5 Power-Packed Galentine’s Day Brunch Ideas for a Fun and Fabulous Celebration

It is Galentine’s Day, and you are a top procrastinator without a menu for your brunch celebration. Total Apex has you covered with some last-minute recipes you can make in a jiffy, putting a spin on traditional breakfast items for Galentine’s Day, like chocolate waffles, candied bacon, and a breakfast margarita to wash it down.

What is Galentine’s Day

Galentine’s Day is usually celebrated the day before Valentine’s Day, but can be celebrated anytime during February. Galentine’s Day is a day for women to gather and show love with each other over food, whether it’s friends, sisters or even mothers and daughters, and some ladies exchange gifts. The holiday became popular after it was celebrated on the comedy TV show “Parks and Recreation.”

According to pioneer woman Amy Poehler, who plays Leslie Knope on the show “Parks and Recreation,” who technically created the holiday, describes Galentine’s Day as,

She explains in the episode, “What is Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it… ladies celebrating ladies.”

Chocolate Waffles

It is February, and chocolate is a popular flavor for the month, so for your Galentine’s Day brunch, remix a breakfast favorite with chocolate waffles. Waffles don’t have to be complicated, and don’t let the word’ chocolate’ scare you. Take your favorite waffle recipe, whether it’s a box mix or homemade, use that as your base, and mix in chocolate syrup for a new brunch favorite. If you don’t have your own waffle recipe, keep reading a recipe that yields four to six waffles.

Ingredients

• A waffle iron
• 1 bottle of chocolate syrup, 1/2 cup of chocolate syrup for the waffle batter, more for topping
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups of powdered sugar for topping
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, set 3 tablespoons aside for the mix.
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray

Directions

First, melt your butter in a small saucepan or microwave in a microwave-safe container; set aside for later.

Next, mix the dry ingredients by whisking the flour, baking powder, and sugar together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate syrup. Add more chocolate syrup to your liking. Last, combine all the ingredients, mix until smooth, then add your butter.

Preheat your waffle iron to 250 degrees. When your grill is ready, spray it with cooking spray. Pour waffle batter onto the waffle iron; do not pour too much batter, or it will run over. Try to keep it about an inch away from the edge.

Cook until crispy, remove the waffle from the grill, and pour melted butter on top. For decorations, pour chocolate syrup in a zigzag pattern on top, then add powdered sugar.

Everyone loves bacon, and candied bacon is a restaurant favorite that can be made at home. Be sure to make double, because candied bacon will be a Galentine’s brunch favorite that takes only 5 ingredients and about 30 minutes.

Candied Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon 
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup or molasses
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon coarse-ground black pepper 
• cooking spray
• aluminum foil paper

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
On a cookie sheet, place the aluminum foil cooking paper down first, then spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

Lay your bacon out flat on the cookie sheet. First, spread the maple syrup on the bacon, then sprinkle half of the brown sugar and black pepper on top. Flip the bacon and repeat the same steps with the remaining ingredients.

Let the bacon cook for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the fat renders. After cooking, place the candied bacon on a plate lined with paper towels to cool for 5 minutes and crisp up.

Heart-Shaped Fruit Tray

Show your friends how much you love them with heart-shaped fruit skewers. The refreshing snack is healthy and adds a pop of color and texture to your brunch table. The project will take a little extra time, cutting the fruit into heart-shaped pieces, but the arrangement will not take long.

Ingredients

• Heart-shaped cookie cutter
• 1 pound of strawberries
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1 whole watermelon or 2 cups
• 2 cups of pineapple
• 1 cup grapes
• 1 cup of raspberries
• 3 kiwis

Directions

The first step, and the most critical step, is to wash your fruit. Next, use your heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the watermelon. Next, peel and slice your kiwi. The cookie cutter can also be used to cut the prepared kiwi into hearts.

The fun part is arranging the fruit to attract your party goers eyes. There is no exact formula for placing the fruit, but it’s best to start with the bigger pieces of fruit first and try to highlight the heart-shaped fruits as much as possible. Last use smaller fruit like grapes and blueberries to fill the gaps.

Quick tip: If you do not have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, buy a heart-shaped dish to arrange your fruit in. The results will not look as detailed as cutting the fruit, but it will still have the heart-shaped design.

Galentine’s Day Scrambled Eggs

How do you like your eggs cooked? For your brunch extravaganza, scrambled eggs seem underrated, but you still need sides to complement your signature dishes on the menu. If scrambled eggs are too dull for you, add proteins like ham or breakfast sausage for more flavor. Using ham will also add one of Valentine’s Day’s trademark colors, pink. The recipe serves one, but you can adjust ingredient quantities to meet guest needs.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream, or use milk as a substitute
• ½ teaspoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sliced Cheddar cheese
• 2 slices cooked ham, diced

Directions

First, whisk the eggs in a bowl until they’re smooth. Next, add in your cheese and whipping cream, and if you are using ham, add it in and mix everything.

Third, melt your butter over medium heat in a skillet, then pour in your egg mixture and cook for about 4 minutes. Watch your eggs closely, as they will cook quickly and dry out. You want to have moisture still.

Breakfast Margarita

A Galentine’s Day brunch will not be complete without a signature cocktail. The breakfast margarita is a cross between a margarita, a course, and a mimosa, swapping out the champagne with tequila and amplifying that orange juice taste. You can make each drink one at a time or make a pitcher and keep pouring all morning. A cocktail shaker will help get the best taste for your breakfast margarita, but if you don’t have one, a glass will work too.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 fluid ounces of your favorite tequila
• 1/2 fluid ounce orange liqueur, preferably Cointreau
• 2 teaspoons orange marmalade
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Garnish

• 1 lemon
• 1 orange slice
• 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl

Directions

First, fill your cocktail shaker halfway with ice, add all your margarita ingredients, and shake for about 20-30 seconds or until the shaker is frosty.

Next, prepare your glass: cut your lemon in half and rub it on the rim of the glass. Dip the rim in the bowl of sugar, pour in your breakfast margarita, and add the orange slice to the rim.

Level Up Your Galentine’s Day

Enjoy your Galentine’s Day brunch with your best friends and reminisce on the friendship, the good, the bad and the wild. The food is the highlight of the gathering, but as a party host, find ways to entertain your guests, even pick a theme. Treat your Galentine’s Day brunch as a real party! Nominate next year’s host and set a standard for them to follow, creating Galentine’s Day brunch traditions.