Sugar Free Sweets and Desserts for Toddlers: Tricks and Recipes

Below I will tell you why it is not convenient to give sugar to small children, but first I will warn you that, from a certain age, usually around two or three years old, it will be almost inevitable that the child asks us for sweets. That is why I will also explain how to prepare healthy desserts without sugar and I will give you four healthy sugar free baking recipes for children.

Our great asset will be preparing healthy desserts with naturally sweet and nutritious foodswithout added sugars.

Why not give sugar to young children

Experts recommend do not introduce before two years white sugar or more natural sweeteners such as honey, coconut sugar, panela or maple syrup. The reason is that if we introduce sugar before, the intense sweet taste may reduce baby’s interest in other flavors and food preferences for the rest of life.

In addition, studies show that sugar in the diet of very young children can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and obesity, and also worsen the health of the teeth.

For all these reasons it is recommended wait until two years before introducing foods with added sugar, and the ideal is always in small amounts, on special occasions and in the form of natural sugars.

In addition, it is important focus children’s feeding on real foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fat and good quality proteins according to the family’s diet.

Many processed foods, especially processed foods designed for childrensuch as cereals, yogurts, flavored vegetable drinks or little bits with fruit, contain added sugars, sometimes hidden behind names like maltodextrin or concentrated juice. If we want to avoid sugar consumption, the ideal is to offer children only real food, which means in its natural state, without any process, as it comes from nature.

But, from one year on, children may want to eat the same foods they see at the park, daycare, or at family celebrations and gatherings. And instead of banning these foods it is better prepare healthy desserts and offer them to the child instead of traditional pastries.

How to make healthy desserts for children

We can prepare all kinds of pastries such as biscuits, cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, custards, ice creams and creams and sweeten them with foods like:

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Fruit such as ripe bananas, mangoes, persimmons, applesauce, or pears.sweet vegetables like pumpkin or sweet potato puree, carrot…dried fruits such as raisins, dates, figs or dried apricots.Other naturally sweet foods such as coconut, almonds, cashews or carob flour, which allow us to reduce sweeteners.

That allows the child develop a healthy relationship with food in the environment where you live and you will not be frustrated.

If we want to avoid sugars in the diet, it is important speak clearly with the rest of the family and friends and at daycare, if we take the child, and explain to them, what we want and why, as well as what alternatives can be offered to the child instead of sweets. For example cereal pancakes, wholemeal sticks, etc.

If the nursery offers cookies or sweets, we can bring a version prepared by us for our child. It is also convenient always carry a healthy snack with you for our son.

4 sugar-free sweet recipes for children

Here are four healthy pastry recipes ideal for younger children: easy to eat, simple and without added sugars other than the natural ones present in fruitsfresh or dried, that they carry.

1. Spelled and banana muffin

Preparation: 15 minutes – Cooking: 30 minutes

We can offer these cupcakes to children from 10-12 monthsdepending on whether they are already able to eat solids and we have already introduced gluten.

for the little ones We can cut them into pieces and the biggest ones will eat them with their hands.

Are ideal to take as a snack or breakfast and they also freeze well, so we can prepare more quantity and have a reserve for days in a hurry.

Ingredients (12 standard muffins or 30 mini muffins):

2 medium ripe bananas 2 eggs or 8 tablespoons of vegetable yogurt 1 teaspoon of vanilla 100 g of olive oil, coconut or melted butter 80 g of spelled flour 80 g of almond flour (or more spelled flour) 2 teaspoons of baking powder raisins or other chopped dried fruit, fresh blueberries (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.Peel the bananas and mash in a glass blender until obtaining a puree. You can also mash them with a fork.Add eggs or yogurtand the oil, and blend at low speed until a smooth cream is obtained.In a bowl mix the flours with a pinch of salt and the baking powder. Add the liquid mixture and mix well.Fill the muffin cups and bake 25-30 minutes. Stockfood

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2. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Preparation: 15 minutes – Cooking: 15 minutes

This recipe for homemade cookies is one that we can offer to the little ones even before a year. They are ideal to take for a snack in the park, if we are traveling by car or for a walk. They also do a good breakfast, if the we accompany with some ingredient rich in protein like yogurt or a little tahini or peanut or almond butter.

Ingredients (12 cookies):

190 g rolled oats 2 teaspoons of baking powder a pinch of salt a teaspoon of cinnamon 220 g of raisins 110 g of coconut oil or butter 1 egg or 3 tablespoons of ground flax

Preparation:

If you are using flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water in a bowl and let stand. Preheat the oven at 175 degrees.With the help of a hand blender or with the help of a blender grind 100 g oat flakes into fine flour. Pour into a bowl and add the rest of the flakes (90g), the baking powder, a pinch of salt and the cinnamon and mix well.In a blender or with the help of a hand blender, crush the raisins, the oil or the butter and the egg or flax egg.Add the liquid mixture to the dry mix and mix well.Line a baking tray with parchment paper or spread with a little oil. With a tablespoon, make balls with the dough, place it on the tray and shape it into a cookie with wet hands. Bake 15 minutes.

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3. Persimmon and carob custard

Preparation: 10 minutes

Persimmons are a delicious fruit, which is in season in the fall and is rich in vitamins A and C, very important for the development of children.

This custard contains carob, as it very young children should not be given chocolate for its caffeine content. But we can use carob instead, which in addition to being caffeine free, contains calcium, zinc and other minerals.

Ingredients (4 servings):

3 ripe persimmons 120 g Greek-type yogurt 3 tablespoons carob powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Preparation:

open the persimmons in half and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Place the pulp in a blender or a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and shreds well.Taste the taste. Divide into four glasses and let it cool in the fridge.

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4. Carrot cake with dates

Preparation: 20 minutes – Rest: 10 minutes – Cooking: 50 minutes

A very juicy cake naturally sweetened with dates and applesauce.

If we decorate it with the cream, we can use it as a cake for the first birthdays.

Ingredients:

250 g pitted dates 120 ml vegetable drink 250 g carrots 180 g whole spelled flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 4 teaspoons baking powder 175 ml applesauce or 3 eggs 110 ml olive oil or melted coconut oil a pinch of salt

For the cream:

150 g raw cashew nuts 90 g pitted dates 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract zest of half a lemon 125 ml vegetable drink

Preparation:

cover the dates with 120 ml of vegetable drink and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then blend together with the drink until you get a puree. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.Peel and grate the carrot.In a bowl Mix the flour with the baking powder, salt and cinnamon.in another container Mix the date paste with the oil, the apple compote or the eggs and the carrot. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well. Fill a cake mold previously greased with a little oil and bake 45-50 minutes or until a stick inserted comes out dry (depends on the size of the mold). Let cool. While the cake is being made, prepare the cream. In a bowl, cover the dates and cashews with hot water and let stand for about 30 minutes. Discard the soaking water.Place the dates and soaked cashews in a blender together with the vanilla extract, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and add 125 ml of vegetable drink. Blend with the rest of the ingredients. If it’s too thick, add a couple tablespoons of water or vegetable drink.decorate the cake with the cream.