What a time of uncertainty! As we practice “social distancing” all across globe, we are reminded to slow down … appreciate our health and spend time with our families. We have a 1 1/2 year old who is currently teething so it’s been, well, interesting to say the least! We’ve had to figure out ways to entertain and feed her all while making it exciting. If you have kids, you know that toddlers can be picky at this stage so I wanted to develop a recipe that tasted good, had veggies, fruit and whole grains with no added sugar. Here’s what I came up with… I’d love to hear your feedback!
The great thing about this recipe is that you’ll most likely have most if not all of these ingredients on hand! I used really ripe bananas for this recipe (like you would with banana bread) so they’d be sweet. We mixed all of the wet ingredients together which was ripe bananas, organic local eggs, vanilla extract, unsweetened apple sauce and coconut oil together in a mixing bowl.
Here is where the “rainbow” comes to play. I love sneaking in veggies into savory soups and sauces but also muffins that can be eaten to start our day. We added shredded zucchini and shredded carrot from the shop and dehydrated beet powder (also from Pacific Health Foods). I wanted some additional fiber and protein so I chose to include sprouted chia - but you could also use regular chia seeds or flax seeds instead. Hemp hearts are a great source of protein, healthy fats and also keep our immune systems strong, which is always a plus. Not pictured in the photo above, but I added some rolled oats for extra soluble fiber and antioxidants.
Miix all ingredients together with a spatula (no mixer was required) until all ingredients are combined and smooth. Grease your muffin tin - we used avocado oil but you could also use grass fed butter, ghee or coconut oil. My toddler helped with this next step by sticking blueberries into the mixture. It was a fun way for her to participate that wasn’t too messy! She loves blueberries so she’d place a few into the batter, then shove a few into her mouth!
Officially toddler approved! She won’t stop eating them, and I’m just fine with that! She’s getting fiber, plenty of nutrients from the veggies and blueberries and lots of healthy fats. I love that we were able to get plenty of zucchini, carrots and beets into this recipe without really noticing. It’s like a banana bread meets carrot cake with that hint of cinnamon. The adults like them too! I love that they don’t have any sugar so are completely guilt free. It was a fun activity to do with my toddler on a rainy Saturday and was really simple. Please share how you make this recipe your own! I’d love to hear, happy March!
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 tablespoon beet powder
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
- 2 tablespoons sprouted chia (you could also use regular chia or flax seed)
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
WET INGREDIENTS:
- 3 mashed ripe bananas
- 2 organic eggs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. While you’re waiting, mix all wet and dry ingredients together and place in a greased muffin tin. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes (check on them every 5 minutes after you’ve cooked for 15 minutes as every oven varies). Let them cool and serve!
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