10 Back to School Breakfast Ideas (Make Ahead & Freezer Friendly)
Here are 10 great ideas to mix up the back-to-school breakfast routine. Most of them have make ahead, batch cooking, or freezer options making these great options whether you like to get up extra early and make your kids breakfast every day, or you want to have healthier, homemade grab and go options stashed in your freezer for your kids to serve themselves with.
Breakfast Recipes for Back to School
Summer is always a nice break from the daily grind. I enjoy the flexible mornings, the lack of sports practices and games (and the driving that comes along with it), and not thinking about homework for the kids.
But, the novelty of that only lasts so long. The summers of balancing kids home with working at home get easier every year. But, inevitably, I start being SO READY for them to go back to school by the time August 1 hits.
Especially after the last year+ of kids doing school at home more often than at their school.
I’ve learned about myself over the years that even though I get sick of the routines of the school year by late spring every year, I actually do MY best when we have routines at home.
I think we’re all probably in agreement that routines have been kind of a mess since spring of 2019. I am definitely looking forward to hitting the reset button on that!
I enjoy being able to spend quality time with them when they’re home, working when they’re not, and being better able to separate work and family time.
I get done more of what I need and want to do, I have more quiet time to think, I stick to my exercise routines, and I’m usually in a better mood because of all of that.
School Year Mornings and Breakfast Routines
One of the routines we are getting back to is breakfast. Summers are so laid back that we all often eat whenever. I might make breakfast for whoever is up when I’m up, but we don’t really DO breakfast.
During the school year, I DO breakfast. I make something for the kids every morning because it is so important to me to send them off to school with a good meal.
What they do is exhausting, especially at the beginning of the year when their bodies are resetting to getting up early after months of sleeping in.
They’re all incredibly active as they participate in their school sports teams. They need their fuel.
Even though I’m 100% not a morning person, I’ll get up that 20 minutes earlier to make sure they start their day off in the best way possible.
As they get older and become better and better friends with each other every year, it has been really fun to see them all eating breakfast together and to be with them in the kitchen each morning.
10 Back to School Breakfast Ideas (Make Ahead & Freezer Friendly)
Here are 10 great ideas to mix up the back-to-school breakfast routine. Most of them include make ahead, batch cooking, or freezer instructions making these great options whether you like to get up extra early and make your kids breakfast every day, or you want to have healthier, homemade grab and go options stashed in your freezer for your kids to serve themselves with.
These Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins are perfect for the transition space between summer and fall. You can use up the loads of summer zucchini that are laying around in your garden, the grocery store, or at the farmer’s marker, while savoring the fall spice flavors and a hint of apple. Feel free to substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose or use a combination of the two.
These freeze well, too, making this recipe an ideal option for bulk weekend baking. To freeze: cool completely, then transfer to a zip top gallon sized bag (you'll need 3 - 4 bags for the full recipe). Remove as much air as possible without flattening the muffins. Then, zip the bag and freeze. We like to reheat them in the toaster oven.
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins to Pinterest!
Sometimes I want something breakfast-y that feels a little more dinner-y. Less sweet, more savory. That is what I love breakfast burritos for. There are endless variations of what you can include in them, though it seems like they should pretty much always have eggs in some form or another. I guess that is what makes them “breakfast” burritos.
This is my new favorite version of a breakfast burrito because it has scrambled eggs exactly how I like them inside, mixed in with a few other things I love. You can also add cooked breakfast sausage or homemade bacon crumbles if you would like some added meat!
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Black Bean Breakfast Burritos to Pinterest!
If you need something super quick these German Pancake Muffins are the way to go. The prep takes 2 minutes at the most and you’ll only get the blender and a muffin tin dirty making them. Substitute whole wheat flour for added nutrition.
Serve with real maple syrup (related: Simple Solution for Pouring Real Maple Syrup) or Lemon Blueberry Sauce and plenty of fresh fruit!
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for German Pancake Muffins to Pinterest!
This Pineapple Coconut Kale Smoothie is loaded with good things like coconut oil, chia seeds, and kale. PLUS, it tastes a little bit like a Pina Colada. It is packed with fruits and veggies, and can easily be prepped in advance as a make ahead smoothie. So easy and delicious! You can adjust the ingredient amounts according to your personal preferences - making it more green or less, thicker or more like juice, etc.
Frozen smoothies also work great as lunch box items for kids - they'll keep the lunch box contents cold, but by lunch they'll be soft enough to eat with a spoon or drink (depending on how early your child's lunch time is). Our girls love to do this!
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Pineapple Coconut Kale Smoothie to Pinterest!
This Egg and Ham Quesadilla Breakfast Burrito Quesadilla is a quick and easy savory option to make for breakfast. It is stuffed with scrambled eggs, green bell pepper, ham, cheddar cheese, and green onions. Imagine a Denver Omelet in quesadilla form! But, you can mix it up with whatever fillings you like if you're craving a different flavor combination.
Don't have ham? Try making some homemade bacon crumbles to add in. Homemade bacon crumbles store just fine in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer even longer, if you like to batch cook ahead of time. Another morning time saver is to pre-chop the veggies so that you can whip these up even faster.
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Breakfast Burrito Quesadillas to Pinterest!
This recipe for Multi-Grain Healthier Banana Bread is a healthier take on banana bread, though just as delicious – if not more. Take it from me, a banana hater, this recipe is good!
This bread freezes well, making it idea to make a few loaves on the weekend and saving them for use during the week. You can freeze the whole loaf unsliced, or freeze individual slices. Frozen individual slices work great for popping into the toaster just before breakfast.
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Multi-Grain Healthier Banana Bread to Pinterest!
Steel cut oats are a breeze to prepare when you mix up the recipe for these Cherry and Tangerine Steel Cut Oats the night before and allow the oats to soak. Substitute dried cranberries and orange zest for cherries and tangerine.
Make a big batch and serve it all week, or freeze it in individual portions for a grab, reheat, and go morning option. Perfect for older kids and teens who can make their own breakfast!
Substitute options: dried blueberries or dried cranberries in place of the cherries, and lemon or orange zest in place of the tangerine zest.
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Cherry and Tangerine Oatmeal to Pinterest!
Plan ahead and put together a batch of this 5 Grain Pancakes with Flax pancake mix. With your own homemade mix on hand you’ll be able to whip up pancakes in no time.
BONUS: Use this mix to prepare a large batch of pancakes, then follow my instructions for How to Freeze and Reheat Pancakes. This is a huge time saver on school mornings! This is especially great for kids who are capable of helping with breakfast, or older kids who can make their own.
Serve with real maple syrup (related: Simple Solution for Pouring Real Maple Syrup) or Lemon Blueberry Sauce and plenty of fresh fruit!
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for 5 Grain Pancakes with Flax to Pinterest!
This Chocolate Banana Almond Milk Smoothie doubles as a filling breakfast and sweet afternoon pick-me-up. It’s so easy to make and incredibly creamy. This banana almond butter smoothie recipe serves four people. If you have leftovers (or want to prepare extra), pour them into freezer jars and freeze them. When you’re ready to eat the frozen pre-made smoothie, set it on the counter to thaw for a few minutes until it’s drinkable. I love having some extra smoothies stashed away in the freezer for those busy mornings.
Frozen smoothies also work great as lunch box items for kids - they'll keep the lunch box contents cold, but by lunch they'll be soft enough to eat with a spoon or drink (depending on how early your child's lunch time is).
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Chocolate Almond Banana Smoothies to Pinterest!
These Make Ahead Mini Ham and Spinach Breakfast Pies are super easy to prepare because they use Bisquick baking mix. I add chopped red peppers, fresh spinach, diced ham, and white cheddar to mine, but you can use other cheese and veggies and whatever meat you like (or omit meat all together!). They can be made ahead and reheated on a school morning if you don’t want to get up early and they are really yummy.
If you want to batch cook and freeze these - that works well, too! Just allow them to cool completely before freezing. When you're ready to eat, you can take out the number that you need to serve. Another awesome grab and go DIY breakfast option for older kids!
CLICK HERE to save this recipe for Make Ahead Mini Ham and Spinach Breakfast Pies to Pinterest!
More School Breakfast Ideas
Looking for more back to school breakfast ideas? Head over to the recipe index and browse all of the breakfast and brunch recipes
What’s your best back to school tip for easing the transition?
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