For healthy vegan alternatives to breakfast foods that rely on dairy and eggs, check out these great ideas for starting your day. We have delicious recipes and tips for toast, cereal, granola, muesli, hot oatmeal, apple pancakes, miso soup, tofu scramble and more.

Or treat yourself at a local vegetarian restaurant. See our new Toronto Vegetarian Brunch & Breakfast Guide for a complete list of Toronto places that serve brunch or breakfast. If you don't live in Toronto, do a Google search for "vegetarian brunch" or "vegan brunch" plus the city's name.

Quick

Toast with tahini and apple slices.Try other nut butters such as almond, peanut, or hazelnut. Try other seasonal fruit slices or top with or applesauce. For sweet toast try jam, coconut butter, cinnamon and sugar, or tahini and molasses. 

Cereal, muesli, or granola with soy milk, rice milk or other non-dairy milk or yogurt.

Fresh fruit such as apples, berries, a half grapefruit, banana, etc.

Fruit salad with nuts or seeds. Try soaking the nuts ahead of time to improve digestibility.

Packaged vegan toaster waffles from a natural food store.

Image: Local strawberries, hand-picked Saskatoon berries, lime basil, apple, tahini on organic Little Stream spelt toast. Behind is stinging nettle miso soup with nori seaweed.

A little more involved

Hot cereal (porridge) – quick-cooking oatmeal, corn meal, red river, etc. Add raisins, cinnamon, soy milk, and maple syrup.

A simple clear soup with some greens, carrots, and any other chopped veggies is nice. Flavour the soup with miso or soy sauce. 

Smoothie: Blend 1 cup water, juice, soy milk or other non-dairy milk with fresh fruit. As an option add protein powder, ground flax, hemp or nuts.

Tofu scramble with toast or wrapped in a tortilla. See recipe below or purchase as a mix.

Pancakes topped with fruit, applesauce, or maple syrup. Try adding fresh or frozen berries to the mix. See recipe below or purchase as a mix.

Make your own granola, muesli mix or healthy muffins. See recipes below.

Recipes

John's Homemade Granola
Makes about 12 cups of super fresh low-cost cereal.

4 cups peanuts
2 cups sunflower seeds
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup flax seeds
2 cups wheat germ
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup maple syrup

Grind up the nuts and seeds in a food processor. Combine everything onto a oven tray and bake for one hour at 350°F, mixing it up every 20 minutes.

Variations: use other kinds of nuts such as cashews, walnuts, almonds or hazel nuts (filberts). If you don't have a food processor, leave everything whole.

Colleen's Raw Muesli

Combine rolled oats, wheat germ, raisins or currants, and a mix of raw nuts and seeds. Enjoy with non-dairy milk.

Cathy’s Pancakes
Makes 4–6 large pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
1 cup soy milk or water
1 Tbsp oil
1/2–3/4 cup chopped fresh fruit (peaches, blueberries, apples, strawberries, cranberries, etc.)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. On the side of the bowl, add soy milk (or water) and oil and mix together. Start heating up a lightly-oiled frying pan. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in fruit. Drop by spoonful on to the frying pan. Flip over once bubbles appear.
   Pancake variations: Experiment with different flours and fruit.
   Adapted from Vegetarian Tastes of Toronto

Basic Muffin Recipe
Makes 1 dozen

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2–3 Tbsp raw sugar or maple syrup
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp ground flax, corn starch, or arrowroot powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup soy milk or water (reduce liquid if you are using juicy fruits or maple syrup)
1/4 cup oil
Chopped fruit or nuts (cranberries, raisins, apples, peaches, pecans, etc.)

1. Prepare muffin pans by lightly oiling them or inserting paper muffin liners.
2. Combine dry ingredients on one side of a large bowl.
3. Combine soy milk (or water) and oil on the other side of the bowl.
4. Prepare chopped fruit.
5. Heat up oven to 375°F. 
6. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Don't over mix.
7. Fold in any fruit or nuts you are using.
8. Fill muffin pans with batter.
Bake for 25–30 minutes.
   Variations: Use combinations of different flours – spelt is especially good. Add cinnamon or other spices. If you have a juicer or soy milk machine, you can mix some pulp into the muffin recipe. Carrot apple ginger pulp is especially good. Add it at the end.
   Adapted from Vegetarian Tastes of Toronto

Ants on a Log
Great recipe for kids.

4 stalks celery
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup raisins

Rinse celery stalks and line inner sides with peanut butter. Dot with raisins.
   Vegetarian Tastes of Toronto

Scrambled Tofu And Vegetables
Serves 2–3. Adding turmeric to this recipe turns it yellow, the colour of scrambled eggs.

2–3 Tbsp light oil (sesame, canola, etc)
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
3 green onions, chopped fine
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 blocks firm tofu (500 g/16 oz)
Umeboshi vinegar to taste (or a dash of salt)
2 green onions, sliced for garnish

Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan. Add the celery and carrots. Add green onions and turmeric and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Crumble tofu with a fork and mix it into the sautéed vegetables. Season with Umeboshi or salt to taste. Cover and cook for 3–5 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.
   Variations: Add sliced mushrooms, green or red peppers, fresh basil, etc.
   Adapted from Vegetarian Tastes of Toronto

Recipe links

VegWeb.com
They have hundreds of breakfast recipes. Visitors who register (free) can flag their favourite recipes, create shopping lists, rate recipes and add comments.
   Here is a four-star vegan crepe recipe.

All Recipes
Their vegetarian breakfast section with over 100 recipes. Each recipe includes the cooking time, rating by visitors to the site, a conversion tool to change the number of servings, nutrition information, and several printing options.  
   Here is a vegan crepe recipe with excellent reviews.

VegCooking.com
Their breakfast page include dozens of simple recipes. None are rated.

They have dozens of gourmet breakfast recipes. Most are not vegan but you can substitute ingredients.

   For example, here is a delicious-looking recipe called: Chunky Date, Coconut, and Almond Granola. A commenter says: "I am completely addicted to this granola recipe. My kids love it, my friends love it, you won't buy granola again." To make it dairy-free just substitute the butter for coconut butter or vegetable oil.