Every now and then I assemble a bunch of ingredients in front of my now toddler daughter and let her add what she chooses at will (I determine the amounts of each ingredient though!) to the mixing bowl. It makes for some long ingredient lists but it also makes for a very happy toddler. I created the base for this recipe (the quinoa flakes and sunflower seeds) and allowed her to use "modified discretion" for the rest. Enjoy!
B's Chewy Coconut Granola Bars
2 cups quinoa flakes, toasted (you can sub. millet flakes, rolled oats or amaranth flakes)
1 cup raw sunflower seeds (no husks), ground to a powder and roasted with the quinoa flakes
1 banana, mashed (or 1/4 cup finely diced apples, strawberries, or pineapple)
1/4 c pear sauce (or other fruit puree, no added water)
1/2 c. honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips**
1/2 cup finely shredded coconut plus 2 Tbsp
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or silicone liner). Measure out 1 cup of shelled sunflower seeds and pulverize in the blender or food processor until a fine powder results. Pour the sunflower seed powder and the 2 cups of quinoa flakes onto your cookie sheet, blending ingredients with a fork. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Once done, remove mixture and pour into a medium bowl. Increase oven heat to 350 degrees F. Save your cookie sheet and parchment and set aside!
In the bowl containing the toasted mixture, add mashed banana (or diced apples/strawberries/pineapples), pear sauce and honey; blend well. Add brown sugar, vanilla, 1/2 cup shredded coconut and chocolate chips. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Press the mixture onto the lined cookie sheet and flatten until mixture is evenly about 1/4-1/2 inches thick. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbsp of coconut over the top of the mixture. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the edges turn crispy and golden brown. Allow bars to cool and then cut into desired shapes and sizes. Freeze, store in sealed container, or eat! Enjoy--- we sure did!
** Instead of using 1/4 cup of Enjoy Life chips, you could use 1/4 cup safe baking cocoa instead.
Doyou think these would be ok for a 15month old? How is the texture?
ReplyDeleteIt would have been ok with my girl when she was that age and she had about 4 teeth, if that helps (late teether). It is a pretty soft bar, not crispy and not really hard to chew at all. Good luck!
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