The school holidays are fast approaching and the cries of ‘I’m hungry’ and ‘I’m bored’ will start. I love baking with my kids, I think it’s an important skill, and it also keeps them busy for a while! The problem I have with baking is that most of the things we bake are full of sugar, butter and chocolate.
I recently came across a super easy base recipe which I have been using for muffins and cakes, and it is perfect for kids as there are no fancy techniques needed. Just chuck the ingredients in a bowl and stir.

Once the base mixture is made, I like to divide the mixture into 2-3 bowls to make different flavours. This way each child (or adult) can choose what they would like in their muffins. Some of my favourites so far have been:
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- Banana and strawberry
- Banana and dark chocolate
- Pear and date
- Carrot and date

You can really put in anything you like. I have to say the pear and date have been my absolute favourite as the dates add a really lovely sweetness.
Another variation I have tried is replacing the yoghurt with ricotta. This worked well, however I couldn’t really taste much difference between the two.
This recipe is very versatile, you can make large muffins, mini muffins or cakes as it works really well in a loaf tin. The best part of all is that my ridiculously fussy kids actually love them!!


Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
½ cup plain yoghurt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup milk
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/160 degrees if fan-forced.
- Grease muffin tins or use paper patties if you prefer/or grease and line loaf tin.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined.
- Now it’s time to get creative and add your flavours!
Cooking Times
Mini muffins – I found these took around 16-18 minutes in my oven.
Large muffins – 25-28 minutes
Loaf – around 30 minutes
All ovens vary, so it’s best to check them regularly. They should be slightly golden on top when cooked and the knife/skewer should come out clean.
Once they are cooled, you can store in an air tight container, or if you don’t think you will eat them within the next 2-3 days, place in a zip lock back and keep in the freezer. This way they are perfect to pack in lunch boxes.

Enjoy!