23 Cozy Breakfast Recipes

We’re officially into November now, a month that I tend to favor given its lead-up to Thanksgiving (pecan pie, here I come!) and the continuation of pumpkin season. On the downside: novembre also heralds the arrival of those dark-by-5pm days, chillier temperatures, and most noticeably this year: incessant rain here in Rome. This means coaxing a forlorn, precipitation-hating pup around the neighborhood on her daily walks, realizing your rainboots are cracked only after your feet are drenched, and accepting the fact that your attempt-at-chic-bangs don’t stand a chance against the humidity. But to the recipes, yes?

Fact: a bowl of cornflakes or a slice of toast are simply not persuasive enough to nudge a person out from under their duvet on a dreary morning like the ones we’re having lately. Nope: the perfect antidote in this scenario is something cozy, something that pairs well with a steaming cup of coffee, or rather: something that warms you from your head to your toes and prepares you to take on a drizzly day. For a truly cozy breakfast, I generally look more to American cuisine — after all, my adopted country of Italy isn’t exactly known for its abundant breakfasts — or rather anything with pats of butter, pools of maple syrup, pinches of cinnamon, handfuls of chocolate, swirls of cream, or — if we’re going the savory route breakfast — anything with potatoes or lots of cheese. With no further ado, here are 23 recipes that will kickstart a cloudy day and keep you cozy from Fall all the way through to Winter.

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Gingerbread Pancakes

Gingerbread meets the buttermilk pancake! These gingerbread pancakes are the whole holiday season stacked up and served with maple syrup, cozier than a winter jacket and scarf combined. Click here for the recipe.

Pumpkin Pancakes

A stack of spicy, warming pancakes + lots of butter and syrup = the Stuff of Breakfast Dreams, and a perfect way to celebrate Pumpkin Season. Click here for the recipe.

classic waffles

This recipe makes for waffles that are soft and fluffy on the inside and crisp and golden brown on the outside, just sweet enough to accommodate a dash of syrup. Click here for the recipe.

banana pecan waffles

The perfect use for the bananas on your counter that are too mushy too eat, these waffles are spiced up with a hint of cinnamon, a touch of honey, and a handful of toasted pecans for texture and nuttiness. Click here for the recipe.

OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLls

Cinnamon rolls that can be made the night before and baked the next morning — these are buttery and spicy and sweet all at the same time, beautified with generous dollops of glossy icing, and 100% a joy to eat. Click here for the recipe.

pumpkin cinnamon rolls

The classic cinnamon roll dressed in its Fall best, thanks to super seasonal pumpkin, five cozy, warming spices, and a luxurious maple cream cheese frosting. Click here for the recipe.

BEST EVER APPLE CAKE

This cake, fresh out of the oven, is excellent. However, it is simply phenomenal in the days after -- the apples have had time to work their magic, their juices settling fully into the cake, rendering it intensely apple-y and pudding-like. Click here to get the recipe!

apple cinnamon muffins

The yogurt and apples keep these muffins moist, and they taste even better the next day (once the cinnamon has had a chance to sink in). The brown sugar on the top gives them a nice crunch that contrasts nicely with the fluffy interior. Click here to get the recipe!

pumpkin muffins

Apart from being one of the easiest recipes to throw together, you'll find that these beauties taste like Fall, poured and baked in a muffin pan, soft and fluffy and filled with warming spices like cinnamon and ginger and nutmeg. Click here for the recipe.

cornbread muffins + maple butter

Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal ("kind of like polenta in a cake form," is how I explain this to my Italian friends) and is delicious baked in muffin pans with a swoosh of maple kissed butter. Click here for the recipe.

pumpkin doughnuts

These doughnuts are rich and cake-y and spiced just enough to let the pumpkin shine, scrumptious with a veil of shiny smooth cinnamon glaze over the top. They puff up like magic when they hit the oil. Click here for the recipe.

glazed doughnuts

Doughnuts that are crisp, light and airy and not at all heavy, pillows of fried goodness, the perfect blank canvas for a robe of pearly white powdered sugar glaze and if you’re me, rainbow sprinkles. Click here for the recipe.

HOMEMADE english muffins

English muffins that are soft and fluffy and impossibly tall, with lots more flavor than the storebought ones I grew up eating — these are delightful with generous amounts of butter and jam. Click here for the recipe.

maritozzi

Roman maritozzi are featherlight, citrus-scented buns split down the middle and stuffed with generous billows of freshly whipped cream. A dusting of powdered sugar makes them extra pretty. Need I say more?! Click here for the recipe.

CHALLAH BREAD

One of my most-baked recipes on the blog — a braided buttery, sweet, cake-y bread, absolutely addictive eaten warm out of the oven with butter or jam and lovely with a cup of coffee. Click here for the recipe.

pumpkin french toast

Another way to celebrate Pumpkin Season — here slices of brioche are dipped in to a cinnamon custard before being fried in butter and topped off with a generous dose of maple syrup. Swoon. Click here for the recipe.

individual french toasts

These adorable little French toasts puff up like soufflés when they come out of the oven — plus baking instead of frying means less mess and time over the stove. Click here for the recipe.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK BANANA BREAD

Fragrant, tender banana bread studded with chunks of melt-y dark chocolate, everything you could ever hope to eat for breakfast, snack, or tea. Click here for the recipe.

peanut butter banana bread

A twist on traditional banana bread, lovely served with a swoosh of peanut butter or a drizzle of honey, a treat at breakfast, brunch, or for (midnight) snack. Click here for the recipe.

pumpkin bread

This perfect Pumpkin Bread is just a matter of measuring and whisking ingredients — no softening of butter or use for beaters — meaning there is little standing between you and a spicy slice of Fall. Click here to get to the recipe!

gingerbread

This is gingerbread at its best -- incredibly moist and fluffy with a deep caramel flavor thanks to the molasses, which highlights the (many!) cozy spices perfectly. Click here for the recipe.

HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

This A+ mix makes for hot chocolate that has a smooth creamy texture and a pure chocolate flavor thanks to the combined power of the cocoa powder and the semisweet chocolate. Click here for the recipe.

POTATO SPINACH FRITTATA

My favorite frittata is made with with lots of cheese plus wholesome spinach and golden potatoes — note however that this recipe is flexible, a blank canvas where to add any cheese, vegetable, or meat your breakfast-loving heart desires. Click here for the recipe.