Baby Banana Pancakes (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)

Banana is one of the best food to offer to babies who are ready to eat solids. But sometimes, you need something different than a simple baby puree, and that’s what’s baby banana pancakes are made for.

The baby banana oat pancake recipe is naturally:

• Full of protein and fiber from oat flour and egg.
• High in calcium from milk.
• Naturally sweetened – no sugar added.
• High in vitamins from bananas and oats.

How To Make Banana Oat Pancakes For Baby

The main difference between regular banana oat pancakes and the one for babies are small.

Baby pancakes are healthier, easier as they contain:

• No Baking Powder
• No Sugar
• No Cinnamon – it is unsafe for babies.

Ingredients

All you need to make these baby banana pancakes are:

• Ripe banana – the riper, the sweeter the pancakes will be. It also gives a darker golden color to the pancakes. Kids love colorful food.
• Large egg
• Milk of choice – you can use any milk, including baby formula or your own breastmilk. I used dairy-free milk fortified with calcium.
• Oat flour – made from gluten-free certified rolled oats. This is basically 2 cups of old-fashioned oats that you pulse into an ultra-fine ground in your food processor. You can swap it for all-purpose gluten-free flour or whole wheat flour if not gluten-free.

Instructions

Start by whisking the mashed banana, egg, and milk. Then, stir in the oat flour until the batter is slightly thick. It’s fine if you have bites of mashed banana, it makes the baby pancakes moist, and kids love that a lot.

First, slightly oil a non-stick pan or non-stick pancake griddle over medium heat. I used oil spray, or I rubbed a piece of absorbent paper oiled with coconut oil onto the pan’s surface.

Next, scoop out 1 tablespoon of banana pancake batter in the hot pan. I cooked 4 to 5 baby pancakes simultaneously in a 10-inch pan.

Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip on the other side and keep cooking for 1 minute or until the pancakes are cooked through.

Place the cooked pancakes on a plate and repeat cooking the remaining batter. It’s a quick and easy recipe and should take barely 15 minutes to cook the entire batch of these gluten-free, dairy-free pancakes.

Storage Instructions

The banana pancakes can be stored for 3-4 days in a sealed box in the fridge.

However, I love freezing baby pancakes. It is my favorite option for busy days. As a mom, it’s hard to find time to cook for yourself in the morning, but if you always have some freezer-friendly baby food like these baby pancakes or my baby oatmeal muffins, then it’s a life-saver!

Store all the pancakes in a ziplock bag and thaw the amount you need 3 hours before at room temperature.

Serving

These banana oat pancakes for baby and toddler are the best first finger food for baby-led weaning!

You don’t have to add anything on top of them. Offer the pancakes plain to your little one. These are small and easy to grab and bring to the mouth.

Of course, if you feel like adding some texture or flavor to the pancakes, you can add a light layer of the spread below. My kids love these pancakes with the spread below.

• Peanut butter
• Almond butter
• Low sugar jam or baby chia seed jam.
• Butter
• Mashed fruits like strawberries or bananas.
• Fruit puree – apple puree, strawberry puree you can use baby food pouches!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these pancakes egg-free?

You can remove the eggs from the recipe and stir in 2 teaspoons of chia seed in the batter to act as an egg. Another option is to add 2 tablespoons of plain flour or cornflour to the mixture.

Can I swap oat flour for another flour?

Absolutely, most types of plain flour work well as a 1:1 swap to oat flour, including all-purpose flour, white whole-wheat flour, or all-purpose gluten-free flour.

Can I add a sweetener or flavor?

It’s not recommended to add sugar to your baby-led weaning food. But if you want to add a bit more flavor, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of natural vanilla extract to the recipe.

From 12 months of age, it’s safe to add a pinch of cinnamon or 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup to the batter.