Looking for a new family tradition at home this Christmas? This Grinch Pancake Breakfast is the perfect holiday tradition for kids! Learn how to make my easy Grinch pancakes that kids go crazy over!
This year is all about the holidays at home.
That means more family time and more meaningful traditions.
Traditions are important for kids as this helps them feel a part of a family unit.
Besides giving them something to look forward to every year, celebrating with traditions allows children to feel connected to family on a deeper level.
So this year we established a new tradition.
The Grinch Movie Breakfast.
Do your little ones love watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?
I don’t mean the new one, I’m talking the original animated Grinch! My girls insist on watching it every year.
This year I decided to try something new and incorporate a fun Grinch Pancake Breakfast into the movie-watching.
Now, I love the idea of a family holiday movie night, but my kids need an early bedtime. This holiday movie breakfast is the perfect compromise.
I hope that next year my girls request the “green pancakes with whipped cream” and that the tradition continues.
2024 Update
As my girls have gotten older, they now like to assemble their pancakes themselves!
Now it’s more of a “make your own Grinch” kind of thing and they love it!
We started doing this every December 1st to kick off the holiday season and it’s something simple that everyone looks forward to.
More Holiday Fun for Toddlers & Preschoolers:
- Best Gifts for Siblings to Share
- How to Make a Christmas Play-Dough Kit
- How to Declutter Toys Before the Holidays
- Easy Christmas Cookie & Craft Playdate Ideas
Grinch Pancake Breakfast: A Holiday Tradition for Kids
Here’s What You’ll Need to Make the Grinch Pancakes:
- Green Pancakes (more on this below)
- Strawberries or Raspberries for the hat
- Whipped Cream (from a can, I found mine at Whole Foods)
- A banana
- Mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
How to Assemble a Grinch Pancake:
- Make green pancakes (you can even do this in advance)
- Place a pancake on the plate
- Use strawberries to make a Santa hat
- Add whipped cream to finish the brim and tip of the hat
- Cut banana slices in half to resemble the Grinch’s eyes
- Add mini chocolate chips to the eyes and use the rest to make a Grinch-y smile
This would also make a really fun Christmas Morning tradition!
Grinch Pancakes (Dye-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (I used einkorn or use gluten-free blend)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 banana (not too ripe)
- 1 cup baby spinach (loosely packed)
- ½ cup milk (I used unsweetend almond)
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For assembling Grinch Pancakes:
- whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, and mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt
- In a blender (I use a Ninja), blend the spinach, milk, banana, (cooled) melted butter, egg, and vanilla until all the spinach is blended completely
- Straight from the blender, pour the spinach mixture over the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until everything is incorporated
- Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-low heat, and melt butter into the pan
- Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, adding as many 1/4 cup circles as will fit, and cook until little bubbles appear around the edges, then quickly flip
- Cook each pancake until set about 1-2 minutes more
- Transfer cooked pancakes to a cooling rack and continue making the batter
- Use whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, and mini chocolate chips to make the Grinch's face (as shown in the pictures)
Notes
- You can make the pancakes a little bigger using a 1/2 cup measure. This allows for more room for the Grinch’s face
- Spinach pancakes recipe slightly adapted from Baby Foode
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
More Naturally Green Breakfast Ideas:
Here are some more fun “Grinch” breakfast ideas to include in your holiday movie breakfast tradition.
- Green Oatmeal from Running to the Kitchen
- Spinach Muffins for Toddlers from My Kids Lick the Bowl
- Healthy Green Smoothie from Salt & Baker (just omit protein powder for kids)
- Green Smoothie Pancakes from Healthy Little Foodies
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