30 Scrumptious Holiday Breakfast Breads

Pizza dough is the secret shortcut in this 45-minutes-and-done recipe. It doesn't yield a fluffy Amish-style roll, but rather a breakfast treat with a toothsome chew, like the love child of cinnamon buns and garlic knots. 

Caramel, chocolate and cinnamon give this monkey bread a delicious flavor. Be sure to get the large flaky biscuits for easy shaping. 

These breakfast rolls are a family tradition with Jean Haviland of Carroll, Iowa. "My mom made these rolls with a maple-cream filling every Christmas-and still does!" she says. "Mom always makes extra and freezes them for later. They're great for breakfast or any time of day!" 

There's no butter or shortening in this braided sweet bread. You won't miss it in this large loaf."We're the sixth generation to bake this holiday bread," says Margaret Kassing of Beatrice, Nebraska. "The 12 strips of dough represent 12 months in a year. The four layers of braided dough stand for the four seasons. Nuts and raisins indicate the type of year—mostly nuts represents a good year for farmers and mostly raisins a poor year. Before it's served, the youngest boy takes last year's crust outside to feed the birds, God's lesser creatures. Finally, a crust is saved for the next year to show there will always be bread in this home." 

These tender holiday muffins, dressed up with a nutmeg-streusel topping, come from the Washington House Inn in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

More muffin recipes

Sprinkled with chopped red and green cherries, this tender, walnut-filled pastry is a perfect treat for Christmas morning.

Minnesota blogger Molly Yeh often twists her challahs into simple spirals. This recipe—adapted from her cookbook Molly on the Range ($32.50, Rodale)—makes four small loaves, perfect for freezing or sharing. (Slightly stale challah also makes dreamy French toast.) 

The Midwest Living Test Kitchen created this recipe for giant sticky buns bursting with chopped apples and pecans. The rolls bake in a sweet caramel syrup. 

Sweet bread balances tangy cranberries in this winning recipe from the Wisconsin State Fair. Wrap and store it overnight to make it easier to slice. 

Chocolate frosting tops a moist chocolate bread to create a spectacular Christmas treat -- as delightful to look at as it is to eat. Use either chopped pistachio nuts or almonds for a bit of crunch. 

This is our give-you-a-break coffee cake. Prepped in a half-hour, it waits in the fridge till you pop it in the oven the next morning. Serve warm, and the chocolate stays irresistibly melty. 

Chocolate wrapped in sweet-roll dough forms bite-size bubbles in this bread. Serve warm from the oven for breakfast or snacks.

A layer of brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans swirls through the center of this sour cream coffee cake from the Lantz House Inn in Centerville, Indiana. 

Ginger and molasses unite in our spicy breakfast bread. Ground ginger and crystallized ginger give a double dose of the popular seasoning. 

Brown sugar, pecans and pumpkin pie spice create both a filling and the topping for these muffins. Dried cranberries add tang and texture. 

We put together our favorite coffee cake ingredients for this recipe: chocolate, butter, sour cream, pecans and coconut. It's worth the indulgence! 

We can't resist a good sticky roll -- especially one this easy to make. Starting with frozen bread dough, we added brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans and chocolate chips. When you turn it out, it makes its own gooey topping. 

The Bishop Hill Bakery and Eatery in Bishop Hill, Illinois, sells this lightly spiced Swedish bread. The orange and cardamom flavors pair perfectly with soft honey butter. 

Melding her husband's Norwegian roots with her own Jewish heritage, blogger Molly Yeh's soft, slightly chewy rolls are ideal for brunch or even as a sweet complement to a holiday dinner.

This easy-to-make yeast bread comes from Sherlock on Watson Bed and Breakfast in Ripon, Wisconsin. Slice and toast before serving, and top with soft Honey Butter. 

This classic German Christmas bread is traced back to the 1400s. In this version, created by the Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa, a variety of dried fruits and nuts dot the sweetly spiced oval-shaped egg bread. 

We took a traditional holiday dessert ingredient— gingerbread—and turned it into a muffin. Crystallized ginger tops off these treats. 

Sugar-topped banana slices caramelize as they bake on top of these tender, cakey breakfast muffins. Serve warm drizzled with extra caramel topping, if you like. 

Cheddar cheese and sausage dot these flavor-packed buttermilk scones from the Washington House Inn in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

A Midwest Living® editor contributed the recipe for these gooey-good rolls. "Frozen bread dough and pudding mix can fool anyone into thinking you spent the morning baking cinnamon rolls," she says. 

Blend mashed bananas with a box of cranberry quick-bread mix for this easy-to-make, double-fruit treat. Serve to holiday guests, or make ahead of time for gifts from the kitchen. 

These yeast rolls poof as they bake, hiding the filled center. Guests will love the spiced nut and brown sugar in the middle of these frosted treats. 

We took classic pumpkin bread batter, added some dried fruit, a little lemon peel and some assorted spices, and sprinkled on a crunchy sugar topping.

Coarsely chopped cranberries spread the sweet-tart flavor throughout this tender scone, a winner at the Warrens Cranberry Festival recipe competition. A sweet almond frosting complements the berries. 

Ravenwood Castle in New Plymouth, Ohio, served more than 15,000 of these rolls over the years. Now you can bake the popular Yuletide specialty at home. 

Orange flower water gives a bright citrus flavor to Pompe de Noel (recipe link above) and Provence Christmas Bread, traditional sweet breads from Provence, France. Look for the flower water at specialty supermarkets or order online from specialty food websites.