Banana Protein Pancakes

Made in a blender with just a few ingredients, these banana protein pancakes make for a delicious and filling snack or meal for babies, kids, and adults! Fluffy and moist, if you are looking for a baby led weaning pancakes recipe, this is it!

There are so many things you can make with eggs and banana, like these miracle baby cookies and the ever-so-popular 2 ingredient pancakes (more like crepes). Although they couldn’t be easier to make (and delicious), I do like to add oats for firmer pancakes, as well as eggs, ricotta, and hemp seeds for a boost of protein!

You can absolutely make protein pancakes without protein powder, which i don’t recommend for babies and toddlers anyway. Let me show you!

What makes these protein pancakes perfect for babies?

There are SO many reasons!

• The soft texture is perfect for babies who are just starting solids, usually around 6 months of age

• If you’ve been spoon-feeding and want to move towards allowing your baby to self-feed, these baby pancakes are wonderful to start with.
• There’s no added sugar, which you want to try to hold off on until 2 years of age. The bananas add plenty of natural sweetness as well as a healthy dose of potassium and fiber.
• The eggs, ricotta, and hemp seeds provide a boost of protein, which will keep your babies and kids satisfied longer than most pancake recipes.
• You’ll love the versatility. Check out the serving suggestions below. They’re a great way to incorporate variety effortlessly.

Ingredients

Bananas – choose ones that are ripe but not too ripe that they are completely mushy and overly sweet. So yellow with brown spots. You don’t have to mash before adding to the blender.

Wait! But what if your baby is constipated or having diarrhea? Should you or should you not give banana? You can find the answer here along with the recipe for banana date bread! If you don’t like bananas, do try with pumpkin puree, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes!

Eggs – I highly recommend using room temperature eggs as you’ll end up with fluffier pancakes. Eggs are also recommended as one of the best first foods for babies according to the USDA dietary guidelines. Here are all the different ways to serve eggs to babies.

Oats – Rolled oats will work best. Steel cut will NOT work. I believe this breakdown of the different oat varieties will be super helpful.

Ricotta – If you haven’t baked with this low-sodium, slightly sweet cheese, you totally should! It adds richness and creaminess and helps make these pancakes fluffy. You can use Greek yogurt instead, if you wish (try these spinach baby pancakes!). Keep in mind the pancakes will taste tangier.

Cinnamon – Don’t be afraid to add herbs and spices to your baby’s food!

Hemp seeds (or hemp hearts) – I want to clarify in case there’s any confusion. While the hemp plant is in the same family as marijuana, it doesn’t contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound that makes you high.

Hemp seeds are extremely healthy and can be offered as soon as your baby is ready to start solids (again, grab this FREE handout to ensure your baby is ready to start). It’s a complete protein (contains all the essential amino acids, like quinoa), zinc, fiber, and vitamin A.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Add oats into a food processor/blender first and the rest of the ingredients minus hemp seeds. Blend until smooth. Stir in hemp seeds. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes in the blender while you heat your pan.

Add oil/butter to a griddle or large nonstick pan and place over medium heat. This is my favorite non-stick pan (aff link).

Drop 1-2 spoonfuls of pancake batter into the pan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and tiny bubbles appear around the edges. You can gently lift a corner and peek. Using a thin spatula, flip and cook 1-2 minutes more (see note).

Tips for making the perfect banana protein pancakes

• After blending, allow the batter to sit for at least 5 minutes to help firm up and make it easier to drop into the pan.
• Keep the pancakes small. I suggest adding 1-2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake. They will cook faster and be easier to flip.
• You can make them bigger but will need to adjust cooking time. Do NOT raise the heat to make them cook faster. Otherwise you’ll end up with pancakes that are burnt on the outside but still uncooked in the middle.
• Cook until the bottom is golden brown. You can gently lift a corner and take a peek. Use a thin spatula to flip.

How to serve to babies and toddlers

You can serve as strips or whole to give them opportunities to practice taking bites.

While delicious on their own, these baby pancakes are the perfect vehicle for all kinds of toppings:

• Peanut, nut, or seed butter – just make sure to thin it out for babies
• Honey (NOT for babies under one year of age) or maple syrup – recommend waiting until 2 years of age to introduce added sugars.
• Fruits – I especially like to use frozen berries for babies. They get really soft once thawed and are so convenient to have on hand all year round.
• Dips – since the pancakes are not overly sweet, they can be enjoyed with both savory and sweet dips, like pumpkin seed hummus, beetroot dip,

Storage suggestions

Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. These banana protein pancakes will become dense so I suggest reheating in the microwave (30 seconds at a time) or in the skillet until warmed through.

These also freeze beautifully. I like to flash freeze. Will keep for up to 3 months.

Other baby pancakes to try

• Spinach Pancakes
• Butternut squash pancakes
• Beet pancakes