Something fun we have done for our kids on April Fool’s Day is surprise them with a silly breakfast. It’s such a simple way to start the morning with some laughs before school, and the kids never quite know what they’re going to get.
The idea is pretty simple. Everything looks like one food… but turns out to be something completely different. The reactions when they realize they’ve been tricked are always the best part.
Over the years we’ve tried a few different breakfast surprises. One year we served “spaghetti and meatballs” that were actually pancakes, sausage, and strawberry sauce. Another time we made what looked like a pan of brownies… but it was actually brown construction paper “E’s” in a baking pan. (I still don’t think my son has forgiven me for that one, even though it was years ago. Haha!)
Another easy one we’ve done is “donuts” that are really apple slices topped with frosting and sprinkles. They look just convincing enough that the kids get excited… until they take the first bite.
None of these take very long to put together, but they always lead to some great reactions at the breakfast table.
April Fool’s “Spaghetti and Meatballs” Breakfast
This was probably my favorite breakfast we have made for our kids because it really does look like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. The fun part is that it’s actually pancakes, sausage, and strawberry sauce.
Here’s how to make it.
What You Need
Pancake batter
Breakfast sausage
Strawberry syrup or strawberry sauce
Powdered sugar
How to Make It
Make the pancake “spaghetti”
Pour your pancake batter into a squeeze bottle or piping bag. Slowly squeeze long thin lines of batter onto a hot griddle, creating noodle-like strips instead of normal round pancakes.
Cook the pancake noodles
Let the batter cook until the bottom is lightly golden, then flip the strips just like you would a pancake. Once cooked, remove them from the griddle and pile them together to look like a small mound of spaghetti noodles.
Prepare the “meatballs”
Cook your breakfast sausage and cut or shape it into small round pieces so they resemble meatballs.
Add the “sauce”
Spoon strawberry sauce or strawberry syrup over the pancake noodles. The color actually looks surprisingly similar to spaghetti sauce.
Finish with “parmesan”
Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top to look like grated parmesan cheese.
Serve it up on a plate just like spaghetti and watch your kids try to figure out why their spaghetti tastes like pancakes.
April Fool’s “Brown E’s”
This one might be the simplest prank of all, but it was also the funniest because my kids were completely convinced they were about to get brownies for breakfast.
All I did was tell them they get to have brownies for breakfast. They were very excited and uncovered the pan with foil and found a pan full of brown construction paper letter E’s instead.
My son quickly caught on and said, “Those aren’t brownies, they are paper!" I replied with, "they are Brown Es". My daughter looked at the pan and said, “No… I want brownies to eat!!”
They were definitely not very happy with me in that moment, which honestly made it even funnier. I still don’t think my son has forgiven me for that one, even though it was years ago. Haha!
What You Need
Brown construction paper
Scissors
A baking pan
Foil
How to Make It
Cut several letter E’s out of brown construction paper.
Place them in a baking pan so it looks like a tray of brownies and cover it with foil.
Call the kids over and tell them you made “brownies for breakfast".
Let them uncover it and then just wait for the moment they realize they’re actually brown E’s.
April Fool’s “Donuts” (Frosted Apple Slices)
These “donuts” look like a fun breakfast treat, but they’re actually apple slices with frosting and sprinkles. This one is especially fun because the kids think they’re getting donuts… and then realize they’re eating fruit instead.
What You Need
Apples
Frosting (any color you like)
Sprinkles
How to Make Them
Core the apple to make the "donut hole"
Use an apple corer to cut out the center of an apple.
Slice the apples
Cut the apples into round slices about ½ inch thick.
Add the frosting
Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of each apple slice. You can use different colors to make them look like bakery donuts.
Add sprinkles
Finish them off with sprinkles on top of the frosting.
Serve them on a plate like real donuts and see if your kids notice the trick before taking a bite. Our kids still ate these and enjoyed them, however, they were bummed. they weren't actually getting donuts!