Delicious mini bites made with four simple ingredients, soft and chewy so perfect for baby led weaning and toddlers too.
I’ve been getting lots of requests lately for more baby led weaning recipes. I looked at the weaning section on my recipe page and realised that indeed that page was looking a little sparse so I’m going to make an effort to post more recipes suitable for babies… starting with these tasty little Apple & Banana Oat Bites!
I got the idea for this recipe from one of my existing recipes, these Banana Orange Oat Bites for toddlers. I wanted to make a similar recipe but even softer so that it would be suitable for even younger babies with no teeth. The quinoa keeps these little bites super soft and provides a powerhouse of nutrition with lots of protein, fibre and iron.
I mention in the recipe below that it’s important that the quinoa is completely dry. If there is any moisture in it this will affect the consistency of the bites and they may not hold together. Ideally use quinoa that has been cooked the day before and stored in the fridge overnight.
It is also important to let the bites cool completely before eating them or else they will fall apart. Don’t ignore these tips!!
If you try this recipe please do let me know what you think. And tag me in a picture on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #myfussyeater. I really love seeing all your pictures of my recipes and your little ones enjoying them!
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Apple & Banana Quinoa Oat Bites
Prep Time: 5 mins- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 20 1x
Category: Snacks
Cuisine: European
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Pin RecipeDescription
Delicious mini bites made with four simple ingredients, soft and chewy so perfect for baby led weaning and toddlers too.
Ingredients
- 175g / 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (make sure it is completely dry)
- 40g / 0.5 cups rolled oats
- 1 medium banana
- 1 small apple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180c / 350f and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Add the quinoa and oats to a large bowl.
- Mash the banana on a board and add this to the bowl, then grate in the apple.
- Mix all the ingredient together with a spoon before rolling into approximately 20 balls. Place them on the tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
- Allow to cool completely before eating. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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After baked, are they soft?
So so yummy! I have tried so many recipes for similar snacks on the go, and this is by far the best. The kids love them, and I can’t get enough of them!
★★★★★
How do I reheat them after freezing? If I add eggs , would it keep well for freezing and reheating too? Tnks!
how do you dry the quinoa after you’ve cooked them?
If you cook it so that the water is all absorbed it will naturally dry out
Can these be frozen for later use as well?
Yes they can!
Taste great!
Thank you for the recipe! Me and my 10 month old baby loves this! ? ? ?. I will definitely make it again and try all your recipes. Thank you so much! More healthy recipe…… :=)
★★★★★
Lovely simple recipe and the baby loved them. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Definitely yummy recipe! I did add cinnamon and almond butter as I felt they were too soft when forming them into balls. I did leave them in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Even with that, they fell apart easily. :/ not sure what to do to keep this from happening.
These are our favorite! Made them just as the recipe suggests and my 1-yr old loves them
Can I use porridge oats instead of rolled oats?
Yes you can!
Made these yummy bites for my 8 month old she loves them. MOmmy loves them too.
Not sure how to store them and for how long ?
Easy and tasty
★★★★★
Do you think quinoa flakes would sub for the oats?
I can’t say for certain if it would work, sorry!
My baby loves these! I personally add peanut butter and a little cinnamon to mine. She can’t get enough! Thanks for sharing 🙂
★★★★★
I have been struggling to find new foods that my 13 month old will eat…. very glad I came across your recipe and website! I followed the recipe exactly the first time around and the bites were a huge hit with my son. He will eat these when he will literally eat nothing else other than blueberries and watermelon 😀 Thank You! This last batch I tried adding a few raisins and cranberries to the last few (for me 😀 LOL) but those ones didn’t stay together at all… fell apart on the baking tray. I guess if you want to add more stuff you’d need more binding ingredients? Any ideas? My son prefers the ‘classic’ recipe anyway so I’ll stick to that for now haha. Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
How much dry quinoa do you need to make 1.5 cups cooked? I know it will expand but am not sure by how much.
I had the same question, I did 1/2 cup dry with 1 cup water and got 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa.
Can I use porridge oats instead of rolled oats?
Tried this recipe. Tastes great. Thanks 😉
★★★★★
That’s great to hear Carolyn!
My lil does not like banana. What could I sub I. As a binder?
Thanks
Maybe some apple sauce but I can’t guarantee it would stick the same
If you aren’t opposed to adding egg, it definitely helps them stick together :). Loving this new option for toddler “cookies” for my 2 year old – & a fabulous bonus that my 9month old can eat them too :). Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
I made these tonight for breakfast throughout the week. I had to use what I had on hand, so I did quinoa, oats, a coursely grated apple but subbed half a grated summer squash and 1/2cup cherry applesauce for the banana. I also added cinnamon. I had no issues with them staying together. I ate several tonight and I really think my one year old will love them! Hopefully my two year old will too.
★★★★★
That sounds delicious. Glad you enjoyed them and hope your little one does too!
Update: my one year old couldn’t get enough! I will definitely be making these again. Between the two of us we ate almost the whole recipe! I’m pregnant and nursing so these are exactly the kind of snacks I need!
★★★★★
Attempted to bake these today but couldn’t get it to stick in ball forms. My quinoa was in the fridge for 36 hours so I think it was dry. Maybe I needed more banana? Anyway, I squished the mixture into a baking dish and made squares. They’re not staying together very well, but I’ll try this recipe again! Thank you for sharing it! It’s delicious.
★★★★
Sorry to hear that Alison, yes maybe try a little more banana the next time. Often when cooking with fresh produce like this you will have to adjust the quantities each time you make it. Hope it works the next time!
Do you know if these freeze well? I’d like to make them as breakfast for the week and possibly later. I also don’t see my little guy eating 20 balls in 2-3 days.
Thanks!
Karen
Hi, yes they will freeze. Freeze them individually on a tray or plate and then pop them into a freezer bag or container and keep in the freezer for up to 6 weeks!
The top o the recipe says cook time is 15 minutes, but the instruction state that cook time is 25 minutes. Which is the correct time please?
It’s definitely 15 minutes to cook. Sorry, that was a massive mistake on my part. Thanks for letting me know!