Easy Entertaining: Spring Pancake Brunch

Host a relaxing spring pancake brunch complete with champagne.

All photos in this post by Jenna of Manners & Manhattans

As the late Anthony Bourdain had said “what nicer thing can you do for somebody than make them breakfast.” I agree. To me, inviting one’s friends over for breakfast or brunch is very fun and also unexpected. Let’s face it – for me it will definitely be brunch and likely a late one at that. I tend to do most of my entertaining in the evening, but the few times I’ve invited friends over for brunch or attended a brunch or lunch gathering hosted at someone’s place, I’ve always had a great time.

Getting people together during the daytime for an indulgent, yet easy to make meal like pancakes paired with champagne or cocktails just feels luxurious. Yes, you should probably be running errands or at the gym, but instead you’re eating carbs and drinking before 5pm. It’s like a little break from “real life.” Does anyone really want to eat kale at a leisurely weekend brunch, though? I like kale, but as with all things – there’s a time and a place.

As a side note, and I may be in the minority on this one – but I’d much rather host this on a Saturday afternoon than a Sunday one. I like to reserve my Sundays for working on my blog or (aside from my workout) being a lazy slug all day.

For a successful spring weekend brunch gathering, invite your favorite people and just add the following:

• Fresh flowers
• Champagne, sparkling wine, or rosé
• A great pancake recipe and toppings
• An easy, breezy Spotify playlist

Scroll down for more detail on each of my “must haves.”

*As an optional touch, I also baked cupcakes, just in case people were in the mood to pick on a dessert as the afternoon went on.

As many of you have probably read on some of my Instagram posts – fresh flowers do not have to break the bank. I went to my local Trader Joe’s and picked up a few different bouquets. I actually don’t recall what the purple flowers are, but they were between $5 and $7 per bouquet. I bought two of them. I also purchased magenta and red spray roses which were about $3-5 per bouquet. When I arrived home, I just used a vase I had on hand and arranged the flowers from the different bouquets as I liked. This was very simple. Of course, these don’t last super long, but I don’t see the point on blowing your budget on fancy florals for a casual event.

I opted for Veuve Clicquot’s Yellow Label Brut champagne here. Brut champagne is on the dry side. I thought this would be best to go with a sweeter dish like pancakes. You could also serve a dry prosecco or a rosé wine, if you prefer. My favorite rosé is probably Wolffer Estate’s Summer in a Bottle. I know, it’s still spring, but it’s a great one.

You could also serve cocktails of course. A mimosa, bellini, or my Lillet Blanc & Grapefruit sparkler. If you’re making cocktails, I would forgo expensive champagne which to me is best enjoyed by itself and buy a cheaper sparkling wine.

For my pancakes, I used the “Fluffy Japanese Pancakes” recipe from Food Network; however, instead of making them exactly as described in the recipe using ring molds, I just cooked them as I usually would. While this particular recipe is more involved than your usual pancake recipe, it’s definitely worth making. Although I did not use the ring molds to make tall, extra fluffy, Japanese style pancakes that almost look like biscuits, they were still super fluffy and delicious. Folding in the whipped egg white as directed is the key to this recipe.

I cooked mine with butter and suggest topping them with syrup, walnuts, strawberries, and powdered sugar. You can set out little bowls of toppings so that your guests can make theirs to taste.

Every get together requires a perfectly curated playlist in my opinion. For this type of event, it should be filled with easy, breezy songs that don’t compete with conversation. You’ll have to stay tuned for my spring party playlist though – it’s coming up next week on the blog!

Tell me, would you ever host a spring brunch or do you prefer hosting evening events?