Healthy Toddler Breakfast Recipes

Mornings with little ones can be hectic, but starting the day with a nourishing meal doesn’t have to be hard. In this post, I’m sharing a collection of healthy toddler breakfast recipes that are quick to make, packed with nutrition, and—most importantly—fun for kids to eat. Plus, I’m including simple tips for boosting the nutrition in any breakfast, so you can feel good about whatever lands on the plate.

 

Easy Ways to Make Toddler Breakfasts More Nutritious:

• Super seeds: Hemp seeds are especially easy to mix into so many things You can add a mixture of ground nuts and/or seeds into pretty much any pancake/waffle batter to add some extra protein, fiber, and healthy fat. Sprinkle hemp seeds on toast, stir into oatmeal, or add to yogurt. This Super Seed Trio available at Whole Foods looks like the perfect thing to have on hand and add to all the above mentioned food or in any baked goods.
• Nut/seed butters: Just like ground seeds or nuts, nut butters can be an easy way to add a nutrient boost to any sweet breakfast food.
• Canned veggie purees: Canned pumpkin isn’t just for pie! It’s filled with fiber and nutrients. Mix a few spoonfuls of pumpkin into your pancake/waffle batter or into oatmeal. Or make some pumpkin muffins! Also, canned sweet potato or squash is available at many grocery stores and can be used the same way.
• Grated veggies: peeled zucchini grated up with a box grater will easily disappear into pancake/waffle batter, oatmeal, and baked goods.

 

Pancake and Waffle Toddler Breakfast Recipes:

Both pancakes and waffles are great breakfast recipes to make ahead and store for easy reheating. Make a double batch when you have time and freeze the leftovers. Pancakes and waffles are also great recipes for getting lots of nutritious ingredients into kiddos. The recipes I’ve included below are high in protein, fiber, and some have added veggies.

• Sweet Potato Pancakes: a simple, nutritious pancake recipe that kids will love. They have an extra boost of nutrients and fiber thanks to whole wheat flour and mashed sweet potato. Make a batch and heat them up all week for easy breakfasts.
• Blender Cottage Cheese Pancakes: higher protein and easy to whip up. Perfect to make ahead and reheat throughout the week. There is a gluten-free oat version and also a version made with regular flour that has a more traditional pancake texture.
• Spinach Banana Waffles: This is one of the most popular recipes of my blog for good reasons! It’s quick, nutritious, and packed with greens. Make a double batch on the weekend and freeze them to reheat in the toaster/toasted oven all week long.
• Banana Protein Blender Pancakes: These delicious, easy pancakes are a kid-favorite. Just leave off the banana slices to make them more freezer/re-heat friendly.
• Baked Sheet-Pan Pancakes: The ultimate make-ahead recipe because you can cook a whole batch of pancakes so easily. You spread the wholesome batter onto a baking sheet then bake and cut into squares.
• Pumpkin French Toast Cups: Not pancakes or waffles, but this baked, portable French toast needs to be included in a breakfast post because they are so easy to make ahead! If you don’t have canned pumpkin, you can use applesauce or any fruit puree. French toast in the morning without any time at the stove is definitely a winner!

Muffin and Baked Good Toddler Breakfast Recipes:

Muffins can be packed with nutritious ingredients and are easy to make ahead of time to have on hand for busy mornings. Here are the healthy muffin recipes on my site: Healthy Strawberry Banana Muffins. Cottage Cheese Blueberry Muffins, Banana-Pumpkin Blender Muffins, Mini Super Green Blender Muffins, Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins. and Sweet Potato Gingerbread Muffins. OR, part muffin and part cookie, these two “muffin top” recipes are a great twist on the classic breakfast baked goods: Banana Blueberry Muffin Tops and Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Tops.

Similar to muffins, my Snack Cake recipes are great to make ahead and delicious for breakfast: Carrot Apple Snack Cake, Apple-Cinnamon Snack Cake, Strawberry Oatmeal Snack Cake. You can also easily bake these recipes in muffin cups for a more portable breakfast option.

Granola Bars: Pumpkin Oatmeal Granola Bars and  Sweet Potato Snack Bars also make a great breakfast or early morning snack on-the-go.

Breakfast Cookies: What kiddo wouldn’t want cookies for breakfast, right? These Strawberry Breakfast Cookies, PB&J Breakfast Cookies(from my Kid Kitchen cookbook) and  Apple Pie Breakfast Cookies are always a hit.

Savory and Egg-based Healthy Toddler Breakfast Recipes:

Tortilla Egg Cups: High in protein, portable, and great for meal prep, these Tortilla Egg Cups are a healthy breakfast both kids and adults will love. Customize each baked egg cup with whatever veggies, cheeses, or meats you’d like. Get kids involved and have them make their own flavor combos!

Quinoa Protein Nuggets: Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This kid and toddler-friendly quinoa recipe, packs lots of goodness into little muffin-like bites. Quinoa Protein Nuggets are easy to bake-up for quick meals at home or lunch boxes on the go. Plus, there’s a lot less quinoa on the floor!

Breakfast Biscuit Bombs (Stuffed Biscuits): Like homemade hot pockets! Take canned biscuit dough and stuff it with all of your favorite breakfast foods! (Like scrambled egg, bacon or ham, veggies, and melty cheese.) These Breakfast Biscuit Bombs are a make-ahead breakfast pockets perfect to heat up before school or take on the go. You can easily customize the filling with whatever your family enjoys. Kids will have a great time helping make their own!

Rainbow Veggie Pancakes: Kids love pancakes, so why not take the opportunity to get some veggies in there? These savory little fitters are incredibly easy to mix up. Have your child get in on the action. Rainbow Veggie Pancakes are perfect for toddler lunches, snacks, or to keep on hand in the freezer for any meal. They are super popular in my kids’ cooking classes and leave parents happily speechless when their toddlers gobble up all those colorful veggies.

 

Smoothies and Yogurt Parfaits:

The Best Smoothie Recipes for Kids: Smoothies are an easy way to get nutritious foods into breakfast or anytime of day. Making smoothies is also a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen and get fruits and veggies in their little bodies (and ours too!). However, if you aren’t sure where to start or how to help your little ones enjoy smoothies, I’ve got all the info for you. 

Also, be sure to check out my FREE resource, Smoothie Lab, and get kids excited to create and taste their own smoothie recipes.