Oat Bran Applesauce Muffins

Originally I made these for some guests, but as I looked at the recipe, I thought Little Joy would enjoy these. I also had all these ingredients laying around, so it made it easy.

Let me warn you, Little Joy is way ahead on teething---she had 8 teeth completely in by 7-8 months so she is able to eat SOME things that require more chewing which means she can eat things that may normally be more appropriate for an older baby. These muffins could really cause a choking hazard as they are dry and have raisins (optional). If you little one does not chew things well yet, I would NOT recommend this. She tired these at 10 months, chewed them great and LOVED them. BONUS??? Baby can enjoy them along with Mom, Dad or any other guest!

ALLERGY WARNING: This recipe calls for whole eggs, if you suspect your child might have an egg allergy I would avoid this recipe. Also, when the whole egg is in a baked good, NORMALLY doctors will tell you it is ok since by the time you eat the food, there is little egg in it anyways.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 c Natural/Organic Oat Bran (I used Hodgson Mill)
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs or 4 egg whites (I used the whole egg)
• 1 c applesauce, chilled
• 4 Tbsp. butter (I think you could use olive oil, but this was all I had handy)
• Raisins (amount depends on how many you want in the muffins)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease muffin cups.
3. Blend together dry ingredients.
4. Add eggs, chilled applesauce, butter/olive oil and raisins. Mix until well-blended.
5. Spoon batter into muffin cups and let stand 10 minutes before cooking.
6. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Allow to cool completely before serving to baby and break into size peices appropriate for you baby; you may want to take out the raisins when feeding it to baby BUT the raisins are very soft after cooking.

Yield: 12 muffins

Miscellaneous: This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Hodgson Mill. I recommend serving this along with some fruit for breakfast or as a snack. Each muffin contains 4 grams of dietary fiber which is good for clogged tummies!

Timing: For us, 9-10 months but timing will depend on your baby's ability to chew/grind.

Storage: 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Difficulty: 2 out of 5. Its only not a one because it had more than 2 0r 3 ingredients. Super easy and doesnt make a mess!!!

Epicutie Rating: Yummy in the Tummy! Little Joy gobbled up several bites of the muffin AFTER she had eaten her full regular breakfast! I plan on making these for guests all the time now since I don't have to make her a separate breakfast.