Three Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Options for Littles
As a busy mama to five little ones, I know how hard it can be to juggle feeding our kids good, quality foods while also doing all the other things that parenting involves. And when it comes to homemade meals, breakfast is probably the one that gets overlooked the most often because, let’s be real- mornings can be busy and chaotic, and there are so many convenience options out there that some days are just hard to pass up!
But, if you are looking to prioritize homemade breakfast options while also looking for recipes that are easy and can realistically fit into your busy mom life, then you are in the right place! Today I am sharing three different make-ahead breakfast options, perfect for your little foodies. All three of these recipes are easy to prep, kid-friendly and all perfectly portable- great for busy mornings on the go, breakfasts at the park, etc.
Mini Banana Bread Muffins
Everyone loves banana bread, right? It’s a tried-and-true fave in our home and making the mix into mini muffins is a great way to make this recipe even more kid-friendly. Perfect for packing up in a camp lunch box or enjoying fresh out of the oven- you just can’t go wrong with this classic!
MINI BANANA BREAD MUFFINS
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups AP flour You could also sub whole wheat flour here if desired
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 large Bananas Mashed
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Maple syrup
- 6 tbsp Unsalted butter Melted
- 1 Egg
- 1 and 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray wells of your mini muffin tin with a non-stick cooking spray, and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Whisk the mashed bananas, sugar, maple syrup, butter, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Again, mix until well combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet until fully incorporated.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin wells, filling each well approx—3/4 of the way full.
- Bake muffins at 375 degrees for 12- 14 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool and enjoy immediately or pack up for later!
Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
Second up are our Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins. These muffins are so yummy and made with kitchen staples you likely already have on hand. Bonus: this recipe is completely refined sugar free!
BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MINI MUFFINS
Ingredients
- 2 ripe Bananas Over-ripe are the best/sweetest
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt Vanilla or plain
- 2 tbsp Honey Honey is not suitable for little ones under the age of 1. If making for a child under the age of 1, omit honey or substitute maple syrup in its place.
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- Hand full Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the wells of your mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Next, mash the bananas together in a mixing bowl; you want them as pureed as possible (no worries if there are still a few lumps!).
- Add in yogurt, honey, egg, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Then, add in flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
- Mix until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go/as needed.
- Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin wells, filling each well approx. 3/4 of the way full. Repeat until all wells are filled (you will have extra batter for another round).
- Top each well of batter with a few mini chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Once done, remove from oven, allow to slightly cool and enjoy.
Chocolate Chip Puffins
Homemade pancakes are always a hit, but sometimes they can be a bit time consuming to make, and they don’t always work well to make ahead of time. Well, say hello to puffins! Part pancake, part muffin; these puffins are a perfect make-ahead breakfast (also great as a midday snack!), and they’re also simple enough to get the little ones involved in the kitchen with too, which is always a nice bonus!
CHOCOLATE CHIP PUFFINS
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter Room temperature
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2/3 cup Yogurt Vanilla or plain
- 1 and 1/4 tbsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Bread flour If you do not have bread flour you can substitute it for AP flour.
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cuo Milk of choice More or less as needed
- 1/4 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 12-well muffin pan with liners or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer (ideally) or a bowl and hand mixer, combine softened butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the egg, yogurt, and vanilla, continuing to mix.
- Next, add the flours, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine. Depending on your batter’s consistency, add milk as needed. Note that you may just need a splash or two. You want a thick, batter-like consistency at the end.
- Once consistency is achieved, add in about 3/4 of your chocolate chips (reserving some for topping).
- Transfer the mixture into wells, then addhocolate chips to the tops of the batter. Bake the puffins at 375 degrees for approximately the remaining c 15 minutes.
- Once a toothpick comes out clean and they are cooked through and slightly golden they are done. Once done, remove from oven and allow to cool. Then serve or pack up for later. Serve with a bit of butter and/or syrup if desired.
