When my baby first starting feeding himself solids, I wanted to have a few easy, relatively mess-free snacks that we could take out with him for on-the-go that was ALSO healthy! These healthy toddler pancakes are one of my favorites to make for him, and he loves them! What I love about this recipe is that the ingredients are very simple and easy to find and keep stocked. You can also easily adjust or switch up ingredients and flavors and add in extra nutrients. And I’ll have to admit too, I snuck a bite of these baby pancakes actually and said, “Mmm, I may have to have some of these each day too!” 😂
Why Baby Kale Instead of Spinach?
When I first started making these healthy toddler pancakes, I used baby spinach. I eventually switched out the spinach with baby kale to reduce the amount of oxalate content in our diets. To read more about oxalates, you can read this article.
Although oxalates aren’t necessarily a pressing issue for everyone, it is still something to be mindful of when crafting a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Storing Pancakes in glass baby food storage containers
After preparing a fresh batch of green pancakes, I love that I am able to store them in baby food glass containers for later. These keep well in the fridge for 3-5 days and can also be frozen for later.
I prefer using glass and silicone storage containers whenever possible. The ones in the picture are from Pottery Barn Kids. They are great for foods that don’t need to be microwaved. However, for some reason, the Pottery Barn Kids containers don’t do so well in the microwave. For storing foods that you will want to microwave or freeze, my absolute favorite glass baby food storage jars are the WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Jars with silicone lids (this is an affiliate link which means I get paid if you purchase this product using that link; this is at NO cost to you! Also, I ONLY recommend items I actually use and love!). I’ve used these jars daily for years now, and they are super strong and sturdy. Undoubtedly one of my favorite baby and toddler purchases of all time! I also love gifting these for baby showers or 1st birthdays.
Healthy Green Kale Pancakes for Babies & Toddlers (Baby-led Weaning Friendly)
Times:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooke time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy alternative can be used; I’ve used oat milk and it’s great!)
- 1 1/2 cup of dry traditional oatmeal
- 2 eggs
- 2 bananas
- 1 handful of baby kale (or spinach)
- 1 teaspoon flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon ground chia
- A pinch of cinnamon
- Ghee or grass-fed butter for the pan
Directions:
1. Starting with the milk, add all of your ingredients to a blender (I use a Ninja blender, but you can use any blender that size or larger). Blend everything up really well!
2. Warm a skillet up on medium-low heat and add ghee, grass-fed butter, or some kind of cooking fat to the pan. I’ve used coconut oil before, and that works well too!
3. Pour your pancake batter by the spoonful. It’s up to you how many spoons at a time you want to use depending on how big you want your pancakes to be. You can either fill the whole skillet with one big pancake that you’ll cut up (most convenient) or pour tiny pancakes into the skillet (more cute). Make sure to cook your pancakes until 1) you notice bubbles along the side and 2) the center of the pancake is starting to not look as wet. Keep an eye out for browning on the edges.
4. Flip your pancake and do the same on that side. Cooking the second side typically takes less time than cooking the first side.
5. Move cooked pancakes to a cooling rack or cutting board and repeat until all the batter is used.
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