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Kid Friendly Apple Oatmeal Baby Muffins

Babies are limited at what foods they’re able to eat at 9 months. We want to introduce new flavors and textures to her to help her have a wide pallet. My daughter wanted to make something that they could both enjoy together. I made these kid friendly apple oatmeal baby muffins when my first daughter was a baby and they were a huge hit.

The ingredients couldn’t be more simple. We always have these items on hand. I love that baking helps my 5 year old learn math in a fun way. Baking for others also helps her express her love for them which is so sweet. Sophia has been on a baking kick after attending a Baking with Barbie class at Sprouts Cooking School. She loved it so much that she’ll be going for their Once Upon a Time week long summer camp class! I can’t wait to see what a week of baking inspires her to make for friends and family.

Kid Friendly Apple Oatmeal Baby Muffins

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 C. oatmeal (I used old fashioned for this recipe, not quick cooking oats)
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. brown sugar
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
*You can also add other ingredients like chocolate chunks or nuts if they wont’ be given to a baby

Baking Instructions

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 12 count muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

-Combine the vanilla, applesauce, egg, bananas and brown sugar, mixing well.

-Add in the salt, cinnamon, flour, baking soda, baking powder and oatmeal.

-Fill each muffin liner about 1/2 way with the batter.

-Bake 18-20 minutes. Around 18-19 minutes insert a toothpick into a muffin to check to see if it is cooked through. If it comes out clean, they are done.

We had a fun time making these baby muffins for her baby sister. They make for a great snack to take with us to the library or freeze for later on. What is your favorite muffin flavor to bake? If you’re new to baking with your kids you can see some tips I wrote here.

We have been compensated a week of summer camp through Sprouts Cooking School in exchange for spreading the word about their amazing classes. All opinions are my own (including how much I love their classes and these muffins)!

Related Posts to Kid Friendly Apple Oatmeal Baby Muffins:

How to Make Baby Food
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8 Tips for Baking with Kids

This post is sponsored by Sprouts Cooking School with all tips and opinions being my own. Some links are Amazon Affiliate links.

8 Tips for Baking with Kids- As a Mom, my biggest tip to give other parents is to ‘just try.’ Life is messy with kids and never perfect. On the plus side, kids often like the messy things in life! Baking is one activity that parents shy away from when it comes to their kids. I hear excuses like ‘it’s too messy’, ‘it’ll go faster if I just do it’ and ‘she’s not able to do it yet.’ The funny thing is, they’re ready to do things before you think they are.

My daughter started baking as soon as she could stand on her own and understand my instructions. Once she hit 18 months and went to montessori school she was baking every week with her class. They would make hummus, muffins, lemonade and pizza. There are kid-friendly tools that are helpful for kids at a young age.

8 Tips for Baking with Kids

Sprouts-Cooking-School-Carmel

1. Get Kid-Friendly Tools for the Kitchen

Our favorite kid tool, and one Sophia still uses as a 5 year old, is the Wavy Chopper Knife It helps by allowing little hands to chop soft things like strawberries, bananas, hard boiled eggs as well as harder foods like carrots, celery and zucchini.

Small mixing tools for little hands like a miniature whisk, wooden spoon and spatula are all great for baking. You can buy them separately or as a set. Some have up to 11 different utensils for the kitchen. I love this Silicone Mini Kitchen Utensil Set.

There are also a lot of tools you already have in your house that are just the right size for little hands. A cheese grater, egg slicer, apple peeler, measuring spoons/cups and small colander are perfect. You don’t need to buy a full set of your utensils in miniature size for them to be able to bake with you. Most tools you use will work great for your child.

2. Get All the Ingredients Out

Lay out all of the ingredients on a clean surface with plenty of space.

3. Have All of Your Supplies Close at Hand

Make sure you have bowls, multiple spoons (one for each child), measuring cups and spoons, and cookie trays all out.

Place them close to each ingredient that they will be used to hold or measure. You can even order the ingredients on the table or counter so that you work left to right!

4. Be Prepared to Get Messy

Nothing would be worse than trying something new and having someone stopping you constantly because you’re making a mess.

Have paper towels handy and/or a wet cloth to wipe up spills right away.  Talk to your child ahead of time about how messes will be handled. Remember, it’s best to clean up as you go so there aren’t any slips but don’t do it in a way that it falters their confidence.

Baking with Kids-Tips-Shelly Bergman

5. Read the Recipe Together

Take a look at the recipe together and read it in it’s entirety. Make it clear who will be doing each step so no one feels left out. If you think there will be fighting over certain tasks, remind them that you can bake together again soon so they can do that task.

6. Make Sure the Recipe is Right for Your Child’s Age

If you’re baking with a first time toddler chef you’ll want to make the ingredient list smaller. If it’s a first time baker who’s in 5th grade you’ll be able to make the recipe a little more difficult. Make sure the recipe will keep their attention but not overwhelm them on their first try.

7. Make a Big Deal Out of Taste Testing

Kids are always more inclined to try new foods when they’ve had a part in selecting or cooking it. Taste and smell the ingredients as you bake. You can also make the final product tasting special by setting it up as a tea party or inviting a couple friends over to try it out.

8. Try a Kids Baking Class Together

If all of this seems overwhelming and you’re wanting to learn from the experts, try your hand at a parent-child cooking class. In our town, we have a kids cooking school called Sprouts Cooking School that is perfect for first time bakers. They offer child drop off classes, full week camps and parent-child classes.

Sprouts-Cooking-School-Carmel

I took Sophia, my 5 year old, to a Baking with Barbie class and both of us couldn’t wait to see what other classes we could take! The teachers had all the ingredients out and had three recipes the kids were going to prepare. The girls were ages 3-9 and they prepared everything from scratch other than the frosting! During their session they made Fruit Tarts, Mini Cupcakes and Edible Fingernail Polish Bottles. They were the perfect recipes for kids of those ages. I immediately signed her up for a week long summer camp themed ‘Once Upon a Time’.

Sophia will likely love it so much she’ll want to have her Birthday party there as well. Her Baking with Barbie class inspired her to want to host her own baking class at home with her cousins. We made up an invitation and found a few recipes we could all make together. Our cousin baking class can’t come soon enough!

What ways do you bake with your children? My husband and I always have our daughter help us with each other’s Birthday cakes as well as treats for the neighbors around Halloween and Christmas. I’d love to know some of your baking traditions!

Related Posts:

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xZooberance Festival Debuting at the Indianapolis Zoo

We’re so excited about Spring just around the corner and one of our favorite spring adventures is to head to the Indianapolis Zoo. The weather is perfect for playful animals and low crowds. This year they’ve got a fun festival in store called xZooberance that we’ll be checking out this weekend! Here are the details:

xZooberance

Debuting just in time for spring break, the Indianapolis Zoo’s brand-new festival begins March 21 and continues every Thursday through Sunday until April 7. The Zoo will be open 9am-5pm with event activities running from 10am-4pm. The cheerful spirit of the season will shine throughout the Bicentennial Pavilion, where oversized pinwheels spin in the breeze and brightly colored kites float overhead. Amid a vibrant landscape filled with larger animal-shaped topiaries and a living wall of plant life, visitors can enjoy continuous live entertainment with a changing lineup for all 12 days.

Music headliner Hiss Golden Messenger will bring their unique blend of folk, country and rock music to the main stage at 6pm March 30, with the Jai Baker 3 opening at 5pm. The Zoo will stay open late for this special concert so that guests can dance into the evening hours.

Additionally, the festival main stage will host local acts like Dance Kaleidoscope, Dumpster Drummers, Cathy Morris and more. At The Perch, guests can interact with storytellers, meet chickens, learn about nature and create their own musical sounds.

Food & Beverage


Nearby in the Cheer Garden, guests can unwind and sample specialty food items, like Bavarian pretzels, kettle chips and picnic snacks, plus craft beer, wine and kid-friendly refreshments. Extra activities like animal-inspired yoga and a sculpture scavenger hunt will have guests moving all over the Zoo. Children will enjoy making a beautiful pinwheel craft, and guests can even create spring-themed enrichment for the Zoo’s animals.


Adding xZOOberance in with moderate seasonal temperatures, active animals and the return of the Zoo’s seasonal exhibit, Butterfly Kaleidoscope presented by Citizens Energy Group, makes spring an ideal time of year to visit the Zoo. Plus, xZOOberance attendees will be among the first to experience the new dolphin presentation, which introduces audiences to the Zoo’s pod as well as Central Indiana families who are taking simple steps to help dolphins in the wild.


Best of all, xZOOberance as well as the other exhibits and activities are all free for Zoo members and included with regular admission. Guests are encouraged to save time and money by planning their visit in advance at IndianapolisZoo.com

About the Indianapolis Zoo
The Indianapolis Zoo empowers people and communities, both locally and globally, to advance animal conservation. Located in White River State Park downtown, the Indianapolis Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. Visit IndianapolisZoo.com

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Kids Cooking Class at Sprouts

We were invited to try a kids cooking class at Sprouts Cooking Class today. Baking with Barbie was today’s class and we can’t remember a time we’ve had more fun in the kitchen! This class was for ages 3-13 and the kids learned to bake three recipes. The best part was that parents could drop off their children and head out for 2 hours of errands or a nice brunch!

Awesome Venue

I was impressed right away by how bright and clean yet playful the space is. There is a wall along the back with 4 microwaves and 4 ovens which is perfect for some of the larger camp classes or the older kid’s cooking classes. There is plenty of counter space with their large islands that hold a sink at one end and a convection stove top at the other. This class had little tables and chairs set up for the preschoolers while the older girls sat on stools around the island.

Energetic Teachers

Perhaps my favorite part of the kids cooking class was watching the teachers interact with the kids. They did a great job keeping the kids listening, learning, being safe and having fun all while baking! I know that can be a feat with just a couple kids at home! The way they interacted with the girls gave them confidence in continuing to bake at home. As their website states:

At Sprouts Cooking School, our goal is for every child to build a foundation for a lifelong love of cooking, to inspire and empower this generation of foodies, and to encourage families to get into the kitchen and cook with their kids.

Baking with Barbie

My daughter took Baking with Barbie which was a 2 hour Saturday class. There were 13 girls which made for a full kitchen but each girl was able to contribute to the recipes because they were split up in groups of 4. We didn’t need to bring anything along for the class (other than Barbie). With it being a Barbie baking class, sweets were on the menu, so the girls made Fruit Tarts, Cupcakes and Edible ‘Nail Polish’ (marshmallows dipped in white chocolate covered in sanding sugar with a tootsie roll for the top). Other than the dough for the tarts and the icing for the cupcakes, the girls made each part of the recipe.

Check out Sprouts Cooking School’s website for a list of their upcoming kids cooking class. They also have summer camps (which we’re totally checking out because they have a princess themed week!) Keep them in mind for birthday parties and special adult and child date nights. They have one coming up for Mother’s Day that is selling out fast. Sprouts also has tools that the kids use in class as well as aprons for purchase before or after class.

For some of the recipes they teach in class, cook along at home with their YouTube channel. Stay up to date on events by following their Facebook or Instagram pages.

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10 Projects for 2018

Each January I post a word or my goals at the beginning of the year to share with you what I’ll be working on. I share these aspirations to help me be accountable and to help trigger ideas for you. Last year I was not in a good place to set any goals because I was overwhelmed with my pregnancy. I focused more on how to keep myself out of a funk and to keep trekking through 2018.

Now that I’ve had Lilly and are out of the sleepless newborn phase, I’m ready to hit the ground running. I wanted to share some of my thoughts for the year ahead.

Projects for 2018

I listened to Miranda Anderson’s Live Free Creative Co Podcast on planning for the year ahead. I loved how she gets ready for the year ahead. She talks about how she sits down with her husband and writes down all of their big trips and then plans other projects around those. For us, we’re more in the house updating phase of our lives while our girls are little. We’ll plan our trips around our projects.

Trips in 2018

We already have a few trips planned. In February we’re heading to the beach with a surprise day trip to Disney World. *I get butterflies as I write that!* I’m also planning an adult-only trip to Cedar Point to re-do a previous failed Cedar Point trip we took several years ago. (Never go on the twirly rides as your very first ride. You may get so sick that you can’t go on any more rides.) We’re also doing one date night/month exploring our city and doing things we’ve not done (like go cart racing). We’ll also be continuing our one play a month through Indianapolis Broadway.

Our year already seems pretty full of fun but you can’t play without work. We’ll be doing some pretty major projects as well this year.

Projects for 2018

10 Projects for 2018

  1. Starting a medical weight loss program through my doctor’s office.
  2. Creating a course that I’ll teach locally and eventually sell on my blog.
  3. Building a new deck.
  4. Painting our home and updating the porch to match the roof being put on in Spring.
  5. Switching out our sliding glass door.
  6. Building a built-in bookshelf that will surround a piano in the library.
  7. Painting two vanities and all of the base boards in the house.
  8. Pitching to 5 new companies for vacations or lessons for Sophia.
  9. Doing more video work in preparation for Disney Creator Days 2019.
  10. Continuing working on my mental stability. I started taking CBD oil and I’m not sure if it’s working. I’m extremely aware of my impatience with my family and my high anxiety when it comes to clutter. Figuring out a happy medium of working out/meditating/CBD/self love.

I’d love to hear what kinds of projects you have on the docket for 2018!

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