4 Easy Baking Recipes for Kids, Montessori-Style

Baking with kids, especially around the holidays, is fun, educational, and rewarding. Food is a wonderful way to show love and begin a holiday tradition that your little one will cherish for years to come. Here are some of the reasons why time in the kitchen is a great way to incorporate Montessori into your home:

• Reading the recipe together improves vocabulary and fosters an appreciation for literacy and the beautiful places it can take you (like to delicious Banana Bread!).
• Discussing measurements and gathering the correct amounts for each ingredient supports your child’s budding counting skills and gives your little one a concrete experience with fractions.
• Your child experiences chemistry first hand as they mix ingredients together to form different colors and consistencies.
• Setting a timer when goodies go into the oven helps your child conceptualize time. Analog cooking timers are best as they allow your child to clearly see how much time remains.
• Cooking together refines motor skills, increases a sense of independence, and develops self-confidence as your little one creates something to share with the family.
• Waiting for your masterpiece to bake gives your child practice with willpower and self-control. But it can be hard even for Mommy and Daddy to wait for something delicious! If your little one is getting antsy, fill the time with cleaning together or another activity like coloring.
• Preparing food will give your little one practice with self-care as they create something yummy that they get to eat, wash their hands, clean up, and get comfortable in the kitchen.
• Cooking is a great way to feel part of a community, which is what the holidays are all about!

Tip: If your child has trouble sitting for extended periods, have them stand during recipe prep. After transferring all of the ingredients into the bowl, walk to put the bowl on the dirty dish shelf before mixing the next bowl of ingredients. This will help your little one exert effort and come back ready to concentrate on the next task.

Enough talk, let’s get to the baking! We love these yummy, healthy, and easy treats.

Kid-Friendly Cooking: Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes for oversized muffins, 1 hour for bread
Yields 12-15 Servings
Ingredients (Vegan)

• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose flour)
• ¼ cup ground flax seed
• 1 T baking powder
• dash salt (optional)
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup applesauce (1 snack-sized container)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 T oil (your choice: olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup chocolate chips or sliced almonds, dried fruit or nuts, blueberries, shredded coconut or a combination of desired options)

Instructions
* = Little one friendly!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using oil, grease a 12-count muffin tin, 6-oversized muffin cups, or one loaf bread pan. Coat them well.*
3. Place dry ingredients (flour, flax, baking powder, and salt) into separate, small,  see-through containers next to a medium mixing bowl.
4. Combine the dry ingredients, stirring thoroughly.*
5. Place wet ingredients (bananas, applesauce, water, oil, and vanilla) and sugar into separate, small, see-through containers next to a large mixing bowl.
6. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and wet ingredients (have your little one combine and whisk before finishing it off yourself with an electric mixer).*
7. In small batches, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until combined well.*
8. Stir in chocolate chips, dried nuts, etc.*
9. Scoop into an oiled muffin tin or pour into a bread pan.*
10. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then remove from pan to cooling rack.

Veggie Confetti Muffins

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yields: 12 Muffins
Ingredients (Vegan)

• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions
* = Little one friendly!

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Measure out applesauce, agave nectar, and maple syrup, and combine in a small bowl.*
3. Mix in carrot, zucchini, and apple.*
4. Measure out flour, flax seeds, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and combine in a separate bowl.*
5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir well.*
6. Place into muffin tin.*
7. Top with chopped walnuts. (optional)*
8. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.
9. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove to finish cooling.

Source: Katherine Lawrence, owner of www.plantbasedhealth.com

Cornbread

Prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yields: 9 pieces
Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups milk (any variety)
• 1 ½ T white vinegar
• 1 C cornmeal
• 1 C flour (all-purpose, wheat, or gluten-free)
• 2 T sugar
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda

Instructions
* = Little one friendly!

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Oil a 9” square pan.*
3. Combine milk and vinegar and let stand.*
4. Measure out dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) and combine in a large bowl.*
5. Add milk mixture and dry ingredients and stir just until combined.*
6. Spread batter into oiled 9” pan.*
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Sundried Tomato & Feta Cheese Muffins

Prep time: 20-45 minutes (depending on child’s age)
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yields: 12 Muffins
Ingredients

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 tbs of baking soda
• 1 cup of feta cheese
• 1 cup of sundried tomatoes (drained & chopped beforehand)
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese
• 1 egg (you can substitute 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce)
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of water

Instructions
* = Little one friendly!

1. Measure each ingredient into its own small bowl.*
2. Transfer all ingredients to a large mixing bowl.*
3. Scoop mixture into muffin tin.*
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.