Mini Apple & Pear "Pizzas": A Fun & Healthy Snack! {Recipe}

Our 34-month-old is not only an impressive eater, but she also loves helping out in the kitchen! As such, I recently stayed up way too late on Pinterest gathering healthy, kid-friendly food & cooking ideas to help cultivate her interest.

One of the neatest-looking "recipes" I came across was for apple sandwiches - colourful, all-natural, low-carb and definitely something a young kiddo could help make and would surely love to chow down on! A couple days later we set out to whip up a batch, but found our direction changing somewhat. First, we had both apples and pears lying around so we used one of each, and second, we found it quicker and easier to both make and eat the li'l guys when kept open-faced - i.e. "pizzas" instead of sandwiches! Finally, we got quite creative with the sauce and toppings. The result - total yumminess! My mom said they were reminiscent of healthy candy apples, and I think she hit the nail on the head with that one!

Mini Apple & Pear "Pizzas"

Prep Time: 10 minutes (even with a preschooler's help! ;)
Yield: About 12 mini pizzas - a good snack size for two kiddos, or one kiddo + mom!

Ingredients:

• One sweet apple (e.g. Royal Gala)
• One semi-firm pear (we like Bartlett but any should work)
• Natural nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.)
• Liquid honey (optional)
• A selection of raw, unsalted nuts and seeds (we like cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, and sometimes we sprinkle on some hemp hearts and/or chia seeds for an added healthy boost!)

Steps: 

1. Gather your ingredients. Building the pizzas is way easier (especially with a wee one) when you're not running around grabbing stuff midway through!
   
   
   
2. Ready your pizza "crusts"! Cut approximately 1/4" slices off opposing sides of the apple until you reach the core, and repeat with the pear. Eat (or save) the outermost slices as these will be too small and won't sit flat, and do the same with the remainder of the fruit after you finish slicing the opposing sides (unless you don't mind a few narrower, rectangular pizzas, in which case you can slice down the remaining sides too!) (Note - make sure your helper is a safe distance away and/or is acutely aware of knife safety for this step!)
   
   
   
3. Arrange crusts on plate(s) and spread a thin layer of nut butter on each one.
   
   
   
4. Drizzle a small amount of honey across all crusts. My daughter loves to help with this part!
5. Decorate your pizzas. Here's where your little sous chef can really shine! Have them press in, sprinkle and shake on the toppings to their heart's content - or until their hunger gets the better of them! ;)
6. Enjoy!!

What are your favourite creative snack ideas to make and enjoy with your little ones?