Breakfast Recipes for Teething Toddlers

These easy breakfasts keep my teething baby boy munching even through molar season. If we can at least eliminate the hangry issue, that’s one less thing for him to be upset about, right?

Do you also have a small one who is having a hard time with life and struggling to enjoy eating? Here is what I found works for our teething baby!

teething baby smiling at the camera

See? Bubba approves.

I keep some of these breakfasts ready-made by batching one each week and it gives me a small break on the tough days.

Now I have that brief moment in the mornings to have my coffee in peace while he chews…before the day begins.

As one of the many in our generation who is finding there is a dearth of ‘village’, I have learned to have my own back when it comes to meals. Also, I realized that technology can be a resource if used wisely.

My sanity is being preserved by small segments of Trash Truck and Blueberry Muffins today.

#1. Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Pancakes are my first choice on days that I have limited time, but need to get something made for snacks and breakfast the next day.

The beauty of these is that they are whole wheat, just sweet enough that you don’t feel the need for syrup or honey and you can add as many different fruits or berries as you like to boost nutrition!

My poor teething toddler struggles to eat whole blueberries, or raw berries of any kind right now, so I cut each berry into quarters and sprinkle a few pieces on top of each pancake as it cooks.

By the time the pancake is cooked, the little berry pieces have also softened and are that much easier to chew. This also allows me to change up the berries if he’s not feeling ‘blue’, or stick with a plain pancake in a pinch.

With a little bit of butter, or just as they are, these little cakes are a win-win for baby and mama!

Cinnamon streusel topped oatmeal muffins on blue and red striped platter

#2. Cinnamon Streusel Oat Muffins

If your little one is needing a bit more spice in their life, these muffins are sure to do the trick.

While the cinnamon streusel topping makes these seem like dessert, the oatmeal ensures that even a ravenous toddler will be satisfied for a couple of hours!

Freshly baked loaf of banana bread

#3. Banana Bread

When my son first started eating solids, he would not eat bananas at all. He still seems weirded out by the texture of the raw variety, but when it comes to this delicious quick-bread, he’s a huge fan.

Oatmeal Pudding

#4. Dairy Free Oatmeal Pudding

Believe it or not, I never actually fed my son baby cereal.

The gluey consistency was not a huge selling point for either of us. So I started just making regular oatmeal, simmered over medium until it became a silky smooth porridge that didn’t even need milk.

With a spoonful of honey or sugar, a pinch of salt and perhaps a sprinkle of cinnamon, this go-to breakfast is perfect for those days when chewing anything is out of the question.

(The cranberries were added for color and because it’s how I serve it to my partner, but clearly the little one isn’t eating those.)

Potato, pepper and onion breakfast hash in small metal pot on tiled table background

#5. Farmstyle Potatoes

There are always those days when our babies are excited about little nuggets of vegetable goodness, and this is my favorite way to circumvent the French fry request.

waffles with berries on white ceramic plate

#6. Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles

My son loves to help me cook, especially when there are exciting appliances involved, like the waffle maker. Not only do we stay busy making a batch, they keep wonderfully in the freezer and are easily popped in the toaster for quick breakfasts or snacks.

potato, egg and cheese omelette with green onion garnish

#7. Potato Omelette

I made a gorgeous potato omelette yesterday that was extremely photogenic and didn’t look nearly as drowned in cheese as this one. As luck would have it, we ate it before I thought about taking a picture.

That’s exactly how delicious this breakfast is. It takes a little bit of patience, and my son is frustrated that it does not need to be constantly stirred, but he loves the final result.

#8. Amish Baked Oatmeal

This cereal has many childhood memories for me. It was a fun way to consume oatmeal that seemed almost like a dessert.

Because it has so few ingredients, this is a breeze to whip up even on a tough day. My little one loves helping me mix! For ease of serving, I cook this in muffin form now.

freshly baked bran muffin in pan

#9. Old Fashioned Bran Muffins

This recipe is another one I grew up loving, and I’m so glad my mom still had it stashed away after all these years. I love the hint of richness provided by the molasses.

You can add berries, raisins and just about anything else you please to this recipe. It’s extremely versatile and just as delicious plain as it is with added ingredients. Also, if you have sour milk to use up, this is the perfect way to do it!

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it does include most of my son’s favorite options.

photo of a hand holding out a steaming cup

I hope this post was able to help you simplify your mornings a little bit and give yourself a few more momma moments to breathe.

Have a great week, my friends!

Pancakes: Why We Love Them

Brown cooked pancake in skillet

I’ve often pondered the humor behind many of our now traditional meals and wondered if the cooks who originally had the culinary mishap would be laughing at us now. Today, the answer to why we love pancakes is multi-layered.

Pancakes can be fluffy or chewy, depending on your taste. They can be smothered in syrup or stuffed with cream cheese. Add toppings or mix them into the batter. The truth is, at some point in history, somebody’s meal didn’t turn out as planned, they turned it into a new dish and we have all been hooked ever since.

Around the world, every culture has a flat bread that is culturally centric to their cuisine.

wood holiday sunglasses vacation

Being American, I have naturally borrowed everyone else’s cuisines and now through ‘fair use’ of those recipes have declared my cultural flat breads to be a hodge-podge of the rest of the world’s foods.

Growing up, we ate a lot of oatmeal. I believe I’ve mentioned this before. Someday I’ll share our method of turning old boiled oatmeal into fried slabs of syrup drenched crispiness.

However, on Saturdays, the breakfast menu miraculously changed and pancakes were the rule. There were some weeks in my childhood where the weekend pancake ritual was the only thing keeping me going. Pancakes matter.

Over the years, the family recipe has evolved quite a bit. When I was going through cooking school, this favorite recipe was subjected to experimentation based on new things I had learned about chemistry and cookery.

At one point I decided to add more sugar and yesterday I made the executive decision to increase the butter by 2 T. I am tired of measuring butter and why shouldn’t I be able to just toss the whole stick in? I should be able to and I did. The result was actually an even more delicious pancake, so I’m keeping it.

This recipe has morphed into my own personal reflection of what a perfect pancake looks and tastes like. As you can tell, I’ve spent considerable time obsessing over pancake batter in real life and now I’ve also spent a good hour typing about it here.

If you don’t love pancakes yet, you will soon.

pancakes with strawberry blueberries and maple syrup

For those of you who can’t fathom the idea of pancakes without a side of bacon, I suggest you start a batch of Bakin’ Bacon before you start on these now famously chatted-up pancakes.

Happy Saturday Pancake Day!