Banana Pancakes for Babies
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Published Mar 17, 2021, Updated Oct 06, 2023
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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 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, cow’s milk or breast 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.
More Baby Food Recipes and Resources
- 10 Baby Food Purees (Stage 1)
- 6 Baby Food Combinations
- Baby Oatmeal
- Carrot Baby Food
- Healthy Smash Cake
- Oatmeal Fingers
- Pumpkin Puree
- Homemade Applesauce
- Baby (+ Toddler) French Toast
- Sweet Potato Puree
- Baby Yogurt Melts
- Poop Chocolates
- How to Start Baby-Led Weaning + First Foods
More Pancake Recipes
- Greek Yogurt Pancakes
- Butternut Squash Pancakes
- Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
- Blueberry Protein Pancakes
- Coconut Flour Pancakes
- Overnight Oatmeal Pancakes
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
- 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats, quick oats will also work
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 egg
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup milk, any type of milk will work
Instructions
- 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 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.
- 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
- Batter thickness: If the batter thickens too much as you’re cooking the pancakes, add a splash of milk to thin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these for my 8 month old and she loved them! My 17 year old also is a fan (he made more waffles with the remaining batter!). We used a mini waffle maker to cook them is teas of making pancakes. They turned out perfect! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Yay! I am so glad that this recipe is a hit, Cara. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
I duno but I’ve been cooking these for about 8 mins and they’re still mush inside what’s the texture supposed to be like
Hi Crys – they are not supposed to be mush. Did you change anything about the recipe?
I’m not sure why but these recipes have never worked out for me in the past. This one was awesome! I used oat flour and added 1/2 tsp of baking powder and a handful of spinach leaves. Baby loved them!
Aw yay! I am so glad that this recipe turned out great for you and that baby loved them, Kate. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
If have oat flour instead of rolled oats, do I still use 3/4c?
Thanks!
I have not tested this recipe with oat flour, but a few other followers have and they said it worked out great. I would probably use the same amount as well. If you give this recipe a try with the oat flour, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you! Enjoy!
Could you save leftover batter in the fridge?
Hi Hope – I have not tried saving the leftover batter in the refrigerator, but I have made all of the pancakes and stored them in the fridge and reheated them when ready to eat. I find that is the best way to do it. Just make sure they are completely cool and store in an airtight container. When ready to reheat you can pop them in the toaster oven or microwave to warm. Hope you enjoy these!
Love this recipe! Would I be able to substitute water for milk?
Hi Erin – Yes, you can sub water for milk, they should turn out just fine. Enjoy!
I love these but can I substitute with almond flour
Hi Patricia – I have not tried this recipe with almond flour, but it should work just fine. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it works out for you. Enjoy!
Hi, thank God for your recipe! It’s so easy to make and my baby like it.how do you serve baby when the pancakes are stored in fridge? Do we need to warm up in oven or just served cold?
That’s totally up to you and your baby’s preference if they prefer cold or warm. You can serve them cold or heat them up in a toaster oven, microwave or oven.
I’ve never reviewed a recipe before, but this recipe deserves all the stars. My baby hasn’t had ANY interest in food until I made these pancakes. This is going to become a breakfast staple for us. Thank you!
Ahh yay!! This makes me so happy to hear. So glad your baby loved these pancakes. Thanks for making them and for the review. I appreciate it.
Pancakes cooked up well and my 9 month old loves them! Definitely a recipe worth making again and again.
Yay! So glad your babe loved these pancakes! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.