Inspiration for two energy-boosting recipes that would be great for the picnic basket
When the sun comes out – so do the kids. Running about in the fresh air can easily work up a big appetite. Both today’s recipes can be kept for a few days after being made – if they aren’t immediately eaten – which makes them ideal for making, storing and bringing along to picnics.
Once your little cooks have given these a go, why not get them to try out a recipe from a previous week? We have plenty to choose from here.
Recipes courtesy of Little Cooks Co, a monthly subscription-based recipe kit that’s posted through the letterbox, direct to kids, in a neat 100% recyclable box with compostable packaging.
Jammy Chia Slices
(Serves 20)
Ingredients
- 300g strawberries
- 225g oats
- 130g coconut oil
- 100g honey
- 60g almond butter
- 50g quinoa flakes
- 25g ground almonds
- 15g milled flaxseed
- 10g chia seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.
- Chop your strawberries into small chunks and gently heat in a saucepan – use a wooden spoon to mix and mash until they are all mushy.
- Mix in the chia seeds and 1 tbsp honey, then take off the heat.
- Mix the oats, ground almonds, quinoa flakes, flaxseeds and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Melt the coconut oil, almond butter and remaining honey in another pan. Pour the runny mixture into the oat mix and stir really well.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper and squish down really well, half the oat mixture into the bottom of it. Spread the strawberry/jammy mix on top.
- Now, add the other half of the oat mix, making sure it covers all the jam. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden.
- Leave it to cool before slicing into yummy squares! We’ve used strawberries but you can use any berries you like for the jam.
Brilliant Banana Bread
(Makes 1 loaf – around 15 slices)
Ingredients
- 180g gram flour
- 60g honey
- 50g cacao nibs
- 50g raisins
- 40g desiccated coconut
- 30g butter or coconut oil
- 3 ripe bananas plus 1 extra for decorating (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp bicarb of soda
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/170C fan assisted.
- Peel the bananas and mash them in a bowl until there are no big chunks left.
- Add in the eggs, butter/coconut oil, vanilla essence and honey, stir thoroughly. In a separate bowl sieve the gram flour, bicarb of soda and cinnamon.
- Add the raisins, cacao nibs and desiccated coconut to the flour and mix thoroughly.
- Next, poor the wet banana mix into the flour mix and stir thoroughly until fully combined.
- Line the loaf/cake tin with parchment paper. Pour in the loaf mix. Decorate the top with slices of banana (optional).
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, but check after 30 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- When checking the loaf in the oven, it should be golden on top and not too brown.
Read more in this series…
Kids’ Kitchen: The Gruffalo’s ‘poisonous wart’ frittatas are great for getting children cooking
Kids’ Kitchen: Go nuts with the children over these peanut butter treats
