I love the concept of baby puffs, and right now, little R is sitting in his high chair and thinking that watching me mix them up is so much fun. Yay.
So that gave me plenty of time to get out the blender and make some puffs. It’s also great that I know exactly what these little self-feeding snacks are made of. No hidden sugar, lecithin, or sodium.
Instead, they’re whole-grain filling, high in protein, and packed with probiotics.
The excellent Barbara from BuonaPappa originally inspired the base of this recipe. I came across her blog about four years ago. I’ve always loved her wide range of baby foods. Check out her Zucchini Baby Birthday Cake or her Persimmon and Pear Baby Puree if you can.
Anyway, I hope you (and your little one) enjoy these brownies; they have a slightly nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness. Here’s how mom and baby eat greens and then grab each other’s spoons.
I borrowed my mother-in-law’s old NutriMill to grind my quinoa and brown rice flour. Although I’ve heard that you can use a coffee grinder, spice mill, or food processor to grind the grains, the first time I tried this recipe, I tried grinding the grains in my not-so-fancy blender.
The flour I made in the blender was for muffins (there was barely enough flour).
Here’s a close-up of the smaller-than-a-dime dots on the parchment paper. While at it, I blushingly ran out of unbleached parchment paper. So ignore that useless-to-you-and-mother-earth bleached parchment.
Oh well. Next time!
I love how well these puffs hold their color even after cooking. Aren’t they fluffy! The edges were slightly burnt on the second batch, so keep an eye on the puffs so they don’t burn too much.
3 Best Organic Baby Snacks
There are all sorts of organic baby snacks: pillows, teethers, bites, and chews. Here are our favorite makes in each category so you can find something that fits your family’s needs.
Snack #1 – Organic Baby Puffs
Puffs are a new alternative to Cheerios. Their small size makes them easy for little ones to pick up and chew on their gums. What’s unique about puffs is that they melt easily in your baby’s mouth (making them easy to swallow and plummeting the risk of choking).
While puffs aren’t a replacement for real fruits and vegetables, they are a rapid and easy way to take finger foods on the go.
Our favorite organic cereal is Happy Baby Superfood Puffs. These cereals are encouraged with vitamins and minerals to promote eye and brain health. They are low in sugar (an ingredient most brands add to their baby cakes) and sweetened with real concentrated fruit juice. Happy Baby Superfood Puffs come in six changed flavors, so there’s something for every little one.
Snack #2 – Organic Biscuits and Teethers
Biscuits and teething rings are perfect for your little one who loves to feed themselves. They help develop coordination when moving food from the table to their mouth and are helpful when they want to keep chewing on toys and fingers.
Our favorite organic teether is Plum Organics Little Teether. These biological multigrain teething wafers are low-slung in sugar (less than one gram per biscuit). They originate in three unique flavors and are perfect for helping your baby learn to feed himself.
Snack #3 – Organic Baby Snacks
These baby bars combine dry yogurt and fruit pops that melt in your baby’s mouth for a burst of flavor. They are perfect as a snack because they are easy to chew and swallow.
Our favorite organic baby snacks are Happy Baby Organic Yogis. These yogurt bites are packed with probiotics to help support the baby’s digestive health and are an easy alternative to yogurt on the go. They come in five tastes, two of which are made with organic Greek yogurt.
Should your baby avoid dairy? Happy Baby has the answer. You should check out Happy Baby Organic Coconut Creamer, which is dairy-free and cane sugar-free.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
2 egg yolks (vegan: 2 tablespoons chia seeds diverse with 5 tablespoons water – let sit for 5 min)
1 cup organic kale
½ cup organic applesauce
cup organic mango ½
½ cup organic brown rice
organic cup quinoa ½
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
¼ teaspoon baby probiotic powder (vegan: Nova Dairy-Free Probiotics)
Instructions
- Please make your own ultra-fine rice and quinoa flour by adding both grains to a grain grinder and pulverizing them.
- Add the liquid ingredients to a blender. Then add 1 cup of freshly ground rice, quinoa flour mixture, and probiotic powder. Add the kale last.
- Blend for about 6 minutes or longer. I usually stop when the mixture resembles your typical juice.
- Pour the mixture into a pastry bag. Pipe dime-sized (or smaller) dots onto parchment paper.
- Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Then decrease the oven fever to 250ºF and bake for another 25 minutes. Each puff should be soft, not dry.
- Let the brownies cool. Please give them a few puffs to ensure the consistency is safe for your child’s eating abilities/age range.
- Store in an airtight container. I keep mine in the fridge.