10 Pancake Ideas for Babies & Toddlers

Pancakes are a firm favourite in our house, and for good reason! They’re super easy to make and can be adapted in so many ways to introduce little ones to new flavours and textures. They’re also ideal for making in bulk, freezing and having ready to go for when you’re out and about. In this blog I wanted to share 10 pancake ideas for babies and toddlers.

My simple baby pancake recipe has three different variations for you to try:

• American style pancakes
• English pancakes
• Vegan pancake recipe for babies

These tend to be my base recipes that I use depending on what kind of pancakes I want to make. I find the American style pancakes are often best for adding a variety of fillings, whilst the English pancakes are a little thinner and work well for adding toppings – such as fresh fruit or yoghurt with nut butter.

Below I’ve shared a variety of sweet and savoury options to try with your little ones this pancake day!

Sweet Pancake Recipes

Lemon & Blueberry Pancakes

For this variation, simply follow my American style baby pancake recipe and add a squeeze of lemon juice (from ½ lemon or adjust to taste) & add in blueberries once you have the batter. If serving to younger babies, although the blueberries will soften when cooking, you can blend them into the batter if you prefer, or simply squash them before cooking.

You can also experiment with the filling and adapt to whatever you have or like! 

Banana and Oat Pancakes

This recipe is SUPER simple – you need just three ingredients. Simply blend a banana, an egg and roughly 1/4 cup oats* together and then spoon about a tablespoon at a time into a pan with oil and fry. You can easily double the recipe for more.

*Using ReadyBrek or similar fortified cereal in this recipe instead of oats is also ideal as it adds additional nutrients – e.g. Iron & Calcium from the fortified cereal and is a great way to use up any cereal you have leftover!

Cinnamon Pumpkin Pancakes

These are absolutely delicious and were such a hit with my kids last Halloween. They can still be perfect for any time of year – simply swap pumpkin for butternut squash or sweet potato instead.

Get the full recipe for these family friendly cinnamon pumpkin pancakes here.

Banana Pancakes

Banana pancakes are always a popular choice with kids (and adults). This fab recipe from Emily Kerrigan is super simple and makes deliciously fluffy pancakes. Serve with some yoghurt, nut butter and fruit for a well-balanced meal.

Ingredients

• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 125ml milk
• Knob of butter – for frying

Method

1. Sieve flour into a bowl
2. In a separate bowl, mash the banana with a fork until smooth and then whisk in the egg, vanilla extract and milk
3. Tip into the flour and whisk into a smooth batter
4. Heat the butter in a frying pan
5. Pour about 1 tbsp batter into the centre of the pan, cook for a couple of minutes on one side, before flipping until cooked through

Savoury Pancake Recipes

Creamy tomato and mushroom pancakes

Serves 2-4 – On American pancake base

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 300g button mushrooms (chop well for young babies & children under 5)
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved (chopped more for children under 5)
• 100g natural yogurt/soya yogurt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Sprinkling of flour
• Chopped chives to finish

Method:

• Heat the butter in a frying pan and once it starts to melt add the mushrooms.
• Cook for around 15 mins or until they start to soften.
• Add the tomatoes for a few minutes or until they begin to soften too.
• Add in the yogurt and stir for a few seconds
• Add the flour and paprika and stir well
• Pour over pancakes and add a few chives to top

Carrot and Sweetcorn Fritters

Whilst this isn’t strictly a “pancake” recipe, fritters are an absolute fave in our household. They’re a really simple savoury lunch or snack option and freeze well to be used another day! This recipe is great for getting babies used to more texture – if offering to younger babies, you may want to blend the ingredients into the batter for them to manage a little more easily.

Get the recipe for Carrot and Sweetcorn Fritters.

Salmon and Chive Savoury Pancakes

Serves 2-4 – With American pancake base

Ingredients:

• 70g smoked salmon, chopped OR mashed tinned salmon
• Around 2 tbsp chopped chives
• Handful of grated cheddar cheese (optional)             

Method:

• Prepare the American style pancakes as per the recipe
• Add the salmon, chives and cheese (if using) to the batter before cooking
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan and once hot, add a thick dollop of your pancake mixture into the middle of the pan
• When turning golden on one side, flip and cook until the mixture is cooked through

Courgette Fritters

Another super simple fritter recipe, these courgette fritters are a great way to use up leftover veg. Serve alongside a dip, such as hummus or yoghurt and some fruit or veg and they can make a perfectly balanced meal for babies and toddlers. They’re also ideal for making extra and adding to the freezer for taking out and about!

Spinach Monster Pancakes

These are a recipe from my book How To Feed Your Toddler and my kids LOVE them. Raffy was actually the one that gave them the name “Monster” pancakes, because of the green colour.

You’ll need (serves 2 toddlers):
For the batter:

• 1 large free range egg or flaxseed alternative
• 100g self-raising flour
• 80ml milk or plant-based alternative
• 80g washed spinach
• Drizzle of olive oil (for cooking)

For the topping:

• 6 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
• 50g red or yellow pepper, deseeded & finely chopped
• 30g cheddar cheese or plant-based alternative, grated

Method:

1. Preheat the grill to the highest temperature.
2. Add all the batter ingredients to a blender & blend to make a thick green batter. Leave to one side
3. Heat a little olive oil in a 20cm ovenproof non-stick frying pan over a medium heat
4. Once the pan is hot, pour in all the batter then sprinkle over the topping ingredients
5. Cook for about 2 mins then pop under the grill for 5-6mins until the pancake is puffed up & cooked through
6. Leave to cool a little, then slice into wedges, fingers or squares – whatever you fancy!

Hopefully these ideas give you plenty of inspiration to add a little variety to your pancake day this year!