Surely you've heard the phrase, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Ignoring the idea that only men want to eat good food, there's some truth to the statement — you can usually win over loved ones with delicious recipes. On Valentine's Day, don't just wait to bring home a dozen red roses just before a dinner out on the town; start with breakfast in bed. Red velvet pancakes (heart-shaped of course) or scones smothered in strawberry butter are perfect for Valentine's Day morning. But if your sweetheart lacks a sweet tooth, we've got plenty of festive savory recipes too, such as eggs Benedict or a roasted tomato omelet.
Our best Valentine's Day breakfast ideas
Eggs Benedict is a bit more of a cooking project than you might expect to tackle on a Monday morning, but if there's one day to give it a go, it's Valentine's Day. Whip up fresh hollandaise sauce in a blender and use it to drizzle over a craggy English muffin, poached egg, juicy tomatoes, and thick-cut bacon.
2. Bell-less, Whistle-less, Damn Good French Toast
The difference between good French toast and French toast worthy of a Valentine's Day breakfast is the type of bread. Brioche and challah are our go-to loaves because of their sweet, eggy flavor. There's nothing too fussy about this recipe, which is why our readers call it their favorite French toast recipe.
For a family-friendly Valentine's Day breakfast, you can't go wrong with waffles. Merrill Stubbs recommends using the best-quality buttermilk you can get your hands on for the best-tasting waffles.
Looking for something savory for your sweetheart? This luxurious preparation of eggs includes cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, bacon, and Gruyère cheese, and it should hit the spot on the morning of February 14th.
5. Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup
These pretty-in-pink pancakes were made to be served on Valentine's Day. "The cottage cheese not only transforms the texture of the cakes, making them light, fluffy, and soufflé-like, but enhances their taste, as well Think: strawberry cheesecake for breakfast (though certainly not as heavy as that)," writes recipe developer and Food52-er Eric Kim. He recommends eating them with maple-macerated strawberries, which creates a gorgeous pink syrup.
6. Nutella Bread Pudding with Blackberry Coulis
In our eyes, every day is a good day to have dessert for breakfast, but Valentine's Day is definitely the time to do it. This bread pudding is swirled with everyone's favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread, a rich custard, and blackberry coulis.
7. Avocado Toast Eggs Benedict
You can have avocado toast any day of the week, so on Valentine's Day, go all out. This brunch favorite features mashed avocado and a poached egg atop a crunchy English muffin and, of course, the whole thing is topped with homemade hollandaise.
8. Ricotta and Brown Butter Pancakes with Maple-Bourbon Apricots
Need a breakfast in bed recipe? You've come to the right place. Show your loved one(s) just how sweet they are with a stack of these fluffy pancakes.
9. Perfectly Pillowy King Arthur Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls for Valentine's Day seem like a good idea until you realize that it takes hours to make the dough and let it rise. King Arthur and Cupid work in tandem for this sweet breakfast treat that you can make in advance; the recipe promises to remain pillowy for days.
10. Lavender-Chocolate Chunk Pancakes with Crème Frâiche
Dried lavender and lemon zest bring the fragrance and flavor of a beautiful bouquet of Valentine's Day flowers to these fluffy pancakes.
Inspired by a beloved bakery muffin, these pancakes deliver zesty, almondy flavor in every bite for a delightful Valentine's Day breakfast.
12. Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Glaze
If you want to give your little ones something sweet to snack on before heading out the door, roll up these sweet potato cinnamon buns. The bright orange color is totally eye-catching, but the nutrient-packed veggie will keep them nourished all morning long.
Let's spread the love for Food Editor Emma Laperruque, who discovered that the secret to moist, tasty scones is using all cream and no butter.
In lieu of red roses, I will take a bouquet of one dozen chocolate popovers for breakfast, please and thank you.
Blink and you'll miss the super short ingredients list for this egg breakfast recipe — all it takes is heavy cream, eggs, and salt. But don't let minimalism fool you. It's the most delicious, creamy preparation of fried eggs ever.
These spring-forward scones are not a cheeky reference for Valentine's Day, but are rather rule-breaking because the recipe developer tweaked her mother's original recipe (shh, don't tell!). Vanilla sugar offsets the tart nature of rhubarb.
17. My Mother's Strawberry Jam
Serve this fresh strawberry jam with a batch of tart rhubarb scones for a fun take on the classic strawberry-rhubarb pie.
18. Chocolate Chip Banana Streusel Muffins
Talk about a stud muffin! Light, delicate banana muffins with a sweet, crumbly chocolate streusel topping are the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast.
Your whole family will fall head over heels for this early morning casserole that's jam-packed with sweet Italian sausage, shredded hash browns, lots of melty cheese, and fresh herbs. Don't reserve it just for the weekend — serve it for Valentine's Day too!
20. Bread Pudding with Prosecco-ed Fruits
It's never too early to start drinking bubbly on Valentine's Day. A bevy of fruit (think: blueberries, raspberries, oranges, apples, and pears) are soaked in prosecco and folded into a challah-based bread pudding.
21. Kamut Dutch Baby with Strawberries and Thyme
"This huge puffy pancake, resembling a giant popover, makes for show — without much effort," writes recipe developer MariSpeck. Instead of regular all-purpose flour, use golden kamut flour and fresh strawberries for a Valentine's Day breakfast that will make your heart soar.
22. Crêpes
The way to win over your loved ones on Valentine's Day? Give them exactly what they want. In this case, we're talking plain crepes, which they can then roll up with any sweet or savory fillings that they please.
23. Souffl'omelet with Roasted Tomatoes and Whipped Ricotta
Blistered and juicy, these roasted tomatoes bring a pop of Valentine's Day red to this otherwise neutral and nutritious breakfast.
24. Basic Yeast Donuts (with Many Variations)
Kick off your Valentine's Day festivities on a sweet note with homemade donuts. A pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon make the old-fashioned cake flavor just a little
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