Super seeded carrot cake bars - baby + toddler recipe

This recipe is one of my favourite baby and toddler snack recipes. The grated carrot and cinnamon complement each other well, and the added seeds provide a healthy dose of iron, zinc and some omega-3’s. The oats and seeds bring gut-loving fibre to the table too. You can also make these without the raisins and dates for babies under 1. I’d recommend splitting the mix and making some for babies then adding the dates and raisins in a batch for yourself too. It makes a great nutritious breakfast bar!  

YOU NEED

• 1/2 apple, grated

• 1/2 carrot, grated

• 130g whole rolled oats

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

• 80g raisins 

• 4 medjool dates, pitted

• 25g butter (or dairy-free alternative, or solid coconut oil)

• 2 tablespoons of mixed seeds- sesame, linseed, sunflower, pumpkin (if giving under one - no whole larger seeds like pumpkin)

• 2 teaspoons whole chia seeds

• 40mls milk (e.g. whole cows milk, almond or oat)

• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 

TO MAKE

1. Add the grated apple and carrot to a blender with all the remaining ingredients and whizz until the dates are chopped into tiny pieces and no chunks of dates are left. You want some texture left. 

2. Pop the mix into a lined brownie tin and press down. This mix will fill a small brownie tin or half fill a large one. You can also double the recipe to make twice as much. Bake for 20 mins, check at 15 mins and keep going until its golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin (important!) before slicing up into little squares- makes around 12-16 depending on how small you slice your squares. Store for a few days in an airtight container, or pop in the freezer and defrost the night before.