Delightful & Affordable Ladies' Brunch Ideas
We all know that we ladies love our brunch! The food options are practically endless, mixing sweet and savory flavors. We use this time to unwind with close friends as we kick back with a glass of what everyone likes most about brunch – mimosas!
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Ladies Brunch Prep Tips:
Offer a Variety
Guests will appreciate a spread with some options. Offer a mix of fruit, protein, and carbs for a well-rounded brunch experience.
Don’t Overdo It
Variety is good, but you don’t have to have 20 different options for your guests! So many photos out there of brunch spreads look like they are feeding an army. This is not meant to be an over-the-top buffet. This is laid-back, casual girl time. Pick what you want to serve as your main attraction, and offer some variety on the side.
Add Simple Décor
Think about simple ways to decorate your brunch spread by making it more visually engaging. Add a variety of heights to your table (such as tiered stands, cake stands, and drink pitchers). Be sure to add some color in as well, with both your food and décor. Cute touches like a festive banner, napkins, a colorful tablecloth or runner, and some fresh flowers can help add an extra element of fun to your ladies’ brunch party. Chalk boards and serving trays will help you to organize and label your food in a creative way.
Pick a Theme
By “theme” I mean that you should make a focused menu for your brunch. I have 5 of these brunch themes below, including a Breakfast Sandwich Bar, Yogurt Bar, Waffle/Pancake Bar, Pastry Bar, and Mimosa Bar. See which ones you like best, they are easy to mix and match!
Ladies Brunch Theme #1:
Breakfast Sandwich Bar
– Bagels/biscuits/croissants
– Bacon/ham/sausage
– Eggs
– Tomato
– Avocado
– Cheese slices
– Cream cheese
Lay everything out on a large serving tray and have guests make their own breakfast sandwiches. You can either pick one base carb (like bagels in a few flavors) or offer a couple, such as biscuits and croissants. Be sure to have at least one meat and cheese option available. Serve with fresh fruit.
Mix it Up! Get some lox and cucumber for your guests to add a little fancy flair to their bagel sandwich! You can find a variety of bagel and lox recipes here.
Ladies Brunch Theme #2:
Waffle (or Pancake) Bar
-Pancake/waffle ingredients
– Syrup
– Butter
– Various toppings
Various toppings include things like whipped cream, flavored syrups, chocolate chips, fruit, nuts, Nutella, peanut butter, jam, honey, etc.
Pancakes and waffles make for a fun and engaging brunch bar, plus you can keep everything warm in the oven until you have finished cooking. You can go the easy Bisquick mix route or make these Martha Stewart easy basic pancakes from scratch. This is our go-to recipe that we always use for pancakes and waffles. If it is too thick, just add a bit more water or milk.
Offer different flavors of syrups or make your own fruit toppings by cooking down frozen fruit on the stove with some added sugar, honey, or syrup to sweeten it. Guests can then spoon this fruit “syrup” over their waffles. (Recipe here for blueberry syrup). I like to whip up some eggs or make a frittata when I am serving pancakes and waffles.
Mix it up! Banana nut, blueberry, and chocolate chip are a few great flavored pancakes or waffles you can whip up for your guests. Want to go all out? Get some fried chicken for a chicken and waffles bar.
Ladies Brunch Theme #3:
Yogurt Bar
– Greek yogurt
– Granola
– Fresh fruit
– Various toppings
This brunch bar is so simple and requires very little prep. No cooking required! Offer 2-3 flavors of yogurt (be sure to offer one neutral option, such as plain, honey, or vanilla yogurt). Stick with Greek yogurt, it’s thicker with a much better consistency than regular yogurt, which tends to be a bit runny. Offer a few options for granola as well, such as fruit and nut, maple, and chocolate. Fruit should include strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Other good fruit choices would be sliced peaches, nectarines, or pears.
Mix it up! Offers some fun topping options such as craisins, pepitas, orange zest, mini chocolate chips, or crushed nuts. Honey, powdered sugar, or even Nutella, add a nice touch of sweetness to top it off.
Ladies Brunch Theme #4:
Pastry Bar
– Muffins
– Croissants
– Donuts
– Cinnamon rolls
– Scones
– Danishes & stuffed pastries
– Mini quiche
Talk about a delicious sugar rush! If your guests have a sweet tooth, they are guaranteed to love this brunch spread. This bar can even be no-cook, you can literally pick up all of this at the local bakery if you wish. Boxed muffins and frozen cinnamon rolls are also quick prep options. A favorite simple recipe to make here is Nutella stuffed croissants. Serve with fresh fruit salad.
Mix it up! Make this a tea party brunch, serving pastries and a variety of flavored teas for your guests. You can even add in some simple finger sandwiches to this menu.
Ladies Brunch Must Have:
Mimosa Bar
– Champagne
– Fruit Juice
– Fresh Fruit
We can’t conclude this post without the mimosas, because everyone loves some bubbly! Since ratio preferences are often different when it comes to mimosas, keep the champagne and juice separate. Plan on 1 bottle of champagne for every 3 people. Offer fresh fruit for your guests to garnish their glasses with. No flutes? No problem. They have disposable ones, like this stemless option below, that you can purchase for the occasion. I’ve also included links to a full mimosa bar package and some nice glass carafes.
Add Simple Décor
A variety of juices is a great way to mix up the classic orange mimosa. Branch out with flavors like mango, pineapple, grapefruit, mixed berry, and peach. Seasonally there are other great options, such as apple cider or cinnamon pear mimosas in the fall, and pomegranate or cranberry mimosas in winter.
Note that champagne is a term used loosely here, prosecco or another sparkling wine is a great budget-friendly alternative to the real thing, brut or dry is best to help to offset the sweetness from the fruit juice.
Mix it up! You don’t have to stick to juice! Try adding in a blended fruit puree, flavored sorbet, or simple syrups. You can even add some herbs such as mint or rosemary. My favorite simple syrup for mimosas is Lavendar. Peaches and strawberries make for perfect purees. Sorbet adds a nice creamy element to your mimosas, and the tiny scoops add an extra fun flair to your guest’s glass. Blackberry and mango sorbet have been favorites at my events.
Ladies Brunch Celebration
I hope these brunch bar ideas have given you the inspiration and motivation that you need to host your next get-together. I love this type of event, not only is it decently easy to put together, but it really gives off a relaxing vibe. One that encourages conversation, laughter, and connection among ladies. If you are unsure of the amount of food needed for your guests, check out my post on how much to serve at a party. If you’re looking for some other tips, check out how to host a stress free party, or these great party planning basics.
