I've experimented with so many breakfast foods over the years and these are definitely some of our family favorites! Enjoy!
Kid Approved Pumpkin Waffles
makes 8 waffles
Cooking with my kids is one of my favorite past times; sort of. Lol. The Type A in me cringes at the flour embedded in the floor, the oil drippings across the counter, the endless dishes to wash, but I do appreciate how much fun my girls have when they’re measuring, mixing, spooning and flipping. In this season of home-schooling and virtual learning, cooking can easily be integrated into your curriculum! I find it offers practical ways of learning concepts such as following directions, measuring, and fractions. Also, in light of my little ones being in the classroom for a few hours without a proper lunch, this is just one such example of a snack I will pack for their little bellies.
I like these pumpkin versions because they increase the nutritional value and are a different color and texture from the regular waffles made from a box. This version is a little denser and more moist. They are so good, even if you aren’t a big pumpkin fan. I like to top these with sliced bananas and a little powdered sugar. Because I add some brown sugar within the waffle mix, the kids enjoy just eating as they are, no syrup needed. You can adapt as needed. Try all-purpose gluten free flour, use non-dairy milk, and I always opt for organic ingredients to minimize toxins, pesticide and additives that are tough for our digestive system to breakdown. Follow me on Instagram for more ideas like these! @ChrissyDCoach.
Ingredients
· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 3 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1 teaspoon cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
· 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1 pinch salt
· 2 eggs
· 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
· 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
· 1 2/3 cups milk
· 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
Instructions
1. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.
2. In a second bowl, add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk, and butter; beat well.
3. Gently fold in the flour mixture.
4. Cook according to your waffle iron directions.
5. I do these in my Belgian waffle iron and it uses about 1 cup batter and takes 4-5 minutes to bake.
6. They come out a nice deep, golden brown. These are great with a little bit of syrup and are lovely with some powdered sugar and sliced fruit!
Chrissy’s Gluten Free Banana Muffins
Oat Muffins
Ingredients
· 1.5 cups rolled oats (or 1 c. oat flour)
· 1 tsp cinnamon
· 1 tsp baking powder
· ½ tsp baking soda
· ¼ tsp salt
· 3 ripe bananas (starting to get brown dots!)
· 1/3 cup coconut oil (need to melt this for proper measurement)
· 1 egg
· 1 tsp vanilla
· ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
1. Set oven to 350. In a Nutri-bullet or Vitamix ground up oats and include other dry ingredients (oats through salt). Dump in a large mixing bowl.
2. Next, using the Nutri-bullet, add bananas and wet ingredients until it’s smooth and creamy (bananas through syrup).
3. Pour wet into dry and mix until well blended.
4. If you’re making muffins, line with cupcake liners, and baking only takes about 20 minutes, check muffins to ensure a toothpick comes out clean.
Banana Oat Pancakes
makes approx. 12 med sized pancakes
Ingredients:
· 1 cup rolled oats (not steel cut)
· 1 tsp. baking powder
· 1 tsp. cinnamon
· 1 medium banana, sliced (needs to be ripe, starting to brown)
· 2 eggs
· 1 cup plain organic yogurt (vanilla works too)
· 1 tsp. vanilla extract
· 1 Tbs. maple syrup
Dairy Free:
· swap 1 cup almond milk for yogurt and add ¼ extra oats for a dairy free version
Instructions
1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat and coat it with cooking spray or coconut oil or butter. You want to make sure that it's very hot before you start cooking your pancakes.
2. Add ingredients to a blender in the order listed and blend until oats are broken down and batter is frothy, a bit thin too. These pancakes are thin and light!
3. Using a ladle or ice cream scooper, drop batter onto skillet until desired size of pancakes is reached. Cook until the edges begin to look dry and bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake, about 1 minute. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds.
Super Omega Breakfast Cookies
makes approx. 22 cookies
Ingredients
· 1 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats, if needed)
· ½ cup oat flour (I just blend another ½ cup of rolled oats)
· ½ cup dried cranberries
· ½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
· ¼ cup ground flax seed
· 3 tablespoons chia seeds
· 1 teaspoon cinnamon
· ½ teaspoon baking powder
· ¼ teaspoon salt
· 1 large mashed banana
· 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
· 3 tablespoons honey, agave or maple syrup
· 3 tablespoons milk (or non dairy milk)
· ½ cup sun-flower seed, almond or peanut butter (or any nut-butter)
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl—oats, oat flour, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a blender, combine banana, coconut oil, honey and milk until blended. Pour this wet mixture into the dry and combine well, drizzle in your sun-butter.
3. Measure dough out using medium sized melon scooper, place on Parchment paper and press down gently to form thick cookies.
4. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden around the edges.
5. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze for weeks!
Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients
· 1 cup 100% natural peanut butter (can use almond, cashew, soy)
· 3 Tbs organic honey (you may need more – taste the mixture, add as needed)
· 1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, raw (Quick Cooking works great)
· ¼ cup ground flax seeds and/or chia seeds
· ¼ cup unsweetened raisins and/or chocolate chips
· ½ tsp sea salt
· 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Add in:
· ½ cup Chocolate Complete Powder (or any plant-based protein)
· Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
Instructions
1. Use a kitchen aid mixer or your muscles: Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a spatula until well distributed
2. Use wet hands and roll into bit-sized balls and refrigerate for at least one hour before eating.
3. I like to keep them in a freezer in a zip lock and pop out one at a time as needed.