If you have toddlers and you travel with them, be it by car, plane or train, you have at some point googled this subject. And on every list op tips and tricks there is an entire paragraph dedicated to snacks. Not only to keep hungry travellers happy but also as a bargaining tool when said travellers refuse to go through the metal detector at the airport or fights the carseat belts.
Here’s the thing with snacks. No mini-traveller will accept carrot sticks as a bribe. And no parent will give hungry tummies a packet of gummy bears pretending it’s a meal (although… I can totally see how a situation could arise where this would be the only way forward…). If you want to keep things on the healthier side, you’re better off making the snacks yourself. But if you’re in the middle of packing and the munchkins want to help by throwing every possible item of clothing they own in your suitcase, the last thing you’ll want to do is spend a lot of time on baking “responsible” cookies. The effort required for these cookies is minimal. One bowl, one spoon, one scale (or 1 set of measuring spoons in Cups) and 3 minutes of elbow grease. Or take some time out from the holiday prep and get your mini-travellers involved. I’ve been making these oat cookies with my daughter since she mastered some sort of stirring motion around her first birthday.
The cookies are practically crumb free so no post-car journey vacuuming required. And if you add raisins instead of chocolate chips you will also arrive at your destination without chocolate fingers on your new T-shirt. I hope your travels this summer will not involve too much munchkin stress. And if you think you’re going to lose the will to ever travel again, just grab a cookie! Safe travels!
Oat and chocolate chip or raisin cookies (no refined sugar)
(makes 9 cookies)
Ingredients:
80g or 3/4 cups oats
40g or half of 3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
30ml or 1/8 cup honey
30ml or 1/8 cup maple syrup
30ml or 1/8 cup rapeseed oil (or another neutral tasting oil, no olive oil)
1/4tsp vanilla essence
1 banana, mashed, no lumps (for a more crunchy cookie, use 1/2 banana)
4 tbsp chocolate chips or raisins
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Using a wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
3. Spoon 1 tbsp of the mixture at a time onto the baking tray, making 3 rows of 3.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
5. Cool on a wire rack.
Note: These cookies do lose their crunch quickly even when stored in an airtight container.
ENJOY!
