Toddler Kitchen – Sweet fruit and nut muffins (No sugar or dairy)

This is a yummy scrummy recipe from The Baby-led Weaning Cookbook.  You can alter the recipe to suit what you like, what you have available and the age of your LO.  It works well increasing the ingredients and the muffins freeze well.  We tend to make mini muffins.

Recipe (makes about 12 regular or 24 mini muffins)
2 eggs beaten
100 ml sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g self raising flour (wholemeal, half/half, normal)
2 medium carrots grated
2 dessert apples, peeled, cored, grated
75-100g dates, finely chopped
50g desiccated coconut
50g pecan or walnuts ground or roughly chopped if older child (optional)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
(we have altered the spices used, added raisins instead of dates, added seeds instead of the nuts, added some banana)
Method
Preheat oven to 180C
Line muffin tray with paper cases (we use silicone trays and just fill directly into them)
Put oil, eggs and vanilla extract in bowl and mix well.
In another bowl put flour, carrots, apple, dates, coconut, nuts and spices.  Mix well. Make well in centre and add egg mixture.
Fill cases and bake 15-25 mins until golden brown and springy to touch. Cool for few minutes and then turn out.
Our muffin making
The amount of help Luath gives varies.  Some days she is very involved, others she wanders in and out.  This day she tasted some flour and decided she didn’t like it.  She ate some of the carrots.  Had a try at grating an apple (I placed the apple on one of her forks and I held the grater).

She then spent the rest of the time between the living room and the kitchen, frequently asking “Are they ready yet?”  She loves them and so do we.
(Luath is 27 months)
Shared with Tuesday tots via Rainy Day mum