There is nothing like a sweet treat at the end of meal or with a cuppa in the afternoon. These delicious air fryer dessert recipes are sure to impress the whole family.

From cookies to muffins and cakes to shortbread you’ll be spoiled for choice. We even have a Keto Brownie recipe on the list! And yes, air fryers actually do a good job of baking things!

Who doesn’t love a lemon drizzle cake? Best of all this lemon drizzle cake recipe from Super Gold Bakes has just 5 ingredients.

The result is a small but perfectly formed Lemon drizzle loaf. I also tried it with oranges and it was delicious!

These gooey, chewy, crumbly treats will be gobbled up in no time. It’s just as well that these air fryer chocolate chip cookies from Kitchen at Hoskins, only take 15 minutes to bake!

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Perfect for a healthy dessert or breakfast or even as a lunchbox treat! These air fryer blueberry muffins from Stay Snatched, are quick and easy to make. Ready in just 15 minutes, this a great recipe for the kids to help with too.

With just 3 ingredients, these air fryer donuts from The Big Mans World are sure to become a firm favourite.

Grab your melted chocolate or powdered sugar and sprinkles and let the kids have fun decorating!

These air fryer Keto chocolate brownies from Butter Together taste amazing!

With an oozy fudgey centre and a crunch from the nuts, you can whip them up in just 20 minutes. The only problem is the adults will love them just as much as the kids!

This has quickly become my go to air fryer banana bread recipe when I have bananas that are too ripe for fussy kids to eat!

It comes from Scrummy Lane and you can double up the ingredients to make a 2nd loaf if you have a larger air fryer.

If you’ve never tried air fryer scones, then this recipe from Cooking Perfected is the one to start with.

You should be able to make enough scones to feed roughly six people without needing to adjust the recipe. Then try lots of different toppings from jam to curd to smoked salmon!

This traditional Scottish shortbread recipe comes from Taste Of Home and works just as well in a regular oven as it does in the air fryer.

With just 3 ingredients, it is a good recipe to get little ones started on their baking journey and makes a wonderful gift for family and friends too.

You can make it in usual way or try out cookie cutters to make interesting shapes!

I have a glut of apples every Autumn and this recipe for air fryer apple fritters from Wine a Lot are perfect for using them up.

My daughter loves peanut butter so I was delighted to find (and test) this recipe for air fryer peanut butter cookies from Six Vegan Sisters.

As we are not vegan, we used regular butter and milk, but a vegan friend also tested the recipe for us and give it the thumbs up!

I hope these recipes inspire you to use your air fryer to create some delicious air fryer desserts for the family. Happy baking!

Ready in just 30 minutes, this salmon recipe uses McCormack Family Farms Energise Super Mix along with potatoes, hot smoked salmon fillets, onions and cheese.

It can be cooked as directed or done from scratch in the air fryer. Add a soft boiled or poached egg to each portion for extra richness.

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This fibre-rich homemade falafel recipe is perfect for a family meal or an alternative school/work lunch. It takes just 40 minutes, including 25 minutes cooking time and is packed full of goodness.

The kids will enjoy helping to make this one too as you get them moulding the falafel mix ready for the oven.

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If like mine, your children are fans of Dr Seuss, then this recipe is for them! Combining eggs, cheese, pesto and spinach and ready in just 10 minutes.

It’s perfect for a high energy breakfast or a lunchtime treat. Add in some toast soldiers and you will set them up for the day!

If you have a time, you could make your own pesto. This delicious pesto recipe will keep in the fridge for up to a week and goes well with pasta for a meal in itself, so be sure to make extra!

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Warm chicken, brown rice, broccoli and fresh salad leaves are combined to make this tasty salad. Simply dressed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, it is sure to satisfy the whole family.

Miso paste is used to marinate the chicken and is a perfect introduction to Asian flavours for your little ones.

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This recipe combines the flavours of roasted aubergine and red pepper with spiced chickpeas and couscous. It’s topped off with sweet pomegranate seeds and a light tahini dressing and can be eaten hot or cold for lunch or dinner for a well balanced veggie meal.

This one might be more suited to slightly older kids as aubergine can be an acquired taste, but we promise you will be wowed when you try it!

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Packed full of fibre and protein with roasted sweet potatoes and pearl barley this nutritious salad is best served warm!

Pearl barley is a great alternative to rice or pasta in a salad, it is rich in fibre and calcium so do give it a try.

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Set the family up for the day ahead with an energiser smoothie. Simply whizz up a pack McCormack Family Farms Energise Super Mix, milk, oats, raspberries and yoghurt in a blender for the perfect start to the day. Packed with protein, fibre, iron, vitamins and 2 of your 5 a day.

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This is a firm favourite in my house so I decided to include it in our round up. We use wholewheat spaghetti but you can use whatever pasta your kids love.

Serves 4

Cooking time 20mins

Ingredients:

• 300g spaghetti
• 100g pack of Energise Super Mix (or for traditional pesto use 80g basil or 75g rocket)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 40g pine nuts toasted (or you could use walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds)
• Zest and juice of a small unwaxed lemon
• 80ml olive oil
• 100g soft goats cheese

Method

• Cook spaghetti according to instructions
• While it is cooking combine the leaves, nuts, garlic, lemon juice and 40g of goats cheese in a blender. Once blended, add oil and blend again until smooth.
• Drain spaghetti, retaining half a cup of the the cooking water
• Once drained, return spaghetti to pan and pour over the pesto. Stir to coat and add cooking water a tablespoon at a time if required.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper if required
• Serve topped with lemon zest and the remaining goats cheese crumbled over the top.

We hope we have inspired you with these nutritious family meals. Be sure to check out more amazing seasonal recipes on McCormack Family Farms and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more tasty recipe ideas.

Knowing that salad dressings are mostly about sweet and sour, means that making homemade salads dressings is really not that difficult. And you don’t need fancy equipment either – a mixing bowl and whisk will suffice in most cases. A food processor or blender is useful when making creamier or thicker dressings.

Spice up a simple chunky tomato, pepper, cucumber and onion salad with some punchy dressing, which works perfectly with the coolness of the tomatoes and cucumber.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of hot sauce e.g. Tabasco
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• Pinch of brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Method:

1. Place all ingredients except olive oil in a bowl and mix
2. Slowly whisk in olive oil and combine well
3. Pour dressing over salad and enjoy!

For some extra heat, you could add some chilli flakes.

This refreshing salad combines lettuce with softened apple and salty bacon all dressed in a tasty warm cheesy dressing!

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If you’ve never combined juicy oranges with fresh baby spinach leaves, then you’re truly missing out.

This Spinach & Orange salad is one of my favourites, and the dressing is super easy to make too, using orange juice combined with honey and garlic. Yummy!

This Mango Dressing combines fresh mango, with basil leaves and scallions/spring onions, and works well with any green salad.

It is also be super tasty on chargrilled/roast chicken or fish.

For a refreshing summer salad, try this tasty Iranian Shirazi Salad which works well with any meat or fish dish or on it own.

Using cucumber, tomatoes and red onion, the dressing is simply made from olive oil, lemon and the Middle Eastern spice sumac. Add some pomegranate seeds for extra colour and bite.

A Nicoise salad makes a perfect dinner idea in summer, using eggs, potatoes and tuna with olives, tomatoes and leaves. This recipe uses some finely chopped basil and mayonnaise added to the oil/vinegar mix for a tasty, rich dressing. This would work well with avocado or chicken also. And if you don’t like anchovies, just leave them out, or fry up some chopped bacon as an alternative.

We love the sound of this Japanese Carrot-Ginger Dressing which takes no more than 10 mins to make and will last in the fridge for up to a week. This would be great on any mixed salad.

Make your own homemade harissa dressing using roasted red peppers, to use on barbecued meats or fish, or to pop on top of a simple tomato, cucumber and green salad. The heat comes from the chillies so you can add more/less depending on your preference.

These heart-shaped watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple fruit kebabs from Life in Wonderland are super cute and kids love eating bite-size things on sticks.

What a simple clever fruit display idea – to make a heart using rainbow coloured fruits. The kids will gobble this up!

For each colour you could use:

• Red: berries such as strawberries and raspberries
• Orange: cantaloupe or tangerine slices
• Yellow: mango cubes or banana slices
• Green: kiwi or green apple chunks
• Blue: blueberries
• Indigo: red grapes (cut in half)

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How cute are these emoji fruit slices from What Moms Love?!

Using slices of pineapple or mango to create the face, and then watermelon or strawberry for the heart eyes is genius! And I’m pretty sure the kids would gobble these up in no time…

Happy Together by Jess cores apple slices with a heart cutter for another of our favourite fruit Valentines treats. You could then let your child make apple slice sandwiches with peanut butter and other healthy toppings. Yum!

Such a simple idea but also very cute. These strawberry sticks from Catch My Party just involve cutting your strawberries into slices lengthways, to get the berry’s natural heart shape, and popping them on a skewer.

You could thread other fruit in between to make them even more colourful.

Aren’t these strawberry and grape Valentine heart kebabs from Modern Parents Messy Kids super cute? You could also use blueberries or satsuma segments in between the strawberry slices.

These oven baked apple chips from Bren Did are a healthy, low calorie snack both parents and kids love. The secret to perfect apple chips is baking at a low temperature which perfectly dehydrates the fruit.

…and finally, if you don’t have sticks, skewers or a heart-shaped cutter you could always arrange your colourful fruit artfully in a heart shaped bowl!

Children should eat between 2 and 3 snacks a day to help keep energy levels up. Offering healthy snacks is important, not only nutritionally but also to help your children as they grow.

Kids look for snacks for a variety of reasons so here’s some things to consider before deciding what to offer them:

• Length of time to their next meal and length of time since their last meal
• They may actually be thirsty so is a drink of milk or water what they need?
• Will a light snack like a piece of fruit keep them satisfied until mealtime?
• If they are hungry after school or physical activity, you may need to give them a more filling snack

Having a range of healthy snacks to offer when hunger strikes is the best way to ensure you are offering good choices. So next time you go shopping, include these in your basket so you are not caught out when the kids proclaim they are starving!

Lighter snack options can include:

• Fruit
• Chopped raw vegetables
• Glass of milk or water
• Small portion of nuts or seeds
• A kids-sized yogurt
• 1-2 crackers, oatcakes, rice cakes or bread sticks
• Small portion of air popped pop corn

For more filling healthy snacks try:

• Small portion of cheese and crackers
• Sliced apple or pear with nut butter
• Hummus with raw vegetables for dipping
• Kids-sized yogurt with fruit
• Mashed banana and wholemeal toast
• Boiled egg with a slice of wholemeal toast
• Homemade soup
• Small bowl of cereal with milk
• Egg muffin
• Slice of cooked meat
• Small wholemeal pitta with cheese or cooked meat or dip
• Slice of wholemeal bread toasted
• Pizza soldiers
• Wholemeal scone with a little butter
• Air popped popcorn with grated parmesan
• Baked oat bar

For more ideas and recipes on healthy snacks check out MakeaStart.ie

Next time you make a batch of muffins consider freezing some so you have a handy, healthy snack ready when the kids are looking for a pick me up. Here are a couple of healthy muffin recipes ideal for a quick snack between meals or as an after-dinner treat.

• Quick and easy blueberry muffins
• Protein-packed egg muffins

Oats are filling and nutritious and we love these homemade oat bars. Best of all they will last in an airtight container for a week and can be frozen to use at a later date too.

They have just 6 ingredients and are ready to eat in about 30 minutes. Get the recipe here.

For many, treats are a part of our daily diet and it can be difficult to say no or not reach for a treat when everyone is tired, ‘hangry’, upset, busy or you are on the go. But treat foods provide very little in terms of nutrition and can leave us feeling more tired more hungry and less fulfilled than we want.

Making healthier decisions around food and forming good habits with your kids will benefit them for life. The START campaign has a range of tips to help you give treats in smaller amounts and less often.

Green Isle has teamed up with ambassador Derval O’Rourke and put together a range of summer inspired recipes that are full of goodness for all the family to enjoy – including the little ones!

Serves 4 as a snack

Ingredients:

• ½ bag of Green Isle frozen peas
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• Coarse salt and pepper

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Method:

1. Cook peas in salted boiling water until tender, 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
2. Pulse peas in a food processor with mint, lemon zest and juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and tahini.
3. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Serve with veggie batons and crackers.

Mood swings can lead to frustration, imbalance and a lack of concentration. Often, these moods can be avoided by simply cutting out (or cutting down) sugar. Give them foods high in protein, whole grains and foods with natural sugar, such as chicken, eggs, oatmeal and fruit.

Start the day right with a healthy breakfast and make sure their lunchbox is filled with healthy, nourishing food too. Don’t forget some healthy after-school snacks too, as this if often when the sugary options are most requested.

More than just to help them focus, use food to boost your kids’ immune system – this is a fantastic way to keep your child healthy.

Foods rich in Omega-3 and fruit high in vitamin C; raw vegetables and legumes like barley are all power foods that will help to keep them from getting sick every other week.

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Piano, ballet, football and all the other extracurricular activities are all opportunities for your kids to acquire new skills – but it’s important not to overload their schedule. At the end of the day, a kid needs to enjoy some free time, which brings us to the next point…

It’s perfectly fine for your kids to get bored. In fact, experts encourage unstructured time for kids because it teaches them to come up with creative ways to pass the time. Boredom gives children a chance to develop their imagination, to think and to daydream.

Looking after your child’s mental health and reducing the stresses of their busy life is an essential aspect of keeping your child healthy too – so make time for relaxing, for going on a walk, for cuddles and chats.

When they spend hours sitting down at school and more hours playing video games at home, inactive children can gain weight, they can feel more frustrated, nervous and stressed.

Investing in active toys that encourage them to move, such as a small trampoline, a hula hoop or a jump rope, will help your kids unwind and move in a fun way.

It can prove impossible to forbid them from using gadgets, but you can set time limits so that they don’t spend hours glued to a screen. Despite how entertaining and educational apps and games can be for children, too much screen time can lead to anxiety, problems with sleep and weight problems

Screen time undoubtedly has a whole range of benefits, but it is very easy for it to be unproductive and for the time to just fly by. Take a look at the pros and cons of screen time, as well as some great recommendations from Mom Loves Best:

Sometimes, worries about school, difficulty with their homework, or a fall out with a friend can stop them from thinking of anything else. Keeping their hands busy, through fun crafts or by helping you with easy chores, is a helpful way to keep their mind off the serious issues for a little while. Thus giving them a mental break.

Whether it’s siblings playing outside or two friends meeting in a park, playing and interacting in the real world, more than interacting through social media, is a must for many reasons.

Playing outside in nature will give your child a much needed mental break. Moreover, it’s a good way of meeting peers and having a laugh or venting out their insecurities, so that they will feel reassured that they have a support system outside of the family.

We all want our kids to excel academically, but giving priority to play, where our kids can rest, is essential to see them grow happy, healthy and enjoying their childhood.

Sleep can cure everything — mood swings, a headache and even help them forget an embarrassing memory that happened at school. Your kids will be more focused, happy and less likely to get sick when they get enough hours of sleep.

And if you’re unsure how many hours of sleep is needed each night to keep your child healthy, here’s how much sleep your kids should be having for their age.

Fruit smoothies are packed full of antioxidants and flavour, so your kids will actually light up when they see it at breakfast time. Frozen fruit works wonders and you can even hide some greens within the smoothie too (try our delicious super green smoothie!).

To make sure they’re actually full for the morning, bulk the smoothie out with nut-butters or greek yoghurt.

Whether you have a sweet or savoury tooth, homemade pancakes can be filled with fresh ingredients to create a quick and healthy breakfast. For further speed and convenience in the morning, pancakes can be made in advance and frozen, and just popped them in the toaster to defrost and heat up quickly.

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Granola is healthier and cheaper to make at home and it’s also very easy. We have a homemade granola recipe that is tried and tested. The best part is that it will last up to two weeks, so it’s a quick breakfast option for when you’re running late.

Poached, boiled, scrambled, these breakfast ideas with eggs are an excellent healthy option. Packed full of protein, eggs will fuel everyone’s morning to keep them full up until lunchtime.

If you have a bit more time, give our baked omelette recipe a try.

Homemade bread and loaves can be prepared at the weekend and if stored correctly, it should last all week. Serve up your basic breakfast bread with avocados, peanut butter and jam or even have a slice with your morning eggs.

For a sweeter bread option, try our tasty apple, cranberry and walnut bread, you won’t be disappointed!

Rather than buying expensive breakfast bars, why not get the kids to help you make our superfood flapjacks. They’re packed full of seeds, dried fruit and oats, and make for a great breakfast on the run.

We also have nutty protein energy bites and blueberry crumb bars to keep breakfast interesting.

We have so many muffin flavours for you to try, from healthy carrot muffins to berry muffins, or even savoury ham and cheese. They’re ideal for little hands learning to feed themselves and your big kids will love helping you make them too. They can made in advance and frozen, so you don’t have to fret about breakfast in the morning.

Buy good quality natural yoghurt or Greek yoghurt as it contains more protein, to make the base of this breakfast. Add fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and a spoon of honey to create a great alternative to flavoured yoghurts, so you can avoid a high sugar breakfast. My children also like natural yoghurt with homemade blackcurrant jam.

You don’t have to ditch oats completely. Our recipe ideas for overnight oats are a perfect alternative to porridge, but you’ll still reap the benefits of the oats.

You can keep it interesting by experimenting with different flavours, toppings and frozen berries to create your favourite pot. Prepare it the night before so they’re ready to go in the am.

To finish up our healthy breakfast ideas, we have these sour cream and chive potato cakes. Add some smoked salmon and they are a healthy and subtle way of introducing fish to their morning meal, and the potatoes are an ideal carb source that will keep hunger at bay until their mid-morning snack or lunchtime meal. The potato cakes can also be made in advance and kept in the fridge until the morning rolls around.