Monday, March 30, 2009

Chewy Apple Granola Bites


This is another toddler friendly recipe. While delicious enough for adults, it was formulated to get my girls to eat certain things. Prunes for instance. Actually, they like prunes, but this is another way to serve them.

Chewy Apple Granola Bites

1 1/2 cups of grated apple
1 1/2 cup of oatmeal
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
6 prunes, minced (or other dried fruit such as apricot)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated ginger
2 tbsp honey (if your child is over 1 yr old, otherwise omit)
1/4 cup water
Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375º. Using a cheese grater or food processor grate apples. I leave the skins on. Put the grated apple in a large bowl. Add the water and lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and until all the flour and oatmeal is moist. Sprinkle additional water if necessary, but the apples provide a lot of moisture. Spray a 9x9 brownie pan and pour mixture in. With your fingers, press the apple mixture firmly in the pan. It should be about 1 inch thick. Bake at 375º for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut into 1" squares. Spread out on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a ziplock bag. Pull out how many squares you want to serve and microwave for a few seconds to thaw. Might work frozen for teething toddlers, but I haven't tried it.

2 comments:

  1. If you omit the honey does it need to be replaced by some sort of sweetener? If babies can't have honey can they have molasses? Or would you add a tbsp of brown sugar or something? Just wondering.

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  2. I think if making this for an adult palate, adding brown sugar or molasses would be great. It is safe for babies under a year to eat molasses.

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