These plant-based brunch recipes prove that there are more options than just mimosas for vegans at brunch. From sweet to savory, there are so many delicious dishes to try at your next brunch. Whichever you choose to make, each dish is bound to wow.

Vegan Brunch Recipes

1. Vegan Pancakes with Orange Moscato Syrup and Pine Nuts

Image via Gene Baur

Bet you’ve never had pancakes this gourmet! These vegan pancakes are drizzled with an orange moscato syrup and topped with pine nuts. This Italian spin on pancakes is guaranteed to impress any skeptics.

2. Tofu Scramble

Image via Karissa Bowers

A hearty side of tofu scramble is a must for every brunch plate. With sauteed onions and bell pepper, this tofu scramble is anything but bland. Amp up the flavor with a side of sriracha ketchup.

3. Vegan Sweet Potato Granola

Image via Angelique Panagos

Everyone loves granola and the endless ways to eat it. Try setting out some sliced bananas and strawberries and a bowl of non-dairy yogurt to go with this recipe. Each crunchy bite is full of fiber and protein to keep you sustained.

4. Vegan, Gluten-Free Crepes

Crepes image via Shutterstock

Add a touch of Paris with these vegan gluten-free crepes. Be sure to pair the crepes with sliced fruit, vegan chocolate spread, coconut whipped cream, and organic powdered sugar. Guests will be delighted with their light and airy texture.

5. Vegan Gluten-Free Greek Farinata

Image via Karissa Bowers

This quiche-like Greek farinata is full of flavor and is perfect for those who prefer a savory breakfast. With kalamata olives, fresh rosemary, and shallots this dish will add a fragrant touch to your plant-based spread.

6. Fluffy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Image via Lemony Snacker

A gooey cinnamon roll is impossible to resist so bake up a batch of these fluffy, cinnamony delights to win over all of your brunch attendees. Don’t forget a healthy drizzle of icing!

7. Thai-Flavored Green Juice

iStock/jenifoto

For all of your brunch guests who just got done with yoga or spin class, this green juice will be right up their alley. Plus, it has a unique Thai-twist which have everyone buzzing about it.

8. Fiesta Style Breakfast Potatoes

Image via Karissa Bowers

These breakfast potatoes have a spicy kick from pico de gallo and a sweet touch from pineapple. The juxtaposition of flavors makes for an addictive side dish that balances out an array of sweet dishes.

Related on EcoSalon
5 Different Brunch Outfits to Fit Every Occasion: Friday Finds
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Nondairy Milk Goes Floral: Lavender Rose Almond Milk Recipe

The post 8 Vegan Brunch Recipes for the Best Weekend Ever appeared first on EcoSalon.

Brunch is the best meal of the day, but most restaurants only serve it twice a week. Because this amazing meal isn’t served as frequently as many of us may like, I think it’s important to treat brunch like an occasion. And what does every occasion need? An outfit! To help you dress for this weekly event, we’ve rounded up 5 brunch outfits that are mimosa-ready.

1. The Meet the In-Laws Outfit

Want to make a great impression before you inevitably get in a Thanksgiving day fight with your new in-laws? We’ve got just the outfit for that brunch. This beautiful dress is detailed with flowers of varying hues and features a slim, pencil silhouette ($298). Pair this dress with these subtly funky shoes ($475) and you’ll, at the very least, look polished.

2. The Long-Term Relationship Outfit

Overt sexiness isn’t the first thing you look for in an outfit when picking out date clothing after you’ve been with someone for over a year. But you still want to look good… The above pieces will help you achieve that look. The jeans ($148) featured above are flared and have a comfortable fit, but still have plenty of style. Pair with this sultry top ($38) to make a subtly sexy outfit perfect for mid-morning noshing.

3. The Hungover with Your Best Friend Outfit

This person has seen you at your worst — aka with your head plastered on a random person’s bathroom floor. So, if you’re a tad hungover from last night, this person gets it. Don’t try too hard to look great for your friend, but do change into something that doesn’t smell like booze. A good option? This simple, loose-fit outfit. This sweater crop top is priced at $9.99 and this cute skirt — note the elastic waistband — is only $22.49. Now, get that cheesy omelette and let the healing begin.

4. The Brunch with Your Fashionable Crew Outfit

Everyone has a few friends who are fashion mavens. You like going out with them because with this crew, you can wear any trendy fashion. Make your well-dressed gal pals a bit jealous of your look by wearing this hemp, cotton one-piece ($148) and these retro brunch sunglasses ($58).

5. The Third-Date Brunch

By now, you’re probably spending a lot of time with your soon-to-be significant other. That means: brunch and a day at the park. You want to feel cute and comfortable. Maintain both of those must-have feels by wearing this simple, swing dress ($158) and having a few hair ties ($15) on hand in case the wind picks up — or if you’re leaning in for a kiss sesh.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

Related on EcoSalon

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9 Fantastic Folkloric Finds: Adding Folk Art to Your Space

Image of people eating brunch via Shutterstock

The post 5 Different Brunch Outfits to Fit Every Occasion: Friday Finds appeared first on EcoSalon.

A catchall recipe for everyone, tofu scramble just may become your go to Sunday brunch.

“What’s for brunch?” It’s a common, lazy Sunday morning question in my home. When my boyfriend asks, I grin with a wink, and he knows what’s coming. Tofu scramble. There’s something about this recipe that feels one part adventurous (tofu is a canvas for your fresh garden delights, so this recipe never gets boring); one part comforting (think the mac-and-cheese of breakfast); and one part responsible (it’s packed with protein, veggies and vitamins to jumpstart your Sunday fan fare).

Whether an outright meat eater, vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian or eggetarian, this versatile dish will suit every preferential palette. In fact, it’s a great way to take a break from egg over-consumption doldrums. Best yet? It’s so easy and fun, your boyfriend, husband, roommate (fill in the blank) just might give you the ultimate Sunday morning treat and whip it up for you.

Ingredients
Serves 2 generous portions

• 1 firm block of tofu (ideally use fresh, local tofu for the smoothest flavor)
• 1 cup broccoli (chopped)
• ½ medium onion (chopped)
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• 1 chili pepper / hot pepper (to taste)
• 1 avocado
• handful of olives (of your choice)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (or more, to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (safflower oil or another high heat oil of your choice)

Directions

1. Prepare your tofu by removing its water and squeezing out any excess water by gently pressing it between two plates / flat surfaces
2. Heat your cooking oil in a skillet or sauté pan, and lightly cook the onion and broccoli.* When it is about halfway cooked, add the paprika, and mix together. Continue to cook the your broccoli until lightly brown and until your onions are slightly transparent. Remove from the pan.
3. Next, add the tofu to the pan (adding a dash of oil if needed). Cook the tofu on medium heat until the sides turn brown.
4. Add turmeric, salt and nutritional yeast to the tofu, and mix together until the tofu is fully coated with the turmeric and nutritional yeast.
5. Add your broccoli, onions and hot chili pepper to the tofu mixture.
6. Toss together, and sauté for another 3-5 minutes until lightly brown and melded together.
7. Garnish with cilantro leaves, olives and ½ avocado, per serving.
8. Serve hot, and enjoy!

*Note: This recipe is so versatile. Add in any farm fresh vegetables and herbs to play with the flavor and fit your palette.

(Recipe compliments of this author’s Sunday brunch-loving boyfriend.)

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

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A colorful and gluten free rendition of an American classic.

Full disclosure: standard American pancakes have never been my thing. Except for a backcountry version made with M&M’s, they have never been one of my breakfast standards. On the too sweet, too fluffy and too thick side, classic pancakes are optimal if you’re looking for a sugar high with an immediate crash. Not quite my style.

However, once in awhile you come across a version of a recipe that changes your perspective. A good friend named Lisa, who has an ongoing oatmeal vs. pancake breakfast debate in her household, came up with this one. As she says, when someone says “bowl of oatmeal or stack of pancakes?” oatmeal is regularly the winner, so she found a way to combine the two. The result is convincing even for those of us that aren’t usually wooed by the traditional breakfast.

This version ups the ante, bringing in flaxseeds, blueberries and a dash of cardamom; they’re even good as an afternoon snack if you manage to set a few aside.

Oatmeal and Flaxseed Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cup coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup blueberries
• Coconut oil for frying

Strawberry and Nectarine Medley

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large organic strawberries, sliced
• 1 organic nectarine, sliced and cubed
• zest of one lime
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (place a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar and store in your pantry for easy use)
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Directions

Prepare Strawberry and Nectarine Medley by combining all ingredients in a bowl and setting aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs together with coconut milk and olive oil.

In a separate bowl. mix together dry ingredients. Add to egg and coconut milk mixture. Stir in blueberries.

Drop about a quarter of a cup into a hot frying pan, greased with coconut oil. Flip the pancakes when the top is bubbly and the edges are slightly dry.

Top with fruit and a dash of powdered sugar if you’re really looking to impress.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series.

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A high protein breakfast that that you won’t be able to stop making. 

Earlier this year, pictures of eggs baked in avocado were the darling of the online food porn world. Not until recently did I test out the recipe myself, and the result was so good I wonder how I ever lived without this creation.

The concept is simple: bake an egg in an avocado. If you were looking for a way to put all those eggs from your backyard chicken coop to use you should certainly put this recipe on the breakfast list.

Avocados are jam-packed with fiber, potassium and vitamins, and if you like morning meals that are high in protein, this one’s for you. Because you can top off the eggs with pretty much any ingredient you can think of, you are only limited by your own creativity.

Ingredients

• 1 avocado (or more depending on how many you are serving!)
• 2 eggs
• Parsley
• Goat cheese crumbles
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper

Optional:

You can garnish the egg with anything you want. Basil is a good place to start.

Directions

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out a little of the avocado from the center to make a little additional space for the egg. Place avocados in a cast iron skillet. (A baking pan works as well if you don’t have a cast iron skillet).

Crack an egg into each avocado half. Depending on the size of your eggs, some of the egg white may spill out into the skillet.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. This results in the eggs being well done, if you like your eggs a little runnier reduce the time.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

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A delicious and creative brunch dish that’s perfect for the vegetarian crowd.

Sometimes you need a new spin on culinary classic, and this recipe for Creamy Grits with Crispy Leeks happens to be vegetarian and gluten free, perfect for when you have tired of the bacon and bread combination that is the darling of every breakfast joint du jour.

This week’s Sunday Brunch recipe comes to us from Herbivoracious, an excellent food blog run by Michael Natkin that is committed to intriguing vegetarian recipes. Natkin is also coming out with a new cookbook this spring, and if you’re looking for another addition to your brunch table, you might also want to try out his One-Bowl Banana Muffins.

***

Breakfast for dinner doesn’t have to be just pancakes or eggs and toast. I grew up in the South, and was always appalled to watch folks mix together waffles, bacon, maple syrup and everything else on their plate. Thirty years later, I think that mixing sweet, savory and salty flavors is pure genius.

Today’s dish explores that idea, with creamy grits, crispy fried leeks, a leek jus with Morita peppers and honey, cilantro-Epazote pesto, an egg, sunny side up, and a bit of queso fresco. This would be more of a Southwestern spin on that Southern idea.

Grits are one of the great breakfast foods. If you have made polenta before, you’ve also made grits – there is no real difference, unless you are talking lye-processed hominy grits, which are much less common. Some folks argue about whether or one is coarser or finer, white or yellow but mainly it is a distinction without a definitive difference. Cornmeal is simply whisked into lots of boiling water, and then simmered until smooth, soft and creamy. If you like, you can replace some of the water with milk, and/or add cheese to enrich.

I handled the leeks in an interesting way here. We fry up a big batch of them until crispy. Some are reserved for the final dish, and the rest are then simmered with morita peppers, extracting all of that caramelized flavor to make the jus. I just recently learned about Moritas – they are smoked and dried red jalapenos. So basically chipotles, but not packed in adobo. You get the opportunity to get all the pepper flavor and smoke without the extraneous tomatoey flavors in the canned sauce. And let me tell you, breathing in deep from a bag of Morita peppers is a transporting experience. Wow.

The cilantro-Epazote pesto was a pure experiment. I thought maybe the Epazote flavor would be overpowering, and I would only be able to use a tiny bit as an accent. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case. It was present and very appetizing, but not over the top.

Creamy Grits with Crispy Leeks, Leek Jus, and Cilantro-Epazote Pesto
Vegetarian and gluten-free; not vegan
Serves 2

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted
• 1 handful cilantro leaves, cleaned
• 4 Epazote leaves
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise, cleaned thoroughly, sliced thinly
• 2 Morita peppers or other smoked pepper of your choice, briefly toasted in a dry skillet
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 organic eggs
• 2 ounces queso fresco or other cheese of your choice

Bring the 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk to a boil. Whisk in the grits in a thin stream, stirring continuously. Add a couple big pinches of salt. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will notice a distinct change where they go from being “gritty” to creamy.  Add more water as necessary if they are getting dry before that happens. Anytime after they turn creamy, they are ready to serve. Taste and add salt as needed.

Meanwhile, combine the pepitas, cilantro, Epazote, 2 tablespoons of canola oil and a pinch of salt in a mini food processor, and process until it forms a coarse, pesto-like consistency. You might need a little more oil. Taste and adjust salt.

Heat a very large, preferably cast-iron skilet over a high flame. Add 1/4 cup of oil and heat for a moment. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt and fry, turning only very occasionally, until they are mostly deep brown. Remove about two tablespoons of them two paper towels and season with salt. As they cool, the should become crisp.

Return the pan to a medium flame (with the rest of the leeks still in it), and deglaze the pan with 1 cup of water, scraping well to get all the flavorful bits. Add the Morita peppers and the honey and whisk. Reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook five minutes, adding more water if needed.

Using a fine sieve and pressing well, transfer the liquid to a very small saucepan and keep warm. Dispose of the solids. Reduce or add liquid as necessary to produce a thin jus with just a hint of body. Taste and adjust seasoning. We’d like a balance of savory from the leeks, salt, smoke and heat, and sweetness from the honey.

In the original skillet, add a little more oil and fry off two eggs. Cover so that the whites cook while the yolk remains runny. Or you could use poached eggs.

To serve, put a helping of the grits in each bowl and make a well. Fill the well with the poached egg. Top with the crispy leeks and pour a couple tablespoons of the jus around the edge. Add a tablespoon or so of the pesto and a small piece of queso fresco.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

Image: Herbivoracious

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ColumnBreakfast is in.

Any foodie-wise restaurant knows to wrap hors d’oeuvres, entrees and even the table rolls in bacon, but lately, eggs have been showing up to the dinner table at every opportunity. On pizzas, astride mashed potatoes, in ramen: This is much more than the classic Caesar salad preparation of soft-boiled egg beside dressed hearts of romaine. But it’s not just eggs and bacon. For better or for worse, breakfast is in.

In a stagnant economy and dismal state of global affairs, we’re in dire need of comfort food.

A waffle sandwich for lunch? Yes. A food truck that only serves up buttermilk creations? Certainly. Breakfast food isn’t the sexiest, but it’s cozy and warm, reminding us of a lazy Sunday brunch spent with friends or alone with the Times and the French press.

Are we really having a brinner love affair? If it’s an officially defined word on Urban Dictionary, the answer is “yes.”

(brin-ner) adj. breakfast eaten at the time in which you eat dinner.

But why? When it comes to food, most of us are obsessed with instant gratification, and fried eggs solve that problem far more quickly than a plate of artisanal cheese with fruit compote, let alone a a fennel emulsion. As Shawn LaPean, executive director of Cal Dining at the University of California- Berkeley says, “eating weird is the new normal.” Which means breakfast for dinner is just as marketable even in the upscale food world as foie gras bread pudding. (Some days, I think being a foodie is no more than a glorified version of our meat-and-potatoes humanity – fancified with pancetta and foccacia, or pork belly and polenta.)

Feel the need to get on the breakfast train? Here are five ways to bring home the bacon.

Waffles

Make them with sweet potatoes. Then make a sandwich. Or add chicken friend steak. Whatever you do, don’t serve them with maple syrup.

French Toast

Completely acceptable for dinner these days, as long as you use fancy bread. (But god forbid, no matter how tempting, please don’t prep it in a slow cooker.)

Pizza

Just put an egg on it. Or two.

Crepes

They’re French! And classy! As long as they’re made with buckwheat and not smeared in Nutella.

Pancakes

Like crepes, but not. If they’re fluffy and include a fancy dairy product (think: Ricotta) you can feel fine about eating them for dinner.

No matter how much you love breakfast – and if the restaurants of Brooklyn, San Francisco and Portland that are jam packed at 10 a.m. on a weekday morning are any indicator, most of us really do – proceed with caution. Replacing real meals with mashups of whatever-we-feel-like foods might have us running towards the brink of self-destruction. Breakfast for dinner (or lunch) is almost as bad as gourmet junk food, and if those trendy food carts and waffle windows don’t watch it, their culinary prowess just might risk the reputation of a Maple Bacon Sundae.

At least there’s always gourmet granola, with hemp milk, of course. Can someone just get me some real dinner, like a taco?

Oh, you want to serve them on a waffle? Even that is too underground for this columnist.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

Images: Anna Brones, manray3, jamieanne, rick, avlxyz, d.loop

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Whip up these delicious gluten-free versions of the traditional cinnamon roll. 

Many of us have a Christmas morning tradition, and for one of our favorite food bloggers, Shauna James Ahern of Gluten Free Girl, it’s cinnamon rolls. These rolls happen to be 100% gluten free and are sure to please a hungry holiday crowd. Enjoy!

Ahern: For Christmas, I want cinnamon rolls. To tell the truth, I have made them every Christmas for the past four years. The first year’s were awful: gnarled at the edges, a bit burnt, and dry as insulation. The second were from a mix. The third year…Did I make them the third Christmas? I was eight weeks pregnant, sleeping and sick most of the time. It’s a bit of a blur.

Last year, Danny and I proudly carried in the cinnamon rolls we had created for the first draft of our cookbook. And they were….good. I mean, really good. But they still didn’t match the image I had in my mind of what a good cinnamon roll should be.

I want a soft, pliable dough, one that tastes good on its own. Yes, I love plump golden raisins, brown sugar almost melting, the ooze of cinnamon-scented butter on the edges, and cream cheese frosting. Really, how could you not love cream cheese frosting? Most of all, I want a cinnamon roll that stands up to the rush of Christmas morning, with a few stragglers left until the afternoon when we pick at the caramelized edges to stave off the hunger pains until dinner begins.

I want the cinnamon roll you see above. And I need it to be gluten-free.

A few days ago, I finally baked it.

The post Sunday Brunch: Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls appeared first on EcoSalon.

We know what you’ll be making for brunch today. 

Remember when you first discovered Nutella? A friend or relative who had spent some time in Europe probably said something along the lines of, “they have this amazing spreadable chocolate.” You went and tracked down a jar at some hole-in-the-wall import store and soon all was right with the world. That was then, today Nutella is a commonly found staple, and when it comes to brunch, what better ingredient? Susan Russo, otherwise known as Food Blogga, is of the same mindset, and today’s Sunday Brunch we’re bringing you her recipe of Mascarpone, Nutella, and French Berry Toasts.

***

Sometimes brunch can hurt.

It was July, 2000, Raleigh, North Carolina. My husband and I were invited to attend an all-you-can-eat Southern Sunday brunch. It was an impossibly humid morning, so I didn’t have much of an appetite. That is, until we entered the frigid air-conditioned restaurant and breathed in the sweet, salty, yeasty air. “I’m hungry,” I said to Jeff. “I hope the food’s good.”

We started off modestly at the table with fresh fruit, juices, and coffee (a rookie mistake in hindsight). We quickly progressed to the steaming hot homemade biscuits, some drenched with butter, others drowned with Southern gravy, both delectable. Soon our small plates dusted with biscuit crumbs were replaced with large plates heaped high with a mound each of creamy shrimp and grits, stewed collards, and black-eyed peas. Jeff got a deep-fried chicken leg, which I refrained from eating, not because I felt virtuous but because I was a vegetarian.

Wiping off our slick, buttery fingers we agreed we would stop.

We didn’t.

A friend told us we simply had to have the pancakes. Who could be bothered with plain ‘ol pancakes? we thought. We didn’t know that they had sublimely moist corn pancakes and sweet potato pancakes doused with sticky praline sauce. We ate both.

Then we did the unthinkable. We say “yes” to dessert: thick wedges of sweet potato pie adorned with freshly whipped cream. It was North Carolina. You don’t skip sweet potato pie in North Carolina.

We got up from the table, waistbands stretched to within an inch of their lives, and I nearly had a hyperglycemic episode. We didn’t eat again until Tuesday.

After that episode, brunch became a dirty word in our house It took years for us to recover. Someone would say, “Sunday brunch” or “stack of pancakes,” and we’d begin to tremble and sweat. We were suffering from brunch PTSD.  I wanted to go to counseling. Jeff refused.

Slowly and patiently over the course of several years we eventually recovered from our fear of brunch. Today we can attend any type of brunch, eat moderately, and enjoy ourselves. When it comes to making brunch at home though, we still prefer simple, smallish, breakfast-y items such as Spinach and Ricotta Frittata, Chili Lime Fruit Salad, Greek Yogurt, Fresh Fig, and Black Currant Parfaits, and Monte Cristo sandwiches.

Our go-to brunch item, the one everyone swoons over, is also the simplest: Mascarpone, Nutella, and Fresh Berry Toasts. Take slices of warm Italian toast, slather them with creamy Nutella and rich mascarpone, and top with slices of fresh strawberries. That’s it. If you can’t find juicy strawberries right now, try other seasonal fruit such as sliced figs or persimmons, or lightly sauteed apples or pears.

And, remember, brunch doesn’t have to hurt.

Mascarpone, Nutella, and Fresh Berry Toasts

You really don’t need measurements for this recipe. An (8-ounce) tub of Mascarpone cheese and 2 pints of berries should make about a dozen toasts.

• A (1 pound) loaf of sliced Italian bread
• Butter for toasting
• 1 jar Nutella, the real thing only please
• 1 (8-ounce tub) Mascarpone cheese
• 2 pints fresh berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries or fruit of your choice

1. Lightly butter bread and toast until golden.

2. Smear on a layer of Nutella, then top with a layer of Mascarpone. Arrange fruit on top. Serve immediately. Await praise.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

Image: Susan Russo

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We know what you’ll be making for brunch today. 

Welcome to Sunday Brunch, a new weekly series that’s bringing you inventive and delicious brunch recipes from our favorite food blogs around the web. Today, it’s Sour Cream Pecan Crumb Cake from Turntable Kitchen in the oven. And since Turntable Kitchen is known for pairing music with food, they even made us a special brunch playlist to serve up with this recipe.

Sour Cream Pecan Crumb Coffee Cakes
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
*Serves a crowd

The cake:

• 3 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 16-ounce package of sour cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

The chocolate cinnamon swirl:

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

The pecan crumb:

• 3/4 cup of flour
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of roughly chopped, toasted pecans
• 6 tablespoons of cold butter (unsalted), diced into small cubes

1. Start by making the pecan crumb topping by putting all of the ingredients, save the butter, into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the butter, pulsing until fully incorporated. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the cake.

2. Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a small bowl to combine to make the swirl.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

4. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter until smooth and light. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed.

7. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Next, beat in the dry mix in three additions (don’t over mix the batter).

8. Pour about 1/3 of the cake batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Top with half of the chocolate-cinnamon swirl mixture.

9. Pour another third of the batter and top with the rest of the chocolate-cinnamon swirl mixture.

10. Pour in the rest of the batter, smoothing it evenly. Sprinkle with the crumb topping.

11. Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

12. Once cool, cut into crowd-serving-sized squares or rectangles.

*Note: if you are using a smaller pan, you should keep in mind that the cake will take much longer to cook (up to an hour and forty five minutes). To make sure you don’t burn the crumb topping, make a foil tent and cover the pan while you bake.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

The post Sunday Brunch: Sour Cream Pecan Crumb Coffee Cakes appeared first on EcoSalon.