Healthy Banana (nut) Bread for Toddlers
I looked endlessly online for “healthy” bread recipes for Toddler S with not much luck. Something from my criteria was always missing, so I ended up mixing and matching a few recipes to try my own version which turned out surprisingly great!
Everyones definition of healthy is different since we all make different trade offs when it comes to our diet. Healthy for me (for Toddler S) was a recipe without all purpose flour (I wanted to use wheat and/or oats), artificial sweeteners, ideally without honey or maple syrup (we used date puree as a natural sweetener) and because we don’t bake with eggs, it also needed to be eggless!
After a few not so great concoctions, this recipe seemed to be the right mix for a tasty, soft and toddler friendly Banana (nut) Bread.
Did I mention this was a great activity for Toddler S to participate in!? He loved helping out and what better way to put those practical life skills into practice!
- 1 heaping cup mashed banana (we used about 2 to 3 bananas)
- 1/3 cup date puree
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (I made this with 1 apple)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (omitted for Toddler S)
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed powder + 2 tablespoons water (mix and keep aside)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (Ashirwaad from Indian store)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (omitted for Toddler S)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter all sides of a pan or pyrex container (recommended: 9-inch loaf pan) and keep aside.
- In large bowl combine mashed banana, applesauce, date puree, flaxseed/water mix, milk and vanilla. In separate medium bowl whisk together whole wheat flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix until they are bound together. If you want to add walnuts or any other crushed nuts, fold them in to the mixture now or sprinkle on top. (we sprinkled a very small amount on top because Toddler S can not completely chew them down).
- Pour into prepared pan, sprinkle oats over the top to add a fancy look (optional). Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 60 minutes. Check in between this time by poking a toothpick or knife into the center and see if it comes out clean. If it does, it is ready. If there is any dough stuck to it, check again in 5-7 minutes. Take the foil off the last 10 minutes for a slightly crunchy loaf top.
- Remove from oven and let it cool for a bit. Flip over onto a serving platter and slice to eat! Store unused bread in an airtight container so it does not dry out.
- I use multiple small, rectangular sized pyrex containers to make the end loaf kid sized and to add variation to multiple batches (one with nuts, one without etc)
- Fill one small pan for the kids, use the remainder of the batter to make an adult friendly batch (read: throw in some chocolate chips)
- If you or your toddler likes dry fruits like cranberries, these can be added to the batter as well