5 Recipes for A Delicious Mother’s Day Brunch
By Alyssa Nadeau of Crunchy Salty Sweet
When thinking about how to honor our mothers (and motherly figures), putting together a leisurely brunch is the perfect way to show our love. It’s casual and unfussy yet refined enough to feel special. Mother’s Day is an excellent opportunity to spend a little extra time making a memorable and tasty spread, whether served at 8 am or 2 pm.
I really enjoy creating brunch recipes, so I have taken a few of my favorites to put together this epic meal. In this menu, you’ll get a little bit of everything: savory, sweet, veggie, coffee, and cocktail. Many of the dishes can be prepared ahead of time, so you’re not scrambling the morning of. I have indicated where you can take shortcuts and which items can be swapped in case you don’t have something on hand.
I hope you enjoy making & sharing this brunch to celebrate your mom! 😊
Something Savory: Caramelized Onion and Bacon Tart
This tart is a bit of a labor of love. Everything from the pie crust to the caramelized onions and ricotta filling put this into *special meal territory*! (& the results are SO GOOD)
Making the pie dough from scratch makes this recipe absolutely incredible, but if you want to spend a little less time in the kitchen, you can always use a store-bought crust…it will still turn out amazing!
Also, the onions take a while to caramelize (low and slow is key), so be sure to get them on the stove first, and they will caramelize while you work on the other menu items (or you could make the onions a day or two ahead of time).
It is wonderful served warm or at room temperature, so no need to rush to get it to the table.
Something Sweet: Rhubarb Breakfast Cake
This rhubarb cake is one of my all-time favorites for breakfast and brunch. Not only is it easy to make, but the tender sweet crumb of the cake paired with the tartness of the rhubarb is absolutely delicious!
If you don’t have access to rhubarb, you can follow the exact same recipe and replace the rhubarb with 8oz of strawberries or raspberries, and it will still be great.
You can make this cake up to a day ahead of time (just wrap it tightly and store it at room temperature).
Also, this can be served either warm or at room temperature, so as with the tart, you can bake it when it’s most convenient for you.
If you’re feeling saucy, whip up some whipped cream to go alongside.
Something Green: Snap Pea Radish Salad
I love serving a bright and crisp salad alongside more decadent dishes – and this snap pea radish salad brings a lovely fresh element to our brunch.
In the spirit of prepping this meal in advance, this salad can be prepared ahead of time, like the tart and cake. Feel free to mix all of the salad ingredients (except the dressing and mint) and store them covered in the fridge until mealtime. You’ll want to toss with the dressing and sprinkle in the chopped mint just before serving.
I love the vibrant flavor that the mint brings to this salad, but you can always swap for basil or parsley if you don’t have mint on hand.
A Little Pick-me-up: Vanilla Mint Cold Brew
If you’ve never made cold brew coffee before, I love sharing my favorite recipe (which my husband Andrew so graciously provided me!) which is paired with a vanilla mint simple syrup.
Cold-brew does take 24 hours to steep, so you’ll definitely want to make this in advance. Alternatively, you can buy the La Colombe or Stok brand cold brew in the supermarket to make this recipe even easier. Just make sure to buy the unsweetened version.
This vanilla mint syrup adds a little something extra, and I love how it ties in the mint from the salad as well!
Cocktail Time: Slippery When Wet
Anyone that knows me is aware of my infallible love for all things tequila – but this one cocktail is a beautiful outlier.
This cocktail seems WEIRD when you take a look at some of the ingredients (Greek yogurt…black pepper…) but it is truly magical when everything is combined in the shaker.
Feel free to use strawberry jam or fresh strawberries to make this cocktail. (raspberry jam or raspberries would work well too)
I love the tartness of the yogurt and lime juice paired with the sweetness of the strawberry and honey. The black pepper on top adds a little bit of intrigue and really takes it over the top.
This cocktail is a perfect pairing for this brunch menu, so I hope you give it a try!
Alyssa grew up outside of Rochester, NY, and is making Kennebunk, ME her home!
You can find her cooking (most nights), reading (anything & everything), taking up new hobbies (currently: needlepoint!), working out at Orange Theory, and hanging with her husband Andrew and their pup Baxter.
She believes all the best foods have elements of crunch, salt, and a hint of sweetness, and no matter what she’s eating - she always saves the best bite for last.