The Easter Brunch menu is one of my favorite meals to plan. After months of cozy, soul-soothing meals, it’s finally time to serve something bright and fresh! Whether you’re serving Easter brunch or Easter lunch, we’ve got ideas for both. 

Serve up a tasty quiche or make the classic glazed ham and drizzle it with our beloved mustard sauce. Don’t forget a spring veggie side, a fun cocktail and of course a bright and citrusy dessert. We’ve got recipes for it all!

Plan the Menu

We recommend planning your Easter brunch menu a few days out which gives you time to make a grocery list and prep list. Not sure where to begin? Here’s what we recommend for an Easter brunch or Easter lunch menu:

  • 1-2 appetizers
  • 2 vegetable side dishes
  • 1 salad
  • 1 bread or roll dish
  • Baked Ham and a vegetarian option such as quiche
  • 1 cocktail + a few wine and beer selections and coffee
  • 1-2 desserts
yellow mustard sauce drizzled over slices of ham on an ornate platter

How Much Ham Per Person?

We recommend on planning for about ½ pound per person if cooking a bone-in ham or ⅓ pound if cooking a boneless ham. 

Bone-In Spiral Cut Ham

4 people2 pound ham
6 people3 pound ham
8 people4 pound ham
10 people5 pound ham
12 people6 pound ham
20 people10 pound ham

Boneless Ham

4 people1.5 pound ham
6 people2 pound ham
8 people2.75 pound ham
10 people3.5 pound ham
12 people4 pound ham
20 people6.75 pound ham

If you are cooking a bone-in ham, save the ham bone to make stock for this delicious Ham & Bean Soup.

Appetizers

Mix and match a few appetizers for people to snack on before the main event begins.

  • Anything smoked salmon makes a great brunch or lunch app. Our Smoked Salmon Dip is bright and lemony and perfect served with simple crackers. 
  • Like we said—smoked salmon—a winner. Which means our Smoked Salmon & Blini Platter is on the list. The blini (mini buckwheat pancakes) offer a nod to the brunch-y aspect of this holiday. Plus, the herby cream cheese is simply divine.
  • For something very stunning and make-ahead friendly, opt for our oh-so green Edamame Hummus. Serve it with multi-colored radishes for even more of a spring vibe. 
  • If you’re looking for another dip, we love this Smoked Trout Dip (can you tell we love smoked fish?).
  • We love a soup-shooter situation and this Curried Carrot Soup is a perfect candidate for this meal.
  • Deviled Eggs are always fun for Easter brunch. Finish with fresh chives instead of paprika.

Salad Recipes

Easter is the holiday to pack the menu with a few salads! Choose two or three options that feature different textures and flavors so there’s something for everyone.

Side Dishes

Any great holiday meal is all about the sides. And we couldn’t offer a list of Easter lunch ideas without an impressive list of side dishes to choose from.

We love this recipe for Roasted Radishes with Anchovy Butter. It’s a great way to use spring-time radishes in a cooked application.

Every great brunch menu needs some kind of cured meat and this Spicy Candied Bacon is a fun take. 

We love some potato action and our Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root and Chives are life changing—SO much flavor!

Our savory Cauliflower Gratin is the perfect creamy and cozy side dish to pair with ham.

Breads & Rolls

Some type of roll or bread is essential for Easter brunch or Easter lunch. Here are a few carb-y Easter brunch ideas:

  • Milk Bread Rolls make a great roll option for this Easter menu. They’re light, tender and perfect for making a sandwich later with leftover ham. 
  • Our Healthy-ish Cinnamon Rolls are perfect for Easter brunch. Their sweetness pairs wonderfully with savory ham.
  • Serve this Lemon Blueberry Loaf as a side dish or a dessert—works either way! 
  • If you’re looking for a go-to muffin, try our Whole-Wheat Muffins. They are truly the best!
  • For something sweet and indulgent, bake up our Apricot Almond Tea Ring. Traditionally served during Christmas, it can easily become your new Easter bread. The recipe makes two rings, so you can send some home with guests! 
  • Hot Cross Buns are always a fun Easter bread to make.

Main Dishes

We recommend serving a main meat dish, such as baked brown sugar ham, in addition to a vegetarian option like quiche. Here are a few Easter brunch ideas for the main dish:

Drinks

We like to offer some kind of cocktail in addition to a few wine and beer selections and, of course, coffee.

  • The Pimm’s Cup is a classic low-abv cocktail fit for brunch and lunch. Top it with all kinds of garnishes to make it uber-festive. Plus, you can make this in a pitcher which means no one has to man the bar.
  • Every good brunch needs some bubbly, and our French 76 champagne cocktail is a great option. 
  • The French 75 is always tasty, but especially in spring. Try our version which infuses this classic gin and sparkling wine cocktail with even more lemony goodness.
  • Try our Ginger Blood Orange Mimosa for a fun take on the classic brunch cocktail. If you can’t find blood oranges, use regular or cara cara. 
  • This Limoncello Martini is bright, citrusy and can be made low-abv—perfect for brunch! Use that bottle of limoncello in this Limoncello Gin Basil Smash as well.

Desserts

We have a lot of Easter brunch ideas when it comes to dessert, so pick one or two. We like to offer two types of desserts, but this is largely dependent upon how many guests you’re planning to serve.

  • You can’t beat these Pistachio Lemon Bars. They’re bright, tart, buttery and nutty. 
  • Whenever we get a chance, we make this Classic Lemon Tart, it’s a classic for a reason!
  • If you can get your hands on some rhubarb, we recommend making this gorgeous layered Lemon Rhubarb Tart. Not sure there’s anything else that screams spring more than this! 
  • Our Fresh Fruit Tart is another great tart option. Made with a delicious olive oil crust and mascarpone filling, the fruit you choose is up to you. For this menu, kiwi, mango and raspberries would be delicious and stunning.
  • An all-time favorite here at ZK, this Lemon Blueberry Tart is one of our most popular recipes. 
  • If you’re a cake person, opt for one of our olive oil cakes. We love topping this Orange Olive Oil Cake with a variety of oranges and a sprinkling of spice.
  • For something a little more traditional, try our Lemon Olive Oil Cake topped with copious amounts of whipped cream. Serve with candied lemon wheels or a mix of fresh berries.
  • Instead of traditional carrot cake, bake up our Browned Butter Carrot Loaf—it’s to die for!

Share it with the world

Pin

About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

Learn More

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *