These chewy granola bars are perfect for breakfast or for an on-the-go snack! They are similar in texture and flavor to commercially available Lara Bars but are even tastier as they're home-made and more eco-friendly as they don't require any packaging: a win-win!
You can find more kid-friendly carrot recipes and activities that are guaranteed to make carrots tasty for your kiddos in our Facebook Group, request to join here.

Celebrate carrot month by making this sweet, creamy dip filled with carrots! Kids can help peel and chop the carrots then measure and add all the ingredients to the food processor or blender. You can choose a few different dippers to see which combo you like best. Fruit, pretzels, or even veggies like celery and carrots sticks are delicious in the dip.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 to 3 large carrots
  
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or non-dairy alternative
  
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice, optional
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• Dippers such as sliced apples, carrot sticks, celery, pretzels, and graham crackers

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel carrots then cut into a small dice. Measure 1 1/2 cups diced carrot and add to a small pot. Cover carrots with water and simmer on the stove top until very soft, about 8 minutes.
   
2. Drain carrots really well and place on a paper or kitchen towel to dry. Set aside to cool or place in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
   
3. Once carrots are cool, add carrots and remaining ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice to make sure everything is well incorporated. Scoop dip into a bowl and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top, if desired. Serve chilled.

​Katie Blauser is the mama of two boys, wife of a picky eater, and food lover at Eat Pretty Darling. She believes in making food fun, healthy, & pretty! Katie’s not only outnumbered by boys in her little family, but also by picky eaters. She loves trying to find new ways to get both kids and adults to eat healthy while making food pretty yummy, pretty healthy, and pretty fun! Find Katie on Instagram (@eatprettydarling), where she shares colorful and cute food ideas for both picky and adventurous eaters.

Carrot month calls for a monochromatic snack! This orange hummus made with carrots instead of garbanzo beans is slightly sweet and a pretty shade of orange. It’s perfect for dipping or spreading on a wrap.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• Olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• 3 tablespoons Tahini
  
• 1 lime, juiced
  
• 5 tablespoons water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 1. On a baking sheet, toss carrots in olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Roast until the carrots are tender, stirring halfway through, about 25 minutes. Let cool.
   
2. Add roasted carrots, garlic powder, tahini, lime juice and water to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Slowly add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil with the food processor running slowly.
   
3. Serve with carrots, bell peppers, pretzels, or pita chips.

October is Pumpkin Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy recipe from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen! You can find more recipes and hours of fun pumpkin activities that are guaranteed to make pumpkins tasty for your kiddos in our Pumpkin eBook, check it out here.

Need a quick, easy, and delicious snack that celebrates the veggie of the month? Try this sweet, refreshing smoothie that tastes just like pumpkin pie. Kids will love to help by measuring the ingredients, adding them to the blender, and working those blender buttons. This recipe also includes some optional frozen cauliflower for an extra veggie-boost. If you want to make the smoothie even more festive for Halloween, instructions on how to create easy Jack-O-Lantern cups are below. 

Makes 3 8-ounce smoothies
INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, homemade or canned
  
• 1 banana, frozen
  
• 1/2 cup frozen riced cauliflower (optional)
  
• 1/3 cup plain Greek, regular, or dairy-free yogurt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or additional cinnamon
  
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 1 pitted date
  
• 1/2 cup milk (any kind)
  
• 1 cup ice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk to make a thinner smoothie or blend in more ice to thicken the smoothie.
2. Pour into cups and serve with a fun, reusable straw.

​
You can make Jack-O-Lantern cups two ways: 1) If using a plastic cup, draw a jack-o-lantern face directly onto the cup with a black marker. Sharpie permanent markers seems to work best. 2) If using a glass jar or cup, cut triangle “eyes” and a mouth shape out of black construction paper. Use tape or a glue stick to attach the paper to the glass (the paper easily peels off and glue washes off).

September is Bean Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy recipe from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen! You can find more recipes and hours of fun corn activities that are guaranteed to get your kids excited about eating beans in our "Bonkers for Beans!" eBook, check it out here.

My kids love sweet corn but sometimes they have a hard time eating it. They want to have the whole cob but their small hands make it tricky to eat. Try slicing the cobs into smaller rounds and transforming them into sunflowers! The cobs are smaller and they become a special treat.

Ingredients

• 1 corn cob, cooked
• Green toothpicks
• Black olives

Instructions

1. Slice the corn cob into one inch rounds. Stick a toothpick in one end and top with a black olive in the center.
2. They can pick it up by the toothpick or just hold it in their hands to nibble around the edges and eat the “petals” of the sunflower.​

We hope you enjoy this simple and all-natural caramel popcorn! Popped in coconut oil and sweetened with maple syrup and a little bit of vanilla, it's the perfect afternoon snack or popcorn treat for your next movie night. If you're making this with kids, you can enjoy it as a sweet snack while reading the classic children's book, "The Popcorn Book" by Tomie dePaola. 
For more delicious corn recipes and children's corn crafts, growing projects, activity sheets and more, be sure to check out Veggie Buds Club's "Crazy for Corn!" digital eBook. 

Fresh corn is so versatile! It is delicious in cornbread, corn muffins, corn soups, and corn salads, so why not make a kid favorite, pancakes, and try them out in both sweet and savory ways. Take pancakes beyond breakfast and serve them as a snack or a side dish at lunch or dinner. You can mix up the base pancake batter and really add in anything you'd like. For the sweet pancakes, add in fruit, like blueberries or diced strawberries. For a savory pancake, keep the batter as written or add soft herbs like chives or chopped cilantro. You could even add in extra veggies like shredded zucchini or diced bell peppers. Serve sweet pancakes as is or with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. The savory pancakes are great with avocado or spread with a little cream cheese and made into sandwiches. Try both recipes and come tell us whether you are on team sweet or on team savory!

The top of the muffin is the best part, right? These wholesome treats are a combination of a tender muffin and an oatmeal breakfast cookie. We love them for breakfast or a snack at my house, and this carrot cake version is a must try. Have your little chef help grate the carrot, measure the ingredients, and mix everything together in a big bowl. The muffin tops are great as is but sometimes I also like to mix in a ¼ cup of chopped walnuts and a ¼ cup of raisins to make them extra special. We really hope you enjoy this nutritious, carrot-packed treat!

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Makes 8 to 10 large muffin tops
Ingredients

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and end trimmed
  
• 1 ripe banana, mashed or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• 2 eggs*
  
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil
  
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• ¾ cup quick-cooking rolled oats 
  
• ¾ cup almond flour, oat flour, or whole wheat flour
  
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease with oil. 
   
2. Shred carrot on the smaller holes of a box grater until you get ¾ cup grated carrot. Add the carrot to a large bowl along with the mashed banana (or applesauce), eggs, oil, maple syrup, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
   
3. Add the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Stir in nuts and raisins, if using.
   
4. Scoop batter onto the prepared pan using a large cookie scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup. Flatten the tops of each mound slightly with the back of the scoop or cup.
   
5. Bake muffin tops until cooked through and golden brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Store cooled muffin tops in a container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

​*For an egg-free version, use 2 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 
  6 tablespoons of water.

​Katie Blauser is the mama of two boys, wife of a picky eater, and food lover at Eat Pretty Darling. She believes in making food fun, healthy, & pretty! Katie’s not only outnumbered by boys in her little family, but also by picky eaters. She loves trying to find new ways to get both kids and adults to eat healthy while making food pretty yummy, pretty healthy, and pretty fun! Find Katie on Instagram (@eatprettydarling), where she shares colorful and cute food ideas for both picky and adventurous eaters.

​Carrots are my oldest son’s favorite veggie! He loves how they crunch when he takes a bite. If your kiddos are still learning to like them, try making them into a fun flower shape! If you have a flower shaped mini cookie cutter, you could use that too. But all it takes is a few simple cuts and you will have a lovely bouquet.