at a potluck.

Recipe: Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Starbucks and croissant lovers can unite thanks to this copycat recipe, which yields delightful little baked apple croissants that are just perfect for sharing. And, before you start sweating at the mere thought of attempting to make homemade croissants, fear not. This recipe is more like a shortcut version, using store-bought puff pastry to mimic the flaky nature of the pastry without the actual chance of any croissant-making mistakes cropping up.

Of course, the little croissant cups almost aren't the star of the show here — the spiced apple filling is. The type of apple you use is up to personal preference, though it would be wise to use an apple type best suited for baking, like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or Pink Lady. Once baked, the final croissant has that perfect balance between flaky crust and warm, gooey apple inside, and the handheld nature of the croissants makes them perfect for sharing at a potluck.

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Baked Apple Croissants

If you have mini donut pans sitting in your cupboard that you've just been dying to put to use, now is your (and the pans') chance to shine. This glazed mini baked donuts recipe yields impossibly adorable, easily-customizable little bite-sized treats that could not be better suited for sharing. Yes, you will need special pans to make these donuts, but the final result makes the extra equipment well worth it. Oh, and did we mention that this recipe yields a whopping 48 mini donuts? If that's not perfect for a breakfast potluck, we don't know what is.

Since these donuts are baked instead of traditionally fried, the recipe is incredibly easy and straightforward, and you don't have to fuss with hot oil. The real fun and creative aspect comes into play once it's time to decorate; you could take a cue from recipe developer Katie Rosenhouse and decorate the donuts with various types of icings and sprinkles, or you could keep things simple and use the same glaze on all donuts.

Recipe: Glazed Mini Baked Donuts

Salmon lox is often paired with bagels, but this recipe pairs it with another breakfast classic: quiche. This smoked salmon and spring vegetable quiche is loaded with ingredients like leeks, peas, and, of course, smoked salmon, all encompassed in that eggy filling that truly makes a quiche what it is. A final garnish of caper-infused crème fraîche, more salmon, and dill help make this quiche look just as sophisticated as it tastes.

There's no denying that this high-end quiche is a labor of love, as the crust is made from scratch and, as such, patience is required. You can always skip making a homemade crust and opt for store-bought instead, or you could make the crust ahead of time to cut corners when it comes time to actually assemble, bake, and serve the quiche at your breakfast potluck.

Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Spring Vegetable Quiche

Chicken and waffles may have mysterious origins, but there's nothing mysterious about how good the classic brunch dish tastes. This chicken and waffle sliders recipe reinvents the breakfast staple by transforming it into a succinctly packaged little sandwich, making it a perfect option for serving at a potluck. 

This recipe does call for making both the fried chicken and waffles from scratch, but your fellow potluckers will surely appreciate this effort. And, since chicken and waffles aren't complete without maple syrup, you'll also whip up a quick and easy maple butter to slather onto the sandwich for optimal decadence with a touch of sweetness.

Recipe: Fried Chicken and Waffle Sliders

It's easy to load baked goods with a healthy green vegetable, thanks to zucchini. The squash, often considered a vegetable but technically a fruit, doesn't really affect the flavor of baked goods that it graces, but it still imparts a nice nutritional boost, not to mention plenty of moisture. There's classic zucchini bread, zucchini cookies, and even zucchini brownies; and, thanks to this potluck-friendly recipe, there are cheesy bacon zucchini muffins, too.

These savory muffins really couldn't be easier to make, which also makes them ideal for those who want to contribute to the potluck but aren't necessarily adept in the kitchen. You simply make the muffin batter, bake, and voila — cheesy, bacony, zucchini-filled muffins that are perfectly shareable. 

Recipe: Cheesy Bacon Zucchini Muffins

Sure, you could just buy a bag of bagels from the grocery store and bring them to a potluck, or you could go the extra mile and make these homemade Asiago bagels instead. Bagels have somewhat of a reputation for being particularly hard to make at home, perhaps because they require both a boiling session and baking. After making this recipe and seeing how much everyone enjoys your homemade bagels, however, you may just never return to the sub-par store-bought options ever again.

It is true that bagels do require a certain amount of time in the kitchen, but this recipe will walk you through all of the steps — including the shaping, boiling, and baking — to yield delightfully cheesy and chewy treats. Bring these bagels along with a tub of cream cheese, and you'll be the talk of the potluck.

Recipe: Homemade Asiago Bagels

It's hard to beat a good breakfast sammie, and these California-style breakfast sliders both taste good and are designed to feed a crowd. Featuring eggs, pepper Jack cheese, bacon, alfalfa sprouts, and avocado, all sandwiched in between mini brioche rolls, these little sandwiches are guaranteed to be a hit at your breakfast potluck.

Unlike many breakfast sandwich recipes that call for frying the eggs or cooking them over easy, this recipe calls for soft scrambling them, which adds an almost creamy and luscious texture to the sandwich. It's hard to beat classic bacon on a breakfast sandwich, and both the avocado and alfalfa sprouts are subtle nods to the California-inspired theme.

Recipe: California-Style Breakfast Sliders

Bear claws typically fall into the dessert arena, often boasting sweet fillings or glazes on top. This bear claw recipe is a little different, featuring a savory ham and cheese filling that's somewhat reminiscent of a ham and cheese croissant. Would you believe us if we told you this recipe only required six ingredients? If not, get ready to be amazed because these bear claws really are much easier to prepare than they initially seem.

Canned croissant rolls are the key to keeping this recipe nice and simple, and other ingredients include Dijon mustard, black forest ham, Gruyere cheese, an egg, and everything bagel seasoning. You will only end up with three claws once all is said and done, so to make this recipe potluck-friendly, be sure to make a double or even triple batch or simply break up each bear claw into smaller pieces.

Recipe: Savory Ham and Cheese Bear Claws

Scones already fall into the breakfast and brunch arena as-is, but this recipe cranks things up a notch by incorporating two other breakfast staples: bacon and maple syrup. Delightfully dense and perfectly balancing sweet, salty, and savory flavor profiles, these bacon scones with maple glaze are the just type of grab-and-go pastry that is well-suited for a potluck.

Despite looking so impressive, these scones are actually very simple to make. Like most scone recipes, there's no resting or rising time required for the dough; just mix it up, shape it, cut it, and bake. The real star of the show is the glaze, which is infused with maple extract for an extra-concentrated maple flavor.

Recipe: Sweet and Salty Bacon Scones With Maple Glaze

If pizza isn't the most quintessential potluck food that there is, then we really don't know what is. Shareable by nature and sure to be a crowd pleaser, pizza isn't just limited to lunch or dinnertime; this Mexican breakfast pizza recipe proves that the ultimate party food can easily transform into a morning setting and taste oh-so-good while doing so. 

The base of the pizza is a homemade dough, one infused with cornmeal as a nod to a Mexican staple, corn tortillas. Toppings include Mexican chorizo, eggs, salsa, and a cilantro-lime crema. The finished pizza gets topped off with avocado slices and a sprinkling of cotija cheese, not only honing in on the Mexican theme even further, but also adding that special something that really makes this breakfast pizza something special.

Recipe: Mexican Breakfast Pizza

If you've got some croissants sitting around that you forgot about, don't kick those stale pastries to the curb — use them as the base of this croissant breakfast casserole instead. Following the same logic as using stale bread for Thanksgiving stuffing, stale croissants help this breakfast casserole maintain its shape and integrity without turning to mush, something your potluck guests will no doubt be grateful for.

As for the other half of this casserole, it consists of an eggy mixture with cheese, sauteed onions, and pancetta for a unique spin on classic bacon. This recipe yields about six servings, though each portion is pretty big, so you can easily squeeze more servings out depending on how many will be at the potluck.

Recipe: Croissant Breakfast Casserole

If your breakfast routine has been revolutionized by Starbucks egg bites, then it only makes sense that you give this homemade egg white cups recipe a spin. Though they're not exactly like the Starbucks version, as they aren't cooked via sous vide, they are pretty darn close, and they're sure to be a hit at a breakfast potluck all the same.

These simple little egg bites come together quite easily, consisting of just egg whites, spinach, tomato, bell pepper, and a little bit of salt and pepper. A simple muffin tray and your oven will do the heavy lifting, transforming your veggie-loaded egg mixture into tiny little egg cups that are perfect for serving to a large crowd, thanks to their grab-and-go nature.

Recipe: Egg White Breakfast Cups

You could argue that just about any pastry is well-suited for breakfast, but there's something about a Danish that just feels especially right in the morning. Perhaps it's because they incorporate cream cheese, another common breakfast ingredient, and often fruit, which is never a bad thing to also include in a well-rounded breakfast.

This cream cheese Danish recipe features an assortment of fruit toppings, meaning that you can get as crafty and creative as you want when preparing these for a breakfast potluck. You will need to plan ahead with this one, as the recipe does call for making the Danishes from scratch, so you'll need to give the dough adequate rest time and yourself adequate prep time.

Recipe: Cream Cheese and Assorted Fruit Danishes

Rounding out our list of breakfast potluck recipes is this brunch-perfect sausage strata which, despite the name, we feel confident that you could get away with serving it for breakfast all the same. This bready, casserole-like dish is loaded with plenty of breakfast staple goodies, including eggs, sausage, and cheese.

Unlike many types of breakfast casseroles that use croissants as a base, this recipe uses French or Italian bread, which holds up well against the custardy, eggy mixture that gets loaded on top. Simple but savory and satisfying, this strata recipe yields 12 slices, so there will be plenty to go around your breakfast potluck.

Recipe: Brunch-Perfect Sausage Strata