Simple Breakfast Board
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This Simple Breakfast Board is all about ease. From make-ahead recipes and store-bought options to easy clean-up and repurposed leftovers, it’s customizable and quick to plan! Think fruits, mixed nuts, and lightly toasted textures. This is easily a go-to choice for lazy mornings and breakfast in bed! {Gluten-Free + Vegan}
Spiriteds, sometimes it’s all hands on deck for a complicated but worthwhile recipe. And other times it’s a let-it-be-easy situation that is just as worthwhile. Well, this Simple Breakfast Board is the latter. Unfussy, adaptable, no last-minute rush to assemble. It’s just straight-up delicious, comforting, and satisfying.
Choose between homemade recipes that can be prepared in advance or go store-bought and buy what you need when it works best for you. Even the leftovers are simple because we keep flavorings and seasonings to an absolute bare minimum. Your leftovers can likely be used in other recipes, charcuterie or otherwise. It’s an all-around winning setup.
A Simple Breakfast Board is perfect for a small gathering. Think cozy book clubs or quaint brunches for two plus a few. There’s always breakfast in bed, and this charcuterie board happens to be kid-friendly, if the littles of the household want in on the action, too! Our Simple Breakfast Board has a PB&J vibe to it you can customize to your audience.
This Simple Breakfast Board is
- Vegan and gluten-free
- Lightly sweetened and toasted
- Creamy, but without the dairy
- Ideal for prep-ahead
- Perfect for lazy mornings
There are easy swaps, too, if you need to customize this board for dietary or taste preferences. Choose a nut or seed butter of choice, followed by jams, and something with a granola-texture. Include mugs of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and you’re set! Whatever the weather outside your window, however hectic the week has been, you’ll have a cozy, comfy breakfast board right at your fingertips.
Why you’ll love this Simple Breakfast Board
This Simple Breakfast Board is amazing because almost all of it can be prepped ahead of time. Want more reasons to love this board? How about:
- Kid-friendly options
- No last-minute cooking
- Leftovers can be repurposed
- Adaptable to varying crowd sizes
A Simple Breakfast Board is an excellent base charcuterie spread recipe to keep in your virtual recipe tin. When you want fun without fuss, this is the board to turn to!
Simple Breakfast Board ideas
Living up to its name, this uncomplicated charcuterie breakfast board includes:
- Fresh fruit, avocado, and sunflower butter
- Figs, dates, and mixed nuts
- Gluten-free English muffins and gluten-free bagels (from Trader Joe’s)
- Gluten-free sandwich bread (we’re suckers for Sam’s Choice Gluten-Free Bread at Walmart).
We also include these homemade recipes:
4-Ingredient Strawberry Vanilla Chia Jam
This paleo 4-Ingredient Strawberry Vanilla Chia Jam recipe is pectin-free and gelatin-free and made on the stovetop! It doesn’t require complicated culinary strategies but yields a delicious, fruity flavor. It’s a great addition to breakfasts and snacks. Oh, and stand-alone bites by the spoonful! {Paleo + Vegan}
Homemade Paleo Granola
This Homemade Paleo Granola made with maple syrup is crispy-crunchy good and easy to customize! Mix and match your favorite nuts and seeds. Then add a little nut butter, pour on a splash of vanilla, and sprinkle with several spices for an out-of-this-world sweet ‘n salty breakfast granola! {Paleo + Vegan}
5-Minute Blackberry Sauce
This 5-Minute Blackberry Sauce is a delicious blend of sweet and tart flavors. Ooh, and it goes well with all kinds of baked goods, breakfasts, cold treats, and, most importantly, a spoon. So if you eat it straight from the jar, I won’t judge! {Paleo or Vegan}
Homemade Almond Butter
Homemade Almond Butter is a toasty, lightly sweet nut butter you can make right at home! Adjust flavors to your liking and create a nut butter that tastes better than anything found in the store! {Paleo + Vegan}
Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl
This thick, creamy, Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl is the perfect make-ahead meal to enjoy at breakfast, after a workout, or as a snack. Thanks to the fruity flavor and creamy texture, your tastebuds will never believe it also includes frozen cauliflower! It’s an utterly sweet and delicious way to eat your vegetables! {Paleo and/or Vegan}
The nut butters and smoothie bowl recipes are great to spread atop your toasted grain or as a dipping sauce, of sorts. Again, think simple, straightforward, and whatever works best for you!
How to assemble a Simple Breakfast Board
For this spread, I used two boards. The long marble board is ideal for displaying the toasted bread, English muffins, and bagels in rows. Because I had extra room, I added a dish of almond butter and spoons. If you don’t have a second board, then place your toasted grains on a separate plate, unless you have room on your main board.
- While the grains are toasting, head to your main board to begin assembly. Position the largest ramekins where you want them on the board. Space them out opposite each other to create breathing room in the layout.
- Next, place fruits and any nuts and seeds around the ramekins. If you are serving jams and jellies, then consider placing their respective fruits next to them so people know what they are. If you are concerned about nuts and seeds spilling, then use small dipping dishes or pinch pots to keep them in place. Depending on the number of guests you’ll be serving, you could include one pinch pot or dipping dish per guest.
- After that, use pinch pots or small ramekins to hold the nut and seed butters. Place them in between and around the larger ramekins.
- Then stand back and look at your board. Do you have any unwanted gaps? These are often excellent places to add avocados, smaller slices or servings of the breads, and groupings of figs or dates.
Side note: If you want to prevent stains from seeping into your wooden charcuterie boards, then consider lining them with brown parchment paper first.
How to lightly toast breads and muffins
We got the idea from The Kitchen Magpie in the post How to Make Toast in the Oven. If you want the crispy-crunchy goodness of toasted grains but without the trail of crumbs, then toast them at 350℉ for 5-6 minutes on each side. We don’t add any butter or oils. Just basic toasting. It’s delicious! You can adjust the temp and time to your preference.
What to do with leftover toast, bagels, and English muffins
They are excellent candidates for homemade croutons, garlic bread, and bagel chips. Throw them on a salad or in a bowl of pasta. Eat them as a snack throughout the weekend, or crunch on them for movie night.
Because we keep the flavorings simple and seasonings to a minimum on this breakfast board, leftovers are likely useable in any number of other recipes.
Additional charcuterie spread FAQs
- Is this Simple Breakfast Board kid-friendly? Absolutely, yes! While we chose almond and sunflower butters, you could just as easily use peanut, cashew, or hazelnut butters, and still not have to make any other board swaps. All of those flavors will go with fruits, granola, nuts, and seeds.
- How much food do you need per person? This will vary depending on your audience. The setup pictured here would likely feed about 6-8 people. This includes a few pinch-pot refills of nut or seed butters, and maybe a refill on fresh fruit.
- How do you keep the toast from getting soggy? We find the key is to toast them just prior to putting them out, and then LEAVE them out. If they dry out a little, then that’s okay because the flavor and texture will match the already toasted undertones and textures they boast.
Make ahead and hosting tips
Keep it really simple with store-bought nut and seed butters. Fill any pinch pots or ramekins with the nut and seed butters the day before. Cover and refrigerate them until you’re ready to serve them. If they do dry out, then stir to recombine, and they should be ready to go.
Same with any jams and jellies. The homemade jam, sauce, and smoothie recipes on this board will keep about a week or slightly longer if stored airtight in the refrigerator. You can prepare them in their respective serving dishes the night before and then keep them refrigerated and covered until ready to enjoy.
About the only thing I’d wait until the end to prep is the granola, store-bought or homemade. Fortunately, granola is easy to pour into dishes right before serving. And if you DO make your own, you can make it several days in advance and then store it in glass containers with airtight lids. Transfer portions to their respective breakfast board dishes right before it’s go time!
More charcuterie inspiration
If you love a good breakfast board, then you’ll love these charcuterie boards!
- Holiday Charcuterie Board
- Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board
- Apple Slice Charcuterie Board
- Festive Charcuterie Board
- Cookie Charcuterie Board
Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️
Simple Breakfast Board
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Charcuterie
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 4-Ingredient Strawberry Vanilla Chia Jam
- Homemade Paleo Granola
- 5-Minute Blackberry Sauce
- Homemade Almond Butter
- Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, halved
- 1–2 cups blackberries
- A few handfuls of dates or figs, almond, and/or pecans
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 3/4 cup sunflower seed butter, divided between pinch pots
- 1 loaf gluten-free sandwich bread (approximately 10 slices)
- 4–6 gluten-free English muffins
- 4–6 gluten-free bagels
Helpful equipment:
- Food grade mineral oil for board care
- Parchment paper to line wooden boards
- Pinch pots for small servings
Instructions
For this spread, I used two boards. The long marble board is ideal for stacking the toasted bread, English muffins, and bagels in rows. Because I had extra room, I added a dish of almond butter and spoons. If you don’t have a second board, then place your toasted grains on a separate plate, unless you have room on your main board.
- While the grains are toasting, head to your main board to begin assembly. Position the largest ramekins where you want them on the board. Space them out opposite each other to create breathing room in the layout.
- Next, place fruits and any nuts and seeds around the ramekins. If you are serving jams and jellies, then consider placing their respective fruits next to them so people know what they are. If you are concerned about nuts and seeds spilling, then use small dipping dishes or pinch pots to keep them in place. Depending on the number of guests you’ll be serving, you could include one pinch pot or dipping dish per guest.
- After that, use pinch pots or small ramekins to hold the nut and seed butters. Place them in between and around the larger ramekins and dishes.
- Then stand back and look at your board. Do you have any unwanted gaps? These are often excellent places to add avocados, smaller slices or servings of the breads, and groupings of figs or dates.
Notes
- Please see the blog post for complete details on tips, tricks, and FAQs as you create your own Festive Charcuterie Board.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and toast the bread, unbuttered, on a baking sheet or cookie sheet for about 4-6 minutes on each side. (Thanks to The Kitchen Magpie for the idea!)
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