We love the summer — and getting to have the kids home from school is kind of wonderful (…at least at the beginning of the season). There's swimming and water balloons and grilling outside as a family, and all these other great memories we get to make and keep for the rest of our lives. But, look, we adore our kids, but that doesn't mean that summer break doesn't involve some extra challenges for us. Having the kids at home means the house is never, ever quiet — not for even a moment — and if it is quiet, that something is definitely going awry. The kids being home also means coming up with an extra meal or two a day, making sure they're getting outside and not staying on their phones all the time, and ensuring that they do something moderately productive and substantive — all with no extra time and no extra help.
That's why we put together this list of freezer breakfasts, which can take just one little thing off a long to-do list (fortunately, it's the thing that happens before coffee). All of these can be tossed into either a microwave or a toaster and made ready in a snap. For kids who are old enough to do some microwaving or toasting themselves, just label the items well in the freezer and let 'em have at. For younger kids, at least microwaving breakfast takes less time and energy than making it from scratch every day!
To make dinner and lunch easier this summer, try some Crock-Pot summer recipes, which make great use of a normally wintertime energy-saving tool. Or try some hacks for fast meals from Trader Joe's, which really cuts down on time. And when mama doesn't feel like cooking, we can still get some really good ideas to still keep the fam fed. For picky eaters, try some quick summer meals the whole family will love.
Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Get kids off to a healthy, tasty start this summer with freezer breakfast burritos. Stuffed with simple ingredients like eggs, bell peppers, bacon, and cheese, these are sure to make kids smile — keep a little jar of salsa in the fridge for dipping, too!
Make-Ahead Freezer Steel Cut Oats
Steel-cut oats are the healthiest form of oatmeal out there, and they taste the best, with a great texture. Unfortunately, they take a long time to make. However, these make-ahead freezer steel cut oats make reheating them a snap.
Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins
We love how simple and easy these healthy breakfast egg muffins are to make — and how quick it is for kids to defrost them in the morning when they wake up! Be sure to spray the muffin tin liberally with oil or they'll end up sticking.
To-Go Baked Oatmeal
We love these to-go baked oatmeal cups, which are almost like muffins — but much, much healthier. Top with favorite flavors — blueberry, chocolate, raisin, and cherry are popular — and let kids defrost on their own.
Easy Morning Glory Muffins
What's simpler than these easy morning glory muffins? Packed with hidden veggies (we see those carrots!) they're delicious as well as being ultra kid-friendly, and they freeze absolutely beautifully. Takes no time at all in the oven to defrost, too!
Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Cookies
OK, when kids hear the word "breakfast cookies," just tell me their eyes aren't going to light up. Fortunately, these freezer-friendly breakfast cookies are also totally healthy enough to feel good about — they're made of oatmeal, peanut butter, bananas, and a few other mix-ins (simple enough for non-bakers to nail on the first try, too).
Cinnamon Donut Muffins
OK, we'll admit that these cinnamon donut muffins are a bit more "unfrosted cupcake" than they are "healthy breakfast treat," but kids deserve a little indulgence now and again too, right? Plus, they freeze well.
Fluffy Make-Ahead & Freeze Pancakes
When don't kids want pancakes? Fortunately, with these fluffy make-ahead and freeze pancakes, they can have them in the morning all on their own — as long as they're old enough to use the microwave!
Freezer Crêpes
Making crêpes as a family is a fun activity, and then making extras to freeze is a smart way to get out of breakfast chores for days… maybe weeks. These freezer crêpes are awesome, and once they're heated, kids can fill them with whatever's in the fridge — fresh fruit and cottage cheese is a good, healthy choice.
Freezer Waffles
These freezer waffles are an option for mornings when cooking breakfast is otherwise impossible — for kids and for moms on the go. Top with peanut butter for a healthier twist on the traditional maple syrup.
Frozen Waffle Breakfast Sandwiches
These frozen waffle breakfast sandwiches use ready-made frozen waffles, but could easily be made with homemade waffles to lower the cost of each one considerably. They're great to-go breakfasts for busy mornings!
Freezer Smoothie Packs
Making freezer smoothie packs is about a trillion times less expensive than buying premade smoothie mixes (and honestly, it's healthier, too). We love throwing a few of these in the freezer when we do meal prep — and kids love making their own smoothie blends.
Freezer French Toast
Maybe the ultimate treat for busy mornings, freezer french toast is delicious, and reheats in a couple of easy ways — either in the microwave (naturally) or in the toaster, which gives it a little extra flavor.
Carrot Cake Scones
These carrot cake scones are only modestly healthy (hey, there are carrots in there!), but they're definitely super delicious — and kids can spread butter and jam on them in the morning when they wake up, and feel like English royalty.
Freezer Mini Quiche
This recipe for freezer mini quiche may seem overly fancy for kid breakfasts, but the truth is, they don't take that long to make, they freeze for ages really well, and they double as great instant hors d'ouerves in case anybody stops by. Win/win.
Make-Ahead Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
We love these make-ahead freezer breakfast sandwiches because they freeze so incredibly well (and taste so, so good — plus they're way better for us than that McDonald's version we're all so used to)!
Make-Ahead Vegan Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
So for an ultra-healthy variation on the regular breakfast sandwich, just replace the recipe with the one for make-ahead vegan freezer breakfast sandwiches, and freeze using the same smart method (it involves a damp paper towel and wax paper).
Sweet Potato Egg Casserole
This sweet potato egg casserole is absolutely delicious, incredibly healthy, and freezes well. To prepackage for kiddo breakfasts, just wrap each slice individually and freeze that way. Then kids can warm up their own slices in the morning.
Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Tacos
Make everyone's life just that much better with these incredibly delicious, freezer-friendly breakfast tacos. Great for grabbing out the door, these are going to give kids and adults energy for the first part of the day (and they taste amazing).
Cinnamon Roll Convenience Without the Can
Make-ahead cinnamon rolls are totally a thing. Yes, these cinnamon roll convenience without the can may not be the healthiest breakfasts we can imagine, but they're so, so delicious (and it's summer break, after all).
