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.

Breakfast is an important meal that gives you energy to get your day started. But often a major food group is missing from your breakfast plate or bowl... veggies! Join us for our #veggiebudsbreakfastclub challenge for the month of February: include at least one veggie in your first meal of the day. To give you some inspiration we've compiled some of our favorite veggie-packed breakfasts! We've broken them down into 3 categories: Savory, Baked Goods, and Smoothies. Each recipe below includes veggies, is delicious, and is simple to make!

Sweet Potato Quiche: This tasty quiche is packed with veggies and bacon (optional) and swaps the standard crust with shredded sweet potato instead for an extra veggie boost.
Savory Corn Pancakes: These savory pancakes from Happy Kids Kitchen are great with avocado or spread with a little cream cheese and made into sandwiches. Yum!
Sweet Potato Toasts​: These sweet potato toasts from Eat Pretty Darling are so versatile because they are delicious both sweet and savory. That’s what makes them the perfect toast substitute!
Rainbow Fried Rice: This rainbow fried rice from Happy Kids Kitchen is colorful, easy, healthy, and delicious for breakfast!
Vegetable Frittata: Healthy Little Foodies has a great kid-approved and veggie-packed frittata recipe, make it ahead and reheat in the morning.
Cauliflower & Cheese Muffins: Be sure to let your kiddos know that their yummy egg muffins have some "hidden" cauliflower inside, recipe from My Kids Lick The Bowl.
5-Ingredient Bacon & Broccoli Egg Cups: These are a great grab-and-go breakfast option from The Natural Nurturer.
Carrot Banana Protein Oatmeal: This oatmeal from The Natural Nurturer is full of nothing but the good stuff and is super easy to make!
Veggie Oatmeal: Happy Healthy Casa has some great options for veggie-packed oatmeal including how to incorporate zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, squash, sweet potato, and spinach!

Carrot Cake Muffin Tops: 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. Recipe by Happy Kids Kitchen.
One-Bowl Sweet Potato Pancakes: These pancakes from Happy Kids Kitchen are a great way to add some extra nutrients into your morning!
No-Bake Pumpkin Energy Balls: These no-bake pumpkin energy balls from Stephanie Middleberg are tasty, and they freeze well so they're a perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack for your kiddos.
Green French Toast Sticks: Enjoy this delicious kid-friendly way to "sneak" in some spinach from Happy Kids Kitchen! Little chefs will know that greens are in this fun breakfast, but they sure won't be able to taste them.
Outrageous Orange Granola: This granola from Eat Pretty Darling is packed with pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrots- so much orange veggie goodness!
Sweet Spinach Muffins: These kid-favorite muffins from Super Healthy Kids are 100% whole wheat, refined-sugar-free, and packed with fresh spinach!
Banana Spinach Pancake Pizza: This pancake pizza from The Natural Nurturer is a perfectly delicious way to serve up veggies for breakfast! Sweetened entirely with fruit and loaded with spinach.

Tropical Carrot Smoothie: ​Happy Kids Kitchen has developed a tropical vacation in a glass! Kids will love measuring and adding ingredients to the blender, helping to chop the carrot, and pressing the buttons on the blender.
Spinach Superhero Smoothie: This recipe from Motherhood and Meals is called "superhero smoothie" because just as superheroes in stories fight crime, the spinach in this smoothie helps fight off illness!
​Ants on a Log Smoothie: Adding celery to a smoothie with the addition of peanut butter in a tasty protein-and-veggie packed breakfast! Recipe from Motherhood and Meals.
Vitamin C Immune Boosting Smoothie: This smoothie from The Natural Nurturer is made with strawberry, banana, red bell pepper and is the perfect way to start your day!
Cauliflower Strawberry Banana Smoothie: Just 4 ingredients! Enjoy this simple and delicious smoothie from Live Eat Learn.

These chocolate treats are so yummy no one will know they are packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients from black beans and spinach. Even though you can’t taste the spinach it is really important that your child helps make this recipe so you aren’t hiding the veggies. Maybe making brownies with spinach will entice your little one to try spinach in other ways.

Makes 9 Brownies
INGREDIENTS

• 1 can black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained well
  
• 2 cups baby spinach
  
• 2 large eggs or flax “eggs”
  
• 1/4 cup oil
  
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener
  
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons quick oats or 1/4 cup flour (any kind)
  
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
   
2. Add all ingredients to a food processor, reserving half of the chocolate chips for the top. Blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated then blend again if necessary.
   
3. Spread batter into the prepared baking pan then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake until set, about 25 minutes. Cool then cut into squares.

You’ve probably heard of cauliflower pizza crust, but did you know you can make your own veggie pizza crust with just a few ingredients? Little chefs will love to help make this kid-favorite featuring broccoli as the star ingredient. Make sure to save the little “sprinkles” of broccoli that fall onto the cutting board as you cut the broccoli into florets. They are perfect for adding a little broccoli goodness to the top of the pizzas or any other dish. I made the crusts mini rounds in this recipe, but feel free to form the broccoli mixture into any flat shape that you’d like (baking time may vary).

Makes 14 to 16 3-inch pizzas
INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups broccoli florets
  
• 2 large eggs*
  
• 1 1/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese (or dairy-free alternative) divided
  
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
  
• Toppings, such as olives, chopped bell peppers, or tomatoes

*To make the pizza crusts egg-free, substitute 2 tablespoons of flax meal mixed with 5 tablespoons of water.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. Add broccoli to a pot with a cup of water. Bring up to a simmer then lower heat and cover with a lid. Steam broccoli until fork tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Drain broccoli then spread out on a clean kitchen towel and allow to cool.
   
3. Once broccoli is cooled, pat with the towel to make sure it is completely dry. Place broccoli in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add eggs, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, and salt.
   
4. Pulse ingredients in the food processor until everything is well combined and broccoli is finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the food processor then pulse 2 to 3 more times.
   
5. Remove food processor blade and set aside. Scoop one tablespoon of the broccoli mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and form into an even, flat round. Do this free-from or use a round cookie cutter as a guide. Repeat using all of the broccoli mixture.
   
6. Bake crusts until golden brown around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Top crusts with sauce, cheese, and any other desired toppings. Return to oven until cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Enjoy warm.

November is Beet Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy kid-approved recipe from Katie at Eat Pretty Darling! You can find more recipes and tons of fun beet activities in our Beet eBook, check it out here.

​Applesauce is a family favorite in our house! Making it homemade makes it even better. I will admit, beets aren’t something I enjoy but this is one of the ways I eat them. The sweetness of the apples helps balance out the earthiness of the beet. And the beet turns it such a beautiful color!
​
Ingredients

• 4 large apples, cored and cut into chunks (peeled optional)
• 1 small beet
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Place a pot on the stove top over high heat and add the apples, beet, cinnamon and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low, covered, for 30 minutes or until the apples are tender.
2. Put all ingredients into a blender and pulse until desired consistency (be careful blending the hot liquid!). Place in a sealed container and chill in the fridge. Eat within 3 days.

It officially feels like winter here in Minnesota and this chilly weather has me craving seasonal comfort food. We always like to pack extra veggies into meals here at Veggie Buds Club so I hope you enjoy this tasty spin on quiche! I chose to fill my quiche with wild rice, fresh spinach, bacon, and goat cheese but quiche is such a versatile meal, feel free to omit or add a wide variety of veggies, meat, and cheese.
I made the quiche start to finish with my 4 year old son and he tried the ingredients as we went along (grated sweet potato! spinach! bacon! wild rice! even goat cheese, not a fan but he tried it!).
If you'd like to follow along as me and my kiddos make veggies fun and tasty through recipes, crafts, and growing projects please join our Facebook Group- our community is fantastic!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup cooked wild rice
• ½ cup cooked bacon crumbles
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• ½ cup goat cheese crumbles
• 10 eggs
• Salt and pepper, to season

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch pie pan using cooking spray or butter.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and then shred them using the wide option on a box grater. You want to yield approximately 4 cups of grated sweet potato.
3. Place grated sweet potatoes between paper towels and wring out excess moisture over the sink.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the grated sweet potato, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Press the grated sweet potato mixture into the pie pan to create the crust.
6. Bake the sweet potato crust in the oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp. Check on the crust half-way to ensure that the edges are not burning, if they are place aluminum foil on top for the rest of the bake time.
7. Meanwhile, make your filling. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and add the cooked wild rice, cooked bacon, fresh spinach, goat cheese, and a pinch of salt.
8. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
9. Add the filling to the crust and place back in the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the egg is cooked through.

This is the perfect recipe to make with both beet skeptics and beet lovers because what child (or adult) doesn’t get excited by donuts, right? Chocolate and beets together might sound a little strange at first, but the naturally earthy flavor of beets matches really well with rich, sweet chocolate. Make sure to get all the ingredients out and ready to go (even measure some ahead for younger children) so you can have more fun and less mess baking up some donuts together. Don’t have a donut pan? You can cook the batter in a regular or mini muffin pan to make donut muffins.

Makes 12 large donuts
INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup beet purée*
• 2 large eggs**
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/3 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup milk (any kind)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat, all-purpose or gluten-free flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional glaze:

• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
  
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut or vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 12-hole donut pan or muffin tin.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together beet purée, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, milk, and vanilla.
   
3. In another bowl, whisk cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined.
   
4. Scoop batter into a large resealable plastic bag or reusable piping bag. Snip off the corner of the bag and pipe batter into prepared pan, filling the holes 2/3 of the way full.
   
5. Bake until donuts are puffed up and dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool completely before removing donuts from the pan.
   
6. To make glaze, melt chocolate chips then stir in the oil. Drizzle donuts with melted chocolate. Set aside or chill until chocolate hardens. Keep donuts in an air-tight container on the counter for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

*Make beet purée by blending 8 to 9 ounces of cooked, peeled beets, about 3 to 4 medium-sized beets.
**Substitute 2 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 5 tablespoons water for an egg-free version.