Breakfasts With Latin Flavor

Empanadas - Portable Pocket Sandwiches

Empanadas are very convenient for breakfast in a hurry. Make them ahead and keep them frozen. A few minutes in the toaster oven or a quick zap in the microwave and you have a delicious breakfast to go. Some popular options include chicken empanadas and bacon and egg empanadas.

Arepas - Quick Griddle Corncakes

Arepas are a type of corncake, cooked on a griddle, popular in Colombia and Venezuela. Arepas can be filled with cheese, made into sandwiches, or just enjoyed plain. The batter mixes up quickly - you can even make it the night before. Cook the arepas a few minutes on each side and you have a delicious treat: crispy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside.

Arepas con huevo is a special breakfast treat: the arepa is fried in oil, then split and filled with an egg and fried again until the egg is just cooked.

Savory Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

This savory sausage bread pudding is great for breakfast—the sausage, cheese, egg, and toasted bread combination is warm, filling, and delicious. You can assemble this casserole the night before and just heat it in the oven before serving.

Quinoa Breads

Quinoa is a high protein grain that has been grown in the Andes mountain regions of South America for hundreds of years. Recently 'rediscovered' for its nutritional properties, quinoa is exceptionally high in protein and will help keep you energized until lunchtime. Quinoa breads like bagels and bread machine quinoa oatmeal bread are excellent choices.

Breakfast in Brazil

One of the best things about breakfast in Brazil is that it's perfectly normal to have cake! Brazilians love cake, and there are many recipes for unfrosted simple tender pound cakes, typically baked in a ring pan. But an açaí berry smoothie bowl is another excellent Brazilian breakfast choice—perfect for hot beach days.

Venezuelan Perico - Scrambled Eggs With Onions and Tomatoes

Venezuelan Perico is a savory breakfast dish of scrambled eggs seasoned with sautéed onions, tomatoes, and peppers. It's often served inside arepas (a Venezuelan egg McMuffin of sorts).

Pandebono - Colombian Cheese Bread

These may look like bagels, but they are actually something called pandebono. Pandebono is a delicious cheese bread, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee. It's a simple recipe made with cheese, eggs, tapioca flour (cassava or yuca starch), and precooked cornmeal, or masarepa.

Cachitos - Venezuelan Ham Croissants

Cachitos are little ham-filled, crescent-shaped rolls. They are sometimes called Venezuelan croissants, but they have the rich texture of a dinner roll rather than the flaky texture of a true croissant and are much easier to make.

Buñuelos - Colombian Cheese Fritters

These are a Chilean Christmas treat, but don't let that stop you from enjoying them anytime. They are enjoyed all over South America, often as a snack. Colombian buñuelos are made with farmer's cheese and are not particularly sweet. In other countries, they are sweeter, or flavored with anise, and often served with syrup or powdered sugar. We like the cheese version for breakfast best and the sweet kind for an afternoon snack. Fill them with pastry cream for an extra special treat.

Brazilian Cinnamon "Raindrop" Doughnuts - Bolinhos de Chuva

These delicious Brazilian cinnamon raindrop doughnuts are named for their raindrop shape. They are quick and easy to make (no yeast involved) and kids love them.

Arroz con Leche

This South American staple, arroz con leche, may not be the most traditional breakfast, but it's delicious warm (in the winter) or cold (when you're running out the door), and really hits the spot.