Spinach Apple Baby Puffs
on Sep 26, 2021, Updated Apr 20, 2024
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This homemade spinach apple baby puffs recipe is a great mess-free snack and perfect for on the go! They are dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free making them a great allergy-friendly option!
I’m always looking for easy snack ideas and find that tasty, healthy snacks for babies are so hard to come by. These baby puffs are so easy to make and I guarantee that your little ones will go through them so quickly! I went with a spinach-apple combo, but you can substitute them with any fruits or veggies that you have on hand! If you’re looking for more fun ways to get some spinach into your little one’s diet, check out my list of favorite spinach recipes for kids!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this spinach apple baby puffs recipe:
- Rolled Oats: I love baking with rolled oats as they are packed with nutrition! Gluten-free rolled oats make these spinach apple puffs gluten-free.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: The main source of sweetness for these puffs.
- Spinach: For added vitamins and minerals. Spinach gives these puffs that fun, bright green color!
- Egg Yolk: Used as a binder to help the puffs maintain their shape.
- Oil: I used extra light-tasting olive oil. Any other mild-tasting oil works as well.
- Baking Powder: Leavening agent to help the puffs rise.
- Cinnamon: Warm spice for added flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Eggs: For an egg-free version, substitute the egg yolk with a flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water and letting it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to set and thicken.
- Applesauce/Spinach: You may replace this fruit/veggie combo with any puree! If you are using a different fruit and/or veggie combo, puree them first and measure out ½ cup of that puree to blend together with the other ingredients. Check out this strawberry kiwi version and this pumpkin banana variation!
- Oil: I used extra light-tasting olive oil in this recipe, but you may use coconut oil or any other oil.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Blend all ingredients together until smooth (Image 1).
STEP 2: Pour the mixture into a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the corner tip cut off (Image 2).
STEP 3: Pipe out small dime-sized circles onto a pan lined with parchment paper (Image 3) and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 250 degrees and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes.
STEP 4: Let them fully cool and serve!
Storage Instructions
Store these puffs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You may also freeze these puffs and thaw at room temperature prior to serving, but the overall texture may vary slightly.
Tips For Success
- These puffs do not melt in your mouth the same way the store-bought ones do (since those are usually freeze-dried), but they are pretty soft and easy for baby to break down! They break down pretty easily with saliva but use your discretion to decide if you are comfortable offering them to your baby. Try testing a few in your mouth first to see how easily they break down!
- The batter should be a smooth consistency, similar to that of a pancake batter. It should be easy to pipe out into small circles. There should be no chunks in the batter.
- When it comes to baking these puffs, oven temperatures vary, so check on them a few minutes after lowering the temperature. You will know that they are done when they are dry to the touch and leave no sticky residue on your fingers.
- Depending on the type of blender you are using, it might be good to blend the oats into a flour first before adding in the other ingredients. This recipe makes a small amount of batter, so it might be hard for a larger blender to break down the oats with such little batter. I love using this nutribullet blender to blend the ingredients into a smooth batter!
Other Spinach Recipes You’ll Love
Spinach Banana Muffins
Spinach Banana Waffles
Spinach Banana Smoothie (Hulk Smoothie)
Spinach Crepes
Spinach Apple Puffs
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup spinach, packed
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tbsp oil, mild tasting
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the corner tip cut off.
- Pipe out small dime-sized circles onto a pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the oven and let the puffs sit in the oven for an additional 12 to 15 minutes (or until the edges slightly begin to brown). They will continue to bake from the residual oven heat.
- Let them cool and store in an airtight container at room temp!
Notes
- These puffs do not melt in your mouth the same way the store-bought ones do (since those are usually freeze-dried), but they are pretty soft and easy for baby to break down! They break down pretty easily with saliva but use your discretion to decide if you are comfortable offering them to your baby. Try testing a few in your mouth first to see how easily they break down!
- The batter should be a smooth consistency, similar to that of a pancake batter. It should be easy to pipe out into small circles. There should be no chunks in the batter.
- When it comes to baking these puffs, oven temperatures vary, so check on them a few minutes after lowering the temperature. You will know that they are done when they are dry to the touch and leave no sticky residue on your fingers.
- Depending on the type of blender you are using, it might be good to blend the oats into a flour first before adding in the other ingredients. This recipe makes a small amount of batter, so it might be hard for a larger blender to break down the oats with such little batter. I love using this nutribullet blender to blend the ingredients into a smooth batter!
Great recipe! Tastes great and super easy to make. Mom snacked on a bunch of them so I’m really glad I doubled the recipe because I wanted to blend it in the vitamix. Will definitely make again.
Question: How many days are these good for at room temp?
I’m so glad you liked them! They are good for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temp😊
Super easy to make and my son LOVES to eat them. Great recipe, thank you!
I’m making this right now after my 1 year old ate up the pumpkin puffs recipe. We both loved it! I was wondering if using oat flour instead of rolled oats will produce the same consistency?
Hi Mishal! I’m so glad that your little one enjoyed the pumpkin flavor! Yes, you can use equal parts oat flour in place of the rolled oats😊
Finally made these and my baby and 4 year old LOVE them! Can’t make them fast enough. Happy to have something easy to make that they enjoy and I feel good about giving to them. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that!😊
I’m so excited to try this recipe for my little girl! Can you freeze the batter?
Hi Jessica! I don’t recommend freezing the batter, but you can try freezing the puffs in an airtight container after making them😊
My one year old loves these… and so does my seven year pup! Did you freeze the puffs? If so how long do they last? Do you heat them up again or thaw until room temp?
Hi Cristina! I’m so glad to hear that they turned out well! I don’t usually freeze them since they don’t make a super large batch, but you could definitely freeze them in an airtight container/ziploc bag and let them sit out to thaw at room temp to serve😊
What happens if you leave out the egg yolk?
Hi Cristina! The egg yolk is needed for binding and moisture so I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out, but you can swap it with a flax egg if your little one has an egg allergy!
I made a batch of these this morning and my 1 year old ate most of them! I’m already making a second batch.
Easy to make, tasty, and it has a vegetable!
I’m so glad to hear that your little one enjoyed these, Erika!😊
I haven’t made these yet, but my little guy is allergic to oats! Can regular flour be used instead? Thanks!
Hi Bailey! Unfortunately normal flour doesn’t work well with these puffs, the texture is completely different when baked. Something like quinoa flakes may possibly work as a swap, but I haven’t tested this myself so I can say for sure how they’d turn out.
I make these every week now! Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy them!😊
I love these! They’re so easy and my 8mth old baby and 10mth old nephew love them! Even my husband loves them, I have to keep taking them away from him. My question is this: how long are they good for?
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these puffs, Carissa! They are good in an airtight container stored at room temperature for up to 5 days😊