Two easy, nourishing family bakes from nutrition expert Lucinda Miller, with free-from swaps for every one

Lucinda Miller has spent years helping families feed children who learn and think differently, and her advice starts closer to home than you might expect. “I’d say that the first step in learning to nourish your kids is looking after yourself so that you’re strong, calm and resilient, both in the short and long term,” she says. “As parents supporting complex kids we can become hypervigilant and easily overwhelmed.”

For Lucinda, that meant a warm bath before bed, which became her sanctuary time. “If you set out to feed your kids a healthier diet, then do the same for yourself, and eat as a family whenever possible. So you’re all getting nourished by the good stuff.”

Apple and cinnamon cloud cookies

The classic combination of apple and cinnamon gives these light, fluffy cookies their delicious taste and aroma. They are beautifully soft and melt in the mouth, making them suitable for anyone who struggles to chew their food. They are also gluten- and grain-free and packed with protein, fibre, iron and choline. Gram (chickpea) flour is easy to find, or you can blitz dried chickpeas in a food processor with a grinding blade for 2 minutes to make a fine flour.

A smiling child on a blue chair holding a soft apple and cinnamon cookie topped with pink icing

Makes 16

Ingredients

  • 120g butter
  • 110g maple syrup
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, preferably free-range
  • 160g gram (chickpea) flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp sea salt flakes

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper (or, if you don’t have multiple trays or oven shelves, work in batches).
  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, then set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Put the maple syrup, egg and egg yolk into a mixing bowl and whisk with a fork. Pour in the slightly cooled butter and whisk everything together until frothy and creamy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, diced apple, cinnamon and salt.
  4. Tip the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to form a loose dough. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the baking trays, spaced well apart, as the cookies will spread as they cook. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned all over and firm at the edges. Let them cool slightly on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further and firm up. They are delicious eaten warm too!
  5. Store for up to 2 days in an airtight container. The cookies can also be frozen, preferably on the day they are baked, for up to 3 months.

Dairy- and egg-free version: replace the flour, eggs and butter with a 400g can of drained chickpeas and ½ cup of almond butter, peanut butter or tahini. This makes cookies with a slightly different texture: denser, chewier and less fluffy.

Free from notes: for dairy-free, swap the butter for coconut oil or a dairy-free spread. Naturally gluten-free, nut-free, sesame-free, soy-free and vegetarian.

Raspberry cinnamon porridge

This is warming and comforting: creamy, protein-dense porridge flavoured with lightly cooked fresh fruit and sweet cinnamon. Cracking an egg into the oats as they cook is a brilliant idea. “No one will taste the difference but you get the lovely benefits of the protein, iron and choline that eggs contain,” says Lucinda. “This is one of my key hacks for clients who need to eat more protein at breakfast but are not keen on eating an egg served on its own.”

A ceramic bowl of creamy porridge with diced pear, almond butter and raspberries, beside a wooden-handled knife

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 10g butter
  • 1 pear, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 8 raspberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 50g rolled oats
  • 240ml milk of choice, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 1 egg, preferably free-range
  • 2 tsp maple syrup (optional)

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and lightly fry the diced pear with the cinnamon for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the raspberries.
  2. Add the oats, milk and almond butter, then crack the egg into the pan, stirring well to combine everything. Cook over a gentle heat for 4 to 5 minutes until thick and creamy, stirring every minute or so.
  3. Pour into two bowls and drizzle over a little extra milk to cool it and loosen the consistency. Add some maple syrup if you like a little extra sweetness.
  4. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Reheat gently, adding more milk as needed.

Free from notes: for dairy-free, swap the butter for coconut oil or olive oil and use a dairy-free milk. For nut-free, use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter. For egg-free, leave out the egg. For gluten-free, use gluten-free oats, quinoa, millet or buckwheat flakes. Naturally sesame-free, soy-free and vegetarian.

Cover of Brain Brilliance by Lucinda Miller

These recipes are from Brain Brilliance: 60 Nourishing Recipes and a Nutritional Toolkit for Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism and All Neurodivergent Kids by Lucinda Miller (Quadrille, £24). Follow Lucinda at @naturedockids.

This article contains affiliate links. If you buy a book through one of them, The Green Parent may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support our independent magazine.

The link has been copied!