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  4. 30 Best-Ever Breakfast Muffins and Breads To Brighten Your Morning

30 Best-Ever Breakfast Muffins and Breads To Brighten Your Morning

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors Updated July 07, 2022
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Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

There's simply nothing better than waking up on any given morning with the aroma of sweet baked goodies wafting throughout the house—especially if it's Saturday. That makes it even sweeter. Starting the day off on the right foot is important, and a little bit of sugar and spice is guaranteed to get the job done.

Whether you're making a batch of our bakery-worthy blueberry muffins to last you all week long or preparing a spectacular loaf of pull-apart cinnamon bread to serve family and friends on the weekend, these breakfast muffins and breads won't disappoint. Choose one of our scrumptious banana bread recipes on the list or something seasonal like gingerbread muffins or pumpkin spice muffins, and you'll be ready to take on the day with extra pep in your step. Here are 30 of our most delicious breakfast muffin and bread recipes that bring bites of joy to every morning.

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Sour Cream Banana Bread With Pecan Streusel Topping

Sour Cream Banana Bread With Pecan Streusel Topping
Credit: Victor Protasio

Recipe: Sour Cream Banana Bread With Pecan Streusel Topping

We updated classic banana bread by adding tangy sour cream to the batter and finishing the loaf with a sweet pecan streusel topping.

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Cinnamon Swirl Puff Pastry Muffins

Cinnamon Swirl Puff Pastry Muffins
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Recipe: Cinnamon Swirl Puff Pastry Muffins

A package of frozen puff pastry is the secret shortcut to getting these muffins on the table ASAP.

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Any-Berry Muffins with Cornmeal Streusel

Any-Berry Muffins with Cornmeal Streusel
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Any-Berry Muffins with Cornmeal Streusel

This versatile recipe lets you add in any seasonal berry you'd like—so go crazy.

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Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Sweet Potato Muffins

If you love pumpkin muffins, these are a must-try that celebrate the autumn season with just as much flair. 

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Apple Butter-Pecan Quick Bread

Apple Butter-Pecan Quick Bread
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Apple Butter-Pecan Quick Bread

A warm slice of this deliciously spiced quick bread is why you get up on Saturday morning. Homemade slow-cooker apple butter is the star of this recipe. 

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Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Blueberry Streusel Muffins

These berry-filled muffins are topped with a crumbly streusel that gives them a little something extra.

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Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

Enjoy your breakfast with a side of zest with this citrusy poppy seed-filled recipe. It's just what an early morning calls for.

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Piña Colada Quick Bread

Piña Colada Quick Bread
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Piña Colada Quick Bread

Try not to be happy after starting the day with a slice of this warm quick bread flavored with pineapple and coconut. We dare you! 

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Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins

Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins

You won't find more decadent morning bites than these glazed, syrupy monkey bread muffins topped with pecans. 

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Nutella Banana Bread

Nutella Banana Bread
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Nutella Banana Bread

Instead of chocolate chips, consider adding a swirl of nutella spread to your banana bread for a match made in brunch heaven. 

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Gingerbread Muffins

Gingerbread Muffins
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Gingerbread Muffins

These holiday-inspired muffins are spiced with the traditional blend of ginger and cinnamon and made extra rich with the addition of molasses. 

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Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Muffins

A fall morning must, these pumpkin muffins are topped with a crumbly brown sugar mixture.

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Cherry-Pecan Swirl Bread

Cherry-Pecan Swirl Bread
Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Cherry-Pecan Swirl Bread

It might be the prettiest bread you've ever made—and it's guaranteed to be the most delicious one, too. Tart cherries and toasted pecans come together for the best filling ever. 

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Citrus Pull-Apart Bread

Citrus Pull-Apart Bread
Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Citrus Pull-Apart Bread

You'll get two cheery loaves out of this recipe—which is good. Because you'll be pairing a slice with everything from your morning cup of coffee to afternoon tea. 

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Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins

Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins
Credit: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins

These bite-sized snickerdoodle muffins are perfect for on-the-go munching. Plus, they're kid-approved.

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Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread

In the spirit of maximizing taste with as little effort as possible, we give you a recipe for pumpkin bread that requires 10 minutes of hands-on time, two bowls, and a whisk. 

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Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins

Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins

No need to drive to the bakery to get signature muffins bursting with blueberry flavor. These homemade blueberry muffins are arguably better than any you'll find there.

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Sausage Bread

Sausage Bread
Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Sausage Bread

Who said all breakfast bread had to be sweet? This one gets major personality from sausage and oodles of cheese. 

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Apple Crumb Muffins

Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins
Credit: Photo: Stephen Devries; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Apple Crumb Muffins

These sweet and soft apple crumb muffins are fit for any fall bake sale or on-the-go breakfast.

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Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce

Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce
Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce

Perfect for a holiday brunch or shower, this coffee cake can be made booze-free by substituting extra cream for rum in the sauce, if you prefer. 

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Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Zucchini Bread

Get a morning dose of veggies with this super moist bread made with grated zucchini and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Add chocolate chips to make it even tastier. 

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Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins

Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins
Credit: Photo: Stephen Devries; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins

"Sugar, spice, and everything nice" is more than appropriate for these morning treats. 

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Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot Cake Muffins Still
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Carrot Cake Muffins

Who knew carrots could be so tasty at all hours of the day? Turns out, they make muffins oh-so moist.

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Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread

Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread

This is the perfect classic rendition of banana bread to have around the house, should a need for a warmed-up slice with a slathering of butter arise. 

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Chocolate-Pear Muffins

Chocolate-Pear Muffins
Credit: Linda Pugliese

Recipe: Chocolate-Pear Muffins

We could always use a chocolate fix, even in the wee hours. These decadent pear-infused muffins certainly do the trick.

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Apple Muffins

Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins
Credit: Photo: Stephen Devries; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Apple Muffins

Tender apple muffins are perfect for wrapping up and making someone's day.

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Cranberry Pull-Apart Bread with Orange-Cream Cheese Icing

Cranberry Pull-Apart Bread with Orange-Cream Cheese Icing
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Cranberry Pull-Apart Bread with Orange-Cream Cheese Icing

Tangy cranberries and zingy orange zest add festive flavor to this hearty quick bread. The recipe makes two loaves, so you can give one and keep one.

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Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread
Credit: Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

Classic banana nut bread gets a creamy twist with the addition of cream cheese. If you prefer to make muffins, spoon batter into a muffin tin in lieu of a loaf pan. 

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Caramelized Apple Toffee Muffins

Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins
Credit: Photo: Stephen Devries; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Caramelized Apple Toffee Muffins

These muffins emit all the fall flavor you could want, while toffee bits create a mouthwatering texture that's both chewy and crunchy.

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Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Rich, buttery layers each capped off with crunchy, caramelized cinnamon sugar? Yep, we'll take it. This one's a show-stopper. 

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    1 of 30 Sour Cream Banana Bread With Pecan Streusel Topping
    2 of 30 Cinnamon Swirl Puff Pastry Muffins
    3 of 30 Any-Berry Muffins with Cornmeal Streusel
    4 of 30 Sweet Potato Muffins
    5 of 30 Apple Butter-Pecan Quick Bread
    6 of 30 Blueberry Streusel Muffins
    7 of 30 Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins
    8 of 30 Piña Colada Quick Bread
    9 of 30 Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins
    10 of 30 Nutella Banana Bread
    11 of 30 Gingerbread Muffins
    12 of 30 Pumpkin Spice Muffins
    13 of 30 Cherry-Pecan Swirl Bread
    14 of 30 Citrus Pull-Apart Bread
    15 of 30 Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins
    16 of 30 Pumpkin Bread
    17 of 30 Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins
    18 of 30 Sausage Bread
    19 of 30 Apple Crumb Muffins
    20 of 30 Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce
    21 of 30 Zucchini Bread
    22 of 30 Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins
    23 of 30 Carrot Cake Muffins
    24 of 30 Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread
    25 of 30 Chocolate-Pear Muffins
    26 of 30 Apple Muffins
    27 of 30 Cranberry Pull-Apart Bread with Orange-Cream Cheese Icing
    28 of 30 Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread
    29 of 30 Caramelized Apple Toffee Muffins
    30 of 30 Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

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