Made in a blender with just a few ingredients, these banana pancakes for babies and toddlers make for a delicious and filling snack or meal. 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. While you actually can make pancakes with just those 2 ingredients, I do like to add oats for firmer pancakes, as well as 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!
Why you're going to love these baby pancakes
There are SO many reasons!
- The soft texture is perfect for babies who are just starting solids, usually around 6 months of age
Is your baby 6 months old and up?
Learn all the secrets to starting solids safely while optimizing nutrition!
- 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 (and iron), 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.
Related: Best First Foods For Babies
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.
Related: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Seeds for Babies
Let's make Baby Pancakes!
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.
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 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 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
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Baby Banana Pancakes (with protein)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) rolled oats
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 cup (240g) mashed banana (2-2.5 medium)
- ½ cup (120g) whole fat ricotta
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
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. 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).
Cheryl says
So good!a hit with adults and baby, and I love the added protein in them. Any suggestions on if I wanted to use a sheet pan and bake in the oven?
Min says
So glad to hear! I don't think these pancakes will work in a sheet pan BUT you just gave me a wonderful future recipe idea! 😉
Dipa Baral says
Both of my kids loved it. Thank you.
Min says
Oh I'm so glad!!
Jazz says
Tried these with the little one this morning and he LOVED them!!! I couldn’t get get him seconds fast enough! Lol. I tried them for mommy approval and boy are they delicious, wholesome and filling. I love that they are protein packed and nutritious. I, myself, didn’t need any syrup they are just perfect, and I can make the little one pancakes knowing I’m feeding him good ingredients. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!!! 🙂
Min says
Yay!! This makes my heart sing ;). Thank you for taking the time to share!!
Sheri says
Hi Min! Can I use thawed bananas for this recipe? I've made it many times and the whole family loves it, but haven't tried with frozen fruit..... ty
Lisa says
Absolutely the best!
A big Thank you from Germany, not only the children are loving these: the aunt who visited us asked for the ingredients and the father is loving them as well (although he wasn‘t liking the beet root dip and thought it’s all a bit too healthy for adults 😄)
Thank you!
Min says
Loe it! And too healthy for adults? No such thing haha
Christina says
This is my daughter's favorite pancake recipe! We serve these every week and have them handy in the freezer for a quick yummy breakfast 😉
LM says
These pancakes are awesome and so easy! Thank you, Min. You really have gift for crafting delicious, nutritious and healthy meals. Your recipe books have made my life easier. Blessings!
Min says
Aww thank you so much!!
Jasmine says
My little one couldn’t get enough of these! Will definitely be making again.
Min says
So happy to hear!!
Charlene Tay says
Any substitutions for ricotta?
Min says
are you looking for a non-dairy alternative?
Christina says
Can I use yogurt to sub ricotta?
Min says
Sure! I would use Greek yogurt
Mariam Aziz says
These pancakes are so easy to make and are absolutely delicious! My 10 month old and I both enjoyed them.
Min says
So glad these were a hit!!
grace says
hi! do you know if a flax egg would work for your pancake recipes? thanks, love your blog!
Min says
Hi! Thank you for being here! Several moms have shared that it works! Let me know how these turn out for you 😉
Jessa says
Hi Min
Thank you for sharing! My baby loves your recipes. I ordered your bundle ecookbook last night, but i still have not received the downloadable file. Would you be able to check on this please. Thank you!
Min says
So glad to hear!! Hmm..I see that the email was sent. Could you check your spam also? I resent the email just in case! If you still don't see it, email me and I'll get things squared away 😉
Jessa says
Hi Min
Thanks for your prompt response! I have received them now.. im so excited to try all of them! Thank you so much!!
Min says
yay!! So glad you got them! Hope you guys enjoy all the recipes as much as we do! 😉
Emily says
When do the hemp seeds get added? The recipe indicates holding off on adding them to the blender.
Min says
Thank you SO much for pointing that out! Just added to the instructions 😉
Faith says
Thank you for sharing, these look great. Do you think I could substitute other seeds - such as sesame or chia seeds for the hemp seeds?
Min says
You bet!