Name: Banana Oat Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 1 medium ripe banana, well mashed; 60 g rolled oats, blended into a coarse flour; 1 egg; 2 tbsp whole milk or plain yogurt; 1 pinch ground cinnamon, optional; 1 tsp butter or neutral oil, for the pan; plain whole-milk yogurt, to serve

These are small on purpose, sized for little hands rather than a normal breakfast plate, and the only sweetness comes from the banana itself. No added sugar, no syrup needed.

This is a good one for self-feeding practice, since the pancakes are sturdy enough to pick up whole once they have cooled to warm rather than hot.

If your little one is still earlier in the journey, start with our Baby's First Foods guide.

Part of our 20 toddler meal ideas list.

method

Blend or pulse the oats in a blender until they form a coarse flour.

Mash the banana well in a bowl, then whisk in the egg, milk or yogurt, oat flour and cinnamon until you have a thick, smooth batter.

Heat the butter in a nonstick pan over low to medium-low heat.

Drop small spoonfuls of batter into the pan, about 5 cm across, so they stay easy for small hands to hold.

Cook for 2 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges look dry, then flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until cooked through with no raw batter in the middle.

Cool until just warm, not hot, before serving with a spoonful of plain yogurt.

chef's tips

No added sugar here; the ripe banana is sweet enough on its own, and a toddler does not need extra sugar at this age.
Keep the pancakes small and check the middle of the thickest one is fully cooked through before serving, since a raw center is both unpleasant and unsafe.
Let them cool to just-warm. Pancakes hold heat in the middle longer than the outside suggests.
If your toddler has not had egg before, introduce it on its own first and watch for any reaction, the same guidance as in our Baby's First Foods guide.