14 Southern Breakfasts Worth Waking Up For

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Southern breakfast isn’t just a meal—it’s a full-on event, best enjoyed with a table full of biscuits, grits, and enough butter to make your grandma proud. Whether you’re here for Buttery Crisp Cornmeal Waffles with just the right crunch, a sky-high stack of The Best Buttermilk Pancakes with Crispy Edges, or the rich, smothered comfort of Best Southern Ham Gravy with Cheesy Biscuits and Eggs, this lineup delivers. Feeling fancy? Carolina-Style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict takes brunch to new heights, while Creamy Grits and Goat Cheese Breakfast Soufflés prove grits can be downright luxurious. And if you believe breakfast isn’t complete without something sweet, Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread with Pecan Caramel Sauce is calling your name. Go ahead—pull up a chair and bring your appetite.

Buttery Crisp Cornmeal Waffles

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Two stacked waffles topped with blueberries, butter, and a dusting of powdered sugar. A sprig of mint adds decoration. A fork is placed next to the waffles on the white plate.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

These Buttery Crisp Cornmeal Waffles aren’t just for show—they bring the crunch, tenderness, and just enough grit to stand up to syrup, butter, or a fried chicken feast. Whether you’re here for sweet, savory, or a longer breakfast, they’ve got the backbone—and the attitude—to deliver.

Get the Recipe: Buttery Crisp Cornmeal Waffles

Angel Biscuits

Overhead image of angel biscuits baked in a round pan.
Photo credit: Baking a Moment

Angel Biscuits are in a league of their own! A perfect blend of yeast and baking powder creates biscuits that are impossibly fluffy and so light, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.
Get the Recipe: Angel Biscuits

Best Southern Ham Gravy with Cheesy Biscuits and Eggs

The image shows a biscuit sandwich filled with scrambled eggs, topped with creamy gravy and bacon pieces, all arranged on a white plate.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Move over, Jimmy Dean—ham burnt ends are running the show in this smoky Southern Ham Gravy. Breakfast wouldn’t be the same without it, ladled over cheesy biscuits and soft scrambled eggs.
Get the Recipe: Best Southern Ham Gravy with Cheesy Biscuits and Eggs

Creamy Grits and Goat Cheese Breakfast Souffles

The image depicts a breakfast plate with baked eggs and greens in a dish, two poached eggs, toasted bread slices, and a fork.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Head south, and sooner or later, you’ll find yourself eating grits—the creamy, cheesy, downright addictive kind. These Creamy Grits and Goat Cheese Breakfast Soufflés are Southern through and through. Shown here topped with carrot top pesto.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Grits and Goat Cheese Breakfast Souffles

Carolina-style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict

A knife cuts into a runny egg yolk on a sandwich with fried chicken, cheese, and a waffle on a plate. The yolk drips over the sandwich, with a sprinkle of herbs on top.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

If a Benedict ever went full Southern, this Carolina-Style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict would be it. Crispy fried chicken, cornmeal waffles, and a sunny egg—because runny yolks fix everything—meet tangy Havarti and hot honey for a true Carolina upgrade. Hollandaise who?
Get the Recipe: Carolina-style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict

How To Make Grits

Homemade grits in a blue and white bowl on the table with a spoon in it and a pat of butter melting on top.
Photo credit: Grandbaby Cakes

Wondering what grits are and how to make them? Southern Grits are the creamy, buttery goodness you didn’t know you needed, perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. This recipe delivers that flawless texture and flavor every time—get ready to fall in love! 
Get the Recipe: How to Make Grits

Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

Buttermilk biscuits covered in sausage gravy on a white plate with a fork next to a cast iron skillet.
Photo credit: House of Nash Eats

Homemade Biscuits and Gravy is the ultimate comfort food—flaky, buttery buttermilk biscuits smothered in the creamiest, dreamiest sausage gravy. It’s a classic that never goes out of style, and it’s guaranteed to make your morning shine!
Get the Recipe: Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

Peach Oatmeal

Delicious bowls of peach oatmeal with rolled oats and fresh peaches on table for breakfast
Photo credit: Grandbaby Cakes

Peach Oatmeal tastes like a cozy bowl of peach cobbler, but with a healthy twist! Packed with vitamins, fiber, and protein, it’s a tasty and wholesome way to shake up your breakfast routine.
Get the Recipe: Peach Oatmeal

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Best Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe
Photo credit: Baking a Moment

Sweet Potato Biscuits are everything you want in a fall treat—fluffy, light, and oh-so-easy to make. These Southern gems, made with tangy buttermilk, are the perfect addition to your autumn spread.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits

Johnny Cake Recipe

Presenting a delicious Johnny Cake Recipe
Photo credit: Cook’s with Soul

Johnny Cake Recipe brings the perfect balance of crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Whether you’re having them for breakfast, dinner, or sneaking a snack, these Caribbean delights are always a win!
Get the Recipe: Johnny Cake Recipe

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes with Crispy Edges

Presenting a delicious The Best Buttermilk Pancakes with Crispy Edges
Photo credit: Cook’s with Soul

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes with Crispy Edges are here to steal the show! Skip the boxed stuff and dive into these perfectly fluffy pancakes with just the right amount of crunch on the edges—a true country breakfast classic.
Get the Recipe: The Best Buttermilk Pancakes with Crispy Edges

Southern Style Chicken and Waffles

Three plates of waffles with fried chicken and a small dish of maple syrup and hot sauce.
Photo credit: Cook’s with Soul

Southern Style Chicken and Waffles are the ultimate comfort combo, featuring crispy buttermilk fried chicken tenders stacked atop fluffy buttermilk waffles. It’s simple, satisfying, and guaranteed to make you want seconds (or thirds).
Get the Recipe: Southern Style Chicken and Waffles

Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread with Pecan Caramel Sauce

cinnamon roll monkey bread with pecan caramel sauce
Photo credit: Cook’s with Soul

Say hello to Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread with Pecan Caramel Sauce—sticky, gooey, and impossible to resist! This sweet pull-apart treat is made with canned cinnamon rolls and crowned with a rich homemade pecan caramel sauce that takes it to a whole new level of delicious.
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread with Pecan Caramel Sauce

Cafe Du Monde Beignets Recipe

Presenting a delicious Cafe Du Monde Beignets Recipe
Photo credit: Cook’s with Soul

Get a taste of New Orleans right at home with our Cafe Du Monde Beignets Recipe! These golden, pillowy bites are deep-fried to perfection and dusted with just the right amount of powdered sugar—sweet enough to transport you straight to the French Quarter.
Get the Recipe: Cafe Du Monde Beignets Recipe

About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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