As a stay-at-home mom, I’ve gotten pretty creative with how I occupy my daughters (ages three and five) all day.
One of their favorite activities is joining me in the kitchen to whip up delicious treats and snacks. It’s a fun way to introduce different ingredients, learn math and science, and get our hands a little messy!
Although we love indulging in freshly baked desserts, we’ve found several easy alternatives that are healthier and just as satisfying. All of these yummy treats are kid-approved and husband-approved.
I hope that you enjoy making these with your family as much as I do with mine!
“Nice” Cream Shake
This refreshing treat has the sweet taste and texture of ice cream without the extra sugar or dairy!
Ingredients
- 3 frozen bananas broken into pieces
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 crushed chocolate cookies or topping of your choosing
Instructions
- Put the frozen bananas, almond milk, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in the blender and mix on high speed until it becomes creamy. You can add more or less almond milk depending on how thick you want your mixture to be.
- Pour the “nice” cream into cups and sprinkle the top with cookie pieces.
- Enjoy with a straw or a spoon!
*Makes 4 servings
Peanut Butter Balls
My kids love these delightful little bites because they “taste like cookie dough!”
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2/3 cup raisins
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl with a spatula.
- Using a tablespoon (or your hands), scoop the mixture out into rounded balls.
These also taste great with chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or mini chocolate chips!
*Makes 20 balls
Baked Apples
If you want your home to instantly smell like comfort and happiness, just get these apples baking in your oven!
Ingredients
- 3 apples (any type), sliced
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the apples, almonds, dried cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in an 8×8 baking pan.
- Drizzle honey across the apples and bake them for 20 minutes.
- Eat by themselves or with a bowl of warm oatmeal!
*Makes 4 servings
Dark Chocolate Bark
No list of sweet treats is complete without chocolate! I opted for dark chocolate in this bark because it has more health benefits than most other types of chocolate. You can personalize this recipe with your favorite nuts, dried fruits, or pieces of candy!
Ingredients
- 10 oz dark chocolate morsels
- 1/3 cup roasted, unsalted almonds
- ¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pour the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second increments until it melts. Be sure to stir your chocolate periodically and don’t overheat it. Burnt chocolate is not delicious!
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper, wax paper, or a nonstick baking mat and spread the chocolate out into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the almonds, coconuts, and salt on the chocolate.
- Put the pan in the fridge for one hour to firm up.
- Break it into pieces and dig in!
