Trying to find something delicious and healthy for children is difficult. Children under 5 tend to be the hardest. While some will happily eat anything colorful put in front of them, others are extremely picky. They seem to have this ability to know when something is going to be unhealthy and always want that dessert.
Well, it’s time to make delicious desserts that are healthy and wholesome. Yes, it is possible. These 12 are perfect for kids under 5. Some kids will even want to help you with the mixing. Just prepare for a messy kitchen! Check out more info on fun cookies for toddlers here
Make Your Chocolate and Orange Bread
Banana bread is a common dessert recipe, but what about going one step further into something chocolaty and delicious? Chocolate and orange bread is fun to make and can be created healthily. It’s all about the type of flour and chocolate you use. This is the recipe you want to follow.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of whole wheat flour
- 1tsp baking powder & baking soda
- 1/4tsp salt
- ½ cup of honey (preferably raw)
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup of orange juice (preferably made fresh)
- 1tbsp orange zest
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup of dark chocolate chips
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease your loaf tin
- Mix the flour with the baking powder & soda, and salt together in a bowl
- In a second bowl, whisk the honey, eggs, oil, orange juice & zest, and vanilla together until completely blended
- Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and combine
- Fold in the chocolate chips
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for about 45 minutes
When the bread is cooked, a toothpick will come out of the middle of the bread clean. This is a fun recipe for the kids to make with you. They’ll love whisking and fold the ingredients together.
Try Out a Coconut and Sweet Potato Pie
If you want to get away from the chocolate, you can always make a pie. This recipe is made with wholesome ingredients. Sweet potatoes are perfect for fillings because they have that natural sweetness and it tastes like you’re eating something naughty. You can substitute the sweet potato for pumpkin if you’d like.
Ingredients for the Crust:
- 2/3 cup of oats
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- ½ cup of coconut flakes
- 1/8tsp salt
- 1/3 cup of coconut oil
- 1/3 cup of water
- Ingredients for the filling:
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 2tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 3tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of coconut flakes
Method:
- Wash and pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and then bake in foil for an hour until soft
- Meanwhile, mix the oats, flour, coconut oil & flakes, and salt together to create small pebbles
- Slowly add in the water to create a soft, non-sticky dough
- Grease your pie dish and press the dough into it, so it sits evenly, and then place in the fridge
- Run the sweet potatoes under cold water until they’re cool enough to handle and then peel the skin off
- Beat the potatoes and then add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, eggs, milk, and flour, mixing until there are no clumps of potato
- Pour into the pie crust
- Bake in the oven at a 375F heat for 40 minutes
- Remove and sprinkle half a cup of coconut over the top and bake for another 20 minutes, until a toothpick removes cleanly
Keep an eye on your pie. If anything looks like it’s going to burn, place foil over the top to allow the full cooking time. Allow your pie to completely cool before you eat and serve with a side of your choice. Whipped cream, ice cream, and fruits are all popular options.
Have Homemade Banana Splits
You can’t go wrong with a traditional banana split. The recipe itself is healthy on its own. It’s mostly fruit with a little ice cream! Toddlers love the banana split because it’s messy and easy to eat with the hands.
You get thefull choice of the ingredients in this recipe. Choose toppings that you’re happy with your child eating! Many kids will enjoy seeing the toppings in bowls, so they get to choose which ones are put onto the banana splits.
Ingredients:
- Enough bananas for all those eating
- A bowl or two of plain yogurt
- Bowls of toppings of choice
- Best topping ideas:
- To keep your banana splits as healthy as possible, opt for these topping ideas.
- Nuts (if not allergic)
- Peanut butter
- Dark chocolate chips
- Raisins/dried cranberries/other small dried fruit
- Shredded coconut
- Seeds
- Fresh or frozen fruits
Make Your Own Peach Sorbet
This is one of those recipes that will take some time after the initial prep work but is so worth waiting for. Make extra, so you have something to come back to later. Your kids will love seeing you pull out this treat from the freezer.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium peaches
- 1tbsp honey
- 1tbsp lemon juice
Method:
- Slice the peaches and then place them in the freezer
- Put in a blender and combine all the ingredients together; you may need some water
You can eat the sorbet immediately if you want, but it will be more like a puree. Put in the freezer for about 3 hours to become firm.
Leave the skin on the peaches or take it off; the choice is completely up to you.
Make Your Watermelon Sorbet
Another sorbet option is watermelon. This is extremely refreshing for the kids, and there are three ways to make it. The best part of these recipes is that there’s no added sugar in any of them.
Classic Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of cubed watermelon
- 1/2tsp lime juice
Method:
- Combine everything in the food processor and blend until smooth
- Pour into a container and freeze for an hour
- Break the ice and freeze again for about 3 hours
Creamy Sorbet
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of cubed watermelon
- 1 frozen banana
- ½ tsp lime juice
Method:
- Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor, blending until combined
- Freeze for an hour and then break up the ice crystals
- Freeze for another 3 hours or so
Add a Bit of Strawberry
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of cubed watermelon
- 1 cup of sliced strawberries
- 1/2tsp lime juice
Method:
- Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor, blending until smooth
- Place in the freezer for an hour, and then break up the ice crystals
- Freeze for 3 hours or so
You can mix the watermelon and strawberry sorbet with the creamy mixture to get the best of both worlds! Make all three and then freeze them ready for the kids coming back from day-care or kindergarten.
Create Fruit and Vegetable Popsicles
Kids love popsicles, but there can be this view that they’re full of sugar. That’s certainly the case with the store-bought options, but you can get healthier options for your home. Make your own with a mixture of fruits and vegetables. Here are a few recipe ideas to get you started.
Strawberry and Beet Popsicles
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups of fresh or frozen strawberries
- ½ cup of cooked and cooled beats
- ¾ cup of apple juice
- 1tsp lemon juice (or try with some balsamic vinegar
Method:
- Puree everything together in your blender until the mixture is completely smooth
- Pour into popsicle molds and then freeze for 3-4 hours
Have some fun with the molds. Kids will love to help with this, although the toddlers will just want to drink everything!
Orange, Carrot, and Mango Popsicles
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup of fresh or frozen diced mango
- ½ cup of orange juice
- ½ cup of carrot juice
Method:
- Mix everything together in a blender, until smooth
- Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least three hours
You can make your orange and carrot juice if you’d like. Alternatively, buy them from the store. The downside of the store is the added sugar in some juices.
Pineapple Cream Popsicles
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups of fresh or frozen pineapple
- ½ a banana
- ¾ cup of coconut milk
- ½ to 1 cup of spinach
- 1 lime, juice and zest
Method:
- Place all ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth
- Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least three hours
One of the best things about this recipe is that you can get spinach into your child’s diet without fighting. Your child won’t even know it’s in there, especially if you make everything yourself. You still get all the benefits, even after the combining and freezing process!
Make a Blueberry and Strawberry Yogurt Bark
Yogurt bark is fun and delicious to eat. It’s something suitable for children just weaning and those that you will eat out of the house and home. For many kids, yogurt bark sounds sweet and unhealthy, but it’s full of health benefits, especially when you make this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of plain yogurt
- 1tbsp maple syrup or raw honey
- ¼ cup of blueberries
- ¼ cup of strawberries
Method:
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Mix the yogurt together with some maple syrup and pour over the cookie sheet
- Top with the fruit
- Freeze for at least six hours
Break the bark up unevenly. Just have it all in a bowl and let your children enjoy a piece at a time. If you want to store it, keep it in the freezer to avoid melting.
Make a Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Frosting
This recipe initially sounds unhealthy, but there are a lot of substitutes that make it low sugar. This is something you want to consider, whether you’re looking for a special one-off dessert or the perfect cake for a birthday.
Ingredients for the Cake:
- 1/3 cup of plain yogurt
- 4tbsp butter
- ½ cup of coconut sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup of raw honey
- 2 cups of whole wheat flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup of milk
- 1 cup of strawberries
Ingredients for the Frosting:
- 1 ½ cup of cream cheese
- 2tbsp butter
- ¼ cup of jam (fruit of choice)
- 3tbsp raw honey
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two baking pans
- Trace the tins on parchment paper, cut out the circles, and lay in the baking pans; greasing again
- Beat the yogurt, sugar, eggs, butter, honey, and vanilla together until mixed well
- Add in the dry ingredients and milk alternatively, gently stirring in between
- Divide the batter between the pans and bake for about 25 minutes
- Allow to cook in the pans for five minutes, and then remove from the pans and let cool completely
- Meanwhile, make the frosting by combining all the ingredients together and beating until light and fluffy
- Place a third of the frosting on one cake (on a serving plate) and then top with strawberries
- Add a layer of frosting and top with the second cake
- Frost the top of the second cake and then layer with the remaining strawberries
Don’t forget to let the kids enjoy making this with you. It’s like having a Victoria sponge in the end, without any of the badness. You’ll barely taste the difference, and there’ll be no guilt when the toddler has a face full of frosting!
Create Your Oatmeal Cookies
How about oatmeal cookies? These are the healthiest of the lot, but you don’t want to buy some from the store. Make your own, so you know exactly which ingredients you’ve used. This recipe is extremely easy, and the kids will love mixing with you.
Ingredients:
- 2tbsp ground flaxseed
- 3tbsp water
- 1 cup + 1 ½ cups of oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- ¼ cup of coconut sugar
- ¼ cup of applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients for the Icing:
- ¼ cup of powdered sugar
- 2tsp lemon juice
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with some parchment paper
- Blend the cup of oats to make a flour
- Stir the ground flaxseed and water together and set aside
- Whisk the oat flour with the baking powder & soda, cinnamon, and salt and then put to one side
- Beat the butter with the two sugars for a couple of minutes and then add in the vanilla, applesauce, and flaxseed mixture; beating until smooth
- Stir in the oat flour and then add in the full oats
- Roll into cookie dough, creating small circles on the sheets, and then flatten
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies look to have dried on top
- Meanwhile, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together to create the icing
- Put the icing in a piper (or a Ziploc bag with hole cut in one corner) and drizzle over the cooled oat cookies
These will last about a week in a sealed container. Your kids will love taking them to day-care or kindergarten in their lunch, and you can be safe in the knowledge that there are no ‘bad’ ingredients.
Create Your Nutella Truffles
It’s time to pull out the Nutella or another nutty chocolate spread. These truffles are the unhealthiest option on the list, but far better than the other snacks and desserts they could have. Plus, they melt in the mouth, so safe for toddlers and young children. If you’ve not tested your child for nut allergies, be careful with these.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of macadamia nuts
- ¼ cup of Nutella
- 7-10 medjool dates, soaked in water and drained
- Bar of chocolate
Method:
- Blend the nuts in a food processor until chopped finely
- Add in the Nutella and dates and blend to combine fully
- Freeze for an hour or so to make the mixture easier to handle
- Melt the chocolate
- Roll a tbsp. of the Nutella mixture into a ball and then roll into the melted chocolate
- Put on a plate and top with some nuts if you’d like
Let your kids dip their truffles into melted chocolate if you want to get messy really. Kids of all ages will love to do this.
Create a Mint Chocolate Mousse
How about a mousse? These are very easy for kids of all ages to eat and are perfectly sized desserts for kids under 5. Here’s a delicious and healthy mint chocolate recipe. You’ll be surprised at the ingredients!
Ingredients:
- 2 medium avocados
- 1 medium banana
- ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips
- 2tbsp cocoa powder
- 2tbsp maple syrup
- 1tbsp coconut milk
- ¼ Tsp peppermint extract
Method:
- Put all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth
- Add a little extra milk if the mousse is too thick
- Place into dishes and serve right away
You can put the mousse in the fridge for up to six hours. If you want to make them before the kids are home for day-care, use this time frame as a guide
Make Chocolate Cookies Without Any Baking
Let’s look at the last recipe that involves absolutely no baking at all. That’s right! You don’t have to use the oven. There is a stove needed, though.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of almond butter
- 2tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ cup of coconut oil
- ¼ cup of applesauce
- 1/3 cup of maple syrup
- 2/3 cup of almond milk
- ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips
- 3 cups of oats
Method:
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Mix the first six ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to the boil
- Simmer for two minutes, constantly stirring
- Further, reduce the heat and add in the chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted
- Take the pan off the heat and add in the oats
- Spoon up the mixture and place on the cookie sheet
- Freeze for at least 15 minutes
The cookies are best kept in the fridge, so they don’t melt.
Which Dessert Will You Make First?
Chocolate, nuts, and flour don’t have to be unhealthy. Your desserts can be fun and delicious. It’s time to look at all your options for yummy desserts for the under 5s. None of these will create that annoying sugar rush just before bed time, and your kids won’t feel like they’re missing out on anything. In fact, they’ll love helping you make the desserts!
