Banana Pancakes for Babies
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How to make easy pancakes for babies (and toddlers) with only five ingredients: oats, egg, banana, cinnamon and milk. Just blend, cook and serve!
I’m back with another baby food post for ya!
You all love seeing what I feed Olivia, and I love sharing it! It’s been so fun to have her try new foods and become a little foodie.
If you are just starting your baby food journey, here’s how I’ve been approaching introducing solids!
When you’re ready to dive in, be sure to check out these baby food combos and my baby oatmeal recipe for Liv.
A lot of people recommend pancakes as an early food for babies, especially when doing baby led weaning.
I tried the two ingredient pancakes (ones with just egg and banana) early on and she didn’t love them, but I starting making her these about a month ago and she’s obsessed. I think she likes the bread-y texture of these more!
These pancakes have quickly become her favorite and most requested food! She signs for them as soon as she wakes up. Girl knows what she wants!
I’m calling these baby pancakes, but they’re adult-friendly and quite similar to my banana cottage cheese pancakes. Whenever I make them for Liv I always snack on a few because they’re actually really good!
Banana Oatmeal Pancake Ingredients
You only need five simple ingredients for these pancakes.
- oats – rolled old fashioned oats are the base of this recipe. Once blended, the oats turn into oat flour! I like using Bob’s Red Mill organic rolled oats, but quick oats will work as well.
- banana – the banana gives the pancakes a nice sweetness and a nice texture. Other fruits and veggies could likely be used, but I’ve only tested the recipe with banana.
- egg – the egg adds protein, healthy fats and makes the pancakes fluff up a bit.
- cinnamon – I love adding a bit of warm spice to the pancakes, but this is totally optional.
- milk – I use unsweetened plain or vanilla almond milk, but you could use any dairy-free milk or cow’s milk.
How to Make Pancakes for Babies
I love how easy these small pancakes are to whip up and how well they store! One batch makes a lot of pancakes, which is great for weekly meal prep. I love having leftover pancakes in the fridge so I can simply warm them up a tiny bit and feed them to Olivia as soon as she wakes up. Here’s how to make them:
Blend: Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour batter onto a warm, greased skillet. I did about 1 Tablespoon of batter for each pancake to keep them small.
Cook: Cook until the batter starts to form little bubbles and you can easily get under the pancake with a spatula. Flip pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until pancake is cooked through.
If the batter thickens too much as you’re cooking the pancakes, simply add a splash of milk to thin it out a bit.
How to Serve Pancakes to Babies/Toddlers
This is obviously up to your comfort level as a parent, the age of your baby and their chewing ability! Here are some options:
- Give the baby the pancakes whole and let them take bites off
- Cut the pancakes into strips so that the baby can grab and eat
- Rip into small bite-sized pieces
It’s easier for younger babies to grab larger pieces of food so keeping the pancakes whole or cutting them into strips will likely work better. As they get older and develop their pincer grasp you can try smaller pieces to help them practice grabbing smaller objects.
You can serve these pancakes plain, topped with a little nut butter or yogurt or even with a fruit puree or chia jam for dipping. Kiddos love to dip!
How to Make These Pancakes Ahead of Time
Like I mentioned earlier, these are the perfect recipe to prep ahead of time! Follow the recipe as directed and then let the pancakes cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month.
The pancakes tend to get hard as they sit in the fridge so when your baby is ready to enjoy you can quickly pop them up in the toaster oven or microwave to warm and soften.
Everything You Need to Make Banana Pancakes for Babies
Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender
Buy Now →
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, 32-ounce (Pack of 4)
Buy Now →
Lodge 15 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet
Buy Now →More Baby Food Recipes and Resources
- Baby Oatmeal
- Healthy Smash Cake
- Oatmeal Fingers
- Homemade Applesauce
- Baby (+ Toddler) French Toast
- Baby Yogurt Melts
- Poop Chocolates
- How to Start Baby-Led Weaning + First Foods
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes for Babies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats, quick oats will also work
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- 1 medium ripe banana, 86 grams*
- 1 large egg
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Cook until the batter starts to form little bubbles and you can easily get under the pancake with a spatula (about 2 minutes). Flip pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until pancake is cooked through.
- Serve whole or break into pieces for tiny hands. You can serve these plain, with a little nut butter or yogurt spread on top or with a fruit puree to dip the pancakes in.
- Cool the pancakes completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month.
Video
Notes
- Banana: Bananas can vary in sizes, so I would recommend weighing your banana in grams if you have a scale. If you have a large banana it will add more moisture to the batter making it too runny and difficult to fully cook in the middle. You also want to make sure your banana is ripe, but not overly ripe as that will also add extra moisture to your batter. If you are using a super ripe/mushy or extra large banana, you might want to start with only 1-2 Tablespoons of milk and add more as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
So easy to make. My baby and husband both enjoyed them a lot.
Made 15 not 20 but they were perhaps bigger.
Aw yay! I am so happy that this recipe was a hit, Jessi! Thank you for your review + star rating, I so appreciate it.
Tasty, but not ideal if your baby is still learning how to handle anything that’s gummy, the insides weren’t a great texture no matter if I lowered the heat to cook slowly or made it higher. I think the recipe may benefit from some baking powder!
Hi Kelsea, I am sorry to her that this recipe did not turn out the way you had hoped. Did you happen to change any other aspect of the recipe?
Just made these for my 6 month old and they were a hit! He loved them! And so did the dog who wouldn’t stop begging for bites! Love that the recipe has no added sugar. I replaced the oats with oats flour and they were perfect!
Hi Anandika, this is so great! I’m glad this was a hit. Thank you for leaving me a comment and review as well, I appreciate it!
Delicious! Just made these with my 3 year old son. Easy to make and came out perfect. Literally the fastest, healthiest and yummiest pancakes. Not only for kids! I added little baking powder, as well but didn’t see much difference.
Yay! So glad everyone enjoyed it, Melissa! Thank you for leaving me a comment and review as well, I appreciate it!
Just made these for my 7 month old and he absolutely loved it! Very yummy and quick recipe!
I just came across this website and love it, I’ve saved many recipes to try, yum!
I love to hear that, Indyanna! Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment and review, I truly appreciate it!
Made these this morning. Quick and easy. I found the first pancake didn’t bubble but the longer the mixture sat, the better the result. I think I’d let the mixture sit for 5-10 next time before cooking.
Great tip, Elle! Glad you found them to be quick and easy. Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment!
Great and yummy but are they meant to be like mushy and wet like on the inside?
Hi Mila – oh no! They’re not typically supposed to be mushy and wet. Were the bananas overripe, maybe? They might also need to be cooked a little longer. Let me know if you try this recipe again and how it goes!
Is there a way to make these eggless? Is there a substitute you use that might work? My little one is allergic. Thank you!
Hi, Lauren! Possibly flax eggs? I haven’t tried an egg substitute so I’m not 100% sure how they’d turn out, but let me know if you try it! Another person who made them shared that they used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free egg replacer and they turned out well for her, so that might be another good option for you!
I make these any time I have enough bananas, they are delicious and have a great texture even though there is no baking powder. I’ve found letting the batter sit a few minutes also helps them to fluff up a little more, I also usually add a bit of vanilla . Perfect easy breakfast for my son
Yay! So glad these pancakes are a hit for you, Lydia! Thank you so much for sharing your review, I appreciate it so much.
Doesn’t work. Just a mushy mess
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you, Evelyn. Did you change anything about the recipe?