Hello lovelies

Trust you are keeping well with your little champs!

If you don’t mind giving your little ones fried food once in a while then you need to give this coconut banana puff a try. This is one of the most popular snacks in my house because it is easy to put together and the ingredients are always available in the pantry.

Let me tell you a secret today; I love coconut! I always have coconut at home either grated in the freezer or whole in the veggie basket. One of the reasons I like using coconut is its health benefit.

Here are some health benefits of coconut for children;

It contains calcium which helps in building strong bones.

It is hydrating (coconut water).

It can help treat urinary tract infections.

It can boost your child’s metabolism.

Good for the skin.

If you have not tried fresh coconut water in your little one smoothie, I think you should.

The ingredients are easy to get but if you can’t here are some substitutes you can use;

All-purpose flour: you can use whole wheat flour or whole meal flour (if you are using whole wheat you will need to add a little water).

Date paste: you can use sugar or honey.

Coconut milk: you can use water, cow milk, or nut milk.

Baking soda: you can use 1 tablespoon yogurt or 1 teaspoon vinegar. If both are not available leave them out your puff will come out fine without it but a little dense.

You can add more sugar or honey if your little ones like sweet snacks, mine does not so the sweetness is ok for them.

Those are the ingredients you can substitute.

Let’s get into the recipe! This recipe serves three kids and two adults.

INGREDIENTS

DRY

21/2 cups{314 grams} all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon {4.5 grams} baking powder

1/4 teaspoon {1.45 grams} baking soda

1 cup {125 grams} grated coconut

WET

3 ripe bananas

1 cup {250 ml} coconut milk or water

3 tablespoons {37.5 grams} date paste

Oil to fry

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mash banana with a fork or potato masher, and add the paste or honey.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl, and add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients.
3. Gradually add the milk and mix as you add to form a batter. Mix well to get rid of any lumps.
4. Put it aside to rest for 10 minutes.
5. With the help of a spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain the oil in a paper towel before serving.

Useful tips

• You can use your hand to scoop into balls if you don’t want to use a spoon or ice cream scoop.
• Make sure the oil is not too hot. You can turn off the stove before scooping the first batch into the hot oil.
• If the batter is watery add flour, if too thick add water.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you make this recipe please tag me on Instagram at @kiddiesplates