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Spanish Breakfast – 20 Traditional Breakfast in Spain To Try

Last updated on April 13th, 2024 at 08:24 am

Spanish Breakfast – When having breakfast in Spain it’s hard to miss the traditional Spanish churros with cafe con leche or cafe cortado.

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What is a typical breakfast in Spain?

A typical Spanish breakfast includes coffee like cafe con leche or cafe cortado with sweet pastries like churros and croissants, Maria galletas (cookies), cakes and bizcochos, bocadillos or the Spanish omelette.

Another traditional Spanish breakfast food is a tostada, served either with butter (mantequilla) and jam (mermelada). Toasted bread for your breakfast in Spain can also be served with olive oil and tomato (con tomate y aceite).

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Let’s look at descriptions of common breakfast in Spain!

Churros con Chocolate

Churros for your Spanish Breakfast and breakfast in Spain
Churros with Chocolate

Churros are thin fried dough sticks served with a cup of hot chocolate for dipping. Usually enjoyed for breakfast or as a dessert.

Tortilla Española / Spanish Tortilla

Spanish Omelette - Breakfast in Spain - Spanish breakfast

A thicker Spanish potato omelette cooked with onions and sometimes other ingredients like peppers and ham.

Pan con Tomate

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain

Pan con tomate is toast rubbed with ripe tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, sprinkled with salt, and sometimes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Bocadillo

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain

Bocadillo is a sandwich made with a soft baguette filled with ingredients such as ham, cheese, tomato, and olive oil.

Desayuno Manchego

Desayuno Manchego is a traditional breakfast in the La Mancha region of Spain, which includes cheese, bread, olive oil, and cured ham.

Porridge

A hot cereal made from oats, milk, and sometimes other ingredients like nuts, fruits, and honey.

Croissant

A flaky, buttery pastry that is a staple of Spanish breakfast pastry shops.

Cafe con Leche and Cafe Cortado

Cafe con leche is a cup of strong coffee with steamed milk often enjoyed as a mid-morning or afternoon pick-me-up. This is still different from cafe cortado. Cafe cortado, with cortado translated directly as “cut”, this a small cup of espresso coffee but with less milk than your traditional Spanish cafe con leche.

Mantecadas

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain

A type of sponge cake, made with flour, sugar, and lard, which is lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Magdalenas

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain

Cupcake-like treats made with flour, sugar, eggs, and olive oil. They can be plain or filled with fruit, chocolate, or other sweet flavors.

Salmorejo

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain

A cold soup made from bread, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar, typically served as a first course in Andalusia.

Huevos a la Flamenca

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain

Scrambled eggs cooked with onions, red peppers, and tomatoes, topped with ham or chorizo sausage.

Pan y Mantequilla

A simple breakfast of bread and butter, sometimes with jam or honey.

Pa amb Tomaquet

Similar to pan con tomate, but made with rustic bread and rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato.

These are just a few of the many breakfast options available in Spain, each region has its own unique twist on traditional dishes, making Spanish breakfast an exciting and diverse meal to enjoy.

Breakfast in Spain per region

Spain has a lot of personality for each of its regions, some full of Spanish architecture, some with colder weather than others, and some surrounded by beaches. Let’s look at the common breakfast in Spain by region.

Catalonia – Spanish Breakfast

In Catalonia, a typical breakfast might consist of pa amb tomaquet, a soft cheese like requesón, and a cup of coffee with milk.

Madrid

In Madrid, churros con chocolate is a popular breakfast treat. People often enjoy them at one of the city’s many traditional churrerías, which serve crispy fried dough sticks with a cup of hot chocolate for dipping.

Andalusia

Salmorejo, popular breakfast in Spain in Andalusia - Spanish breakfast
Salmorejo, a popular breakfast in Spain, served in Andalusia

In Andalusia, salmorejo is a popular first course for breakfast, served cold and topped with boiled eggs and cured ham.

Basque Country

In the Basque Country, bizcocho is a sweet cake made with almond flour, served for breakfast with coffee or hot chocolate.

Galicia

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain
Tarta de Santiago, an almond cake now served in Galicia

In Galicia, tarta de Santiago is a traditional almond cake often served for breakfast, accompanied by a cup of coffee or milk. This is popular because of the Camino de Santiago.

La Mancha

In La Mancha, the traditional breakfast is a Desayuno Manchego, which includes cheese, bread, olive oil, and cured ham.

Balearic Islands

In the Balearic Islands, ensaïmada is a spiral-shaped pastry made with sweet dough and often served for breakfast or as a snack.

These are just a few examples, each region in Spain has its own unique breakfast traditions and dishes, reflecting the local cuisine and food culture.

Additional Spanish breakfast

Carajillo

Spanish Breakfast - 20 Best Breakfast in Spain to Try When in Spain
Carajillo, a Spanish coffee drink with brandy

Want a much stronger breakfast in Spain? Carajillo is served in some areas and is a fun but strong breakfast drink for the Spanish people. It’s a coffee drink mixed with brandy. If you can’t have it in the morning, try it at another time of the day!

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