This is a collaborative post.
If you’re an outgoing person, you probably host and attend a wide range of parties. Dinner parties, nights in bars, dancing… All these nights are brilliant for having fun and making memories with your friends. But while going out a lot is great for your social life, it can quickly take a toll on your health, not to mention your finances. All those late nights followed by hangovers may not be doing you many favours in the long run!
The good news is that you don’t have to give up socialising completely! Instead, you might want to rethink the kind of parties you host and a breakfast party is a fantastic place to start. It might sound weird, but having breakfast with friends is a lovely way to start the day. Brunch has become increasingly popular in recent years and there’s no reason you can’t host. Indeed, hosting a breakfast party could well turn out to be cheaper than a regular dinner party!
Whether you want to recover together after a night out, try something new or you simply want to shift your partying to an earlier hour, here are a few tips to make the most of time with your friends.
Drinks
Tea and coffee are essential for breakfast parties. A teapot is a necessity for tea drinkers and 4 cup coffee makers are ideal for keeping the flow of caffeine going. Put out a few different kinds of milk according to your friends’ preferences and make sure there’s a sugar bowl and spoon too.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can heat the milk and use a frother to make cappuccinos and add chocolate sprinkles on top. If you’re feeling a bit naughty, you might also decide to make espresso martinis, using cooled filter coffee, coffee liqueur and vodka shaken together with ice.
As well as hot drinks, it’s wise to serve some cold pitchers. Orange juice is the classic for breakfast but you might also like to consider smoothies. If you aren’t really up for alcohol this early, mocktails are also a lot of fun. In fact, you could easily put out a few different kinds of juice and simply let your guests mix and match as they fancy.
Savoury
Omelets are a classic breakfast food and they are really easy to make using tofu for extra protein. The basic batter is delicious but they are also delicious stuffed with grilled veggies, blanched spinach, garlic mushrooms and vegan cheese. To make your life easier, prep the fillings separately so your guests can pick and mix to create their own ultimate omelet.
Beans, cauliflower hash browns and toast are also essentials for a big breakfast but you could also put nibbly things out too. Having a few things already on the table when your guests arrive is definitely a good thing. A basket of rolls is a classic option everyone likes. Hummus is good at any time of the day and a few batons of celery, carrot and cucumber are perfect for dipping. Guacamole is also good for dipping and brings a bit of colour to your table.
Sweet
No meal is complete without a dessert and breakfast parties should be no different. A big bowl of fruit is a nice easy option for you, as are store-bought pastries. But it’s always nice to bake something warm and fresh and vegan banana and walnut cookies are ideal. Not only do they taste delicious, they also fill the kitchen with a wonderfully tempting smell!
Blueberry muffins are a classic breakfast treat, whether you want to bake them ahead of time or serve them warm from the oven. Of course, there are plenty of kinds of muffins you might like to try and you can easily substitute different fruits. Raspberries work really well with white chocolate chunks and cherries work particularly well with dark chocolate. If you have some old bananas, banana bread is always good.
Breakfast parties are all about having fun so don’t hold back. Decorate your table with fresh flowers and, if you’re feeling festive, why not go for some party hats too? If the weather is nice, take your party out into the garden and decorate with bunting and picnic rugs.
The best thing about a breakfast party is that you can take your time. The whole day is ahead of you and you can do whatever you like. In fact, you might find that your breakfast party turns into a lunch party before you know it!
