Baby-Friendly Apple and Mango Muffins

With my husband and the two older kids off to the waterpark—one of the few ways to survive a Texas summer—our baby and I stayed behind. A trip to the waterpark wouldn’t have suited his cranky mood.

I noticed three old, soft, and bruised apples languishing in the kitchen. Rather than let them go to waste, I decided to turn them into something delicious: muffins.

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Jump to recipe

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So I consulted with my ChatGPT buddy-

I have three red apples that are a bit old help me create a recipe for apple muffins for a baby. Ideally 6 muffins. I also have cinnamon. It shouldn't be too sweet

ChatGPT came up with the following-

Only problem was- I didn't have any appelsauce.

I don't have applesauce

So it suggested I make my own-

Feeling lazy and dealing with a grumpy 10-month-old, making my own applesauce wasn't appealing, and the thought of extra dishes was even less so. A quick look in the pantry revealed a pouch of mango puree.

So I asked ChatGPT if I can use it instead-

I have mango puree can I use that instead of Applesauce?

And sure enough, it didn't disappoint. I didn't have milk so used heavy whipping cream instead. I'm sure my boy won't mind :-)

Yes, you can use mango puree instead of applesauce in the recipe. It will add a nice tropical flavor to the muffins. Here’s the adjusted recipe:

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Servings: ~10

Preparation and baking time: 40 minutes

Calories per serving (according to ChatGPT): 170 calories

Baby-Friendly Apple and Mango Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 small red apples (or 2 medium-sized apples), peeled, cored, and finely grated

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup mango puree

• 1/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

• 1 large egg (or 1 flax egg for a vegan option)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with 6 muffin liners or lightly grease the muffin cups.

2. Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and finely grate the apples. Set them aside.

3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

4. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the mango puree, milk, oil (or melted butter), egg (or flax egg), and vanilla extract. Mix well.

5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

6. Add the grated apples: Gently fold in the grated apples until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

7. Fill the muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 6 prepared muffin cups.

8. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

9. Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

These muffins will have a delightful combination of apple and mango flavors, making them a tasty and nutritious option for your baby. Enjoy!

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Below are some pictures of my process. I don't follow directions very well :-)

I did end up with more muffins. Perhaps my apples were big, or I put too much mango puree. Kiddo approved.