Frozen Banana Whip with Shredded Coconut (6+)
Strawberry Almond Fruit Pops (9+)
Very Cherry Dessert Smoothie (9+)
There is absolutely no way we could ever write any sort of recipe book without a dessert section. Sweet food is a must, and the recipes here use only unrefined, minimally processed, very natural sweeteners. (Like, mostly fruit.) And we’d be remiss to not offer a gluten-free birthday cake recipe, so we absolutely included one! We hope you and your little one(s) enjoy. xo
This baby food cookbook wouldn’t be very good without a recipe for a kick-ass first birthday cake. Pavlova is a bit of a labor of love because it’s a two-part process. Because one of the steps entails leaving the oven door cracked while the pavlova cools after baking, we recommend actually making it right before bed and leaving the oven cracked overnight. This way, you’re guaranteed to have a perfectly cooled and set pavlova, and nobody gets burned by an open oven door, which can be a safety issue with small children.
Happy birthday to you . . .
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup egg whites, at room temperature (from about 4 eggs)
⅛ tsp. cream of tartar
⅛ tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1¼ cups full-fat coconut milk
1 cup sliced strawberries
½ cup blueberries
Pieces of candied ginger (optional)
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a dry bowl until frothy.
3. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla, and continue whipping until stiff, smooth, and glossy. (About 10 minutes.)
4. On a sheet of parchment paper, use a pencil to draw or trace a circle that’s 9 inches in diameter. (About the size of a round cake pan—this is what we use to trace our size guide.)
5. Line a baking sheet with the parchment circle, pencil side-down (you’ll be able to see the circle through the paper).
6. Spoon egg white mixture onto the sheet, staying within your circle. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the top and sides.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 300°F and bake until the meringue has puffed up and cracked on the top, or about 45 minutes. (The surface should be the color of a light Starbucks latte.)
8. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and let the pavlova cool to room temperature in the oven for at least 30 minutes. This ensures a gradual cooling, which protects the delicate meringue.
9. While cake is cooling, make your dairy-free coconut whip, adding honey or pure maple syrup to sweeten. (See page 237, and follow steps 1 through 5.)
10. Once cake is fully cooled, spoon whip onto the top of the meringue, and then decorate with fresh fruit and ginger.
11. Using a bread knife, slice into wedges before serving.
TIP: Because you have little ones running around your home, we recommend that you bake your pavlova at night, after your monkeys have gone to bed. This way, you can allow the meringue to cool properly, without worrying about little hands touching your hot, open oven.
Both of these recipes can be thinned out with additional milk alternative or water and added to purées, such as blueberry.
COCONUT CHIA PUDDING
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
4 tbsp. chia seeds
Sprinkle of cinnamon
METHOD:
1. Combine milk, seeds, and cinnamon in a glass jar, and stir very well.
2. Let sit on your counter for 5 minutes.
3. Stir again very well (should be thickening up), cover, and pop in the fridge overnight to set.
4. Serve cold.
This version of chia pudding is the perfect baby food for brain power! As your wee one gets older, you can make this a bit less runny by cutting back the water. This fruity chia pudding is also great for squeeze pouches.
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup fruit (any kind—we like pears, blueberry, or even avocado)
1½ cups water
½ cup chia seeds
METHOD:
1. Combine fruit with water in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into glass container. Add chia seeds, stir, and let sit on your counter for 5 minutes.
3. Stir again, cover, and place in the fridge overnight.
4. Serve cold.
Frozen Banana Whip with Shredded Coconut (6+)
This dessert has the consistency of smooth, creamy ice cream—sans dairy and added sugar. To get the desired result, a high-powered blender is a must; it won’t be the same if you’re using a regular one.
INGREDIENTS:
2 bananas, chopped and frozen
¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp. shredded or flaked coconut to garnish
METHOD:
1. Combine frozen bananas and milk in Vitamix or other high-powered blender.
2. Blend on high until it has an the consistency of ice cream.
3. Remove from blender, place in serving dish, and top with coconut.
4. Serve immediately!
Strawberry Almond Fruit Pops (9+)
Delicious and layered, your kids will be über impressed with your freezer skills.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup fresh strawberries, tops removed
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
METHOD:
1. Purée the strawberries and pour into popsicle molds until about ⅓ of the way full; set aside remaining purée in the fridge.
2. Pop ⅓-full molds into freezer and leave until firm.
3. Combine almond milk and syrup.
4. Pour milky mixture into the frozen molds, filling up to ⅔ full. Don’t add too much or you won’t be able to put your stick in at the end!
5. Place popsicles back in freezer until firm.
6. Top off the popsicle molds with remaining strawberry purée and insert your sticks.
7. Place the treats back in the freezer (last time, we promise!) until hard.
8. To remove, run a little hot water over the plastic molds to release ice pops.
When we make this dessert for adults, we leave the peels on. But for babies, peels can present a possible choking hazard. We recommend you peel your fruit and let your compost eat the peels instead. You can vary this recipe for spring or summer fruits by simply substituting the apples and pears for berries and peaches. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
4 apples, peeled and sliced
4 pears, peeled and sliced
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 tbsp. cinnamon
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine peeled and sliced fruit with maple syrup, mixing well.
3. Using 1 tbsp. of the coconut oil, grease a 9” x 12” baking pan.
4. Pour fruit mixture in and spread around evenly.
5. Combine oats with cinnamon, mix, and pour over the fruit, distributing evenly.
6. Using the rest of the coconut oil, dab pea-size bits here and there around the top of the oats until it’s used up.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
8. Remove cover and bake for another 15 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let cool until it’s a good temperature for your baby.
10. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold or at room temperature. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
TIP: This recipe makes enough for the whole family, but make no mistake—we can both pound it back all by ourselves. (Like, if there was such a thing as a compote-eating contest, we’d win.) Kids and adults both love it, and it’s super easy to whip up.
Very Cherry Dessert Smoothie (9+)
This smoothie is in the dessert section because it’s sweet, and your family will never have to know it’s healthy. Your hands might get a little stained when you remove the cherry pits, but trust us, it’s worth it.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup pitted cherries
½ cup vanilla coconut or soy yogurt
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp. hemp oil
METHOD:
1. Combine all ingredients in blender and purée until smooth.
2. Throw in a little ice if you want a more frozen treat.
3. Pour into a mason jar, throw on a slouchy beanie and some flannel, and be a “sipster” with your baby.
These frozen treats are a perfectly pure and delicious choice for the whole fam. You’ll probably have to sit your baby on your lap and help her with this one, but she’ll love you for it.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup watermelon, chopped
1 peach, pitted
1 kiwi, peeled
½ cup strawberries, washed, tops removed
METHOD:
1. Combine all ingredients in blender and chop until combined with small chunks.
2. Pour into popsicle molds, insert sticks, and freeze overnight until solid.
This is a great and healthy “ice cream” that you do not need a high powered blender to create.
INGREDIENTS:
2 bananas peeled, chopped, and frozen
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
METHOD:
1. Peel and chop bananas, then freeze overnight.
2. Take out of freezer and let thaw for about 15 minutes just before making.
3. Combine semi-frozen banana pieces, cocoa, and syrup in blender and purée until mixed well. (Bananas will slowly continue to thaw the more they’re worked, making blending easier.)
4. Using a spatula, move into freezer-safe container and place back in freezer to firm up, about 30 minutes.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to serve.
TIP: Mix it up! Skip the cocoa and toss in fresh blueberries, raspberries, or small chunks of peach before blending.
This is a simple way to get creative with fruit while you’re doing some summer grilling.
INGREDIENTS:
1 peach
1 nectarine
1 tbsp. coconut oil
Dash cinnamon
METHOD:
1. Cut stone fruits in half and remove pits.
2. Brush the exposed flesh with coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. Place fruit on the grill, oil-side down.
4. Grill until warm, about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Coconut Whip with Raspberry Chia Compote (9+)
Honestly, this dessert is to die for. It’s definitely for the whole family, not just your baby. It’s so good, we’ve served it at dinner parties—honestly.
INGREDIENTS:
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
4 tbsp. chia seeds
3 tbsp. smashed fresh raspberries
3 tbsp. Mighty Mango (page 102)
METHOD:
1. Flip can of coconut milk upside down and place in refrigerator overnight.
2. Remove can from fridge and turn right side up before opening with can opener.
3. Separate the fiber from the liquid, reserving the liquid for other recipes and purées.
4. Spoon the fiber into a chilled mixing bowl.
5. Add the syrup and whip with a mixer.
6. In a separate bowl, combine chia seeds, smashed raspberries, and mango purée. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, stir again, and allow to rest another 5 minutes.
7. Spoon whipped coconut cream into individual serving bowls and top with raspberry chia compote.
These bad boys really hold their heat, so it’s very important that you cool them on the counter or in the refrigerator for a few minutes (and check them) before serving to your baby.
INGREDIENTS:
1 banana, peeled
1 tbsp. coconut oil
½ tsp. cinnamon
METHOD:
1. Slice banana into half-inch-thick rounds.
2. Melt coconut oil in cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
3. Place banana rounds all around pan, being careful not to overlap.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and fry until golden. Carefully flip rounds over and fry the other side until golden as well.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
