A vegan breakfast can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, from a quick fuel-up to an all-out brunch extravaganza.

One thing is for sure, the day is always better when you start it with compassion. Here are some of our favourite brekky ideas:

1. Pancakes

You don’t need to use eggs and milk to whip up a delicious pile of breakfast pancakes. Serve a vegan stack topped with bananas, blueberries, and maple syrup. It’s hard to find a more satisfying weekend breakfast. Here’s a really basic recipe.

2. Toast

It may be stating the obvious, but toast slathered with Vegemite, peanut butter, or avocado has got to be hands down the easiest vegan option ever. Just remember to use dairy-free butter. Prefer crumpets or English muffins? No problems! Most supermarket brands are vegan, but do check the ingredients just to be certain.

3. Cereal

Many types of breakfast cereals are vegan, including Weet-Bix, Corn Flakes, Sultana Bran, Nutri-Grain, Rice Bubbles, Coco Pops (yep!), and many different types of muesli and granola. (Just make sure to read the label and watch out for honey.)

4. Tofu Scramble

Way better than scrambled chicken ova, this delicious breakfast dish can be whipped up in minutes and customised with whatever additional vegetables and spices take your fancy.

5. Protein Overnight Oats

The combinations for this option are endless, but here are the basics: take one scoop of your vegan protein powder and combine it with oats and water (1:1 ratio). Throw it all together before you go to bed, and leave it to soak overnight. Try adding in dried or fresh fruit, chia seeds, vegetables like finely grated carrot (for those of you who love carrot cake), or pumpkin purée (for a healthy pumpkin pie).

6. Porridge

A humble bowl of porridge is cheap, comforting, and guaranteed to fill you up for hours to come. Oats and water are all you really need, but make the mix more interesting by adding your favourite plant-based milk, some fruit, seeds, a dusting of cinnamon, or all of the above.

7. Chia Pudding

Rich in amino acids, zinc, fibre, calcium, and B vitamins, chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water, so you’ll feel fuller for longer. And while the word “pudding” may sound fancy, it’s as easy as soaking the seeds in your favourite plant-based milk or even water and adding some cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, or protein powder for taste. You’ll want about a 1:2 ratio of seeds to liquids. Check out these recipes for some chia pudding inspo.

8. Smoothie

Smoothies make a great option for hot summer days. You can find many recipes online for excellent ones, but our top tip is in the preparation: freeze your bananas (peel them before freezing) for extra creaminess. Smoothies can also be a nifty way to consume some extra greens without even tasting them.

9. Nice Cream Bowl

Who doesn’t want to eat ice cream for breakfast? You really only need one ingredient for this: frozen bananas. However, you can also use them as a base and add in whatever other frozen fruits, protein powders, nut butters, or plant-based milks you want. Top your bowl with something crunchy (like the granola in #10 below).

Note: this one is best made in a sturdy blender or food processor.

10. Homemade Granola

This one takes a little more preparation, but it’s totally worth it for the wholesome nutty flavour. You can make a big batch and store it in an airtight container for several weeks. Check out this recipe for inspiration.

11. UP&GO

Australian breakfast favourite UP&GO offers two dairy-free flavours: Vanilla Ice and Choc Ice. They’re great for mornings when you have to rush.

12. The Full English Fry-Up

Grab yourself some vegan bacon and sausages from the supermarket and have an old-fashioned fry-up. Pro tip: hash browns from the frozen section are usually vegan. Combine them with the tofu scramble (#4 above).

Don’t just stop at breakfast – eat vegan the whole day! For more tips on going vegan, order our free vegan starter kit: