Sweetcorn & chickpea flour fritters for babies (gluten free and no egg!)
These gluten free sweetcorn and chickpea flour fritters make excellent finger food for baby led weaning. Using just 5 ingredients, they are super quick and easy to make. As well as being gluten free, they are dairy free and need no egg to bind them, making them very allergy friendly.
Quick reference dietary information
Dairy, egg & soy free | gluten free | nut free option | sesame free | vegan
5 reasons to love these sweetcorn & chickpea flour fritters for babies!
- They are so easy to make, which is exactly what you need when trying to juggle cooking with looking after a little one. No complicated instructions here!
- The fritters contain sweetcorn and chickpea flour, which contribute to 2 of the recommended 5 fruit and veg a day.
- You can prep this fritter mix in advance, allowing you to do it whenever the opportunity arises – it can be hard to predict when you will be left in peace for 5 minutes!!
- Although they are nicest hot, these fritters also work well cold. So, you can save some for the next day for a quick snacky lunch or to put in a packed lunch box.
- The fritters are made out of store cupboard ingredients, so you can make them on a whim. (I appreciate that not everyone will have chickpea flour in their cupboard – but you should! Especially if you are cooking for a gluten free diet.)
These gluten free fritters are great for toddlers too
And of course these fritters are not just for babies; toddlers and older kids will love them as well. They can be a great way to sneak some extra veg into the diet of fussy eaters – the fritters are very similar to pancakes, which 99% of all kids love! Smother them with a topping they enjoy and you’ll be onto a winner đź‘Ť
Sweetcorn and chickpea flour fritters are naturally gluten free and need no egg to bind them.
They are also free from dairy, making them a good option for those with cow’s milk protein allergy who are weaning dairy free. They are also free from soy and sesame.
The fritters can easily be made nut free. Simply switch the almond milk for a nut-free plant based milk such as gluten free oat or hemp milk.
It is worth being aware that chickpeas are legumes, which is the same plant family as peanuts and soy. You can find out more about legume allergies on Anaphylaxis UK.
What ingredients are needed to make these gluten free fritters?
These little fritters are so easy to throw together and are made using just 5 ingredients:
- Chickpea flour – commonly known as gram flour – is naturally gluten free. It’s high in protein and fibre, and counts towards your five a day! Whether or not your child needs to be gluten free, chickpea flour is an easy way to add some variation into their diet. If you want to use chickpea flour in some other baby led weaning recipes, I suggest trying chickpea pancakes and courgette fritters.
- Sweetcorn is a good source of dietary fibre, as well as a range of vitamins and minerals. In this recipe I suggest using tinned sweetcorn for ease, but frozen works equally well and is a good way to preserve all the goodness. Frozen sweetcorn can be defrosted first by covering with boiling water for 5 minutes. If you’re using tinned sweetcorn, go for a no added salt product.
- The fritters contain a good dose of plant based milk. I tend to use almond milk, but any mild tasting milk will work. For nut allergies, choose an alternative such as hemp milk or oat milk instead. Whichever you go for, look for an unsweetened product that is calcium fortified.
- Olive oil is a source of healthy fats, which are so important to include a weaning diet – particularly if you are trying to support weight gain.
- Paprika adds the flavour! You can also add a little mild chilli powder for the grown ups, or kids who like a bit of spice.
How to serve sweetcorn and chickpea flour fritters for baby led weaning
Fritters are a popular finger food for the same reason as pancakes – they are so easy to hold and chew. When starting weaning, slice the fritters into strips. These are easily grabbable! As babies get older you can cut them into quarters or halves.
The sweetcorn fritters work well with a gluten free spread on top, to add some extra nutrition and variation. Options include hummus, dairy free cream cheese or a thin layer of mashed avocado.
They are good as part of a picky lunch, alongside things such as sticks of pepper, cucumber, or lightly steamed carrot, dairy free cheese , and some protein such as tuna or shredded chicken.
Sweetcorn & chickpea flour fritters (gluten free & no egg!)
Ingredients
- 150 g Chickpea (gram) flour
- 230 ml plant based milk, unsweetened and calcium fortified
- 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for frying)
- 150 g tinned sweetcorn, drained (drained weight)
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Sieve the chickpea flour into a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the plant based milk and olive oil into the chickpea flour until you have a smooth batter.
- Tip in the drained sweetcorn and paprika and stir well.
- Cover and let the batter rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins before cooking. The batter can be left to rest for longer before cooking – overnight if required.
- To cook, heat up a glug of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add spoonfuls of the batter to the pan and fry for a few minutes on each side, until cooked through.
- Leftovers can be served cold the next day. They can also be frozen; once defrosted simply heat in frying pan for a couple of minutes on each side. Or pop straight into the toaster from frozen and they will be ready to eat in minutes! They may need two rounds in the toaster to get them hot enough.
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.
- Most mild flavoured plant based milks will work in this recipe. I tend to use almond, but if you need a nut free option, go for something like oat or hemp milk. Whichever milk you choose, look for an unsweetened, calcium fortified version.
- I have used tinned sweetcorn (with no added salt or sugar) in this recipe, just for ease. Frozen sweetcorn will work just as well – simply cover it with boiling water for 5 minutes to defrost.
- For adults, I recommend seasoning the batter with some salt.Â
Here are some more gluten free baby led weaning favourites to try:
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Hi how much paprika do I use?
Oh whoops, I left the paprika off the ingredients list! Thanks for bringing to my attention. I’ve added it on now – I use half a teaspoon x
I made these for my 10 month old (with plain flour rather than chickpea) and they worked wonderfully! He had one this morning and absolutely wolfed it down. I don’t do much cooking so really appreciate your website for quick and easy snacks for our dairy free, egg free son!