To say that school mornings are chaotic is an understatement in most homes, especially when the kids are younger. Most of the chaos in my house has been caused by breakfast prep. When my kids were little, I created a list of easy breakfast ideas to help our mornings run a little smoother. We still use most of these ideas today!
Croissant Sammies
Stuff croissants with your favorite fillings (we like ham and swiss -- it's totally a Starbucks dupe), and bake until warm. A dash of melted butter on top makes them even better. These store well in the fridge and can be eaten cold or warmed up in the toaster oven or air fryer.
Pancakes
Making a batch of pancakes? Make some extra minis and freeze them! Easy to heat up and eat on the go.
Frozen Yogurt Pops
Create your own breakfast ice cream using Greek yogurt and your favorite fruits.
Sheet Pancakes
Instead of frying up your pancakes, pour them on a sheet pan and bake them. Cut them in squares to eat right away or refrigerate them for tomorrow's breakfast.
Pancake or Waffle Batter
Premake some batter and keep it in a pitcher in the fridge. It's quick and easy to whip them up in the morning if the batter is already made. Use a condiment bottle for even easier dispensing.
Egg Bites
Stir up an egg with your favorite omelet mix-ins -- one per "muffin" in a greased muffin tin. Refrigerate or freeze them for an easy microwavable breakfast on the go. (These are great for breakfast for dinner, too!)
Overnight Oats
There are so many options for this! Use a mix from the store, or make your own. Then, grab and go!
Cereal Trail Mix
My kids loved to create custom trail mixes for breakfast. To make it even easier on myself, I bought one of those packages of individual boxes of cereal, but any cereal will work. Dump each type of cereal in a bowl, and let them go bananas. The kids created their mixes assembly style using ziplock baggies.
Breakfast Burritos
You can literally put anything in a tortilla and roll it up, and it magically becomes a burrito. Keep it simple with eggs and cheese, or get fancy. We love to add defrosted and smashed tator tots to ours.
Muffins
Use home made (and by home made, I mean the ones you make from a box) muffins to sneak fruits and veggies into your kids' diet. It's super easy to use applesauce, yogurt, or zucchini in place of the oil, and the kids will never know.
Breakfast Cookies
Who doesn't love a cookie? Not my kids. There are quite a few recipes for easy breakfast cookies, many that are no bake. The kids will think you've lost your mind and are giving them dessert for breakfast.
Toast
Spread some nut butter or avocado on toast or an English muffin for a sweet or savory breakfast base.
Yogurt Parfait
Layer yogurt with granola and fruit for a fun and colorful breakfast treat.
Smoothie
Blend fruit, milk, and a handful of spinach for a fast, yet fun, meal.
Granola/Breakfast Bars
Listen, sometimes, I don't want to cook ANYTHING. These days, you can find a variety of bars at the store that make a pretty decent breakfast. Pair them with yogurt or some fruit for a quick start to the day.
PRO TIPS
Mini Makers
For about $10, you can get one of those mini waffle or egg bite makers. My kids learned how to use them when they were pretty little without too much fuss, and they are still a life saver for a quick meal!
Breakfast for Dinner
Kill two birds with one stone by making an extra hearty breakfast for dinner, and using the leftovers for future breakfasts.
Individual Servings FTW (for the win!)
Pack your breakfast creations in easy to grab servings for a no excuse option.
Have your own breakfast hacks? Share them with me and I might add them to the list (with credit, of course!).
