Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

My son is four now (Four!! Insert all the crying emojis.), and he goes to preschool three mornings a week. He is a bit of a picky eater, and getting him to eat enough for breakfast that his little belly stays full until snack time is my morning mission.

We've been making his favorite No-Bake Granola Bars, but it was time to mix things up. Danny thought muffins would be tasty, but how to make a muffin that would be hearty enough to keep stick to his ribs? Enter superstar ingredient (and one of my kids' favorites): oatmeal.

These Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins are healthy, delicious, and filling. They taste like a cross between Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coffee Cake and Baked Oatmeal. The sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top might even convince your kids that they are breakfast cupcakes. Just sayin'.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins
Makes 10 muffins

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup milk
1/2 cup no-sugar-added applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

In a medium bowl, combine oats and milk. Set aside to soak for one hour.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 10 cups of your muffin tin and set aside.

Stir applesauce, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla into the milk-soaked oats. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Evenly divide batter between 10 cups of your muffin tin. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over batter. (I didn't use all of the cinnamon sugar. Use any leftover for cinnamon crisps! Mmmm.)

Bake for 16-20 minutes, until muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Banana Breakfast Cookies

Danny and I made No-Bake Granola Bars last week. We sat at the kitchen table, shoveling them down like there was no tomorrow (Danny ate four in one sitting. FOUR.), and Elaine looked on glumly as she pushed her Cheerios around her tray. Poor little Elaine wanted a granola bar, too. Lame-o Cheerios ain't gonna cut it when everyone else is eating something as wonderful as a No-Bake Granola Bar. But the bars have honey in them. And since Elaine isn't one year old yet, honey is off limits.

So I set out on a mission to find a tasty and healthy treat that both my kids could enjoy. I've pinned a million recipes for breakfast cookies, and I had a pile of overripe bananas to use up. Inspiration struck.

Elaine went bananas (no pun intended) over these Breakfast Cookies. She ate two for snack and two more for breakfast the next day! Mission accomplished.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Banana Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from With Salt and Wit
Makes 12 cookies

3 small, very ripe bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups oats*
3 tablespoons ground flax
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, but encouraged!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mash bananas as thoroughly as possible. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until everything is evenly incorporated. Stir in oats, flax, chia seeds, and chocolate chips.

Form dough into 12 balls (they'll be slightly bigger than golf balls) and place on prepared baking sheet. Use the bottom of a greased glass to gently press each ball into a cookie shape. Bake for about 13 minutes, until cookies are set, but soft to the touch in the center. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in the fridge.

*I used old fashioned oats because my son is a fan of the hearty oat texture. If your family doesn't like the texture of old fashioned oats, try quick cooking oats.

Banana Zucchini Toddler Muffins

Elaine is eight months old, and she loves eating solid food. (Insert the cliche...she's growing up so fast!! Sniffle.) I've been making some purees, buying some jarred baby food, and feeding her bits from the table. I'm trying to keep it low pressure and fun for all of us.

Elaine is much more into self-feeding than Danny was. It's still pretty tricky for her to get food into her mouth, but she's persistent! I've been trying to figure out healthy foods that are easy for her to eat herself...things that aren't too slippery or crunchy. It dawned on me that muffins might be just the ticket. She can hold them in her little fists and chomp them up with her two tiny teeth.

My pal Therese directed me to her favorite healthy toddler muffin recipe that was full of fruit and veggies. I tweaked it a little, and I was thrilled with the results. So were my kids.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

P.S. Want more baby food recipes? Check out this post about some of my favorite homemade purees, including sweet potato and chicken baby food.

Banana Zucchini Toddler Muffins
Adapted from A Song of Sixpence
Makes about 28 mini muffins

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar*
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 zucchini, shredded
1 cup flour
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a mini muffin pan and set aside.

Stir together oil, applesauce, brown sugar, bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined. Stir in zucchini.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, chia seeds, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Fill mini muffin cups with batter. (I filled mine almost to the top.) Bake for about 15-17 minutes, until muffins spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

*This is not a lot of sugar, so these muffins have just a hint of sweetness. This is perfect for the baby, but just know that this isn't your standard sweet muffin. If you're looking for that, you might want to check out Coconut Carrot Muffins or Blueberry Zucchini Bread.

No-Bake Granola Bars (Kid-Approved!)

My 3-year-old son loves granola bars. Loves them. Unfortunately, his favorites are enrobed in a thick casing of chocolate. Delicious, yes, but not the healthiest treat. So I set out to make a granola bar that he would find just as tasty, but would fill his belly with healthier ingredients.

I'm always looking for ways to sneak protein and fiber into Danny's meals. These granola bars feature oats, peanut butter, almonds, and chia seeds to add nutritional punch. A sprinkling of mini chocolate chips, and he overlooks the healthy stuff. That's a win in my book.

And since my boy enjoys a cooking project, we got to make this snack together. Full bellies? Check. Mother-son bonding? Double-check.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

No-Bake Granola Bars
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 cups quick oats*
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons chia seeds
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
Scant 1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Line a 9" square baking dish with aluminum foil. (I'm sure an 8" dish would work just fine, too. Your bars will just be slightly thicker.) The non-shiny side of the foil is non-stick, so make sure the shiny side is down so the non-shiny side will be touching the granola bars.

In a large bowl, stir together oats, Rice Krispies, almonds, and chia seeds. Set aside.

Combine butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for two minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla.

Very carefully pour melted peanut butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until everything is completely combined. Place into prepared baking dish and press granola bar mixture into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and gently press so they adhere.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Slice into bars that are the best size for your family. I cut mine into 18 bars, and that seemed just right. (Although Danny could eat two per serving!) Store in the fridge.

*Since I didn't cook these granola bars, I used quick oats. I think old fashioned oats would be too chewy. But let me know how they turn out if you make a substitution!