There’s something special about meals shared at the holidays. While we often talk about what to serve for dinner that’s IC friendly, we don’t talk about breakfast nearly as much. And the holiday season is rife with opportunity for leisurely breakfasts with our families. From Christmas morning to New Year’s Day and more, you can make the time together even more special with a yummy start to the day.
We sometimes have to search high and low to find recipe ideas that are IC friendly, but when it comes to breakfast, so many options are naturally IC friendly! We’ve put together some sweet and savory ideas to help you start off the days well with a good breakfast.
Pancakes
Pancakes are a great choice for a holiday breakfast. Growing up, my dad would make pancakes each Christmas morning. He’d usually make them the “southern” way in a bit of vegetable oil so the edges were nice and crispy. The silver dollar ones were (and are!) always my favorites.
ICN Founder, Jill Osborne, also enjoyed pancakes on Christmas morning growing up, but instead of the southern style, her family made Swedish “thin” pancakes with a recipe passed down from her grandmother, Jenny, who immigrated from Sweden as a teen.
No matter how you make them, though, pancakes themselves are usually bladder friendly. Be careful with toppings you add to make sure you aren’t adding something that could set your bladder off in a flare. Check out this entire collection of IC friendly pancake recipes for ideas.
Making pancakes from scratch is good way to ensure you’re not getting any potentially bothersome ingredients. Plus, they only take a few ingredients. Just beware buttermilk is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category of the ICN Food List, so you may want to steer clear of buttermilk pancakes whether making them from scratch or using a mix. Cooking buttermilk, however, lowers its acidity, so it may not be as bothersome as a result.
- Old-fashioned pancakes
- Fluffy blueberry pancakes
- Christmas pancakes with sprinkles (This recipe says to top pancakes with a strawberry to look like a Santa hat, which is adorable. Just be aware that strawberries are in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. If you’re unsure whether one will bother you, just omit the strawberry topper for yours.)
- Glazed cinnamon roll pancakes
- Apple spiced pancakes (This recipe includes pecans, which are in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. Omit them completely if you aren’t sure about them.)
- Sheet pan pancakes
- Pumpkin pancakes (See the note above about buttermilk.)
Eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein, pretty inexpensive and bladder friendly. Not to mention they’re super yummy! While you can cook eggs to order for your family, some terrific egg recipes are designed for feeding a crowd and can often be put together the night before to make breakfast prep even easier.
- Easy breakfast quesadillas (Swap out the green pepper for yellow, orange or red to make this totally bladder friendly.)
- Breakfast egg muffins (This recipe uses yellow onion, which is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. Onions have reduced acid when they are cooked, so they are often more bladder friendly as a result, but certainly proceed with caution. Even without onion, this recipe would work well!)
- Make ahead breakfast casserole (Be sure to use yellow, red or orange bell peppers in this recipe. It also includes onion; see the note above for more on onion.)
- Oven Denver omelet (Be sure to use yellow, red or orange bell peppers in this recipe. It also includes onion; see the note above for more on onion.)
- Cream cheese and chive omelet
- Ham and cheddar breakfast casserole (This recipe includes onion; see the note above for more on onion.)
- Bacon-n-egg lasagna (This recipe includes onion; see the note above for more on onion.)
- Brunch pizza
- Amish breakfast casserole (This recipe includes onion; see the note above for more on onion.)
French Toast
French toast is my go-to order when we go out for breakfast. There’s just something decadent and special about it. French toast seems like something to make individually, but quite a few options exist to make it for your whole family or group without spending an hour standing at the stove.
- Baked French toast
- Baked cinnamon French toast
- Sheet pan French toast for a crowd
- French toast casserole
- Overnight French toast (This recipe includes covering the top with some walnuts or pecans. Both of those are in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. Omit them on at least part of the dish if you’re unsure whether they’ll irritate your bladder.)
- Baked cream cheese French toast casserole
- Caramelized simple French toast (A pinch of nutmeg is an optional ingredient for this recipe. Nutmeg is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category, so omit it if you are unsure about it.)
- Crème brulèe French toast (Omit the optional teaspoon of Grand Marnier to keep this recipe bladder friendly.)
- French toast sticks (The orange zest in this recipe is usually bladder friendly, because the rind doesn’t have citrus.)
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of those breakfast items that can be gussied up into something special for holidays. The recipes can not only feed your entire crew but also fill up your bellies while tasting scrumptious!
- Baked pumpkin oatmeal
- Berry baked oatmeal (Stick with only blueberries to keep this recipe bladder friendly.)
- Healthy apple cinnamon baked oatmeal (Be sure to use a sweet and mild apple like gala, Fuji or pink lady.)
- Baked oatmeal (Use the unsweetened applesauce instead of banana as well as only blueberries to keep this recipe bladder friendly. Leave off the optional topping of walnut or pecans as well.)
- Easy baked oatmeal for a crowd
Savory Breads
Having been raised with a southern influence via my grandparents, I love a good fluffy biscuit. Top them with some sausage gravy and my taste buds nearly tingle! So, I had to include some savory bread recipes as well. For breakfast we more often think sweet breads, but don’t forget the savory options!
As with pancakes, beware of the buttermilk in biscuits. It is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. When baked, its acidity reduces, so it may be OK, but it also might not be. And the holidays are certainly not the time you want to risk a flare!
- Perfect homemade biscuits
- Buttermilk biscuits (See the note above about buttermilk.)
- Sausage gravy (This recipe uses yellow onion, which is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. Onions have reduced acid when they are cooked, so they are often more bladder friendly as a result, but certainly proceed with caution. Even without onion, this recipe would work well!)
- Cream biscuits
- Skillet biscuits with cinnamon honey butter (See the note above about buttermilk.)
- Biscuit breakfast casserole
- Stuffed breakfast biscuits
- Maple bacon scones
- Butter biscuit breakfast bake (See notes above about both buttermilk and onion for this recipe.)
- Make ahead breakfast biscuit sandwiches (Switch out the sharp cheddar cheese for mild to keep this recipe bladder friendly. Also see the note above about buttermilk.)
- Biscuits and gravy casserole
Sweet Breads and Muffins
These sweet breads and muffins recipes are a great start to a happy holiday day! Most of them can be made ahead of time, and they can also pair nicely with a savory non-bread breakfast main like eggs or oatmeal.
- Blueberry breakfast casserole
- Fresh strawberry muffins (Strawberries are in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. If you are unsure, feel free to switch them out for usually bladder friendly blueberries.)
- Cinnamon roll monkey bread
- Pumpkin oat muffins with dates
- White chocolate croissant bread pudding (This recipe includes blueberries and raspberries. Raspberries fall into the “Foods Worth Trying” category, so to keep this completely bladder friendly consider swapping them for more blueberries.)
- Apple cinnamon bread (Leave out the optional walnuts to keep this recipe completely bladder friendly.)
- Pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese frosting (To keep this completely bladder friendly, leave out the optional raisins in this recipe. Raisins are in the “Foods Worth Trying” category.)
- Cinnamon coffee cake
- Coffee cake muffins
- Bacon maple muffins with brown sugar crumble
- Christmas funfetti bread
Pastries
And we can’t forget pastries. Just like sweet breads and muffins, they can pair nicely with a savory item or stand on their own. While store-bought doughnuts and pastries might be tempting, these made-at-home recipes are sure to be tastier.
- Cream cheese Danish (Switch out the lemon juice for lemon zest to make this recipe completely bladder friendly.)
- Beignets
- Baking mix cinnamon rolls (Leave out the raisins to make this recipe completely bladder friendly.)
- Sweet churro puffs
- Baked peppermint doughnuts (This recipe includes buttermilk, which is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. However, baking it in a recipe reduces the acidity, so it should be fine for most IC bladders. If you’re unsure, swap it out for plain milk.)
- Blueberry cream cheese Danish
- Snickerdoodle doughnut hole muffins
- Potato cinnamon rolls
- Homemade doughnuts
- Shortcut sugar buns
No matter what you choose to serve for your holiday breakfast, we wish you and your family a very happy holiday season!
