Top 6 Make Ahead Breakfasts To Kick Weekday Mornings In The Butt

Let’s face it: breakfast is the reason I get out of bed most mornings. I open my eyes, fumble with my alarm, debate hitting snooze, remember all the things I need to get done, groan, and then remember… oh yeah, breakfast! Then I drift out of bed like a cartoon character following the scent of something delicious. (Er, maybe it’s more like I stumble in the general direction of the kitchen hoping not to bump into any walls along the way, but I do get up.)

The problem is, when I get to the kitchen, there’s nobody there making delicious things for me. (I know, right?! Major let down.) It turns out, I AM that person for The Husband. Sometimes I think I’ve got the raw end of that deal, but I won’t lie, I love making breakfast for him most mornings. What I don’t love, though, is having to measure, chop, or otherwise prepare things while my eyes are still half closed. That’s a recipe for mistakes, not to mention when I do open my eyes fully, the first thing I see is the giant mess I’ve made. Wa-wa-waaa.

Instead, my favorite way to do breakfast is to have it ready ahead of time, so all I have to do is get up, heat up, and eat up. I’ve shared several make-ahead breakfast recipes since starting this blog, and thought I would round up all my favorites here in one place for you.  These are all go-to’s in my kitchen, and you’ll often find me making big batches on the weekends so I can have leftovers ready for the rest of the week. (Great anytime, but especially handy during the holidays when I already have so much other cooking and baking to do.)

So without further ado…

Here are my top 6 make ahead breakfasts:

#6: Amaranth, Quinoa, and Polenta Porridge:

(Naturally vegan and gluten-free)

This porridge is unbelievably easy to make, and can be dressed up in a million different ways so you won’t get bored eating the same breakfast every single day. It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, and the three grains (er, seeds) together actually create a complete protein, so it helps keep you full and energized for hours. I like to dress mine up with fresh fruit and berries, milk (or dairy-free substitute), maple syrup, or just a spoonful of jam if I’m in a hurry. You could just as easily make it savory if you wished — try mixing it up the same way you would any oatmeal. (Bonus make-ahead tip: porridge can be frozen in single-serving portions, then thawed in the fridge overnight.)

#5: Banana Oat Breakfast Muffins:

(Naturally vegan and easily made gluten-free.)

These oatmeal muffins are kind of magic: they’re basically the exact same ingredients you would use to make a bowl of banana oatmeal, but somehow, they taste sooo much better than that. They are uber healthy (I usually grab two for breakfast), but taste like a sweet treat to start the day with. They are also incredible frozen — I’ve taken to making a double batch, and freezing half of them in gallon size bags. Then I can just pull one out, microwave it for a few seconds, and I’m good to go!

#4: DIY Pancake Mix:

Every once and a while, I want pancakes. Bad. And I do not want to go measuring everything out to make it happen. To save time and make mornings easier, I make my own mix. All of the dry ingredients get whisked together and stored in an airtight container, with the recipe to make a batch taped to the side. Then all I have to do is pour the wet ingredients into a large glass measuring cup, dump in some dry mix, and I’m ready to go. Technically not a FULLY make-ahead breakfast, but still a huge time-saver on busy mornings.

#3: Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal:

(Easily made vegan and/or gluten-free)

This oatmeal has been my latest go-to breakfast. It’s sweet but not too sweet (a balance which is hard to get just right, in my book) and like the other recipes in this list, it is crazy easy to make. Just mix the ingredients in a bowl, dump them into a baking dish, and bake (the sliced apples on top are a beautiful addition, but totally not necessary if you want to make things even easier). The best part? It doubles as dessert. Nice and hot with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of fresh whipped cream? Oh yes! Dessert tonight, breakfast tomorrow — that’s my kind of dish!

#2: Toasted Honey & Hazelnut Granola:

(Easily made gluten-free)

Once you’ve made homemade granola, you’ll never go back to store-bought. Granola is one of those things that is just so much better (and SO MUCH cheaper) made from scratch, and it couldn’t be easier. That said, I included a bunch of tips with this recipe for making A+ granola every time, because let’s face it, messing up really simple things can happen to all of us. (Right? Please tell me it isn’t just me.)

#1: Crustless Mini Quiche (aka, Single Serving Breakfast Muffins):

(Gluten-free, can be made vegetarian)

Besides the standard toast and eggs, most easy breakfast options tend to be on the sweet side. That’s all fine and good, but sometimes, this girl wants some savory when she wakes up — and not just peanut-butter-on-toast-because-she’s-lazy, savory. That’s where these breakfast muffins come into play. They are basically single-serving omelettes baked in a muffin tin, and can be customized with all your favorite veggies, meats, and cheeses (or just whatever you have in the fridge that needs using up). They rewarm well in the microwave or toaster oven, and even freeze well, so you can have grab-and-go breakfasts for those weeks when you’re not so prepared. (These mini quiches are also pretty much the single most popular recipe on this blog, so don’t just take my word for how good they are!)

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There you go — six easy, tasty, and (mostly) healthy breakfasts you can make in advance to kick any morning in the keister.

Do you have a favorite make-ahead dish? Let me know in the comments below!

P.S., another favorite of mine is baked french toast (aka, french toast casserole), but I don’t have a recipe on the blog yet. If you have a favorite make-ahead french toast recipe, I’d love to hear about it!

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.

― A.A. Milne

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