Hiding vegetables in baked goods

Gideon does not like anything green or orange or vegetable-like. At this age and level of communication, we can't coax, force or reason him into eating them. So, I hide vegetables into the things he will eat. Here is one example, I just made these today and they are pretty yummy!

I started with this recipe and made it my own.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/2 cup almond meal
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine in a food processor
1 cup spinach, chopped in a food processor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put liners in the muffin tins.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. 
Whisk the wet ingredients together in a bowl. Add the carrot and spinach and mix well. Add the wet to dry and mix until just combined.
Bake for 20 minutes. Mini muffins only need 10 minutes.

These came out very yummy though for some reason, are sticking to the muffin papers. Not sure how to get around that. Next time I'll probably just do them in a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. You really can't tell there are vegetables in them and Gideon gobbled them up.

These Carrot Apple Muffins were posted a couple years ago on my blog and they are another tasty way to get some fruit and veggies in too. And, of course, there is always zucchini bread and banana bread. I try to replace some of the flour with oat flour or whole wheat flour too. And add in nuts. Replace oil with applesauce. It makes me feel a little better about Gideon eating a slice or two every morning for breakfast.

The best carrot muffins ever!

Carrot Muffins

2 apples, peeled and grated
2-3 peeled and grated carrots (about two cups)
2 cups flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 cup toasted wheat germ
1/8 cup ground flax seed
3 large eggs
¾ cup oil (You can replace some of this with applesauce but the muffins won't be as tender)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, along with the carrot and apple. Stir until ingredients are just moistened. Do not over mix. Divide batter into greased or papered muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. After 10 minutes, remove from muffin tins. Cool completely before frosting.

The most amazing banana bread ever!

My sister gave me this recipe awhile ago and I made it then. I remembered it being really good but hadn't made it since then. This weekend I had some bananas going bad so I decided to pull out the recipe. OH MY! So much better than I remembered it being... So, I thought I would share the recipe.

Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
four bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup yogurt
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Wheat germ/ flax seed (if desired)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Butter two loaf pans or muffin tins.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and continue beating. In another bowl, mash bananas and yogurt together until smooth (or leave some chunks if you like your bread that way.) Mix with butter and egg mixture.

In another bowl, sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together. I added 1/8 cup wheat germ and milled flax seed to mine, but it's up to you!

Add flour to the wet ingredients and stir until flour has disappeared. Don't overmix! Pour or scoop into your pans. Bake loaf pans 50 minutes, muffin tins 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean.

My house smelled so yummy while it was baking. It's perfect by itself but I'm sure it would be very good with butter and honey as well!

Enjoy!