If you follow along my account on Instagram, you’ll know that my daughter frequently joins me in the kitchen. Baking with her is one of my favourite past times, but it can be frustrating all at the same time.
Over the years, I have learned a few key tips when baking with kids.
Grab everything you need before you begin- Working with toddlers can sometimes get a little messy and crazy, having everything you need prior to will ensure you won’t miss a step or ingredient. I also like to put away each ingredient once I am done with it as a visual check off my list.
Let them help choose what to bake -Unless you need to bake something specific, give them a chance to choose and create some excitement and motivation to bake with you.
Allow them to lead where they can- Children want to participate, give them tasks that are age appropriate and it will give them satisfaction that they had an actual hand in the creation.
Patience, messes will be made-The last tip leads perfectly into this one. Don’t discourage them if messes are made, with time this too shall pass.
Talk about each step- Kids will learn new vocabulary and better understand how each step is important in the baking process.
Enjoy each other’s company– If there is anything I learned growing up is that baking and making food with family and friends is a treasured moment and a wonderful past time. Enjoy the little things with the ones you love.
Now onto the recipe. Emilia chose this recipe. She loves muffins, especially if there is any sort of chocolate in it.
Now, we are trying to cut back on refined sugar in the home, but I also recognize that I have a toddler who loves sweets. I opted to add just a few dark chocolate chips to make her happy, in fact, if you add just a few on top you don’t have to add as many.
Coconut Palm Sugar- Normally I would add regular sugar, but I opted to use Coconut Sugar. It’s still sugar, so still use it with ease, but there are some nutrients and does have a slightly lower glucose index, making it a slightly healthier alternative.
Frozen Bananas-I like to buy ripe bananas in the grocery store because it avoids food waste and you save money. I also don’t have time to bake with bananas, therefore I freeze them for a later use. Keep them in their peels and once defrosted, they will just slide out!
Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Muffins
Approx: 18 regular sized muffins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (plus a few extra to sprinkle on top)
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (if they were frozen you can use 4)
- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup nut milk (regular milk is fine too)
- 1 cup oil (I like to use sunflower or canola)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your muffin pan or grease with butter to avoid sticking.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar and oil.
- Add in the baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the flour, oats and chocolate chips to the bowl, using a spatula combine thoroughly.
- Lastly, add the mashed bananas until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Don’t fill to the top, about 2/3 of the way. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats and a couple of chocolate chips.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, pierce the middle of the muffin with a toothpick and if it’s clean they are ready.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool.
- You may keep them out for a couple of days, if not refrigerate for up to 5 days. These will stay in the freezer for several months and taste great even once defrosted.
Enjoy!
Antonietta xo
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