Courgette fritters, great for baby led weaning
Give these courgette fritters a try and they will soon become one of your baby led weaning staples. This yummy recipe is free from dairy, eggs, gluten and nuts – perfect for little ones with allergies. They are gently spiced to help introduce your baby to some interesting flavours x
Quick reference dietary information
Dairy, egg & soy free | gluten free | nut free | sesame free | vegan
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Why are courgette fritters so good for baby led weaning?
Fritters are a popular finger food for the same reason as pancakes – they are so easy to hold and chew. They are also:
- A contribution to your babies 5 a day – the courgette and gram flour count for 2 of the 5.
- Quick to make! If you want you can make the mix ahead of time. You can even keep it overnight in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Lightly spiced, and easily adaptable. You can increase the spice levels as your baby gets older.
How to serve courgette fritters for babies
When starting weaning, slice the fritters into strips. These are easily grabbable! As babies get older you can cut them into quarters or halves.
I use these for a light lunch, perhaps served with some lightly steamed veg sticks, sweet potato wedges, or dairy free cheese. The fritters are nicest warm, but I sometimes make up a batch and take them out for lunch on the go.
You can also serve fritters with a spread on top, or something to dip them in. Some ideas that work well for this are hummus, dairy free Greek yogurt or smooth nut butter* .
Which dietary requirements are these courgette fritters suitable for?
Most fritter recipes are decidedly allergy unfriendly, full of eggs, cheese and flour. But this version doesn’t need any of that! They are free from:
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Soy
- Nuts
The recipe uses one of my favourite gluten free ingredients – chickpea flour (also known as gram flour*). I had never heard of this before I started free-from cooking, but I now use it all the time. Apart from being tasty, it’s also high in protein and fibre, and counts towards your five a day.
There are also some optional sesame seeds in this recipe. I’ve always got an eye on calcium intake, and sesame is great for that. But if anyone in your family has a sesame allergy then simply leave the sesame seeds out.
How to bind fritters without eggs
I have found a flax egg to be the best egg replacement for fritters – after much testing! A flax egg has got just the right amount of gooiness to hold the fritter together, but doesn’t impact the taste.
To make a flax egg, simply mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 2 and a half tablespoons of cold water. Give it a good stir, then set it aside in the fridge for at least 10 minutes until it starts to get gloopy!
Courgette fritters for baby led weaning
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 2 and a half tablespoons cold water)
- 250 g courgettes
- 60 g chickpea flour (also known as gram flour)
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp mild chilli powder
- pinch of salt (This can be left out entirely for babies under 1)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Firstly prepare the flax egg by mixing up one tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 2 and a half tablespoons cold water. Put this in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to thicken up.
- Grate the courgettes (no need to peel them), squeeze out the excess moisture and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Then simply add the flax egg and all the other ingredients (except the oil) to the same mixing bowl. You can adjust the amount of chilli, paprika and salt depending on your child’s age and how strong you want the taste to be.
- Stir everything up to make sure it is really well combined.
- Heat your oil in a non-stick frying pan (I use olive oil). When it’s hot, add a tablespoon of the mixture per fritter, and press the mix down slightly so it’s in a flat pancake shape. Fry at a medium/high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden.
Notes
- If you or your child has an allergy, always double check that the recipe and all of the components are suitable. This includes checking ‘may contain’ statements on each ingredient and making your own assessment of risk based on personal circumstances.
If you are looking for some other interesting ways to incorporate veg into your baby’s diet you might like to try:
- Carrot cornbread (vegan & gluten free)
- Sweet potato breadsticks
- Sweetcorn and chickpea flour fritters
- Pastry pinwheels made with mixed veg sauce
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Hi there — are you able to freeze these?
Hello! I’ve never tried freezing this exact recipe, but have frozen similar fritters before and they have been fine. To avoid them sticking together I freeze the cooked fritters laid out flat on some grease proof paper. Once frozen they can be put into a freezer bag together and you can get them out individually as needed. I would fully defrost before heating through in a frying pan. Let me know if you give it a try!