Toddler recipes – healthy snacks for kids

With a plethora of sugary snacks tempting your toddler, it can be a challenge to find healthy yet appealing alternatives. Luckily I have come across a few easy and yummy toddler recipes that are guaranteed to please even the fussiest of eaters. Here are 3 of my favourites.

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies with chia seeds

I originally discovered this recipe via fitness blogger Zanna Van Diejk and it has quickly become my go-to recipe for a sweet treat. Gooey and totally delicious, even my cake-obsessed toddler has been fooled by this chickpea alternative!

Ingredients
1 can of chickpeas – drained and rinsed
1/4 cup unsweetened peanut butter (smooth works best but if not crunchy will do)
1/4-cup oats or oat flour
1/2-cup dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1tsp chia seeds
½ to 3/4-cup powder stevia, depending on how sweet you like your mixture
100ml milk (I like unsweetened almond milk)

Pop all the ingredients except the chocolate chips and the milk into the food processor and blend, slowly adding the milk until the mixture is thick and creamy. Once blended, stir in the chocolate chips and pour into a lined tin. Bake at 180c/350f for 15-20 minutes. Leave them to cool and set before you slice.

Top Tip: Play around with flavours by swapping out the chocolate chips for berries or nuts. You can also try using different nut butters in the recipe, such as almond butter, cashew or hazelnut. 

Dinosaur Juice

One of the only ways I am guaranteed to get some greens into my vegetable-phobic 2-year-old!

Ingredients
2 green apple
1 stalk of celery
1/3 cucumber
Juice of ½ a lemon

This recipe works great in both a juicer and a blender. Simply roughly chop the ingredients and place into appliance of choice. If using a blender add some water. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Top Tip: Try swapping the celery for some kale or spinach to mix up your greens.

Shh, there’s spinach! Very Berry Ice Lollies

These Very Berry Ice Lollies made with protein-packed Greek yoghurt are a wonderful sweet and creamy treat on a hot summers days… just don’t let them see you put the spinach in!

Ingredients
1 cup of full fat Greek yogurt
1 cup of frozen berries (you can use any berries, although personally I find blueberries work best)
1 banana
1 cup of baby leaf spinach

Put all the ingredients into your food processor or blender, blend until thick and creamy (we’re looking for a similar consistency to ice-cream here). Pour into your ice lolly moulds and set for 4 plus hours. Should make between 4 and 6 ice lollies, depending on size of mould.