Moroccan breakfast is not just a dish but rather a whole table of bread, common dishes, and ingredients that are simple but rich. There are some very traditional components, some discreetly modern ones, but all of them are the way that Moroccans really eat morning: at a slow pace, sharing and without gluttony. Depending on the location and the time of year, Moroccan breakfast may be either a light or a hearty meal, and in this article, we’ll show you some of the best Moroccan breakfast dishes you have to try.
Honey
Honey is one of the most popular side dishes of the typical Moroccan breakfast. It’s often paired with jben, making a sweet, sticky, fresh, and soft combination. Raw honey is highly sought after and, in most parts of Morocco, is a matter of pride. With that said, there is no strictness in choosing honey for breakfast. Any honey is fine, and jam is quite all right in lieu of ordinary mornings. Honey transforms simple bread and cheese into deliciously inviting dishes.
Amlou
Amlou is the Moroccan version of peanut butter, except this one is made of almonds. It’s more opulent, richer, and deeper. It’s prepared using almonds, honey, and argan oil, so it is thick, shiny, and highly addictive. Amlou is traditionally southern and is usually served at breakfast to a guest or on special mornings. It’s eaten by taking a piece of bread and dipping it slowly, a bit at a time, and enjoying every bite. The argan oil gives the spread an irresistible nutty texture with a sort of earthy flavor that lasts.
Olive Oil
Moroccan Olive oil is not a dish on its own, but you can spot it as a companion to most Moroccan breakfasts. It’s always on the side in shallow dishes, and left there to be taken at will by everyone. Moroccan olive oil is usually soft and rather sweet, and can be consumed by dipping your bread in it. No etiquette of dipping–tear bread, dip, eat, repeat.
Moroccan Olives
Dark Moroccan olives are impudent, salty, and unapologetic. Preserved using only salt and time, they deliver an intensity that wakes up the entire breakfast table. A small plate goes a long way, but no one ever counts too carefully—people take what they want. These olives aren’t softened or mellowed for mass appeal; they’re meant to be strong, and they slice through rich foods like cheese, eggs, and bread, keeping everything balanced. They are consumed using hands, the casing of the pits tossed away carelessly, and always within reach. Without them, Moroccan breakfast is never complete.
Jben – Moroccan Cheese
Jben is Morocco’s silent equivalent of fresh cheese: soft, slightly tangy, and to be consumed young. It originates from the Rif Mountains, from where it spread across the country easily due to the fact that it fits perfectly into the daily routine. There is no aging or ceremony, just good milk that is turned into something simple. Although now jben is available in supermarkets, home-made ones still prevail, particularly in smaller towns. It only takes minutes to make, and it’s rewarded with a dainty cheese that is clean and lively. Jben is not mostly consumed with bread, drizzled with honey or olive oil, and shared without counting.
Cheese Triangles
The most contemporary thing that can be found on most Moroccan breakfast tables, particularly in urban homes, is cheese triangles. They are processed, creamy, and they are wrapped in shiny foil, and are popular due to their convenience and the soft taste. Piled on bread or packed into batbout, they are rich without stuffing any other food on the plate. They do not have the romanticism of homemade Jben, but cheese triangles are a symbol of daily existence: fast breakfast before school, busy mornings, and common rituals. They also easily co-exist with other traditional Moroccan dishes, which shows that Moroccan breakfast culture is not entrenched in the past. It’s dynamic, adjusts, and embraces modern additions.
Sfenj
Sfenj is the Moroccan answer to doughnuts, like khobz, you can easily spot it in bustling Moroccan markets. It’s a Moroccan breakfast favorite but don’t be surprised if you find it in nearby North African countries and once you try it, you’ll understand why it’s so easy for it to gain popularity. It’s made from yeast dough and deep-fried until it reaches that perfect crunch. For the finishing touches, it’s usually sweetened with sugar, powdered sugar or drizzled with honey.
Freshly Baked Bread
In Morocco, bread is never an accompaniment. Be it either home-made khobz or bakery bread, which is picked up the same morning, it’s the typical breakfast anchor. It’s dipped in olive oil, sprinkled with jben and honey, or stirred up with whatever is lying on the table. In the next few paragraphs, we’ll quickly go through the most popular Moroccan breakfast breads.
Baguettes or Khobz
As we previously mentioned, Moroccan breakfast revolves around bread. Bread is the knife, the fork, the dish, all in one, whether it be a stale French baguette or a rustic round and rough loaf of khobz. Khobz is normally prepared using whole wheat or barley flour that gives it a nutty taste and a dense crumb, which makes it ideal for scooping olive oil, honey, or soft Jben cheese. Bread is not cut in a fine manner, but is torn and distributed among people.
Croissants and Pastries
Croissants have crept into the breakfast table, particularly in urban areas, thanks to the long association that Morocco has had with France. Light, airy, and unapologetically luxurious, they are not in competition with traditional food. Moroccan breakfasts do not oblige to either old or new, you can have both. Croissants are occasionally eaten untoasted or slightly warm, with jam or honey, or occasionally just torn and eaten gradually with mint tea. Other sweets can also be seen: pain au chocolat, brioche, or the products of the local bakery.
Briouat
To put it simply, Briouat is the Moroccan version of Samosa. This sweet-savory snack consists of a fried dough stuffed with chicken, beef, vegetables, or cheese. Some briouats are also stuffed with sweet fillings and served as dessert.
Baghrir – Moroccan Pancakes
The baghrir are recognizable by the many little holes that are meant to absorb the honey and butter. Prepared with semolina, they are unbelievably soft and airy, and sponge-like. Baghrir is heaped high and scalding-hot at breakfast and smeared with melting butter and honey in generous portions. Baghrir usually shows up on weekends or when guests are around for breakfast. They are sweet and lightweight at the same time, balanced in terms of texture.
Harcha
Harcha is another version of Moroccan pancakes (but this one doesn’t have holes). It’s also prepared using semolina, cooked until it gets a nice, golden color and develops a crunchy texture while remaining nice and soft in the center. Harcha is savory and is a nice match with cheese, olive, and olive oil. It’s easy to make and very satisfying, and this is why it can be found at most breakfast times. The harcha does not soak; it retains its form, and it is best to slice, spread, or maybe dip. Its slight saltiness is holding other richer flavours at bay.
M’semmen
M’semmen is the crumbly flatbread that’s hand-stretched, folded, and pan-fried. It comes with layers, crisp edges, and a soft inside that come together beautifully. At breakfast, m’semmen is commonly served hot, with or without being piled on top, and sometimes torn into pieces, and distributed across the table. It can be either sweet, so drizzled with honey and butter, or savory, served with cheese, eggs, or olives. M’semmen makes breakfast more of an occasion. It’s not rushed food but rather one that requires time, effort, and a desire to have a greasy hands-on.
Batbout
Batbout is the Moroccan pita bread, but less hard, fluffier, and baked on a pan. It’s not big, it is round and just right to stuff or tear open when it is still hot. Batbout is usually eaten plain at breakfast, so that it can be mixed with whatever is present on the table, whether it be cheese, olive oil, eggs, honey, or amlou. It has a bland taste that makes it all-purpose. The size of Batbout is intimate, even personal. You don’t share it like you share khobz; you hold it, stuff it, and eat it bit by bit. It’s a comfort food in the disguise of simplicity.
Moroccan Mortadella
Moroccan mortadella is soft, light-spiced, and mild, and tastes more like turkey bologna than its Italian counterpart. It’s usually eaten with no fuss, no frills, and usually no bread, as the meal is served cold and in thick slices. It’s a light breakfast protein- something fast and nom-nom, particularly among children or when there is little time. Mortadella is not dressed up or romanticized; you just have it stuffed in the bread or topped over fried eggs.
Fried Eggs
In Morocco, fried eggs are not complex but deliberate. No bacon, no thick sauces, but eggs stewed in olive oil, occasionally with canned meat such as khlii, or plain. The yolk is sacred. It is never broken with a fork, but with bread. Cumin is sprayed with it, and this gives a warming bite. It’s usually eaten with olives, mortadela, and cheese on the side. The breakfast table is anchored by the fried eggs, which are favored especially by people who prefer something savory and grounding to eat.
Taktouka
Taktouka is a cooked salad/puree made of tomatoes and green peppers. As with most other salads, it’s healthy and very delicious. The grilled bell peppers give the dish a smoky flavor that’s balanced with the sweet flavor of the tomatoes, and this mix can do wonders for your appetite. The right way to eat taktouka is by dipping some khobz (or some other Moroccan bread) into the salad or as a side dish with grilled meat, fish, or a stew (like loubia or harira) but if you really like it, you can eat it as a sandwich or as a typical Moroccan snack alongside some harcha bread (even though this is quite unorthodox).
Dchicha
Dchicha is humble, warming, and deeply nourishing. It’s prepared out of broken wheat that has been cooked slowly into a porridge-like texture and is particularly popular in colder seasons or in rural areas. It’s a simple but comforting breakfast, one that you do not forget. Dchicha is usually plain cooked, occasionally savory with olive oil, and occasionally lightly sweetened, depending on one’s preference. It’s comforting yet not overbearing and has a gentle motherly feel to it. The consumption of dchicha is grounding, akin to medicine. It is a type of breakfast that makes you slow up, sit well, and get ready for a long day.
Bissara
Bissara makes breakfast generous and nourishing. It’s a thick split pea soup, common in north-west Morocco, and it is most favored when the weather is colder. Rich, natural, and wholesome, it’s cooked in a simple manner and topped with olive oil and spices. Bissara provides breakfast with warmth and power that keeps you full for hours. It is consumed by dipping your bread in it, not by sipping or eating it with a spoon. It’s most often paired with olives and jben.
Moroccan Mint Tea
Mint tea is not served just at breakfast, but it’s the breakfast’s main characteristic. Sweet, fragrant, and poured with intention, it sets the rhythm of the meal. It’s prepared using green gunpowder tea and fresh mint, and it is made strong and then sweetened with sugar. The teapot is no less important than the tea: it’s made of metal, is heatproof, and is frequently exquisitely decorated. Tea comes not before, but after food, and then long after the plates are cleared. It promotes communication, breaks, and repeat servings.
Orange Juice (Freshly-Squeezed)
Orange juice is not packed, chilled, or refrigerated in Morocco. It’s freshly squeezed, poured, and consumed at once. Local oranges are exceedingly aromatic, so fresh juice goes hand in hand with most Moroccan breakfast ingredients. Street stalls specialize only in oranges, pressing them relentlessly for passersby, which says everything about their importance.
How did you like our guide to Moroccan breakfast? Did you try any of these dishes before? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
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