It’s pretty hard to imagine breakfast without grains.
Waffles, muffins, bagels, cereal, oh my! It seems that the entire continental breakfast station at every Marriott ever just got wiped out. So while you may be adjusting to the thought of breakfast foods that don’t come glazed, toasted, or dusted in powdered sugar, know that there are plenty of options at the end of that breadless tunnel.
And we’re about to show them to you.
To replace your typical baker’s dozen, we’re giving you a dozen grain-free breakfast ideas to make any day of the week. From reinvented granola to breakfast burritos with a surprising ingredient, these breakfast options are sure to fuel your morning — more than those jelly-filled donuts ever could.
12 Grain-Free Breakfast Recipes
We’re never ones to skip a meal, and just because we’re passing on the bread basket doesn’t mean we’re passing over breakfast. Here are twelve bread-less, grain-less, and [white] flour-less breakfast recipes to hold you over until lunchtime.
Sweet Potato Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Image: Chew Out Loud
Do we always prepare a complete, balanced meal? No. But do we always get in our daily dose of veggies? OK, also no. Like the eat-cereal-straight-out-of-the-bag people we are, sometimes our meals are void of several food groups. That’s why we love this savory breakfast casserole, packed with eggs, breakfast sausage, kale, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers.
Paleo Pecan Pie Scones
Image: Real Food with Jessica
We love a good breakfast that doubles as dessert (don’t tell us you disagree). Give us all the Belgian waffle stations and muffins that might as well be cupcakes, because we’re always game for a 7 a.m. sweet treat. We love this paleo recipe for breakfast scones because they give us a decedent brunch option without the sugar rush. Using a combination of almond flour and coconut flour, these treats are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and molasses.
Low-Carb Cauliflower Hash Browns
Image: Irena Macri
Argue with us all you want, but in our not-so-humble opinion hashbrowns are the best breakfast side dish there is. But if you’re looking to cut back on the carbs, white potatoes (in all their beautiful forms) are probably getting the axe. Recreate one of your favorite breakfast dishes with these healthy breakfast hash browns, fried to perfection using a combination of cauliflower florets, garlic, and nutritional yeast.
Cranberry Nut Chia Pudding
Images: Forks and Straws
You know what’s really ironic? The things we miss most when we give up grains. We never longed after the bread basket or the office birthday cake being passed around, but you know what we crave? Oatmeal. That gooey, tasteless bowl of porridge once shoved down our throats as teenagers is now what we crave most. Luckily, chia seed pudding — like this cranberry nut version — is filling the void.
Low-Carb Pizza Frittata
Image: Skinny Fitalicious
Here’s the thing about going grain-free: There are plenty of “naturally” grain-free options that you’re completely overlooking. Sure, paleo pancakes are fun, but sausage, eggs, and sauteed veggies require zero tweaks to be void of grain. Here’s another example — instead of creating a grain-free crust for your favorite quiche, simply make a frittata instead. This pizza frittata is loaded with eggs, pizza sauce, mushrooms, almond milk, spinach, and pepperoni — a complete meal in one dish.
Schoolyard Snacks
When you gave up grains, the first thing you thought was, “But if I could just have one more bowl of cereal.” No? Alright, we’re just projecting then. We may or may not have had a minor panic attack thinking about a life without cinnamon squares, so we baked ourselves a grain-free version. And then we baked another batch, and another, and another — and now we ship them straight to your front door.
Coconut Flour Pancakes With Blueberry Syrup
Image: What Molly Made
See? We told you paleo pancakes were fun. These coconut flour pancakes are completely grain-free, made with coconut flour, eggs, mashed bananas, and coconut milk. Feel free to top them with honey and butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips, or make your own blueberry syrup with blueberries, lemon juice, and maple syrup.
Meal Prep Sweet Potato Avocado Toast
Image: Get Inspired Everyday
Can we discuss how oddly comforting a good slice of toast is? When you were young and under the weather, how satisfying was a slice of toast for breakfast? While your old loaf of bread may be collecting freezer burn, here’s a gluten-free way to recreate avocado toast. You’ll roast slices of sweet potato, top with avocado and poached eggs, then sprinkle on a little seasoning to complete the dish.
Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Image: Only Gluten Free Recipes
Here’s the downside about going grain-free: Food becomes a little less...convenient. Don’t get us wrong, we love the way a grain-free diet makes us feel — but we miss the days when we could grab a few pretzels as a snack, snag a granola bar for breakfast, or eat a simple appetizer without holding onto a plate. We love these paleo breakfast apple cinnamon muffins because they make breakfast simple. Just grab one while scooting out the door, and continue on with your morning.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Image: Live Eat Learn
You mastered the meal prep game. You’re storing salads in mason jars, making enough quinoa on Sunday to feed a football team, and there’s a whole chicken — this minute — roasting in your Instant Pot. But breakfast? How does one prep for that? Smoothies are about to become your prepped, egg-free breakfast of choice: Simply pour all of your dry ingredients in your blender the night before, then pour in ice cubes and a dairy-free milk the morning of. Boom, your breakfast is ready in under one minute.
Grain-Free Granola
Image: Eating by Elaine
You know how much we love cereal (obviously — we chose it as a career path). And while we never grow tired of a bowl of our grain-free cereal, sometimes we want to treat ourselves to something a bit more decadent. This vegan granola recipe is made with unsweetened coconut flakes, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and maple syrup. It also makes the perfect topping for parfaits, smoothie bowls, and chia seed pudding.
Breakfast Burrito Collard Wraps
Image: What Great Grandma Ate
Here’s something none of us saw coming: Vegetables can be transformed into some of our favorite comfort foods. And frankly, if cauliflower can be pizza, then collard greens being a burrito shouldn’t be all that surprising. This breakfast burrito is made with collard greens as the “wrap,” then stuffed with bell peppers, avocado, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hot sauce for a delicious breakfast treat. Best yet, it fits perfectly within the paleo diet and is Whole30 friendly.
No Grains? No Problem
We mentioned this once above, but a breakfast with grains is just a whole lot easier. It’s much more convenient to grab a breakfast sammie at Starbucks, snag a bagel from the corner cart, or throw a granola bar in your purse than it is to whip up an omelet.
You know we’re not wrong.
And because we’re no strangers to maddening mornings, we decided to simplify grain-free breakfasts. We recreated not one, but two of our favorite former cereal flavors, then packaged it in a bag so we could enjoy it on the run. You can pour the milk straight into the bag or eat it dry, easily enjoying it on the go.
Oh, we almost forgot. You don’t even need a trip to the grocery store to find it. We ship directly to your front door, making Schoolyard Snacks the most convenient grain-free breakfast you’ve tried yet. For more ideas, check out this guide to 45 grain-free snacks that you'll enjoy anytime.
