Easy Five-Ingredient Breakfast Ideas to Make on Busy Mornings

These five-ingredient breakfasts pack major flavor without requiring an a ton of obscure ingredients. (Note: Pantry staples like olive oil, salt, sugar, and pepper we’re omitting from the ingredient tally.) Whether you crave something salty or sweet, are all about creamy textures or prefer to chase your morning with some crunch, we’ve got you covered. (If you’re looking for more great, easy cooking ideas, check out the best dishes to make with five ingredients or less.)

Strawberry Mascarpone Crostini

La Brea Bakery knows bread. The artisanal bread makers have been busy slinging baguettes and rounds since 1989, and this simple recipe wonderfully straddles the line between sweet and savory. “In today’s environment, bread is quickly becoming a staple in everyone’s households, as it can be used in a number of ways. Keep it on the counter or store it in the freezer to act as the base to this delicious and simple recipe,” says Henk Drakulich, DVP and executive chef of the La Brea Bakery Café.

La Brea Bakery Strawberry Mascarpone Crostini

Makes 4 crostini
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes

4 slices La Brea Bakery Whole Grain Bread or bread of choice, ½ -inch thick
1–2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup strawberries, sliced
½ tsp white sugar
Optional: 1 tsp mint, minced
Optional: Honey for drizzling*

Mix strawberries and sugar in a small bowl until thoroughly covered.

Mix thoroughly mint and Mascarpone. Reserve some mint for topping the toast.

Brush slices of bread with olive oil. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bread slices and cook for three-to-four minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool for one minute.

Spread each slice with a layer of mascarpone cheese and top with sliced strawberries.

If desired, sprinkle mint and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.

Egg in a Hole Bagel 

Alexa Blay of the Key To My Lime shares a fast yet indulgent breakfast that’s far more than the sum of its parts. “All of the ingredients are ones with long shelf lives, so it’s fantastic for quarantine cooking,” she says. “Be sure to choose a bagel that has a decent sized hole so that it will be able to fit the entire egg yolk and some of the egg white. If your bagel has little to no hole, you’ll need to cut away part of the bagel to make the hole large enough to accommodate the egg.” Have bagel seasoning or red chile pepper flakes on hand? Go crazy.

Alexa Blay of Key To My Lime’s Egg in a Hole Bagel 

Makes 1 serving
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 6 minutes

½ bagel
1 tbsp butter
1 egg
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Heat a medium lidded skillet over medium heat.

Turn the heat to medium-low and add the butter. Place the bagel cut side down in the skillet. Add the egg to the hole of the bagel. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the skillet and cook for three-to-four minutes or until the egg reaches your desired doneness level.

Instant Pot Scotch Eggs

This marvel from Corrie Duffy of the blog Corrie Cooks only looks fancy, but is a breeze to pull off. As Duffy points out, if you don’t count water, olive oil, and salt and pepper, it’s a two-ingredient breakfast. If you like heat, we suggest adding hot sauce before serving.

Corrie Duffy of Corrie Cooks Instant Pot Scotch Eggs

Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes

1 pound ground sausage
4 eggs
1 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour water in the Instant Pot and place the steaming basket. Place the eggs into the basket and cook at high pressure for five minutes. Once done, do a quick pressure release and take out the eggs. Let the eggs cool and remove their shell.

Divide your sausage into four parts. Add salt and pepper. Flatten each part to obtain four round discs.

Place each egg in the middle of each sausage disc. Fold the meat around the egg to form a ball. Take out the basket from the Instant Pot, remove water and press “sauté.”

Add oil and the Scotch eggs. Cook on “Sauté” for about four minutes, until they are browned on all sides. Serve and enjoy.

Homemade Granola

Satisfying granola is just a few steps—and minutes—away with this simple recipe from The Travel Palate. Instead of dried cranberries, you can add other fruits like golden raisins, dehydrated mango, or dried apricots. Eat it plain, or serve with your favorite milk or yogurt.

The Travel Palate’s Homemade Granola

Makes 6 ½-cup servings
Cook time: 10 minutes
Prep time: 5 minutes

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup raw chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup dried fruit such as cranberries
Optional: 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Optional: Pinch of salt

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Pour oats into the pan and toast for about three minutes. Toss the oats around with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula being sure not to burn the oats.

Add walnuts and pumpkin seeds to the pan. Continue to toast mixture for another three-to-five minutes. Toss the mixture around being sure they don’t burn.

Stir in cinnamon and salt.

Reduce heat to low; add maple syrup and stir constantly until maple syrup is absorbed and mixture becomes dry, about three minutes. If you want your granola to have clusters, be careful not to over-mix. If you prefer a muesli or cereal texture, stir to break up any clusters.

Pour granola mixture onto a baking sheet to cool. When granola has cooled, add dried fruit and/or any other toppings.

Store in a covered container for up to two weeks. Store for several weeks in an airtight container or freeze for up to six months.

Cheesy-Chive Baked Eggs

This recipe from food site Pinch and Swirl by Marissa Stevens doesn’t disappoint with this savory breakfast dish. “With ingredients you likely have on hand, you’re 15 minutes away from a high-protein breakfast that everyone loves,” says Stevens. “Gruyère is the traditional cheese for this French classic, but almost any cheese will work well.” Cooking for more or less than four people? The recipe scales easily.

Marissa Stevens of Pinch and Swirl’s Cheesy-Chive Baked Eggs

Makes 4 servings
Cook time: 10 minutes
Prep time: 5 minutes

Butter for greasing ramekins
4 tbsp half-and-half or heavy cream
4 eggs
½ -oz Gruyère cheese shredded, 4 large pinches
4 tsp minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Grease the inside of four 4-oz ramekins with butter. Add 1 tbsp of half-and-half or heavy cream into the bottom of each ramekin. Top the cream with one egg and a large pinch of cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with chives.

Bake 8-to-12 minutes until the yolk reaches your desired consistency. (Stevens recommends removing them while the top is still a bit wobbly). Serve.