How to Host the Best Brunch Party: Food Ideas, Scheduling, and More
Planning Tips to Throw an Easy, Fun Party
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Next time you get together with friends for a wedding shower, baby shower, neighborhood get-to-know-you event, church gathering, or any other celebration, consider hosting a brunch party. Brunches are held typically midday during the weekend to make it convenient for many people but it can be held on any day of the week. Most brunch foods are quick and easy to make, and there are many different options to ensure all of your guests have a great time.
Below, discover the best planning tips for food and more with brunch party ideas for adults and kids alike.
Key Tips for Planning a Brunch
Invite guests early: Although there are no hard-and-fast rules for inviting people to a brunch, it’s always best to give the invitees enough time to add the party to their schedule. If you can, invite them a couple of weeks before the event.
Ask for RSVPs: Whether you send a written invitation, email, or text, it’s best to request an RSVP so you know how many people to expect. If you don’t hear back from someone before it’s time to purchase the amount of ingredients for the menu, it's appropriate to call to find out if they’re coming.
Plan the menu: Choose foods that can suit the different diets and tastes of your guests, from vegans to carnivores and everything in between.
Prepare food early: Prepare some dishes the night before so you can easily bake them in the morning while you are setting up party decorations and table settings.
Serve a buffet: When you plan for a brunch get-together, consider serving the food buffet style. A buffet makes it simple for guests to make their own plates so you can relax and enjoy spending time together.
Best Day and Time for a Brunch
Your brunch can be any day of the week, as long as people are available to attend. If most of your guests hold nine-to-five weekday jobs in offices, the best day will be a Saturday or Sunday. However, if you’re inviting people who have different schedules throughout the week, choose the day that most of them can attend.
Brunch is typically served between the normal breakfast time and lunch—generally around 10 a.m. You may choose to start early so guests can chat for a little while before they start eating. However, a brunch can also be held later in the day as needed, such as between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. depending on your guests' schedules and preferences.
What Food to Serve When Hosting Brunch
There are no set rules about what should be on the brunch menu. Here are some basic tips for a brunch menu and serving options that everyone will enjoy:
Have a buffet so your guests can serve themselves; this takes the pressure off of you to make sure everyone has what they want.
Offer a variety of foods and give your guests plenty of choices. If you know that someone has an allergy or food issue, make sure you have enough options that are free from the allergen.
Include some foods that are still delicious when served at room temperature, such as bagels, croissants, muffins, granola, hashbrowns, or other types of potatoes.
Serve some type of sweets for dessert, like cookies, cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, or fried apples.
Serve egg dishes that don’t require last-minute preparation. Quiches and frittatas are great choices.
Have a colorful fruit tray to add visual interest to the table.
A multi-tiered platter provides vertical space to display and serve more food, and it adds visual interest to the buffet.
Instead of making pancakes that turn mushy after sitting out, make oven-baked French toast. After it’s done but before you serve it, keep it warm in an oven—even after you turn it off.
If you serve a large amount of breakfast meat, such as bacon or ham, cook it in the oven instead of on top of the stove to prevent a big mess of splatters on the cooktop or counters.
Drink Menu
Estimate the drink needs for your party based on the number of guests. A general rule of thumb is to plan on two beverages per guest during the first hour of your brunch.
Offer a variety of drinks. If you choose to serve alcohol, have nonalcoholic options, such as orange juice or tomato juice, available. You’ll also want to serve coffee and tea. Some favorite brunch cocktails include mimosas, screwdrivers, bloody Marys, greyhounds, and Irish coffees. It’s nice to offer virgin versions of these drinks, as well.
How to Make Your Brunch Stress-Free
One of the best ways to be a good host is to relax. It’s not always easy but there are some things you can to do eliminate most of the stress. Consider these ideas for brunch parties at home:
Make a list of everything you need to purchase, including ingredients and decorations. If you don’t already have enough chairs, purchase, rent, or borrow them in advance.
Do as much of the preparation as possible the night before. Set out the plates, mugs, glasses, napkins, and flatware. Place trivets where you’ll want to put the casserole dishes so you don’t have to scramble at the last minute.
Put fresh hand towels in the bathroom that guests will be using. Make sure there is plenty of soap in a dispenser.
If you want place cards, jot your guests’ names on pretty cardstock and put them in small frames that they can take home later.
Decorations can be as elaborate or simple as you want. Most guests will be happy with a table full of food and a few floral arrangements.
Have a few conversation starters in your back pocket to keep people engaged.
If you have room, separate the food from the drink station so your guests won’t crowd or bump into each other.
Brunch Themes
Regardless of the reason for the brunch, you can choose a fun party theme. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Garden party: Have the brunch party outdoors if the weather permits. Use potted plants, such as herbs or flowers for decorations and send them home with guests.
Muffin tin brunch: Cook or serve all the brunch food in muffin tins or served in muffin cups.
Pajama brunch party: Ask guests to wear pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Serve traditional breakfast food, such as bacon, eggs, toast, or biscuits.
Coffee and donut bar: Serve a variety of coffee and donuts.
Fondue brunch: Serve fondue, such as pots of melted chocolate for dipping fruit and cubes of cake or melted cheese for dipping meats and veggies.
International brunch party: Serve eggs with salsa, sushi, quiche, egg rolls, strudel, éclairs, and guacamole with chips.
