Yay—apple crumble with your mini chef! Here’s a super simple, baby-friendly recipe plus a “stations” setup to keep the mess (mostly) under control.
Set up your stations (2–3 min)
- Baby Station: Large tray or mat, big mixing bowl, spoon, pre-measured “dump cups” (oats, flour), mashed banana/applesauce in a little cup, damp cloth, bib.
- Adult Station: Chopping board + knife, apples, butter/coconut oil, baking dish (about 20×20 cm), oven gloves.
- Assembly Station: The baking dish, a spoon for sprinkling, extra damp cloth.
Separate stations = fewer “wandering hands” and easy cleanup.
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 sweet apples (≈600 g), peeled if you like, finely diced
- 1–2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Optional: 1–2 tsp lemon juice
Crumble
- 80 g rolled oats (about 1 cup)
- 50 g oat flour or plain flour (about ½ cup)
- 40 g cold unsalted butter, cubed (≈3 tbsp) or 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 small ripe banana, mashed or 3–4 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- Optional for older kids/adults: 1–2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup (no honey under 1)
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan)
- Adult job: Peel (optional) and finely dice apples (~1 cm).
- Together: Add apples to the baking dish with water, cinnamon, and lemon juice if using. Let baby shake/sprinkle the cinnamon, fun sensory moment!
- Baby job: Tip pre-measured oats and flour into the mixing bowl.
- let baby mashed banana/applesauce.
- Together: Help baby squish and mix until clumpy (it’s okay if it’s not perfect—clumps bake beautifully).
- Baby job: Sprinkle the crumble over the apples and pat gently to level.
- Bake for 25–30 min until golden on top and the apples are bubbly.
- Cool for at least 15 min (hot fruit can burn little mouths).
- Serve:
- For new eaters (≈6–9 mo): mash a warm spoonful with a fork and thin with yogurt/milk as needed.
- For confident eaters: offer soft apple pieces and crumble “clumps” about chickpea-size.
Tips to keep mess low(ish)
- Use a tray or splash mat under Baby Station.
- Go with suction bowls and short-handled wood spoons.
- Pre-measure dry ingredients into tiny cups so baby just “dump and stir.”
- Keep a damp cloth within reach, fast wipe, less spread.
- Turn cleanup into a game: “Find the oats!” or “Two-wipe race!”
Make it yours
- Swap apples for pears, or add a handful of blueberries.
- Stir 1–2 tbsp ground flaxseed into the crumble for extra goodness.
- Dairy-free? Use coconut oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-free? Use GF-certified oats and oat flour.
Safety & notes
- Always supervise. Cut apples small and bake until very soft.
- No honey under 1 year.
- Watch allergens (dairy/gluten) and skip whole nuts for babies.
- Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days or freeze portions for 2 month
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