Kid Friendly Breakfast Recipes & Ideas

If you’re like me, the more I can do to help set us up for success for the week, the better. One way I can accomplish that is by meal prepping, especially breakfast. These recipes are our go-to’s. From pancakes, to waffles, muffins, sheet pan breakfast quesadillas, and more. Some of these recipes are ones I have found and used for years, and others are ones I have pieced together from different recipes or come up with on my own. The best part about all of these is once they’re made - I don’t have to ‘get up’ and make the boys breakfast. This gives them the freedom and autonomy to be able to make their breakfast when they want, independently.

First off we have protein muffins, made with cottage cheese. The boys have really loved these and a surefire way that they start their day with a good amount of protein and not too much sugar. These are also nice that they can toss a couple in the toaster oven and reheat them themselves. We usually add chocolate chips to ours instead of fruit.

Next we have sheet pan pancakes. These are really easy to prep and will make a large amount to use during the week and maybe even freeze some if you’re not feeding too many. Sometimes I will go ahead and bake them the same day I mix it all up, other times I will mix it up the night before and then just pour onto the baking sheet in the morning. There are many options for mix ins, but we just always do chocolate chips as my boys do not prefer hot fruit. I don’t ever have buttermilk on hand and don’t usually have the time to make my own or do the buttermilk substitutes, so I just use whole milk and they turn out just fine. I also do not do the cinnamon/sugar sprinkle on top. However, I do add cinnamon and nutmeg into the batter. I usually double the recipe and pour into a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with a silicone mat underneath, due to the increased thickness the bake time will need to be adjusted. As with the muffins, the boys can just pop a few of these into the toaster oven and they’re ready to go.

Next up we have the fluffiest and most delicious waffles you will ever eat. I usually double and sometimes triple the batch so I have enough to use for the week and also freeze for another time. The biggest downfall of these, especially right now with the price of eggs, is that it uses a lot of eggs if you are making multiple batches. My favorite thing about these, other than being insanely delicious, is that it uses applesauce as its sweetener instead of a bunch of sugar.

This one isn’t overly special by any means as far as healthy, protein packed, etc - they’re just really good old fashioned pancakes. For this I always triple the batch and make a bunch at a time on our Blackstone. Then I can use some for the week and freeze the rest. The only tweak I use for this is adding a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg for added flavor. As always, we add in chocolate chips - because chocolate makes everything better. Usually when I’m making a bunch of pancakes I also do some sausage patties and bacon as well to have ready for the week.

Oatmeal is not a favorite in our house, but these breakfast bars have really hit the mark with the boys. With endless options for mix-ins you can really tailor to the flavors that your kids enjoy. We have added in, in varying combinations: chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, almonds, pecans, and coconut flakes.

This next one is a staple for all in our house - granola. My husband will use the granola almost as a cereal and pour in a bit of his protein drink. I use the granola with fruit and yogurt. And the boys eat it dry. This is another one that we have changed what we have added into it - but as of now our go to are always almonds and pecans, and occasionally milled flax seed. We used to use chia seeds but got sick of them always getting stuck in our teeth (ha!). I also double this recipe and the granola lasts us for about 2 weeks in a resealable bag. As with everything else I have already listed - the granola is just as easy for the boys to serve themselves. They just grab a measuring cup and scoop out a bit, or grab a chunk if it’s still in big chunks. The key to getting good big chunks is to make sure and use a good amount of honey, and pack it down onto the pan, and once it’s done baking - let sit and cool completely.

A good homemade bread recipe is also a must have for the days when I haven’t prepped anything but yet we always have loaves of bread on hand for other food options. This is the easiest bread recipe and I love that it makes 2 loaves. This way the boys can just make some toast - their favorite right now is a little honey drizzled with some peanut or almond butter on top. They’re not big jelly fans, so it’s either butter, almond butter, or peanut butter. I usually always have one in the fridge and one in the freezer. My mom got me the best bread knife and it has made slicing a breeze! I just pre-slice the loaf and it’s ready to go for the boys to pop in the toaster.

The sheet pan breakfast quesadillas don’t have a recipe because I just throw it together. I layer tortillas in an overlapping way on the bottom of a jelly roll pan with the ones on the sides hanging over the edge to later be able to fold on top (we use almond flour tortillas). Then I throw on my toppings: shredded cheese (cheddar, pepperjack, mozzarella), peppers, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, shredded chicken, shredded roast beef, steak - the options are endless. You can either scatter any and all, all over, or make sections with different toppings depending on your child’s preferences. Then fold in the outside edges on top and lay tortillas on top of those, again overlapped. Then place another empty sheet pan on top to hold everything down and put in your 375 preheated oven for about 6-10 mins. Once everything is melted and the tortillas have a crisp outside, take out and let cool a bit before serving - but if prepping to store/freeze, let cool completely. A whole sheet only lasts my boys about a week but again they can heat them up themselves and just really get to explore independence in a safe way.

And last but not least, this one isn’t so much a prep recipe but one that we use for special occasions and is just delicious. French toast bake is what we have every Christmas morning since I can prep it the night before - and then just pop in the oven and not have to miss the kids opening their gifts. I use my homemade bread and cut the loaf into little pieces, but you can also use store bought bread.

The scone recipe on my resources page isn’t included here because it’s one that we save for weekends because it has a lot of sugar and not something I want them eating every single morning - these boys need their protein. They get an assortment of fruit each morning, 1-2 pieces of whatever we have made for the week, a handful of granola, and sometimes a meat. I try my hardest to get them set up for success each morning with the foods they start their day with so I hope this can help you find something new if you feel you’re in a slump with your kids and getting them a healthy-ish breakfast to start their day.

XOXO, mischief managing momma

*I sometimes substitute sugar for monk fruit sweetener, agave syrup, or maple syrup