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
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.Â
- 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. Â
- 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.Â
Video
Notes
- Batter thickness:Â If the batter thickens too much as you’re cooking the pancakes, add a splash of milk to thin.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi there. I made these on low heat and the inside was still raw. Should the batter be thick or should I add more milk? Thank you!
Hi! Were you getting bubbles on the top? If not, your batter might have been too thick and you will need to add more milk.
Hey there! I made these with old fashioned rolled oats and they were quite chewy / gummy, making it hard for my baby to eat. What should the texture be? Did I do something wrong? Thanks!
Hi Vanessa – I am sorry to hear that. What was the consistency of the batter? If it seemed thick, I would recommend adding some additional milk to thin it out a bit!
Why does my pancake not form any bubbles?the batter is quite thick too. Should i add more milk? Thank you.
Hi Yuliana – Yes, if the little bubbles are not forming, then your batter is too thick. I would recommend adding more milk. Hope they turn out for you!
I failed. I thought I could use baby oatmeal. Put two pancakes in the pan, by the time I flipped them several minutes later, I had a hot goo glob in the pan that refused to resemble a pancake or cook together in any form. Baby oatmeal is not recommended.
I may have saved it by blending in actual quick cook rolled oats, at least they hold together. I hope they are edible tomorrow morning 🫣
Oh no! I am so sorry, yes baby oatmeal won’t work in this recipe because it is too fine of a texture. Hope you will give these another try with regular oats.
This worked great! It was a really simple recipe and my little one just gobbled them up! He is usually very picky with anything that isn’t fruit so I was prepared for a beautiful stack of untouched pancakes. But he proved me wrong and I feel good about using this recipe again!
Ah this is seriously the best, Raquel! I am so excited to hear that this recipe is a hit for your little guy. Thank you for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
I made it today to my 7 months old baby and he LOVE it. I used sprouted oats, unsweetened almond milk and added hemp seeds. Next time I’ll also use flaxseed meal, chia seeds and blueberries or another fruit.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Yay! So glad your babe loved these pancakes! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.
My 15 month old, who is going through a super picky phase, LOVED and DEVOURED these!! Soo easy to make! I ended up whipping up a second batch to freeze for later! I did add a bit more milk (breast milk) to thin and a splash of vanilla. So excited to find something my little one loves! Thank you!
This is seriously the best, Tiffany. I am so glad your little one is loving these are you’re able to make an extra batch to save for later. Thanks you for your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Can I use instant oats to make these pancakes? Thanks!
Yes! Those should work. Enjoy!
My daughter loves these so much! She’s a little over 9 months old and has these for breakfast almost every morning. I’m going to substitute a banana for some pumpkin purée tomorrow!
WOO! I am SO glad this recipe is a hit for you little one, Zoey. Thanks so much for coming your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Commenting again because I forgot to add a 5 start review last time!
Hi there! My little guy is allergic to oats, would this recipe work with flour instead?
Hi Rebecca – I bet that would work, but I haven’t tried it yet though! Let me know if you end up trying it!