Ease into the day with these easy vegan breakfasts. Being vegan is deliciously uncomplicated with these dishes that anyone can make.
“What do vegans eat for breakfast?”
In a meal that is often a land mine of fried foods and processed meats, I can see why plant-based fare doesn’t immediately pop to mind for many people.
And when folks are considering going vegan, looking at what they’re going to eat for breakfast is a good place to start.
After all, morning is the last time when you want a long, arduous project or to start pulling out cookbooks. Instead, start the day with something simple, healthy, and satisfying.
Peanut butter toast and fruit
Peanut butter toast is uncomplicated and fool-proof.
Bread goes into the toaster. Once it pops, it’s slathered with peanut butter.
(Pistachio butter is also an excellent choice!)
Fruit is washed.
And it’s ready to go.
Avoiding nut butter? For a similar alternative, slather hummus on toast with a few slices of avocado and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes.
Eggy tofu & toast
If you were a person who enjoyed fried eggs and toast before going vegan, this vegan egg will really scratch that itch.
Eggy tofu is made by quickly browning slabs of super firm tofu in a skillet, and seasoning them with kala namak (black salt) and pepper. Kala namak is kind of magic.
You can also serve eggy tofu with breakfast potatoes in the air fryer or oven.
Or check out those old school frozen hash brown patties from my list of favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products. They cook really well in the air fryer.
More ways to use eggy tofu:
Bagel sandwich
I love a good bagel sandwich.
It’s a portable breakfast that can go with you anywhere.
Fill it with hummus and your choice of sliced vegetables. I particularly like cucumber, red bell pepper, and onion.
Or hearken back to those fast food sandwiches of yore with a vegan breakfast sandwich.
Top it with vegan cream cheese, Just Egg, and vegan breakfast sausage.
Peanut butter & banana quesadilla
In the same vein as peanut butter toast, consider this the lazy person’s crepes – peanut butter and banana on tortillas.
Protein, whole grains, and fruit come together in one convenient package.
Have any left over? A wedge or two makes a nice mid-morning snack.
(For a similar alternative – toast tortillas in a skillet, slathered with hummus or baba ganoush. Serve with salsa, hot sauce, or jalapeños.)
Cold cereal and non-dairy milk
A bowl of cereal has to be the height of easy vegan breakfasts.
Read the ingredient lists on the cereals and granola at your natural food store. You’re sure to find several that are animal-product free.
Oatmeal
Peanut butter banana oatmeal is a hot and fiber-rich option is great for cold, winter mornings when something warm sounds best.
It feels hearty and substantive.
It can be changed up by adding a handful of blueberries or dried fruit, a sprinkling of cinnamon, or varying the nut butter.
Or in the fall make pumpkin oatmeal!
Grits
Creamy vegan grits are ready in less than 20 minutes.
They’re deliciously satiating all on their own.
Or you can use them as the base of a grits bowl with veggie sausage and roasted veggies.
Smoothies
Smoothies are a great on-the-go meal, but also a nice way to start the morning with a hefty serving of fruits and vegetables.
Check out these smoothies for ideas:
Don’t feel like eating first thing in the morning?
Pour a smoothie into a mason jar, top it with a lid, and take it to work to sip as you read over morning emails.
(For an even easier but similar option, keep some non-dairy yogurt in the refrigerator. Then you can just grab a spoon & go.)
Avocado toast
Obviously, avocado makes any meal better.
It also adds some fat & staying power that keeps you going until lunchtime.
I like to top my vegan avocado toast with nutritional yeast flakes, Everything But the Bagel seasoning, and baked tofu for additional oomph & substance.
Use packaged baked tofu in teriyaki or sriracha flavors for a really easy start to the day.
Corn cakes
When the weather is biting, vegan corn cakes fit the bill for something hearty & satiating at breakfast.
They’re great on their own. Or if you have some time, they’re even better alongside a tofu scramble.
Corn cakes are ready in less than 15 minutes.
Content updated January 8, 2023. Originally posted December 7, 2011.
Candyce
Could you please tell me about the pan/skillet, if you remember, that you’re using in the picture with the eggy tofu? I’ve been looking for something like it for ages! Thank you!
Cadry
Sure, Candyce! It’s a 10 inch griddle & crepe pan. Here’s the exact one in the picture.
Erica
I love these ideas! I’ve tried making smoothies for breakfast before, but to be honest, I feel like a liquid breakfast is just not filling enough for me. See, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I need to eat a fairly large breakfast, a small lunch, and a medium-sized dinner. I’m just not much of a middle of the day eater. So, I’m happy to see these hearty breakfast ideas. Thank you!
Lillian
I’m thinking of becoming vegan and I’m already vegetarian but I’m wondering what your opinions are on eating eggs from your backyard chickens. They are our babies and they have an amazing life. We don’t force them to lay eggs or unnaturally put a heating lamp in their coop to keep producing during the winter. I’m just completely curious what your guys’ opinions are on this. Is it okay to eat them?
Lillian
*eat their eggs
Karen Joslin
Lillian, I think that from an ethical standpoint, people’s opinions on that are going to vary. From a health standpoint, though, there are a lot of good reasons not to eat eggs. Aside from the impact of cholesterol on heart disease, eggs are also linked with diabetes and cancer. NutritionFacts.org has lots of information on eggs and their impacts on health. It’s a non-profit website run by Dr. Michael Greger, and it’s free of any kind of industry funding. Just type “eggs” into the search bar at the top and choose whether you want to see videos, articles, and/or questions.
I stopped eating eggs partly because if I ate eggs more than once a week, I felt like I had eaten too many eggs. I wouldn’t say I felt sick, but I felt less well physically. I can’t describe specific symptoms – it was a very subtle shift that was impossible to pinpoint. Then I read Dr. Greger’s book “How Not to Die,” and there were some things in it about eggs that I found horrifying.
Lillian
Haha well thank you and me too. I don’t like runny yolks at all. And thank you for the information! I’ll check it out and think more about it. I’ve been really determined to make a difference especially for the lives of factory animals.
Arianna
Do you have any suggestions for breakfasts I can *quickly* prepare the evening before and just shove in the microwave in the morning? I’ve been looking for quick microwave breakfasts for when I need something warm but I’m too sleepy to even spread peanut butter on something (this morning I almost fell back asleep on the couch with my cat on my lap), but it seems most recipes out there include eggs. I found some microwave oatmeal recipes that seem legit, but I’d like to add something for variety.
Arianna
I forgot to say the most important thing: thank you for this article! I’m always looking for vegan AND easy recipes.
Cadry
You could make a big tofu scramble at the beginning of the week, and then just warm some in the microwave each morning. I’m also going to share a recipe for breakfast potatoes tomorrow, and those would be good warmed in the microwave. Waffles freeze really well, and then you can pull one or two out of the freezer and pop them in the toaster. (Or you could buy frozen waffles. There are plenty of vegan ones out there.)
You’re welcome for the article! Thanks for reaching out!
Jackie G.
Thank you so much for the “recipe” for the whole wheat tortillas and nut butter! I put it in quotations because it is so easy, it is barely a recipe. I am not a great cook but this came out amazing with bananas, almond butter and cinnamon! Perfect for lazy vegans like me 🙂
Cadry
Excellent! I’m so glad that you liked it, Jackie. That’s a great idea to add cinnamon to it!
Lisa
Thank you so much for these! I’ve been looking all over for vegan breakfasts I can make in my dorm! We’re only allowed a mini-fridge and a microwave, that’s it. I’m not fond of oatmeal though, so cereal and (non-toasted) tortillas with nut butter and bananas will be my go to! Do you have any recommendations for simple vegan lunches too? 😀
Cadry
Hi Lisa,
I remember making so many meals from my dorm too. I wasn’t a fan of the dining area, and so I made most of my meals in my room.
I have this guide to easy vegan lunches: http://cadryskitchen.com/2016/01/11/easy-vegan-lunches/ Several of the ideas would work in a dorm room.
I also just wrote a post on eating from a fridge in a hotel room that might give you some ideas: http://cadryskitchen.com/2016/08/18/vegan-hotel/
Best of luck and let me know if I can be of further help!
bailey
with number 2, the tortilla with pb toasted on a pan.. how do you personally cook this? roll it? leave it flat? is it something you can take on the go?
Cadry
I make it in the same way that a person would make a quesadilla. I spread peanut butter on one tortilla, add a layer of thin banana slices, and then another tortilla on top. Then I toast each side. After it’s brown on both sides, I cut it into triangles. If I’m not that hungry, I’ll just put it on one half of a tortilla and fold it over, then toast on both sides, and cut it in half. It’s super portable and great to take on the go. If I can’t finish all of it, I put it in a baggie, and it’s fine cold later. (Although, it’s best when it’s still warm.)
You can see what it kind of looks like in this post, where I have a picture of my lunch. In that case, I put hummus on my tortilla instead of peanut butter and bananas, but it’s the same idea. http://cadryskitchen.com/2015/11/12/what-vegans-eat-november/
bailey
So good! Thank you! Definitely something ill be making for breakfast before school. 🙂
Cadry
Great, I’m so glad to hear it!
Ann Sawyer
What can I eat when I stay in a motel with only a microwave – -in the main office- – and no private kitchen?
Cadry
That’s a great question, Ann! Will you have a refrigerator in your room?
Cadry
Hi Ann,
I wrote a post with some ideas that may be helpful for you: http://cadryskitchen.com/2016/08/18/vegan-hotel/
Billie
Awesome ideas. I’ve done a couple of these but the whole wheat tortillas with nut butter and banana I’ve never tried. I’m going camping with my girlfriend this weekend, we will definitely be trying that out for breakfast. Thanks so much.
Cadry
Oh, I think you’ll like it! The banana gets nice and melty. Plus, banana and peanut butter play very nicely together. I hope you have a fun camping trip with your girlfriend!
Karen Joslin
I almost always start out my breakfast with some fresh fruit. On a lazy day, you could just add a slice of toast or a muffin on the side.
On mornings when I’m not very hungry, I like to have a bowl of vegan yogurt with berries and granola. I make my own yogurt and granola, and usually have some on hand.
Baked, flavored tofu is another easy go-to. You could slice it up and fry it like bacon, cut it into pieces and have it on top of some grits, or wrap it up in a tortilla with some lettuce, salsa, and guacamole for a quick breakfast burrito.
Also, lots of things can be prepared ahead of time and frozen for later (if your freezer is large enough, anyway). I make a couple of different types of vegan sausage patties that can be fried up in a pan in just a couple of minutes, no thawing needed. They’re the perfect side to any breakfast dish.
Cadry
Those all sound like delicious options, Karen. Thanks for sharing!
Nodz
Smoothies are quick and easy, my current smoothie is – handful frozen berries (strawbs, blue, rasps etc), banana, kiwi, couple of medjool dates (pitted), piece of fresh ginger, juice half a lemon, two generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves and almond milk. The berries change daily, so the flavour/colour changes and probably twice a week the kiwi is replaced by beetroot.
Cadry
Sounds terrific! Thanks for sharing.
Satina Scott ~ The Indigo Mystic
This is so helpful! We went vegetarian last March, and now we’re ready for Step 2, vegan, and we were so intimidated by the recipes. That’s just not gonna happen. But this is! I’m heading right for all the links you shared above, too! And you have a new subscriber. Thank you!
Cadry
I’m so glad to hear that, Satina! If I can be of further help to you while you’re transitioning, let me know!
Naela
I’ve only recently switched to being a vegetarian in a transition to becoming vegan, and I didn’t know what to eat besides eggs… It had me feeling very sluggish. These little suggestions are very reasonable and extremely helpful. Thank you!
Cadry
I’m glad to hear it was a help! Best of luck to you, Naela!
Susan
Thank you. A reality check on breakfast! And, an easy conversion …
Cadry
You’re welcome! It really can’t get easier than peanut butter toast! 🙂
Lexy
I love that you have shown that a vegan breakfast can be so simple and similar to “normal” breakfasts. Nobody wants to spend ages making breakfast in the morning unless it something special for the weekend.
Cadry
Thanks, Lexy! That was my hope! While a vegan breakfast can certainly get fancier, most mornings I’m totally happy with something that takes 10 minutes or less to make.
MaryJo
I love your ideas…simple and yummy!
Cadry
Thanks, MaryJo! That’s nice to hear!
Charlotte
What would you suggest for an easy, simple meal plan for a vegan? Provided that there are snacks in between meals?
Cadry
I don’t follow a meal plan per say, but in terms of simple and easy here’s what I have:
For breakfast see the above post.
For lunch – http://cadryskitchen.com/2013/02/22/easy-vegan-packed-lunch-ideas/
For snacks – http://cadryskitchen.com/2011/04/18/what-the-fig-my-five-favorite-snacks/
And for dinner – http://cadryskitchen.com/2011/02/24/five-things-i-make-for-dinner-when-i-dont-want-to-cook/
Good luck and let me know if I can be of further help! 🙂
Jackie
These recipes look really easy and simple to make. I wonder if you have any suggestion for breakfast that would be easy for my husband to have, you see he works away from home and stays in a hotel for up to two weeks at a time. To make matters worse he leave for work around 3am and the only thing that’s open at that time are gas stations, he is also out in the field where they have no access to stores and or restaurants.
Cadry
Does your husband generally have a refrigerator in his room? If so, my go-to breakfast at hotels is cereal and rice milk. I just pack a box of cereal in my suitcase. (Putting it into a plastic container makes it a little easier to transport.) I also pack or pick up a box of rice milk (or any non-dairy milk he prefers) when I get there. As long as he’s checking luggage, bringing the plant based milk shouldn’t be a problem. I often do that while traveling, and I haven’t had a problem with the milk exploding in my bag or anything.
For non-refrigerated options:
Instant oatmeal packets could be a good option. Just add hot water. For more pizazz, adding nuts or dried fruit for the topping would be good.
Many of the Lara Bars flavors are vegan, and they’re one of my favorite in-a-rush snacks. The banana bread flavor is my favorite. They’re filling and made with whole foods.
Justin’s makes individual packets of nut butter. He could pack a bag of bagels, bread, or crackers, and spread the nut butter onto them. Wild Garden also sells individual packets of hummus, which he could use in the same way.
If he doesn’t mind a non-traditional breakfast, Dr. McDougall makes a line of dry vegan soups. He’d just have to add hot water, which I’m sure the hotel could provide for him. For less packaging in his suitcase, he may want to move the soup to sealed plastic baggies, and then grab a bowl from the hotel.
I hope that helps! Best of luck!
Steve
I’ve been traveling >100k miles / year for >18 years. The vegan options for a road warrior are limited, no doubt. However, I found some things lately that help a little. Some examples have already been given. Some examples: carry some quinoa and get some non-dairy milk. With microwave=breakfast. Love Grown Hot Oats makes some easy-to-make pour-some-water-on-it oats in a container. Cocomama Foods makes some packaged quinoa cereals that can even be eaten room temp (I do it sometimes.) Pick up a loaf of whole grain bread and some bananas, a plastic knife is easy to be found, some Jason’s travel nut butters (I’m an Almond butter guy), and breakfast is served. Add an apple for the hungry. There’s more :)….
Fellow traveller
Very easy but maybe boring – instant oatmeal. You can use the hot water from the hotel coffee pot. There are some great organic instant oatmeals available. I like one with flax seed in it. If you want to fancy it up you could also have raisins nuts etc. on hand.
When I travel I bring a few packets with me, and bamboo “silverware” (which you can get through airport scanners no problem). It is hard to be vegan in a hotel so I bring things where you just add hot water, like the oatmeal, ramen, etc. There are some really good instant things available in the natural stores. Even if you have no fridge, hotels almost always have a coffee pot which you can use to heat water
Linan Zussino
I’ve been experimenting with a vegan diet and after reading through this article I realize that I’m already having a vegan breakfast.
Cadry
That’s great, Linan! I think breakfast can initially perplex people because they immediately jump to omelets, bacon, and sausage. However, there are so many breakfasts that just happen to be vegan or can easily be veganized like pancakes and waffles. Good luck with the remaining meals of the day! 🙂
Richa@HobbyandMore
we had forgotten most of the quick indian breakfasts which were naturally vegan after moving to seattle and just eating eggs , eggs and eggs. breakfast is definitely something that stumps a lot of people.. the eggs like dairy, fill up the brain..
this is lovely collection!
Andrea
Great down-to-earth post showing the “real-world” breakfast choices of a busy vegan. I think people sometimes get caught up in all the fancy, complicated vegan recipes they see, and decide eating a plant-based diet is too hard and time-consuming. For the gf, rice cakes and corn tortillas make a good sub for toast and wheat wraps.
cadryskitchen
Thanks, Andrea! You’re right; fancy and laborious meals may take up more space on blogs, but many day-to-day meals are often simpler and more attainable. It’s good to show that being vegan can be quick and easy. That’s something that you do on your blog sometimes that I like as well. And thanks for the gluten-free suggestions!
karmalily
Chia seed pudding is another good option, because it’s quick and really filling. The texture is something to get used to though.
cadryskitchen
I’ve never tried that, but I’m intrigued. How would you describe the texture?
Alexandra Degtiareva
You can blend the “pudding” before you eat! I don’t like chia seed pudding texture, but when it’s blended it’s just like mousse ^^
Cadry
Great idea, Alexandra! I’ve tried chia pudding now and don’t mind the texture. However, blending sounds even better!