The short answer: a vegan breakfast is any morning meal made without meat, eggs, dairy or honey. The easiest start is one of three formats: a savory scramble or burrito, a bowl of oats with fruit and nuts, or a make-ahead jar or muffin. Below are 30 ideas, a protein checklist and a 5-day plan.
Our picks for vegan breakfast
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Meal Planner & Grocery List
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
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Family Recipe Binder
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Most vegan breakfasts fail for one reason: they are all carbs and no protein, so you are hungry by 10 a.m. Pair a grain or fruit with a protein food (tofu, beans, soy milk, nut butter, nuts or seeds) and a morning meal stays filling.
Plan your week of breakfasts and the shopping list together with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).
10 savory vegan breakfast ideas
- Tofu scramble with turmeric, spinach and peppers
- Breakfast burrito with black beans, potatoes and salsa
- Avocado toast with chickpeas and lemon
- Chickpea flour omelet with mushrooms
- Breakfast hash with sweet potato, onion and black beans
- Savory oatmeal with sautéed greens and a drizzle of soy sauce
- Hummus toast with cucumber and tomato
- Tofu breakfast tacos with cabbage slaw
- Mushroom and spinach breakfast quesadilla made with a dairy-free cheese
- Lentil and vegetable breakfast bowl over brown rice
For tofu-based mornings, see our tofu recipes, and for a handheld option, the breakfast burrito page has fillings you can swap to vegan.
10 sweet vegan breakfast ideas
- Oatmeal with banana, walnuts and cinnamon
- Peanut butter toast with sliced strawberries
- Vegan pancakes made with soy or oat milk
- Chia pudding with berries
- Smoothie with banana, spinach, soy milk and peanut butter
- Fruit and nut butter wrap
- Baked oatmeal squares with apple
- Vegan waffles topped with fruit
- Coconut yogurt parfait with granola
- French toast made with a plant-milk and cinnamon batter
10 make-ahead vegan breakfast ideas
- Overnight oats in a jar with plant milk
- Freezer breakfast burritos wrapped individually
- Banana oat muffins
- Chia jars with fruit
- Tofu scramble portions reheated in a skillet
- Baked oatmeal cut into squares
- Smoothie packs of frozen fruit and greens
- Energy bites made with oats, nut butter and seeds
- Breakfast cookies made from oats and mashed banana
- Sheet-pan breakfast potatoes with peppers and onions
More quick formats are in our quick breakfast ideas, and the main breakfast ideas hub links to every style.
Vegan breakfast protein checklist
Aim to include at least one item from this list at every breakfast:
- Tofu (scrambles, tacos, bowls)
- Beans or chickpeas (burritos, toast, hash)
- Soy milk (in oats, smoothies, cereal)
- Peanut, almond or other nut butter
- Nuts and seeds (walnuts, hemp, chia, pumpkin)
- Rolled oats and whole-grain bread
If you want more grams per meal, our high protein breakfast guide has ideas that can be adapted by swapping in tofu, beans and soy milk.
Vitamin B12 and vegan breakfasts
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says that people who eat little or no animal foods, such as vegetarians and vegans, might not get enough vitamin B12 from their diets. Breakfast is a handy place to cover it, since many cereals and plant milks are fortified. Check the label, and ask your clinician whether a supplement makes sense for you.
A 5-day vegan breakfast plan
| Day | Breakfast | Make-ahead step |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tofu scramble with spinach | Press and cube tofu Sunday |
| Tuesday | Overnight oats with berries | Assemble jar Monday night |
| Wednesday | Breakfast burrito | Pull from freezer, reheat |
| Thursday | Peanut butter banana toast | None |
| Friday | Smoothie with soy milk and spinach | Freeze a smoothie pack |
How to choose a vegan breakfast
Match the breakfast to the morning you have. On a rushed weekday, pick from the make-ahead list so nothing needs cooking. On a slower weekend, a tofu scramble, pancakes or waffles are worth the extra 15 minutes. For kids or picky eaters, start with familiar formats such as pancakes, smoothies and peanut butter toast, then add beans or tofu in small amounts. If you are cooking for a mixed household, make a vegan base, such as oats or a burrito filling, and let each person add their own toppings.
Keep a short rotation of five breakfasts rather than trying something new every day. Repeating a few reliable meals makes the shopping list shorter and the mornings calmer, and you can swap one item each week to stay interested.
Keep breakfasts on a budget
Oats, beans, tofu, bananas and frozen fruit are among the cheapest breakfast foods, which is why a vegan morning does not need to cost more. Compare store prices with a grocery price book, build your list with a grocery list template, and see our cheap vegan meals for lunch and dinner. New to the diet? Start with the vegan diet guide, then browse vegan recipes.
- Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99): schedule your breakfasts for the week and shop from one list.
- Family Recipe Binder ($6.99): keep your favorite vegan breakfast recipes in one place.
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Plan the week's meals and shop once
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
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Frequently asked questions
What do vegans eat for breakfast? Vegans eat plant-based breakfasts built from foods such as oats, tofu, beans, fruit, whole-grain toast, nut butter, plant milk and fortified cereal. Common choices are a tofu scramble, oatmeal with fruit and nuts, overnight oats, avocado toast and a breakfast burrito filled with black beans and vegetables.
How do you get protein at a vegan breakfast? A vegan breakfast gets its protein from foods like tofu, beans, lentils, soy milk, nut butters, nuts, seeds and oats. Pairing two of these, such as oatmeal with peanut butter and soy milk, or a tofu scramble with black beans, makes a morning meal that holds you until lunch.
What is a quick vegan breakfast for busy mornings? The quickest vegan breakfasts need under 5 minutes: peanut butter toast with banana, a fruit and plant-milk smoothie, overnight oats made the night before, or a bowl of fortified cereal with soy milk. Prepping jars or burritos on Sunday covers the rest of the week.
Do vegans need a vitamin B12 supplement? People who eat little or no animal foods, including vegans, might not get enough vitamin B12 from their diets, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Fortified foods such as some cereals and plant milks, or a supplement, are the usual solutions; ask your clinician what fits you.
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