Breakfast Treats: Vegan Kringle And Oatmeal Bars

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m just not one to whip up an elaborate breakfast on an average day.  I love breakfast foods, but I usually save them for “breakfast for dinner” days.  But sometimes, like holidays and weekends, something special is in order.  If I’m already preparing a huge meal for later in the day, I probably don’t want to worry about a morning mess, so I turn to a kringle from Larson Bakery.  I always order them from Vegan Essentials well in advance, and pop them in the freezer until it’s time to thaw for our special breakfast treat.  They’re so delicious, like a big vegan doughnut, plenty large to feed 3 or 4 sweet-toothed people.  These kringles are offered in cherry, raspberry, apple, pecan, almond, apricot, and pumpkin.  Pictured below is apple, but there’s a cherry one waiting in our freezer right now for Christmas morning!

Other mornings, I need something special to keep my little one’s tummy full through a long morning adventure.  Saturday morning, before a trip to the museum, I searched for an oatmeal square recipe to do just that, and came across Mama Pea’s Baked Oatmeal Squares.  I had already pulled out my ingredients and a large bowl, and I glanced over to make sure my little man was still happily playing with his toy, when the thought crossed my mind, “He’s ready to help.”  I brought the bowl down to his level, handed him a wooden spoon, and told him I was going to let him make breakfast today.  He seemed excited to be allowed new responsibilities, and took the spoon to the bowl as I slowly added ingredients for him to mix, one by one.  After we poured the oatmeal mixture into the pan, the little man was disappointed to hear he had an hour wait for baking, but aside from occasionally dragging me back to the oven to turn on the light and “check on” his culinary masterpiece, he took the wait like a trooper.  When Daddy woke up, the little man proudly announced he’d made breakfast and we all ate like it was the best dish we’d ever tasted in our lives.  Motherly pride aside, these oatmeal squares are fantastic.  They’ll definitely be a regular recipe around here.

What are your “special” morning favorites?