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10 perfect toddler breakfast ideas that are fun for little ones to eat and easy for parents to make

Quick and easy toddler breakfast ideas that make life easier

Smiling toddler at the table eating.
Oksana Kuzmina / Shutterstock

Figuring out what to make for breakfast every day for your kids could easily fall into a boring routine. After all, there are only so many bowls of cold cereal to pour before they’ll stop wanting to eat it. And toddler breakfast ideas need to be more creative, as their taste buds change so often and without warning. So, why not make something fun and new tomorrow morning for your little one?

With these toddler breakfast ideas, your kids will enjoy mealtime and parents will create fond memories out of the mornings together. After all, breakfast is so much more than just nutritious fuel for the day. Here are amazing and delicious (and easy) ideas for fun toddler breakfasts to liven up your morning.

A young toddler eating food and holding a sippy cup.
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Classic bread options with a twist

Peanut butter banana toast

Plain toast is no fun for kids. Peanuts and bananas are loaded with good nutrients, so this is a perfect easy meal for you to prepare. Thinly slice half a banana onto the peanut butter (or another nut butter) that’s spread over toast. You could also sprinkle hemp seeds or chia seeds for texture and additional nutrients. This may be a bit messy and sticky, but it will be fun and sweet for your toddler. Here is a recipe you could adapt.

Unicorn toast

Life’s better with a little color, and children love to see foods in new colors they don’t normally see foods be. Whip pink food coloring into cream cheese and add rainbow sprinkles on top and viola — your toast is now topped with magic brought by a unicorn or fairy! Use this food coloring trick for just about any recipe, from green pancakes to purple muffins. You could also use natural ingredients like berries or spices to stain different foods new colors instead of using food coloring.

Banana French toast with fruit topping

Take the traditional French toast batter and mix in bananas before dunking the bread. Make this recipe healthy and hold the syrup. It’s so yummy with the added bananas, your little one will love it as is. Add fresh blueberries or strawberries on top in a fun design for more flavor and color. This is one the whole family will want to dive into.

A mother feeding food to her child.
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Other starchy good times for breakfast

Blueberry pancakes in fun shapes and designs

Pancakes are one of those classic toddler breakfasts you remember fondly, and still like as an adult. One of the fun parts is to make them in different shapes, like into a Mickey Mouse shape, or put chocolate chips in a smiley face. Take nutritious blueberries to create fun designs like faces or use cookie cutters to shape the pancakes into creative animal shapes. Let your creativity run wild — the possibilities are endless!

Pancake pizza for a yummy breakfast activity

This is perfect for the active toddler who wants to make their own breakfast and loves doing things themselves. Use coconut flakes or almond slices as the shredded cheese and let your toddler add whatever toppings they would like to their pancake “pizza crust.” Spread jelly on the pancake as the tomato sauce and use strawberry slices for pepperoni and you’ve got a really fun activity for breakfast!

Waffle sticks with maple syrup

Toddlers love anything with a dipping sauce because they get to be more involved than just taking bites. The scooping and dunking are like a game, and they choose how much the yummy syrup they get on their bite. Just take your normal waffles (frozen or freshly made) and cut them up into easy-to-dunk pieces. Give a side of syrup, cream, or hazelnut spread for your child to dip however they want to.

A mother holding her baby while making baby food.
Ground Picture / Shutterstock

Other ways to make breakfast tasty for the kids

Chocolate avocado pudding

Dessert for breakfast is sure to please, but this vegan pudding is healthy, too. The added avocado creates a creamy base, and you could use maple syrup for sweetness instead of sugar. There are many avocado chocolate pudding recipes out there but this one takes just 10 minutes or less, and you could add chia seeds for extra nutrition and texture.

Cheesy egg roll-ups for a kid-friendly omelet

Kids get over having scrambled eggs every day pretty quickly. For a different take on this breakfast staple, whisk up eggs and milk and pour into a frying pan to cook up egg discs. Sprinkle in cheese then roll up the discs into rolls. Eat like a burrito for a unique way to serve morning eggs. Check out the full recipe.

Ants on the beach

This is like ants on a log, but better. Even the adults will want to have this for breakfast on occasion. All you need is apples, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Slice up the apples, spread a little peanut butter on the slices, and then top with chocolate chips. Easy, tasty, and parents and toddlers will love this quick breakfast idea.

Deconstructed parfait

Have you met anyone who doesn’t like a parfait? This is another one that the whole family could get into, but is great for toddlers. Take yogurt, nuts, granola, and your choice of fruits and plate them up for your kiddo. If you have time in the morning, give them a little cup to put their own creation together.

Food is more than making sure your tot has enough energy to terrorize the day. You’ll make fun memories creating these toddler breakfast ideas while getting the whole family together to start the day. Breakfast helps lay a foundation of loving a relationship with healthy foods and will help prevent picky eating from developing. Bring a little more excitement into breakfast time to start the day and your toddler will enjoy mealtimes a whole lot more. Plus, these won’t take too long for the parents to make, so everyone will have a great morning.

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Sarah Prager
Sarah is a writer and mom who lives in Massachusetts. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, National…
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