Recipe: Plant Based Juniors Blender Muffins
In celebration of the release of their new book; The Plant-Based Baby & Toddler, dieticians, authors and mamas to a collective four predominantly plant-based babes, Alex Caspero and Whitney English are sharing this easy peasy, nutritious and delicious Blender Muffins recipe with us!
These palmar grasp–friendly, convenient muffins are perfect for baby-led weaning. Packed with key nutrients babies need, like iron and protein, these naturally sweetened muffins are a tried- and-true favorite in the PBJ community.
These muffins freeze wonderfully and we like to cook a big batch of them at a time. When your baby is ready to eat, thaw them in the fridge, on the counter, or defrost in the microwave.
They’re also great with a little nut butter on top for toddlers and older children.
**Makes 12 Mini Muffins
INGREDIENTS:
• ⅔ cup rolled oats
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium overripe banana
• ¼ cup sunflower seed butter,* or other nut butter of choice
• 1 cup loosely chopped kale
• ½ cup unsweetened soy milk
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease a metal mini-muffin pan and set aside. Alternatively, use an ungreased silicone mini-muffin pan.
Place the oats in a high-powered blender or food processor and process until they reach a flour consistency.
Add the chickpeas, banana, sunflower seed butter, kale, soy milk, cinnamon, va- nilla, and baking powder and process until smooth.
Fill the cups three-quarters of the way full in the pre- pared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
*We like the brand Once Again because it’s both sugar- and salt-free.
Alex and Whitney are registered dietitian nutritionists and mamas to two predominantly plant-based kiddos each. Their platform, Plant-Based Juniors, is dedicated to educating parents and practitioners on plant-based diets for kids and helping all families get more plants on the plate. Their new book, the Plant-Based Baby & Toddler includes everything parents need to know to nourish their babes from birth and beyond plus 50 delicious recipes for the whole family.
** Recipe from THE PLANT-BASED BABY AND TODDLER: Your Complete Feeding Guide for 6 months to 3 years by Whintey English, MS, RDN, and Alexandra Caspero, MA, RDN, to be published May 18, 2021 by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2021 by Alexandra Caspero, MA, RDN, and Whitney English, MS, RDN