12 Toddler Breakfast Ideas

Here are 12 Toddler Breakfast Ideas to inspire your busy mornings! Using simple recipes and clever techniques, nourish your children while inspiring good eating habits. Mix and match these mostly healthy, always delicious kid favorites for a great start to any day.

As a mother of three small children, I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Once the kids are off to school, I no longer can control what they eat. I try to set the tone and teach good habits whenever I possibly can.

My vision for this post was to deliver as many “true meal ideas” as I could come up with using simple recipes and clever techniques. Anyone can pull a list of toddler snacks and put string cheese on a plate with grapes, but I wanted to go deeper.

What we ALL need is list of easily-prepared, small-batch, nutritious meals that we can rotate on a regular basis. The pancakes make just 3 or 4, enough for a few children or a toddler and a parent (and it starts with a dry mix that you keep in your cupboard). The French toast is ready in 5 minutes or less with just a couple of ingredients, and the Egg Cup is microwaved in a mug.

Not every child will eat every food, but the younger they are, the harder you can try. It will never get easier to create good eaters, so it’s important to keep at it and suggest variety whenever possible. I struggle with this daily! We have to all just keep trying. I hope this list of 12 Toddler Breakfast Ideas serves you in your journey to raise adventurous eaters.

1. Pancakes

1. Make the dry mix: In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of any or all of the following: wheat germ, powdered milk, corn meal, bran, and ¼ cup of any or all of the following: buckwheat flour, potato flour, oat flour, coconut flour. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
2. To make 3 (4-inch) pancakes: In a medium bowl, add ¾ cup dry pancake mix, ½ cup milk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Whisk to combine, then thin with water to desired consistency.
3. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancake batter ¼ cup at a time. Cook until the batter starts to set at the edges and the pancake is lightly browned on the skillet side, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is browned and the pancake is cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

Yield: 3 pancakes, 4 inches each

Serving suggestion: Serve with butter and maple syrup or strawberries and whipped cream.

2. Scrambled Eggs

1. In a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon butter until foaming subsides and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 2 tablespoons chopped frozen broccoli (about 1 large floret), thawed.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk 1 egg vigorously. Pour egg into the center of the pan and reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese.
3. Gently move the egg from one side of the pan to the other with a rubber spatula until cooked through, about 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.

Yield: 1 egg

Serving suggestion: Serve with a slice of wheat toast with jelly.

3. Baby Banana Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons butter and ⅓ cup sugar until fluffy. Whisk in 1 egg. Whisk in ½ teaspoon vanilla and 1 ¼ cups bananas (about 2 to 3 large). Add flour mixture in 2 batches and stir until just incorporated (do not overmix).
3. Divide batter among 24 mini muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 20 to 25 minutes.
4. To make 12 regular-sized muffins, substitute 1 standard muffin tin. Follow the same recipe and increase baking time to 25 minutes.

Yield: 24 mini muffins

Serving suggestion: Serve with a piece of string cheese and some fresh cantaloupe.

4. Cereal and Yogurt Parfait

1. In the bottom of a small bowl or cup, add ¼ cup yogurt (or use the individual cup the yogurt came in). Top with 2 tablespoons Cheerios and 1 tablespoon blueberries.

Yield: 1 parfait

Serving suggestion: More berries

5. Egg Cup

1. Coat a mug with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg vigorously. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes or cooked ham and 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese.
2. Microwave 1 minute, then check to see if the egg has set. If not, continue to microwave in 30-second intervals until set. To serve, slide the egg cup out of the mug.

Yield: 1 egg cup

Serving suggestion: Apples and peanut butter

6. 5-Minute French Toast

1. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon butter, melt, and swirl to coat the skillet. In a shallow dish large enough for a slice of bread to lay flat, add 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of cinnamon. Whisk until smooth.
2. Dredge 1 slice of bread in the egg mixture, coating both sides, then tap on the edge of the dish to remove excess. Lay in skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
3. Turn with a spatula and cook until the second side is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from skillet and repeat with a second slice of bread. Serve with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

Yield: 2 slices

Serving suggestion: Turkey sausage link

7. Breakfast Sandwich

1. Toast both sides of an English muffin until golden brown. Top with 1 slice Canadian bacon or deli ham and 1 slice American cheese.
2. Microwave until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds. Cut in half and let stand 1 minute before serving.

Yield: 1 sandwich

Serving suggestion: Mandarin orange slices

8. Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

1. In a blender, add ½ cup milk, 4 strawberries (fresh or frozen), ½ banana, and 1 teaspoon of flax seeds. Blend until smooth.
2. If desired, blend in ¼ cup fresh spinach leaves (this will turn the smoothie brown but will boost the nutrition).

Yield: 1 ½ cups

Serving suggestion: Cottage cheese and mini rice cakes

9. Egg Burrito

1. Coat a small non-stick skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, then add to skillet and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons shredded cheese.
2. Cook, without moving the eggs, until they are almost set, about 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently release the eggs from the side of the pan.
3. Place tortilla on top of the eggs and cook for 30 seconds longer. Flip tortilla and egg together, then cook until eggs are set, about 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
4. Using a spatula, gently fold over 1/3rd of the tortilla, and fold over once more to create the burrito. Continue to cook to toast tortilla, about 30 seconds longer. Flip and cook for 30 seconds more.

Yield: 1 burrito

Serving suggestion: Salsa, sour cream, and/or cooked pinto beans

10. Tropical Overnight Oats

1. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup milk, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Stir in ½ cup rolled oats and 1 tablespoon chia seeds.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Divide the oats into 2 servings, then top each serving with 2 tablespoons diced mango, 2 tablespoons diced kiwi, and ¼ teaspoon toasted coconut.

Yield: 2 servings, ½ cup each plus toppings

Serving suggestion: Peanut butter crackers with banana slices

11. Mini Veggie Bagel

1. Split 1 mini bagel in half and toast if desired. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each bagel half.
2. Thinly slice ½ cucumber and layer the slices over the top of each bagel half, then sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon hemp seeds.

Yield: 2 mini bagel halves

Serving suggestion: Applesauce

12. Avocado Toast

1. Toast 1 slice of bread (preferably sprouted grain such as Ezekiel). In a small bowl, mash ½ avocado with the back of a fork (about 3 to 4 tablespoons).
2. Spread evenly over toast. Finely chop 1 hard-boiled egg and sprinkle over avocado. Cut toast into 4 pieces.

Yield: 1 slice of toast

Serving suggestion: Quartered grapes

More meal planning ideas

Meal Planning

12 Toddler Lunch Ideas

Meal Planning

4 Weeks of Meal Prep Ideas

Meal Planning

6 Ways to Eat Less Sugar

Eats

11 Ways to Eat More Vegetables