These delicious apple & banana quinoa oat bites are made with just four simple ingredients, and are 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!
The idea for this recipe actually came 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!
PrintApple & Banana Quinoa Oat Bites
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: European
Description
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.
If you liked this recipe you might also like:
Banana & Orange Toddler Bites:
Julia says
What can replace quinoa? My child is allergic to it.
Vicky says
Hi Julia, thank you for taking the time to come back to us, we are unsure if the recipe would work with a quinoa substitute as it would change the texture. We do have other oat bite recipes that don’t have quinoa included. please feel free to try these and please let us know how they go https://www.myfussyeater.com/banana-orange-oat-toddler-bites/
cherry says
may i know to do I reheat them?
cherry says
How do I reheat them after freezing?
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Hi Cherry, just take out of the freezer and leave for a couple of hours to defrost. No need to reheat.
reka says
Could I leave the bananas out of this recipe, as my baby is allergic to bananas? Thank you x
Ciara Attwell says
Yes but use apple sauce or apple puree instead
Anonymous says
Can you freeze these?
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Yes, these oat bites can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Nicole says
So yummy! I added hemp seeds and peanut butter for extra nutrition and flavour and it was great!!
★★★★★
Megan Taylor says
How much peanut butter did u add?
Anonymous says
After baked, are they soft?
Suzanne Holt says
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!
★★★★★
Geraldine says
How do I reheat them after freezing? If I add eggs , would it keep well for freezing and reheating too? Tnks!
maria lopes says
how do you dry the quinoa after you’ve cooked them?
Ciara Attwell says
If you cook it so that the water is all absorbed it will naturally dry out
Chelsea says
Can these be frozen for later use as well?
Ciara Attwell says
Yes they can!
Anonymous says
Taste great!
Jeng says
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…… :=)
★★★★★
June says
Lovely simple recipe and the baby loved them. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Carilu says
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.
Jen says
These are our favorite! Made them just as the recipe suggests and my 1-yr old loves them
Aud says
Can I use porridge oats instead of rolled oats?
Ciara Attwell says
Yes you can!
Kay says
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 ?
Ela says
Easy and tasty
★★★★★
Whitney Arthur says
Do you think quinoa flakes would sub for the oats?
Ciara Attwell says
I can’t say for certain if it would work, sorry!
April says
My baby loves these! I personally add peanut butter and a little cinnamon to mine. She can’t get enough! Thanks for sharing 🙂
★★★★★
Jen says
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!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
Kristi says
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.
Stephanie says
I had the same question, I did 1/2 cup dry with 1 cup water and got 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa.
Aud says
Can I use porridge oats instead of rolled oats?
Carolyn says
Tried this recipe. Tastes great. Thanks 😉
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
That’s great to hear Carolyn!
Carri says
My lil does not like banana. What could I sub I. As a binder?
Thanks
Ciara Attwell says
Maybe some apple sauce but I can’t guarantee it would stick the same
Dana says
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!
★★★★★
A.Stout says
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.
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
That sounds delicious. Glad you enjoyed them and hope your little one does too!
A.Stout says
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!
★★★★★
Alison says
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.
★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
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!
Karen says
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
Ciara Attwell says
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!
Cristina says
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?
Ciara Attwell says
It’s definitely 15 minutes to cook. Sorry, that was a massive mistake on my part. Thanks for letting me know!