While warming, hearty breakfasts are great during the colder months, on a warm summer’s morning there’s nothing better than tucking into a refreshing breakfast that sets you up for the day.
So whether you’re too hot to cook and fancy a chilled breakfast or you want to enjoy a meal that’s packed with all the fresh, zingy flavours of summer, here are 11 tasty summer breakfasts to enjoy.
1. Vegetable egg muffins
If you’re looking for an egg-based breakfast recipe that doesn’t involve slaving over a hot stove, why not make vegetable egg muffins? You can bake a big batch of muffins on the weekend and enjoy them throughout the week; simply reheat in the microwave if you don’t fancy eating them cool.
To make this wholesome and simple breakfast, just scramble some eggs with a dash of milk and add plenty of veggies for extra nutrients; onions, courgette, spinach, mushrooms and tomato all work really well. You can always add cheese, bacon, or chopped sausages if you want extra protein.
Then, divide the scramble into muffin cups and bake until fully set. Eat with some sliced avocado to make sure you’re getting some healthy fats too. Vegans don’t have to miss out on breakfast muffins, either; this plant-based recipe from Okonomi Kitchen uses chickpea flour instead of eggs for a high protein version that’s totally vegan.
Or, to make traditional egg muffins, try this recipe from Well Plated.
2. Overnight oats
Oats are packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants, and research shows that eating oats can help aid weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease. A warming bowl of porridge is great in winter, but in summer, overnight oats are one of the easiest, healthiest and tastiest breakfasts around.
Making overnight oats is as simple as stirring a bunch of ingredients together (at the very least rolled oats and milk) in a jar, putting it in the fridge and leaving it overnight – and by the morning the oats will have absorbed all the liquid and become soft and plump.
You can use any type of milk for overnight oats, and if you prefer a creamier taste and texture you can add a dollop of yoghurt too. To jazz it up further you can add fresh fruit, jams, nuts, seeds, syrup, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
To learn how to make the perfect batch of overnight oats, follow this guide by Downshiftology.
3. Breakfast tacos
Pretty much everyone loves tacos, but this tasty, Mexican-inspired meal also makes a great summer breakfast. Fresh, light, and quick to make, breakfast tacos are also endlessly versatile – and you can pack them with as many (or as little) flavours and ingredients as you like.
Fluffy scrambled eggs are usually at the heart of most breakfast taco recipes, and when you pair them with creamy avocado, onions, green peppers, and a dollop of zingy salsa you’re making sure you get plenty of vitamins – as well as serious amounts of flavour!
You can add other ingredients too (bacon, beans, cheese, chorizo, fresh coriander) or keep them simple. Breakfast tacos don’t take long to make but they’re the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch. If you don’t eat eggs or are watching your cholesterol, you can simply swap scrambled eggs for scrambled tofu!
Try these refried beans tacos from Gimme Some Oven, or these avocado and bacon tacos from Downshiftology.
4. Green smoothie
Starting your day with a smoothie is a great way to ensure you’re getting enough vitamins, and while berry smoothies are wholesome and delicious, the healthiest smoothie around is arguably the green smoothie. Because they usually contain dark leafy greens as well as fresh fruit, green smoothies are incredibly nutritious.
You can use any dark green veg you have lying around, but spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens all work really well. To make a thick and creamy smoothie, you’ll want to add creamy fruits like bananas, mangoes, or papayas, and adding fresh herbs and spices like ginger and mint makes things even tastier.
Frozen fruits work well in smoothies (and make them refreshing and cold), so this is a breakfast that can take just minutes to prepare. If you’re worried a smoothie won’t fill you up until lunch, why not add some protein powder? You can also add chia seeds, which slowly expand to fill you up – and they’re packed with fibre and antioxidants, too.
To learn how to make the perfect green smoothie, head over to 100 Days of Real Food – and for a simple yet delicious smoothie recipe that only has four ingredients, you can visit the Joy Food Sunshine website.
5. Pesto Eggs
Eggs for breakfast isn’t exactly revolutionary. But when registered dietitian Amy Wilichowski shared her favourite way of cooking eggs on social media platform TikTok recently, more than eight million people became instantly hooked on her pesto eggs breakfast recipe.
Pesto eggs are essentially a fancy version of fried eggs; you just use pesto instead of cooking oil to cook your eggs. But because pesto is packed with basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and toasty pine nuts – using it to cook your eggs means you’ll sit down to a zesty, light, Italian-inspired breakfast that’s incredibly fragrant and flavoursome.
Spread a layer of pesto in a pan, then crack your eggs into it and cook until they’re crisp around the edges but runny in the centre. Serve on toast – either on their own or with cheese or avocado. Amy Wilichowski tops her bread with ricotta cheese, avocado, pesto eggs, honey, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes – a flavoursome recipe you might want to emulate!
For the perfect pesto eggs recipe, head over to I Am A Food Blog.
6. Mango lassi
If you don’t usually like eating much in the morning, you might want to make yourself a drink instead. And mango lassi is the perfect summer drink: cool, refreshing, delicious, and healthy. Lassi is a yoghurt-based drink that’s been popular in India for centuries, and because it’s packed with probiotics, it’s also seriously good for your gut!
Traditional Indian lassi contains yoghurt, water, spices, and usually fruit. And while you can use just about any fruit, mango is the most common. The combination of fresh, sweet mangoes and tangy, creamy yoghurt is absolutely heavenly, and it’s the perfect summer morning pick-me-up.
Fresh mango works best in a lassi, though defrosted frozen mango also works – and saves you time, too. Adding spices like cinnamon and cardamom adds a subtle earthy, spicy taste which perfectly complements the creaminess of the yoghurt. To make vegan mango lassi, just use coconut yoghurt and milk instead of dairy.
For the perfect mango lassi recipe, why not visit The Wanderlust Kitchen’s website?
7. Summer breakfast hash
If you have lots of summer vegetables that need using up (or you just want to make sure you’re getting your five-a-day) why not make a summer breakfast hash? Not only is this dish a delicious and healthy way to use up summer produce, but it’s also super easy, and requires only a sheet pan.
From ripe tomatoes and vibrant corn to tender courgettes and summer squash, some of the freshest and tastiest veggies come into their own in summer – and if you pad the hash out with some crispy roasted potatoes and some eggs, you’ll be satisfied for hours.
All you need to do to make a summer breakfast hash is chop up your veg, bake until crisp, then make little nests from the veg and crack the eggs into them. Finally, cook until set. Everything is cooked in the oven in one pan, so there’s minimal washing up to do and no stovetop frying necessary!
This sheet pan summer hash recipe from Whole and Heavenly Oven is ideal – or why not try this chickpea and summer veg hash from Fresh Off The Grid?
8. Avocado on sourdough toast
Avocado on sourdough toast is one of the most popular breakfasts around – but there’s a reason why this breakfast staple is so trendy. Aside from being delicious, avocados are really nutritious; they’re packed with vitamins and minerals, are high in folate, fibre, and potassium, and contain plenty of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
While avocado is delicious on all types of toast, for maximum health points you might want to opt for sourdough toast. Because sourdough bread is fermented, it contains dietary probiotics and so can have a beneficial effect on your gut microbiome and gut health.
If you fancy making your own sourdough, check out our recipe – or, keep things simple by buying your sourdough from a bakery. While you can just top your avocado with salt, chilli flakes, a glug of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon, there are many other ways you can spice up your avocado toast, too; head over to Modern Honey for more avocado toast inspiration.
9. Summer fruit salad with yoghurt
The sweetest, tastiest fruits peak during the summer months, so why not make the most of the season (and get your five-a-day) by making a summer fruit salad for breakfast? You might think you don’t need a recipe for fruit salad, but to really elevate a classic fruit salad it’s best to have a recipe in mind.
The best fruit salads are an explosion of colour and flavours, and can include strawberries, oranges, kiwi, grapes, banana, pineapple, blackberries, cherries, blueberries, and mango – or any fruit you have in the house. Then, it’s important to dress the fruit salad and the longer the fruit marinades in the dressing, the tastier it’ll be.
If you make a big batch of fruit salad it’ll last for several days in the fridge, and serving it with a generous dollop of yoghurt or coconut yoghurt gives it an extra boost. Why not sprinkle some chopped nuts and seeds over the top to make it even healthier?
Why not try Cooking Classy’s rainbow fruit salad with a honey-lime dressing?
10. Frittata
If you like eggs for breakfast, why not make a frittata? This classic Italian dish is quick and easy to make, and because you can add just about any ingredient to it, it’s a great way to use up leftovers; from potatoes, peppers, and other veg to sausage, fish, cheese, and beans, pretty much anything works!
The texture of a frittata is similar to an omelette, but unlike an omelette, frittatas are best served cold – which makes them perfect for summer. Traditional frittatas tend to be cooked like omelettes, using a fold-and-flip method on the hob, but to make things even easier you can just stir, bake, then chill.
Go easy on the beating, as if your eggs are over-beaten the frittata tends to become too dense once cool; just beat enough to blend the yolks and whites. You’ll also need to make sure all your added ingredients are already cooked. And if you’re using moist ingredients, like sautéed spinach, squeeze excess liquid out before – unless you want a soggy frittata!
For five different, but equally tasty frittata recipes, head over to the Love + Lemons website.
11. Cottage cheese breakfast bowl
If you’re looking for a light, refreshing, and protein-packed summer breakfast, why not make a cottage cheese breakfast bowl? Cottage cheese may not be the most exciting ingredient around, but it’s loaded with protein and low in fat, and will keep you full for hours.
There are many ways you can enjoy cottage cheese breakfast bowls, and because this dish can be easily customised with a variety of different toppings, it’s delicious sweet or savoury. Plus, you can easily prepare this recipe the night before so a nice chilled breakfast is ready for you in the morning.
If you prefer sweet breakfasts, you can use cottage cheese as you would oats or cereal; add a handful of berries or fresh fruit, squeeze over some honey or syrup, and perhaps scatter over some nuts and seeds. It’s also nice with a handful of granola! If you prefer savoury flavours, add some chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, as well as a scattering of fresh chives and cracked black pepper.
To see a selection of sweet and savoury cottage cheese breakfast bowl ideas, check out this article by Budget Bytes.
Final thoughts…
Whether you like sitting down to a cooked breakfast most mornings or are happy to start your day with a drink, we hope these recipes have given you some inspiration for delicious summer breakfasts.
From refreshing lassis and smoothies to egg-based breakfasts and mouthwatering fruit salads, there’s a summer brekkie out there for everyone!
For more healthy breakfast inspiration, check out our article, 9 healthy breakfast ideas to kickstart your day, or head over to the food and drink section of our website.