For the Ultimate Brunch Party, Make a Board With Trader Joe’s Items — Here’s How

An elaborate brunch is a weekend treat like no other — a way to see friends, an excuse to enjoy a mimosa in the morning, and prime time for a plate of pancakes — but it can also be expensive. The beloved late-morning ritual can be even more affordable and more fun at home with one simple strategy: gather the right ingredients from Trader Joe’s and build a board.  

A board party format has been trending on TikTok for at least the past two years. Think of it as a charcuterie board version of a potluck, where instead of bringing one complete dish, each attendee brings a board with a themed spread of their favorite foods or drinks. This could be a pasta board featuring cooked pasta and a selection of sauces, an ice cream board with sundae toppings, or even a margarita board for personalized cocktails. 

To create a brunch board, instead of cured meats, cheeses, and nuts, you’ll want to gather all your favorite brunch bites, such as mini pancakes, fresh fruit, cream cheese, waffles, and bacon. It may help to think of this as a smaller, portable, and cuter brunch buffet.

The best part about this board is that you can serve both your sweet and savory brunch favorites simultaneously. If you’re someone who can’t decide between pancakes, French toast, eggs, bagels, and croissants, this approach makes it easier to sample a bit of everything. Here’s how you can create your own affordable and customizable brunch board using fan-favorite items from Trader Joe’s.

Make eggs easy

Brunch without eggs isn’t something most people can get behind. Luckily, Trader Joe’s makes it easy to fill your brunch board with eggs without buying a dozen or even cooking them. The pre-cooked Egg Bites from Trader Joe’s cost $3.79 per pack at my nearest store location, with each package containing two egg bites. 

With three flavor options available—Cheese, Spinach & Kale; Cheddar Cheese & Uncured Bacon; and Unexpected Cheddar Cheese & Turkey Sausage—all you need to enjoy these egg bites is to microwave them for one minute and let them cool slightly. For easy sharing, cut each egg bite into four mini bites and stick toothpicks on top. To truly elevate them, feel free to drizzle some hot sauce or seasonings over these savory morsels.

Stock up on bagels and breads

A brunch board loaded with baked goods is a recipe for success. Some brunch enthusiasts dive straight for the bagels, while others survey the spread for sweet indulgences like croissants and danishes. 

Some of the sweet baked goods from Trader Joe’s that are guaranteed to please anyone you’re hosting for brunch include the delightfully sticky Salted Caramel Swirl Danishes ($3.99), Glazed Chocolate Doughnut Holes ($3.49), Brioche-Style Liège Waffles with crunchy pieces of pearl sugar ($3.99), and Cinnamon Swirl Bread ($4.99). 

For bagel options, you can grab the Cheesy Bagels ($3.49), Cinnamon Raisin Bagels ($2.49), or the Everything Bagels ($2.99). Each pack, regardless of flavor, includes six bagels. To accommodate anyone who is gluten-free, I recommend adding Gluten-Free Almost Everything Bagels to your board for $5 per pack. 

Get an array of spreads and dips

Trader Joe’s is my go-to source for spreads and dips. Each visit to the grocery store surprises me with a new flavor or limited-edition spread that promptly makes its way into my shopping cart. On a brunch board, a section dedicated to various cream cheese spreads is perfect for smearing on bagels and toast.

When it comes to bagels and cream cheese, there are two directions that people’s palates can go: savory or sweet. Thanks to Trader Joe’s, you can please all taste buds with an assortment of both. Options like the Whipped Feta Spread ($3.99), Peaches + Cream Cream Cheese Spread ($2.79), Black Garlic Cream Cheese Spread ($2.79), and Onion & Chive Cream Cheese Spread ($2.29) are sure to be a hit. I recommend serving the spreads in smaller bowls or ramekins to easily fit several of them on a board.

Pancake and waffle mixes are your friend

You know the classic breakfast and brunch dilemma: do you order an egg-based dish or stick with pancakes and waffles? The beauty of the brunch board is that you can have both. At Trader Joe’s, you’ll find fun-flavored pancake and waffle mixes for about $4 per box. Options include the limited-edition Cinnamon Bun Inspired Pancake & Waffle Mix ($3.99) and the Strawberries & Crème Pancake & Waffle Mix ($3.99), which yields treats studded with dried strawberries and white chocolate chips.

To make these more suitable for a board, you can cut them into quarters for hand-held pieces or whip up some silver dollar pancakes.

Don’t skip the freezer aisle

If you don’t feel like dealing with a boxed mix or don’t have time to make individual pancakes, you can simply grab some frozen Dutch Griddle Cakes ($3.49) that only take a few minutes to heat in a toaster. These can be topped with a dollop of that Peaches + Cream Cream Cheese Spread or a drizzle of maple syrup. 

To substitute the cured meats typically found on a charcuterie board, consider adding some Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patties ($2.99) from the frozen aisle, and why not throw in some Hashbrowns ($2.99) for good measure? 

Prices listed for Trader Joe’s products may vary depending on location.