Christmas Breakfast Board

A Christmas breakfast charcuterie board is the perfect solution for busy Christmas morning with festive gingerbread waffles, sugared cranberries, bacon, eggs, and all your favorite holiday treats. This beautiful breakfast spread lets everyone graze while opening presents, and most items can be prepared the night before for a stress-free holiday morning.

Jump to:

• A Quick Look At This Recipe
• Why You'll Love This Christmas Breakfast Board
• What's On a Christmas Breakfast Board
• The Gingerbread Theme
• How to Make Sugared Cranberries
• Assembly Instructions for Your Christmas Breakfast Board
• Make-Ahead Strategy
• Serving on Christmas Morning
• More Christmas Breakfast Inspiration
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe

I've been creating Christmas breakfast charcuterie boards for my family every Christmas morning for the past several years, and it has become our favorite holiday tradition. The key is preparing everything the night before so Christmas morning is about family time, not kitchen stress. My kids love grazing from the board while opening presents, and adults appreciate having substantial breakfast options without the pressure of a sit down meal.

The gingerbread theme makes this board feel extra festive and cohesive. Between the gingerbread shaped waffles, gingerbread marshmallows, and warm holiday spices, your kitchen will smell like Christmas morning should. The homemade sugared cranberries add an elegant touch that looks impressive but takes only 30 minutes to prepare.

This Christmas breakfast board works beautifully whether you're hosting extended family for Christmas brunch or keeping it simple with your immediate household. The variety means picky eaters find something they love while adventurous eaters can try everything.

If you love easy breakfast ideas for the holidays, you might also enjoy these pumpkin waffles, easy overnight French toast casserole, or small batch pancakes for Christmas morning entertaining.

What's On a Christmas Breakfast Board

Gingerbread Waffles: Use a gingerbread shaped waffle maker if you have one, or make regular waffles and cut them into festive shapes with cookie cutters. You can use your favorite waffle recipe or mix, and gingerbread flavored batter takes the theme even further.

Scrambled Eggs: Fluffy scrambled eggs add protein and balance the sweeter items. Cook them just before assembling since they only take a few minutes.

Breakfast Meats: Crispy bacon and breakfast sausage links provide savory elements. I always bake my bacon in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes for perfectly crispy results with minimal cleanup.

Sugared Cranberries: These jewel-like cranberries are easier to make than they look and add gorgeous color and festive sparkle. See the recipe below.

Fresh Berries: Raspberries, strawberries, or any seasonal berries add fresh color and natural sweetness.

Whipped Cream: Serve in a small bowl with a spoon for topping waffles. Make it the night before and keep refrigerated.

Maple Syrup: Pour into a small pitcher or bowl so everyone can drizzle their waffles.

Festive Additions: Gingerbread marshmallows, holiday sprinkles, and fresh cedar or rosemary sprigs from the garden create Christmas magic.

The Gingerbread Theme

Creating a gingerbread themed Christmas breakfast board brings everything together visually and makes your breakfast feel extra special. Here's how to build the theme:

Gingerbread Waffles: The star of the show. If you can't find a gingerbread waffle maker, regular mini waffles work perfectly. You can add 1 tablespoon molasses, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves to your favorite waffle batter for authentic gingerbread flavor.

Gingerbread Marshmallows: Look for these seasonally at specialty stores or online. They're adorable scattered across the board and kids love them.

Gingerbread Sprinkles: Add a jar of gingerbread shaped sprinkles for topping waffles and whipped cream.

Mini Cast Iron Skillet: I use a gingerbread shaped mini cast iron skillet for the scrambled eggs. It keeps them warm and adds to the theme, but any small oven-safe dish works.

If you can't source gingerbread specific items, you can create any Christmas theme using shaped waffles (Christmas trees, snowflakes), red and green sprinkles, and peppermint flavored additions instead.

How to Make Sugared Cranberries

These sparkling cranberries look like Christmas jewelry on your breakfast board and taste delicious. They're surprisingly easy to make and can be prepared 1-2 days ahead.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• ¼ cup sugar (for coating)

Instructions:

Step 1: Combine ¼ cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture reaches a gentle boil.

Step 2: Add the cranberries and stir gently to coat them in the sugar syrup. Remove the pan from heat immediately. You're not cooking the cranberries, just coating them.

Step 3: Use a slotted spoon to remove the cranberries from the syrup and spread them in a single layer on a wire rack set over a plate or baking sheet. Let them sit for 20-40 minutes until they become tacky and sticky to the touch.

Step 4: Place the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Working in batches, roll the sticky cranberries in the sugar until completely coated. They should look frosted and sparkly.

Step 5: Store sugared cranberries in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don't stack them or they'll stick together.

Assembly Instructions for Your Christmas Breakfast Board

Step 1: Start the Night Before

Cook your bacon and sausage the night before. Let them cool completely, then store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Make the sugared cranberries up to 2 days ahead. Whip your cream and refrigerate. This prep work means Christmas morning assembly takes only 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Christmas Morning Prep

Warm your pre-cooked bacon and sausage in a 300°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Make fresh waffles using your waffle maker or waffle iron. If you're making regular waffles instead of shaped ones, you can use Christmas cookie cutters to cut them into festive shapes while they're still warm. Scramble your eggs last so they're hot when you assemble the board.

Step 3: Choose Your Board

Select a large wooden board, cutting board, or serving platter. I use a board that's at least 18 inches long to give plenty of space for all the components. Make sure it's food safe and can handle warm items.h berries on the board and make them extra special holiday treats for Christmas

Step 4: Arrange the Waffles

Start by laying the waffles down the center of the board in a gentle wave pattern, overlapping them slightly. This creates your focal point and establishes the visual flow.

Step 5: Add Bowls and Skillets

Place your mini cast iron skillet with scrambled eggs on one side of the waffles. Add small bowls for whipped cream, maple syrup, and sprinkles. Space them evenly for visual balance.

Step 6: Add Proteins

Arrange the bacon and sausage links around the bowls and waffles. You can stack bacon in small piles or fan it out. Sausage links can be arranged in a row or scattered.

Step 7: Fill with Fruit

Add piles of fresh raspberries, sugared cranberries, and any other fresh fruit around the board. Use the bright colors to fill empty spaces and create pops of color.

Step 8: Final Touches

Tuck small sprigs of fresh cedar or rosemary from your garden around the fruit for a natural festive decoration. Scatter gingerbread marshmallows across the board. Sprinkle some holiday sprinkles over the whipped cream bowl for extra sparkle.

Make-Ahead Strategy

The secret to a stress-free Christmas morning breakfast board is strategic prep work:

Two Days Before:

• Make sugared cranberries
• Shop for any missing ingredients

The Night Before:

• Prep waffle batter (if making from scratch)
• Cook all bacon and sausage
• Whip cream and refrigerate
• Set out serving board and bowls

Christmas Morning:

• Reheat proteins (10 minutes)
• Make waffles (15 minutes)
• Scramble eggs (5 minutes)
• Assemble board (10 minutes)

Total Christmas morning work: 40 minutes, most of which is hands-off reheating time.

Serving on Christmas Morning

This breakfast board shines on Christmas morning because it lets everyone eat while opening presents. Set it up in the living room on a coffee table or keep it in the kitchen where people can wander over between gifts. The variety means kids can grab waffles with sprinkles while adults load up on eggs and bacon.

I love using this approach because Christmas morning is chaotic and wonderful, and sitting down for a formal breakfast feels impossible when there are stockings to explore and presents to unwrap. The board stays out for 1-2 hours as everyone grazes, and there's always something left for those who want seconds.

For drinks, set out a large carafe of coffee, hot chocolate for the kids, and orange juice. Festive Christmas mugs make everything feel more special.

If you're hosting overnight guests for Christmas, this board feeds 6-8 people easily. For larger gatherings, make two boards or use a very large serving platter.

You might also enjoy serving this alongside our Christmas granola for a complete Christmas brunch spread, or check out our yogurt and granola breakfast board for another entertaining style breakfast.

This delicious brunch board, with a gingerbread theme is one of my favourite fun Christmas breakfast ideas.   This is so much fun for anytime around the holidays, Christmas eve, or Christmas day and your family and friends will love it. Instead of a regular breakfast or brunch, arrange it like this to take it to the next level.

More Christmas Breakfast Inspiration

Frequently Asked Questions

If you try this Christmas breakfast charcuterie board or any other ideas on my blog, leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Recipe