Breakfast Specials: Quick Breads and Pastries to Help You Start Your Day

If coffee cake and banana bread sang a duet, the harmonious result would be this moist loaf and its nutty cinnamon-and-brown-sugar topping. The streusel not only caps off the creation, it also winds its way through every slice, for a sweet-salty beat in every bite.

Leisurely weekend mornings were made for monkey bread. Yeasted dough gets rolled into tiny orbs, then assembled in a Bundt pan, where it rises while you relax with your coffee. (Parents and grandparents note: This is an excellent job for little hands.) The deep chocolate-hazelnut notes come from generous drizzles of Nutella on the bottom of the pan and layered throughout. Prefer to sleep in? Work ahead of time. This recipe actually benefits from an overnight ferment in the fridge, taking on a more robust flavor. The next day, bring it to room temperature and set it in the oven.

While delectable on their own, these cheesy scallion-and-dill-flecked beauties are our food editors' new go-to vehicle for egg sandwiches, elevating a simple scramble into a savory feast. The herbs and sharp cheddar are folded into the crumbly, buttery dough (which comes together in a flash, no mixer required) and showered over the scones before baking to create crisp tops. For a shortcut, slice the dough into squares or wedges rather than cutting out rounds. And for maximum enjoyment, serve with a swirl of butter.

Biscuits get a bold, sweet new look. Our fruit-swirled stunner starts with a classic buttermilk-infused dough that is rolled into a rectangle, blanketed in gorgeous pink filling, and folded into thirds like a letter. Rather than bubbling in a pan on the stovetop, the jammy rhubarb-raspberry mixture is caramelized to perfection on a sheet pan in the oven, a mostly hands-off step that can be done up to five days ahead. Finish with a devil-may-care dusting of sanding sugar to add sweet, sparkly crunch.

Inspired by an old-fashioned brunch favorite—the cheese-and-fruit Danish—our cheerful tray bake skips the fussy, laminated pastry in favor of lower-maintenance focaccia dough. As for the plump apricots, we prefer jarred or canned ones, which have been poached in syrup. They have a mellower flavor and silkier texture than their just-picked counter-parts, and provide the right balance to the tangy cream cheese.

We've all met muffins that are actually cupcakes disguised as breakfast. These are not that kind of muffin. This is an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink recipe in the best possible way, the hearty, generously sized muffins burst with grated apples, carrot, and coconut; golden raisins; and—in place of more traditional walnuts—pepitas. That means fewer allergy concerns. Bake-sale volunteers, victory is yours!

Bourekas, or flaky little parcels stuffed with savory fillings, originated in Turkey, but are now a morning nosh in kitchens and cafés all over the Middle East. In our version, store-bought puff pastry speeds things up, as do leftover baked or mashed potatoes, if you have them. Assemble and freeze these ahead of time, then give them a quick egg wash and a scattering of nigella seeds before baking. Black sesame seeds are fine in a pinch, but we highly recommend seeking out the more intense-tasting real deal.

Beyond an airy crust and a fruity middle, these sweet treats have little in common with their store-bought siblings—though if you fill and freeze a batch in advance, they're almost as convenient on a weekday morning (bake them for 25 minutes while you shower and dress). Packed with a zesty blueberry filling, they're drizzled and coated with a basic confectioners'-sugar glaze; the intense violet hue comes from ground freeze-dried blueberries, found in the supermarket snack aisle.  A smattering of sprinkles might be gilding the lily, but trust us—no one will complain.