Quick & easy egg free fish cakes for kids
If you’re looking for a healthy family dinner, then you can’t go wrong with some homemade fish cakes! However, many recipes contain egg and so don’t work for those with egg allergies. Luckily this egg free fish cakes recipe could not be simpler, and tastes just as great as the more complicated versions – but without the messy egg dipping!
Quick reference dietary information
Dairy, egg & soy free | gluten free option | nut free | sesame free
How to bind fish cakes without eggs
When my son was diagnosed with an egg allergy, I spent ages trying to work out a good replacement for an egg in my favourite fish cake recipe. But, they always seemed to go a bit soggy.
After multiple attempts I realised that the best replacement was…. no replacement at all. They actually bind completely fine without any egg replacer added. I find that a bit of extra mashed potato and a chill in the fridge is enough to hold them together really well, and a light dusting of flour is all that’s needed to coat them.
If you are using a recipe that really calls for an egg replacement to bind, I had most success with using a flax egg. To make this you mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 2 and a half tablespoons of water. Mix it up and then let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes until it looks a bit gloopy! It is then ready to use instead of an egg.
Are these fish cakes suitable for babies?
The shape and texture of these fish cakes are perfect for baby led weaning – just be extra careful about removing any little bones when you flake the fish in.
The ingredients are nice and simple whilst still being tasty and nutritious. As well as being an excellent source of protein, salmon and other oily fish are one of the best ways to get omega 3 essential fatty acids into your baby’s diet. Annabel Karmel, the queen of weaning, has some good information about the importance of including omega 3 in your baby’s diet.
Which dietary requirements are these egg free fish cakes suitable for?
These fish cakes were made with egg allergies in mind! They are also dairy free, perfect for children with cow’s milk protein allergy.
In fact, the only top 14 allergens the fish cakes contain are salmon and flour. However, if you are gluten free I’ve tested the recipe with gluten free flour, and it works very well. If you or your little one has an allergy to salmon, then you can switch to another fish such as cod, pollock or tuna instead. If all fish is a problem, then you could give finely shredded cooked chicken a try – if you do, let me know how it goes!
5 reasons to love these quick & easy egg free fish cakes
- They are really versatile. The recipe I’ve shared here uses salmon and broccoli, but you could use many combinations; cod, mackerel & pollack would all work well, as would peas and sweetcorn in place of the broccoli. You could also mix up the mashed potato by adding some sweet potato. Perfect for introducing a range of fish and flavours into your little ones diet!
- This is a good recipe to get kids involved with, as it is so easy. My 3 year old absolutely loves mashing the potato, and squishing everything up together!
- Fish cakes make for a nice family dinner, served with some corn on the cob or peas. And, it’s easy to split the mix out before cooking and add some stronger seasoning for the grown ups!
- These fish cakes can be made entirely from leftovers! I often make a salmon, jacket potato and broccoli dinner, and cook a little extra to be used for the fish cakes.
- Fish cakes freeze really well, so you can make a big batch and freeze them to use later. Freeze once the fishcakes have been assembled, but before frying. Initially, freeze them on a sheet of grease proof paper, and then add them into a freezer bag for longer term storage. This stops the fishcakes sticking together.
If you’re looking for more egg, dairy and soy free family dinner ideas, you might like to try:
- Smoky shredded chicken
- Egg free mini lamb burgers
- Apricot and spinach nut-free pesto
- Dairy free mac and cheese, with sneaky butternut squash!
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
Quick & easy egg free fish cakes
Ingredients
- 2 large baking potatoes, cooked and cooled
- 2 small (or 1 large) salmon fillets, cooked
- 2 to 3 medium sized broccoli florets, cooked
- Plain flour for dusting (gluten free plain flour works equally well)
- Olive or rapeseed oil, for frying
Instructions
- This recipe uses cooked potatoes, salmon and broccoli, so I tend to do a salmon, jacket potato & broccoli dinner, cook some extra, and use the leftovers to make fishcakes for the next day. If you are cooking the ingredients specifically to make the fishcakes, you can either peel and boil the potatoes or make jacket potatoes and scoop out the middle when cooked.
- To make the fishcakes, firstly mash the potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Flake the cooked fish into the mashed potato, checking carefully for bones.
- Remove and discard any tough stalks from the broccoli and chop the rest into small pieces. Then add into the mashed potato and fish, and mix well. You can use clean hands to squish it all together!
- Pour a little flour onto a plate or shallow dish. Form the mashed potato mixture into small patties, patting them together firmly to help them hold their shape. Lightly dust each fish cake with the flour as you go.
- Place the fishcakes onto another large plate or dish lined with grease proof paper or a little flour, and put them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes; chilling them helps them keep their shape.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a large non-stick frying pan. When the oil is hot, add a batch of the fish cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until they are heated through and starting to go golden brown and a little crispy. I often have two pans on the go to get them all done at once! These are nice served with sweetcorn or peas.
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.
- The uncooked fish cakes freeze well. I lay them out on some grease proof paper to freeze initially, and then they can go into a freezer bag to be removed as needed without all sticking together! Defrost before frying.
- If you need the fish cakes to be gluten free, you can dust these with plain gluten free flour. I’ve tested this and it works well.
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These are delicious and so easy to make.
My baby loves these fish cakes, I messaged Amy to see if I could cook them all off and freeze them to make it easier for quick dinners. She got back to me immediately to say I could. I batched cooked them all and they turn out perfect just reheating in the microwave.
I’m so pleased that your baby is enjoying the fishcakes! I hadn’t thought about reheating them in the microwave but that’s a great idea to make it extra speedy – will definitely be giving your method a try! Thank you for sharing x
Thank you for an egg free recipe! My son is also allergic to salmon, would any other fish do or could you recommend fish alternatives I could try? Thank you!
Hi Eve, yes this does work well with other fish. I would go for another firm flaky fish; something like cod is a good alternative. You can also use cooked shredded chicken, I’ve done that before and it was tasty. Hope that is helpful! Amy
Is the flour absolutely necessary? Just don’t have any on hand
Hi Nora, no it’s not, you could definitely try them without – the flour helps them get a nice golden brown crispy coating, so they might just have less of that. But still tasty! Amy