Banana & Apple Pancakes

These simple, wholesome and tasty Banana and Apple Pancakes are incredibly easy to make and are toddler approved!

Toddler Recipes from The Heart

Welcome to the debut of my healthy toddler recipes, inspired by my recent journey into motherhood and all things baby and toddler!

After a lengthy hiatus from this blog (and everything else in my life), I am thrilled to be able to share recipes with you again. Last year, our long-held dream of starting a family became a beautiful reality with the blessing of our twins! They are the apples of their mama's and dada's eyes, although I now have a new appreciation for coffee I never quite had before!

Being a new mum brings with it many changes and challenges but for me, ensuring that I set my children up with a healthy gut and immune system for life is very, very important, especially after overcoming my own very gruelling history with ulcerative colitis (IBD).

We are so lucky to live in a time when we have access to information like the new research that what a baby/child drinks and eats in the first 1,000 days (three years) of life sets the child's gut and immune system up for good health or future problems. So, providing healthy, wholesome, home-cooked food for my little ones is a priority for me, but it does need some planning.

As a new mum, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when it comes to what to feed them. Then, of course, you need the time to prepare, which can be a challenge in itself, especially if you have multiple children to care for. That dreaded, "What am I going to feed my child today" thought is real and can feel very overwhelming - but don't worry mama, I am here to help!

That is why I am sharing these recipes, because having access to great recipes that are healthy, easy and toddler approved makes life just that little bit easier. I must confess, while these apple and banana pancakes are for toddlers, I had no hesitation in helping myself to a couple as part of my lunch. (I just spread a bit of grass-fed butter on mine - and it was scrumptious!)

Why You and Your Toddler Are Going to Love These Banana and Apple Pancakes!

These golden Banana & Apple Pancakes were literally gobbled them up by my little ones (so these are definitely toddler approved), — and if you're a mum of a toddler, then you understand how exciting that is!

Natural nutrition is so important to me both for my own health and a mum, so I love that this recipe offers a lot of wholesome goodness from natural ingredients without any added sugar because the gentle natural sweetness comes from ripe bananas and apples. They are delightfully soft, simple and quick to prepare, making them ideal for breakfast, a snack, or whenever a tasty treat is needed for hungry little tummies. My preference for this recipe is organic rolled oats as regular oats are heavily sprayed. Where my toddlers are concerned, I try to go organic or grass fed whenever I can within reason, but I don't hold myself to some impossible standard either - I try to find a balance.

A Little Nourishment in Every Bite

There is a joy in knowing your children are eating healthy while they think they are getting a treat!

Ripe banana and apple contribute fibre and various vitamins and minerals, while (organic) oats offer energy and fibre, along with heart-healthy beta-glucan, making these pancakes satisfying and filling. The egg supplies essential protein and amino acids, while (Ceylon) cinnamon aids in blood sugar control, and nutmeg supports brain health while adding a delightful warm flavour without the need for added sugar - seriously a good pinch of nutmeg does something that just makes them so much more delicious!

My philosophy is that I am only going to get one chance to set them up right for life, and so in sharing these recipes my goal is to offer healthy options to other mums out there trying to feed their little ones healthy nourishing meals that don't take a lot of time that they will actually like!

Easy Ways to Serve These Delicious Pancakes

These little pancakes are incredibly versatile! They are perfect as a snack on their own but for a more complete meal serve with:

• Natural yoghurt

• Chopped avocado

• Soft fresh fruit

• Mashed berries

• Sliced banana

• Stewed or softened apple

• Bits of cheese (my kids love organic cheese with their meals)

• A protein source - e.g. chopped chicken, boiled egg

• Nut butter (where suitable - test for allergies before introducing nuts to your child)

Healthy Recipes For My Kids & My Family - I Love It!

I know these are going to be on permanent rotation in our home, and I hope they might become a regular favorite in your home too!

*A little note for parents

This recipe is intended as a general food idea and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietary advice. When introducing foods to babies and toddlers, consider your child's individual developmental stage, allergies and dietary requirements. Always supervise children while they are eating and prepare food in an age-appropriate texture and size.