Pancakes with no egg or dairy; the best baby led weaning recipes!

Pancakes are widely considered to be one of the best early finger foods for babies. They’re easy to hold and soft enough for little ones to chew, even if gums are all they have to work with! When my son was diagnosed with dairy and egg allergies I thought pancakes would be off the menu. So, I’ve been pleased to discover that there are lots of pancake recipes with no egg or dairy that are suitable for baby led weaning. This round up of eggless pancakes for babies will give you and your little one plenty to work through!

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Why are pancakes so good for baby led weaning? 

Before I had kids, pancake day was one of my favourite days of the year. It was the only time I ate pancakes and I would go ALL OUT with the toppings. Now I’ve got two little ones, pancakes have become part of the weekly routine, but they still feel like a treat (although I have reluctantly had to switch to more child-friendly sugar levels 😂). 

Here’s why pancakes lend themselves so well to blw:

• They are easy to hold (especially when cut into strips), and easy to chew. Even with minimal teeth!
• The batter is quick to make, and they only need to be fried for a few minutes each side. If I’m making a batch for the whole family I often have two frying pans on the go.
• Unlike my pre-child pancake day extravaganzas, it’s actually really easy to make healthy baby pancakes with no egg or dairy. They can be sweetened with fruit instead of sugar, and you can use nutritious toppings such as chia jam or pure nut butter* . The recipes below use ingredients such as oats, chickpea flour and almonds; a great way to get some extra variation into your child’s diet.
• Many of these recipes use plant based milk. If you make sure that you are using a fortified version then this adds a big dose of calcium!  
• They are very adaptable. It’s easy to stir in some extra fruit to many recipes – blueberries are good for this. For extra nutrition a spoonful of ground flaxseed or chia seeds often work well. And changing up the toppings can be a fun way to add variety. 

Can egg & dairy free pancake batter be made in advance?

Many pancake batters can be made in advance, but they do thicken. All you need to do is to add a little extra plant based milk to loosen the batter before cooking.  This is very useful as it means you can whip up the batter the night before if you know you will be short on time the next morning. I have also made up pancake batter in advance and sent it in a tupperware so my son could join in pancake day at his childminders.

What to use instead of egg in pancakes

Dairy is relatively easy to substitute in pancakes, but making them eggless is trickier. If your child has a dairy allergy, then you can substitute with a plant based milk. For example, switching to almond or oat milk won’t have much effect on the taste. And you can fry the pancakes in oil instead of butter.

When substituting egg it becomes a bit more hit and miss. There are a variety of options, and different things work in different recipes. Options include:

• Mashed banana (mashed sweet potato also works well)
• Apple puree
• Flax egg
• Olive, coconut or rapeseed oil
• Aquafaba

Each of the recipes in this roundup takes a different approach. I recommend starting off by following an egg free recipe before trying to adapt your own!

Pancakes with no egg or dairy – our favourite blw recipes

Anna Jones 10 minute pancakes

We absolutely love these egg free oaty pancakes, I’ve been making them since my kids were babies. They’re sweetened with fruit, making them perfect for baby led weaning. The combination of oats, almonds (which can be subbed for more oats if needed), banana & apple is a really nutritious mix to start the day.  I often add a teaspoon of ground flaxseed in for a boost of omega 3, protein and fibre. 

Easy baby banana pancakes with no egg

These eggless banana pancakes are one of the recipes I get asked for the most, and are a staple recipe in our household. They are quick and easy to make, and taste delicious. They do contain a small amount of sugar, which can be cut out for younger babies.

The great thing about these no-egg banana pancakes is that they freeze really well. Simply defrost in the toaster for a super quick breakfast!

Savoury chickpea pancakes

This is one of my favourite baby led weaning pancake recipes. These pancakes contain no egg or dairy, and are naturally gluten free. In fact, they are made using just three simple ingredients; chickpea flour, oil and water. 

These baby friendly pancakes are perfect as a light lunch or snack. When first starting out with baby led weaning, both my kids enjoyed munching on these plain. Now they enjoy them with hummus, nut butter or salmon spread. 

Weetabix baby pancakes with no egg

This egg free pancake recipe shared by @allergy_mummaandbubba on Instagram mixes things up by using weetabix in the batter! It’s a great way to increase the nutrition levels, as weetabix is fortified with iron and vitamins. We started making these a couple of months ago and my kids are now firm fans.  

Healthy living James fluffy gluten free & vegan pancakes

If you are looking for a recipe which is also gluten free, these fluffy free from pancakes by Healthy Living James are a great option. They were first recommended to me by Carly, who shared her allergy parenting tips and tricks as part of the Allergy Mums Club Stories series. Her children have multiple allergies and she loves the inclusion of chia seeds and plant based milk (she uses fortified pea milk) in this recipe as a way to get a dose of calcium and iron in.

Vegan crepes using aquafaba

If you want to try a vegan crepe, I recommend this Oggs recipe using Aquafaba. For the uninitiated, aquafaba is the leftover liquid from a can of chickpeas which can magically be used as an egg replacer! 

Just be aware that crepes are a bit thinner than the other pancakes in this round up, so may not stand up to being attacked by a baby quite as well! You could try serving them rolled up, which will be easier to grip. They work well with both savoury and sweet toppings.

What to serve with pancakes

When younger, many babies will be happy to munch on pancakes plain. This is by far the easiest option for little ones as toppings can get very messy! As they get older and have a (slightly!) better food to mouth ratio you can try:

• A dairy free yogurt as a dip
• A smooth nut butter* . Choose a pure nut version with no added salt or sugar
• Raspberry chia jam made with maple syrup instead of honey for under ones
• Mashed banana, sprinkled with chia seeds or dessicated coconut
• A dairy free chocolate spread; you can see my round up of our favourites for some tasty options!

If you try any of these baby pancake recipes out, let me know which ones went down well with your little ones!

If you are looking for more meal inspiration, check out the recipe index. And for lots more family dinner ideas check out my FREE downloadable meal plan. 4 weeks of family dinners, all free from dairy, soy, egg & gluten x