One of the greatest challenges when it comes to making kids snacks or desserts is coming up with recipes that are actually both healthy and something kids WANT to eat. As a parent, you want what they eat to have nutritional value, but still also have eye and taste appeal. From the moment Kenya saw these Chewy Granola Balls, I knew I fulfilled both criteria.

Loaded with whole grains, protein and fruit, these granola balls have just the right amount of sweetness and a crunchy, chewy texture that kids seem to love. I brought a batch of them to my informal “focus group” of classmates at Kenya’s school and play groups and I didn’t have enough to fulfill the demand for seconds. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, when the crowd is happy, so is mommy!

Chewy Granola Balls (Makes about 30 Balls)

1/2 Cup Almond Butter
1/2 Cup Rice Syrup
1 Cup Rice Crispys
1 1/2 Cups Wee Granola (or your favorite store bought granola)
1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries, Cherries, Blueberries and/or raisins, chopped

1. Place the almond butter and rice syrup in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and warm for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth and combined.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Pour the warm almond butter mixture into the bowl with the granola mixture and stir to combine.
4. Roll into 1 inch balls (I used a mini ice cream scooper to scoop out each portion, but you could also use a tablespoon) .
5. Serve.

One of my (many) favorite breakfasts growing up was cheese toast. In our house most mornings, the words “cheese toast” were mentioned as often as “cereal” would be for most other families. Not only was it one of my favorite things to eat, but I also liked to make it myself. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, this was probably one of my very first ventures into cooking. I used to love pulling the whole wheat bread out of the fridge and sprinkling on the cheese, then my mother would place the slices under the broiler for me. In less then 2 minutes I would have a high protein, high carbohydrate breakfast that I would devour.

I don’t know why I haven’t made this recipe for Kenya and Chloe sooner. Watching Kenya sprinkling the cheese on his own slices of bread and popping them into the oven for him made me feel like my mom must have watching me “cook” for the first time. Maybe I never made it with him before now because cheese toast sounded too simple. Then again, kids certainly don’t require complicated when it comes to their taste buds, so this is a perfect breakfast choice! Try it with your little ones.

Cheese Toast (Serve 2)

4 Slices of Bread (I used Mini Pumpernickel Bread, but you can use anything you enjoy)
1/4-1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated (the amount of cheese depends on the size of the bread)

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp of cheese (2 tbsp if you’re using a regular slice of bread) on pieces of bread.
3. Place the cheese toasts on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
4. Serve.

My mother used to make the most delicious zucchini bread. Whenever friends were coming over to our house or she needed a culinary gift, it was one of the most popular recipes in her repertoire. It’s amazing to me that a bread starring a vegetable (technically, zucchini is a fruit, but try convincing your kids of that fact) was so appealing to a kid like myself, but it was. So, if you have a little one who is normally zucchini averse, this bread may turn them around on it for good.

I don’t know why so many people have emailed me recently asking for a healthy zucchini bread recipe, but I’m happy to oblige with a weelicious version. There are a lot of zucchini bread recipes out there loaded with white or brown sugar, so I decided to make mine using agave nectar instead. I also opted to bake them in muffin cups instead of a loaf shape so it’s more kid friendly. Zucchini is a good supplier of potassium and vitamin A and it has a consistency that makes for a deliciously moist bread. When I made a batch for breakfast last week, Kenya turned into a muffin eating machine. It was then that I realized that it wasn’t important if zucchini was a fruit or a vegetable. To him, it was simply delicious.

Zucchini Muffins (12 Muffins or 24 Mini Muffins)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs, whisked
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/3 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
2/3 Cup Agave Nectar
1 1/2 Cups Zucchini, shredded (about 2 small zucchini)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the zucchini mixture into large or small muffins cups (I like to use a small ice cream scooper to make spooning into the muffin cups easier).
6. Bake 15 minutes for small muffins and 20 minutes for large ones.
7. Cool and serve.

We’re big on making smoothies in our house. Frankly, I don’t know many kids that object to tossing foods in a blender and then getting to press the “on” button to pulverize them. As I’ve said time and again, if you want to get your kids to eat food that’s good for them, get them involved in the preparation process. Making smoothies is one of the most perfect, fun and simple opportunities to do just that.

Recently, Kenya and I have been switching things up a bit in the drink department and making lassis instead of smoothies. A lassi is a Southeast Asian yogurt-based drink containing milk, honey and/or spices. It’s technically not a smoothie, but you’ll never know that from the way it tastes. I thought that adding cumin (a traditional lassi ingredient) might be a bit too bold for this recipe, so I opted instead for a bit of lime zest and loved the refreshing result.

So, power up the blender, grab your little one and have a great time preparing a uniquely delicious and nutritious treat for the whole family.

Tropical Lassi (Makes 3-4 Servings)

1 Cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Cup Mango, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 Tsp Lime Zest
1/2 Cup Yogurt
1 Cup Milk (you can use rice, almond, soy or cow’s milk)
1 Tbsp Honey
12 Raw Almonds
1 Large Handful of Ice

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender on high and puree for 1 minute or until smooth.
2. Serve.

I love trying to figure out how to make recipes that would normally be considered “junk” food into nutritious snacks that you aren’t afraid to give your kids. I’m not big on totally depriving kids of junk food (I feel like that only leads to a slew of other problems in the long run) but if I can come up with a version of a cookie that doesn’t include all of the nasty fillers and preservatives found in store bought brands, I’m making it homemade for my kids.

These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies will have your little ones’ eyes popping wide open when they see them coming out of the oven. These cookies have a healthy carbohydrate from the oatmeal and a protein punch from the peanut butter — great for kids who have been active running around all day. All they’re going to care about though is that they are delicious!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Makes about 60 cookies)

1/2 Cup Butter (1 Stick)
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Oats
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the butter and agave in a bowl or a standing mixer and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and beat another minute on medium speed or until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to incorporate.
6. Drop 1 tbsp of the cookie dough onto a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Flatten down each ball of cookie dough with the back of your hand or with the back of a fork making a checkerboard pattern.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.

I eat oatmeal EVERY day. I’m actually eating a bowl of it right now as I write this post — no joke. Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods, not only because it’s heart healthy and nutritious, but also because it’s nutritious, filling and beyond easy to make — which is perfect for moms that are constantly on-the-go. But I’m not the only one in our house who loves oatmeal. At breakfast, Kenya asks for oatmeal as often as he asks for pancakes, omelets and waffles.

I wanted to come up with a recipe using oatmeal that would be perfect for those days that you’re racing out the door and don’t have time to cook (I think that’s most mornings for many of us). I liked the idea of doing breakfast bars since almost every mom I know always has a LARA, Clif, or Odwala bar in their bag for themselves alongside their wallets, diapers, wipes, and sippy cups. These bars are different from the brands I just mentioned — they are essentially oatmeal in bar form, but they are equally delicious. Just prepare a batch and keep them in the fridge for several days. All you have to do as you’re heading out for the day is grab a few bars for you and your kids and you’re set.

For all of you “on-the-go” moms, this bar’s for you.

Oatmeal On-the-Go Bars (Makes 18 Bars)

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 Cup Milk (any kind of milk — rice, almond, soy, cow’s — will work)
3 Tbsp Agave
1/2 Cup Applesauce
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
3/4 Cup Dried Fruit (Cranberries, Raisins, Blueberries, and/or Cherries)
1/2 Cup Nuts (Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, and/or Pepitas)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Mix the milk, applesauce, egg, agave, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stir to combine and then stir in the dried fruits and nuts.
5. Pour the oatmeal mixture into a buttered or greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until thickened and golden.
7. Cool, cut into squares and serve.
*Refrigerating the bars will make them last up to 5 days.

As much as possible on weelicious, I enjoy coming up with recipes that are super easy, fun and fast. With each one I try and put myself in the shoes of parents that have never entered a kitchen before having kids. I think these Apple Butter Turnovers fit the easy, fun and fast criteria. They are really simple to make, especially if you’ve made pie crust before. But if you haven’t, that’s OK. Just buy a box of ready-made pie crust and no one will know the difference. You can make things even easier and buy a jar of apple butter, but I have to say that making your own is incredibly satisfying and requires nothing more than cooking a few apples until they’re chunky and tender.

When I was a kid, I had a major thing for McDonald’s apple pies. They were crispy, sweet and I loved getting to hold the little pie in my hand (I’m starting to worry that between yesterday’s Crispy Onion Rings recipe and today’s post, you guys are going to think I was raised in fast food joints!). These days, I avoid fast food, but when these came out of the oven and I took the first bite, I was elated that I would be able to let Kenya experience the great taste of one of my favorite childhood food memories, without exposing him to a whole host of ingredients I don’t want him eating.

Well, he loved them. No doubt these will be a huge hit with your kids too, and then you can consider them your own version of “fast” food.

Apple Butter Turnovers (Makes 8-10 Small Turnovers)

8 Tbsp Butter, chilled and cubed
8 Tbsp Shortening or Lard, chilled and cubed
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Salt
5-6 Tbsp Ice Water
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Water
Apple Butter

*If you’re using pre-made pie crust, skip ahead to step #5.

1. Place the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
2. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the water in the food processor and pulse a few times until the dough starts to come together.
3. Place the dough on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.
4. Refrigerate the pie crust dough for 30 minutes or until chilled.
5. Roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick.
6. Using cookie cutters, cut out turnovers into desired shapes (If you are making 8 turnovers, you need 16 cut-outs, one for the top and one for the bottom).
7. Place one cut-out on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, top with 2 tsp of apple butter (depending on the size of your shape) leaving a 1/4 inch border around the cut-out.
8. Combine the honey and water together in a separate bowl.
9. Brush the 1/4 inch border with the honey water, place matching pastry shape on top of the apple butter and using the tines of a fork, gently press down to seal the dough.
10. Brush the remaining honey water on top of each turnover.
11. Using the tip of a knife, cut several slits through the dough (to allow ventilation).
12. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
13. Cool and serve.

As I’ve written here many times before, we love hummus. Actually, I find most kids really enjoy the smooth creaminess of hummus as a spread on sandwiches, as a dip for veggies or just on it’s own. Traditional hummus is made from garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice, but there’s no reason that you can’t get creative and come up with an array of new hummus flavors using different types of beans or nuts.

For this recipe, I wanted to do a Mexican inspired hummus with flavors I know my family likes, so I chose pepitas (pumpkin seeds), black beans, cumin and cilantro. And just to keep everything homemade, instead of buying fried chips at the store, I decided to make my own healthy, crispy ones. Both dishes are easy to make and kids have fun breaking up the tortillas into chips themselves.

Whether you’re inviting friends over for a party, want a protein-packed school lunch box snack for your little one or just need something healthy and delicious to nibble on throughout the day, this Mexican hummus delivers. Olé!

Black Bean Hummus with Toasted Corn Tortillas

1/3 Cup Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 Small Garlic Clove
1 15 Oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Water
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped (you can use the stems — they have tons of flavor)

1. Place the pepitas in a dry sauté pan and toast over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the pepitas start to turn golden.
2. Place the pepitas and garlic clove in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
4. Serve.

Toasted Corn Tortillas

1 Package Whole Corn Tortillas (about 12)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place corn tortillas directly on oven racks and toast for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
3. Serve whole or broken into chips.

Kenya’s school is “nut free”, so I’m always trying to come up with healthy snacks — that are also a good source of protein — using seeds. This recipe could not be any easier to make and kids love them! I whip up several cups worth at a time and keep them in bowls in our kitchen for everyone to munch on any time of the day. They also are a great addition to Kenya’s lunchbox.

Pumpkin seeds are one of the most nutritious of all seeds, high in magnesium, iron and zinc.

I got these “pepitas” (as pumpkin seeds are often labeled) at Trader Joe’s, but most groceries carry them. Just make sure to buy the ones that are already hulled (removed from the white shell that your likely most familiar with when digging seeds out of your pumpkin at Halloween time!).

No need to wear a costume to enjoy this snack. These toasted pumpkin seeds are a treat year round.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (Makes 2 Cups)

2 Cups Pumpkin Seeds
1 Tbsp Braggs or Soy Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the pumpkin seeds and Braggs or soy sauce in a bowl and stir to coat.
3. Place the seeds on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Stir the seeds and cook another 10-15 minutes or until golden and crispy (make sure to keep an eye on them in the last few minutes of cooking so they don’t burn).
4. Cool and serve.

Yes, you read it right, sugar cookies! At weelicious we try to create and promote recipes without refined sugar, but when the holidays and other special occasions roll around, I ease off some of my restrictions and pull out this favorite. After all, decorating sugar cookies with kids is just about as much fun as you can have in the kitchen and this version is really easy to make and even yummier to eat.

Last week I whipped out this recipe for Kenya and I and we had a blast cutting out the sugar cookies into all kinds of festive shapes. But it wasn’t until after they finished baking and had cooled that the real fun began. You should have seen Kenya’s eyes when I pulled out all the different colored sprinkles and other decorations. He’s not even 3 years old yet, but watching the precision and dedication with which he applied himself to adorning the cookies with icing and sprinkles was precious. After we were finished decorating, the family sat around and munched on Kenya’s gorgeous creation (even the ones covered with pounds of icing and sprinkles). He was so proud and we had a great time spreading our own sweet holiday cheer.

Now, no more sugar till next year (fingers crossed)!

Sugar Cookies (Makes about 1 Dozen Large Cookies)

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl using electric beaters or in a standing mixer,
cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes on medium to high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
4. Turn the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until the dough comes together.
5. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, parchment paper or wax paper and flatten into a round shaped disk.
6. Wrap the dough disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least one hour or overnight.
7. Once chilled, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
8. Let dough sit for about 10 minutes or until soft enough to roll out.
9. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4 thick and even.
10. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes (I like to start at one end of the dough placing the cookie cutters close together).
11. Using a spatula, transfer the cut-outs onto a cookie sheet (preferably a lined-silpat cookie sheet).
12. Bake for 10-15 minutes rotating halfway through until edges turn golden.
13. Cool cookies on a rack.
14. Ice and serve.

Icing

1 Cup Confectioners (Powdered) Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Milk

1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Use to decorate the cookies.