Banana Oat Pancakes for Babies & Toddlers (Soft & Easy)
These banana oat pancakes for babies and toddlers are soft, naturally sweet, and easy to make with just three main ingredients: ripe banana, rolled oats, and egg. Everything comes together in a blender, making them a simple breakfast or snack for babies starting solids around 6 months, baby-led weaning (BLW), and growing toddlers.
The finely ground oats create a tender pancake that’s easy to hold and chew, while the banana adds moisture and sweetness without added sugar. Make a small batch for breakfast or freeze the extras for busy mornings.
Why You’ll Love These Baby Banana Oat Pancakes
- Soft and tender: The ground oats and ripe banana create a moist texture suitable for babies learning to manage soft finger foods.
- Three main ingredients: Just banana, rolled oats, and egg, plus a few simple additions for flavor and texture.
- No added sugar: Ripe bananas provide enough sweetness on their own.
- Easy blender method: Grind the oats and combine the remaining ingredients in the same blender.
- Great for meal prep: Refrigerate or freeze cooked pancakes for another day.
- Suitable for different ages: Serve in soft strips for younger babies or smaller pieces for older babies and toddlers, according to their eating abilities.
If you’re looking for a version without oats, try my banana pancakes for babies with an egg-free option. They’re soft, easy to customize with different flours, and suitable for baby-led weaning.
How to Make Banana Oat Pancakes for Baby
These oatmeal banana pancakes are made in a blender, so there’s very little preparation or cleanup.
1. Grind the oats
Add the rolled oats to a blender or food processor. Blend until they become a fine, flour-like powder. Grinding the oats first makes the pancakes smoother and softer. It also prevents having to blend the banana and egg for too long.
2. Blend the banana and egg
- Add the banana, egg, cinnamon, and baking powder to the ground oats. Include the optional melted butter or yogurt if using.
- Blend briefly, about 15–30 seconds, just until combined.
- The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when spooned onto the pan but still spread slightly.
- You can either pour the batter straight from the blender into the skillet, or transfer the batter with a measuring spoon onto the pan.
- I’m actually using just 1 tablespoon for 1 pancake. The recipe makes about 10 banana oat pancakes (2.5 inch diameter).
3. Rest the batter
- Let the batter stand for 5–10 minutes while you heat the skillet. The ground oats absorb moisture as they sit, which helps the batter thicken.
- If it becomes too thick to spoon, stir in a little water, about a teaspoon at a time.
4. Cook over medium-low heat
- Heat a lightly oiled nonstick or ceramic skillet over medium-low heat.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter per pancake, leaving some space between them. This makes small pancakes approximately 2½ inches across.
- Cook until the edges begin to set and the underside is lightly golden. Carefully flip and cook the other side until the center is completely cooked.
- Avoid high heat. Banana naturally browns quickly, so the outside may darken before the middle has finished cooking.
5. Cool and serve
- Transfer the pancakes to a plate or cooling rack. Allow them to cool until comfortably warm before serving to your baby or toddler.
- The finished pancakes should be soft, flexible, and fully cooked inside – not wet, sticky, or gummy.
How to Serve Banana Oat Pancakes for Baby-Led Weaning
These soft banana oatmeal pancakes can work well as finger foods once your baby is developmentally ready for solids, usually around 6 months, and can manage this texture.
Always make sure the pancakes are fully cooked, soft enough to mash easily, and served while your child is seated upright and supervised.
Babies 6–9 months
Offer a soft pancake cut into long, finger-width strips that your baby can grasp with their whole hand. The exact shape should match your baby’s grasping and chewing abilities. The pancakes should break apart easily with gentle pressure and contain no hard or crunchy pieces.
Babies 9–12 months
As your baby develops a pincer grasp, you can offer soft, bite-sized pieces. Some babies may still prefer holding a larger strip and taking bites independently.
Toddlers 12 months and older
Serve mini pancakes whole or cut into manageable pieces. Pair them with fruit, yogurt, or another food to create a more complete breakfast.
For more age-appropriate ways to offer this fruit, see my guide to serving bananas for babies using baby-led weaning.
What to Serve With Banana Oat Pancakes
These pancakes are convenient on their own, but I like pairing them with other foods to add variety and make breakfast more satisfying.
- For babies: Plain unsweetened yogurt, mashed berries, or a thin layer of smooth nut butter mixed into yogurt, if the ingredients have been safely introduced.
- For toddlers: Soft fruit, plain yogurt, or scrambled eggs.
- For older kids: Fresh berries, sliced bananas, yogurt, or their favorite fruit puree.
Choose fruit textures and sizes appropriate for your child’s development. Avoid whole berries that pose a choking risk, thick globs of nut butter, and honey for babies under 12 months.
Pancakes made with oats and bananas provide carbohydrates, while the egg contributes some protein and fat. For babies, remember to regularly offer iron-rich foods elsewhere throughout the day, such as meat, lentils, beans, and iron-fortified cereals. These pancakes shouldn’t replace a varied selection of iron-rich foods.
For other ways to use oats in your child’s meals, explore my oatmeal recipes for toddlers and kids.
Need more ideas beyond breakfast? Browse my baby and toddler recipes for homemade meals, finger foods, and snacks organized by age.
Tips for Soft Pancakes That Aren’t Gummy
Banana oat pancakes can sometimes turn out too wet in the middle or dense after cooling. Here are the details that make the biggest difference.
1. Grind the oats finely. A fine oat flour absorbs moisture more evenly and produces a smoother batter.
2. Use a medium-sized banana. An extra-large banana can add too much moisture relative to the oats and egg, leaving the center gummy.
3. Don’t overblend. Once the oats are ground, blend the remaining ingredients only until combined.
4. Rest the batter briefly. Five to ten minutes gives the oat flour time to hydrate.
5. Keep the pancakes small. About one tablespoon of batter per pancake makes them easier to flip and helps the centers cook evenly.
6. Cook slowly. Medium-low heat is especially important because the banana can brown before the interior is done.
If you prefer a slightly fluffier texture, try mashing the banana separately with a fork and gently mixing it into the oat flour and beaten egg instead of blending everything completely smooth.
Substitutions and Variations
Can I use oat flour instead of rolled oats?
Yes, but use the same weight of flour as the rolled oats rather than assuming the cup measurements are identical. Finely ground oat flour generally works well in this recipe, although the batter may need a small adjustment in liquid depending on the grind.
How can I make them gluten-free?
Use certified gluten-free rolled oats or certified gluten-free oat flour. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but regular oats may contain gluten through cross-contact during growing or processing.
Can I make them dairy-free?
Yes. Omit the optional butter or replace it with a neutral oil or plain dairy-free yogurt. The basic banana, oat, and egg mixture contains no dairy.
If you’re cooking around food allergies, you can also explore my allergy-friendly recipes and filter for gluten-free, dairy-free, or egg-free options.
Can I make banana oat pancakes without eggs?
This particular recipe relies on the egg for structure. I haven’t included an untested one-for-one replacement here.
For an egg-free variation, see my banana pancakes for babies with an egg-free option.
Can I add fruit or vegetables?
For toddlers and older children, you can try a small amount of mashed berries or finely grated, softened fruit, although additional moisture may affect the texture.
For a different tested recipe with fruit, try my soft applesauce pancakes for babies and toddlers.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
These baby banana oat pancakes are useful when you want to prepare breakfast in advance.
- Make the batter ahead: You can prepare the batter the evening before, cover it, and refrigerate it promptly for up to 12 hours. Oat flour absorbs liquid overnight, so stir before cooking and add a small splash of water if necessary. For the best rise, it’s preferable to add the baking powder shortly before cooking.
- Refrigerate cooked pancakes: Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate promptly and use within 3–4 days.
- Freeze: Arrange the cooled pancakes in a single layer to freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 2–3 months for best quality.
- Reheat: Warm frozen pancakes in a skillet, toaster, or microwave until heated through. Let cool to a safe serving temperature, and check that the center is soft and not dried out before offering to a baby.
For babies, avoid reheating the same portion repeatedly. Store and reheat only what you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a 6-month-old eat banana oat pancakes?
Yes, if your baby is developmentally ready for solids, has been introduced to the relevant ingredients appropriately, and can safely manage soft finger foods. The pancakes must be fully cooked, soft, and served in an appropriate shape. Babies develop eating skills at different rates.
Are banana oat pancakes good for toddlers?
Yes. They’re a convenient way to offer oats, fruit, and egg in one food. For a more balanced toddler breakfast, serve them alongside yogurt, fruit, or another protein- or iron-rich food.
Can I make these pancakes with baby oatmeal cereal?
Possibly, but baby oatmeal cereal and ground rolled oats can absorb moisture differently. I recommend the rolled oats used in this tested recipe. If you want to use infant oatmeal cereal, start with a small test batch and adjust the consistency rather than substituting equal volumes automatically.
Do baby banana oat pancakes need baking powder?
The baking powder makes them lighter and more tender. Without it, they may still cook together. Alternatively use baking soda and lemon juice.
Can I freeze banana oat pancakes for my toddler’s breakfast?
Yes. Freeze the cooked pancakes in individual portions. You can reheat only what you need, which makes them convenient for breakfasts, snacks, and lunchboxes.
Have you tried these banana oat pancakes for your baby or toddler? I’d love to hear how they turned out and what your little one enjoyed them with. Leave a ★★★★★ star rating and a comment below to help other parents find this recipe!
Banana Oat Pancakes for Babies And Toddlers (BLW)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium banana
- 1 medium egg
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp rolled oats (see notes)
- ¾ tsp baking powder (or 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp lemon juice)
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tbsp melted butter (or yoghurt (optional))
INSTRUCTIONS
Grind the rolled oats into flour
- Place the old-fashioned rolled oats in a blender or food processor and blend until well-ground and flour-like consistency. This will yield a finer texture and will not over-process the banana.
Blend in the remaining ingredients
- Add the banana, egg, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and blend until just combined, 15 to 30 seconds. The addition of melted butter or yogurt is optional, but it will help get a really soft "melt-in your mouth" – like texture.
Let the batter rest
- Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while the pan heats.
Cook the pancakes
- Coat the pan with a healthy high smoking point oil like avocado oil.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until the edges begin to set and the bottom is lightly golden. Flip carefully and cook the other side until fully cooked through
Cool and serve
- Allow the pancakes to cool until comfortably warm. Cut into age-appropriate portions for babies and toddlers.
NOTES
EQUIPMENT
More Pancake and Breakfast Recipes for Babies and Toddlers
If your little one enjoys these banana oat pancakes, here are some other homemade breakfast recipes to try:
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