Natural Apple-Oatmeal Toddler/Baby Snacks

I am always on the hunt for natural, low sugar, inexpensive snacks for my toddlers (and when they were older babies). I peruse magazines, parenting forums, pinterest and my friend’s snack bags for new and tasty options.

There are several decent options available for purchase, but most of those are pricy and come in very small packages. I have twins. I need double  everything and that get expensive. So I really strive to find things that I can concoct myself in larger batches. This is cost effective and lasts a lot longer than the smaller store bought packages.

The downside to home made snacks is the home making part! Haha! Having two babies is time consuming enough, but finding time to make snacks in between being a mommy, a maid, a teacher, a seamstress, a laundress etc. is tough. Thus, many recipes are discarded by me because they basically want me to grow my own ingredients, harvest them, and then slave as a sous chef and head chef in the kitchen. It is a pipe dream.

But recently I stumbled upon a great, quick and easy recipe on Pinterest posted by Crystal Allen-Prince. This recipe is for “Baby/Toddler Applesauce Bites.” I am a big believer in introducing spices to toddlers to increase their palette. So I made this recipe but I added cinnamon (which has so many health benefits) as a flavor kick. **note: the cinnamon will darken the color of the snacks**

The Recipe:

·        ½ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

·        1 cup plain natural quick oats

·        1 TBS ground cinnamon (or spice of your choice)

Prep:

·        Mix all ingredients in medium size mixing bowl until well mixed

·        Using a piping bag (or in my case, a Ziploc bag with a small hole cut in the corner) pipe small dots in lines on cookie sheets lined with wax paper. (As you can see from my pictures, I forgot the wax paper and it just made cleanup harder).

·        **Note: If you make large drops they will come out moister and more “doughy.” The smaller dots make slightly more of a “cookie” texture.

Cooking:

·        Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes

·        Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes