Making pancakes is the perfect way to get little chefs busy in the kitchen. They can help crack the eggs, whisk all the ingredients together and chop fruit for the toppings. We asked our nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed to share her favourite pancake recipes for toddlers, and a few delicious topping ideas.
American Pancakes
Ingredients:
250g self-raising wholegrain or white flour
1tsp baking powder
1 free-range egg
300mls of milk
A little drizzle of oil for the pan
Blueberries (optional)
Method:
Sift the self-raising flour into a large bowl with the baking powder and make a well in the middle
In a separate jug crack the egg and whisk it together with the milk. Add the milk mixture to the well in the middle of your flour and whisk together until you have a smooth batter. Set the mixture aside
Heat a drizzle of oil in a saucepan and, once hot, add a thick dollop of your pancake mixture into the middle of the pan
Dot a few of the blueberries on top of the mixture as it cooks and once it’s browning nicely, flip your pancake and cook it on the other side
If you want to make Vegan Pancakes for your little one, replace the 300mls of milk with 300mls of fortified soya milk. Also remove the egg and add one well-mashed banana to the milk, and then pour this into the flour mixture, whisk well and continue with the method above.
You could also try these yummy Pancakes from the Little Dish Family Cookbook – made with spelt flour for something a bit different.
Topping pancakes is lots of fun for little foodies, and a great way to encourage them to try new flavours, so here are some topping ideas.
Frozen Forest Fruit Coulis
Ingredients:
300grams of frozen forest fruits
4 tablespoons of natural yogurt or a fortified alternative
A few sprigs of mint
Method:
Add the frozen forest fruits to a pan on a medium heat and warm for 5 minutes, whist stirring. This helps to turn them into a coulis texture
Remove from the heat and allow to cool
Once the coulis has cooled, serve a few spoonfuls of it alongside a dollop of natural yogurt, a pancake and a sprig of mint
Other toddler-friendly toppings:
Chopped fresh fruit - banana, mango, ripe pear and berries are all delicious. Serve them on their own or with a dollop of natural yogurt
Nut butter (like almond or cashew) and some chopped banana
A handful of berries and a dollop of yogurt blitzed together in the blender and spooned over your pancakes
You could also let little ones have a go at building a pancake stack for the whole family to enjoy – pancake, dollop of yogurt, sprinkling of fruit, and repeat. Hours of fun!