I have a 10 month old son, and he’s
been eating solid foods since he was 6 months old. He used to love the purees I’d make for him,
and some of the puree combos I came up with even inspired me to create recipes
my husband and I could enjoy, such as my Pumpkin Banana Muffins.
About a month ago, my son started
enjoying feeding himself more than having us feed him purees. I got tired of having him knock the baby
spoon full of food out of my hand (messy!), so I let him have his way and feed
himself (also messy!). Fresh fruit like
bananas, strawberries and mango cut in little pieces are easy for him to pick
up and eat. He also likes cheese, bread,
peas, green beans, etc.
The only problem I had was figuring
out how to get my baby to eat the infant baby cereal my son’s pediatrician
recommended that he have at least once a day (twice a day before he started
eating meat). She stressed that the
infant cereal is an important source of iron for babies, so I knew I shouldn’t
just stop giving him this cereal just because he’d moved past purees.
I searched Pinterest for baby led
weaning recipes that incorporated baby cereal, but I just couldn’t find exactly
what I was looking for. Necessity is the
mother of invention, right? So, I made up
this baby cookie recipe.
What makes this recipe perfect for
baby led weaning is that it uses baby cereal instead of flour, and there’s no
sugar. The cookies get their sweetness
from bananas, my son’s favorite food. In
fact, I think they taste a lot like banana bread.
My son absolutely loves these cookies. My husband and I even have a hard time
staying out of them!
When my pediatrician asked if I was
giving my son baby cereal, I told her about these cookies. She loved the idea, stressing again how
important the baby cereal is for iron.
She even asked for the recipe!
These cookies are great to bring with
you on outings for a quick, healthy snack or meal for your baby. They can be a little messy since they’re
soft. I’ve found that it helps to break
them into pieces for your baby if you want to keep his/her hands from getting
too sticky.
I’ve had trouble getting a good
picture of my son eating a cookie since he devours them so quickly. I hope your little ones enjoy these cookies
just as much as we do.
Just one final note: before making
these cookies for your baby, make sure your son/daughter is not allergic to any
of these ingredients. Also consult your
pediatrician about the appropriate age for you to introduce eggs and nut
butter. I had the go-ahead on those
ingredients before creating this recipe.
Baby’s
First Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen small cookies
Ingredients:
2 bananas, mashed
½ tsp baking soda
1 c Gerber multigrain baby cereal (or
your little one’s favorite baby cereal)
2 eggs
1 tbsp butter, softened
¼ cup natural peanut butter, almond
butter or your favorite nut butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mush the bananas, baking soda, and
baby cereal together with a fork. Add
the eggs and incorporate thoroughly. Add
the butter, nut butter and vanilla extract.
The dough should be mushy and thinner than regular cookie dough.
Drop the dough on the cookie sheets in
small mounds. Mine are maybe about a
heaping half teaspoon. I make them small
since they’re for a baby, but you can do whatever size you feel is best for
your little one.
Bake for about 7 minutes or until set
but still soft. The time will depend on
your oven and the size of your cookies.
It’s always best to check them early and add time than risk over baking
them. Maybe try 5 minutes and check it,
adding a minute each time until your desired consistency. Mine are usually a little brown on the bottom
and hardly look cooked on top.
Let the cookies cool completely and
loosen them from the parchment paper.
Try one. It should melt in your
mouth. You should be able to mush them
up just with your tongue, which is important if you baby doesn’t have (many)
teeth yet.
You can leave the cookies on the
counter for a couple days, but if you plan to make them ahead, they maintain
their softness in the refrigerator, freeze well and defrost quickly.
Happy eating!
