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Home » Baby Foods & Weaning » Sugar Free Flapjacks for Baby Led Weaning

Sugar Free Flapjacks for Baby Led Weaning

March 18, 2015 by Ciara Attwell, Updated October 28, 2022

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Quick and easy sugar free flapjacks or oat bars, perfect for baby led weaning!

8 slices of Sugar Free Flapjacks Oat Bars for Baby Led Weaning next to some of the ingredients

Weaning Recipes

For months I’ve been wanting to post more baby friendly and weaning recipes and I am so pleased that I have FINALLY got round to my first one!

My little man is now 13 months old, so a little past the weaning stage. But with only 5 teeth there are still lots of things that he struggles to eat.

I also try to keep his diet as low in sugar and salt as possible and so I still find myself making lots of food specifically for him. So my first recipe just for babies is going to be these Sugar Free Flapjacks (or Oat Bars). 

Snacks

My little man wasn’t much of an eater until a couple of months ago. It used to be a mission to get him to eat more than a couple of morsels of food at a time but recently he has turned into an eating machine.

Some days he eats so much that I struggle to come up with varied and interesting snacks for him.

Those boxes of soft oat bars are handy in these kind of situations but they can work out expensive for what essentially is a few handfuls of oats so I decided to make my own.

Sugar Free Flapjacks Oat Bars for Baby Led Weaning | My Fussy Eater Blog Sugar Free Flapjacks Oat Bars for Baby Led Weaning | My Fussy Eater Blog

Ingredients

My flapjacks are sugar free and also contain no honey, meaning that they are suitable for babies under 1 year. They are naturally sweetened with bananas, desiccated coconut and dates and are soft enough for little mouths to manage.

I blitzed the oats in a food processor first just to break them down a little and make them easier to eat. If you are making these flapjacks for older children or babies with lots of teeth then you can skip this step.

Sugar Free Flapjacks Oat Bars for Baby Led Weaning | My Fussy Eater Blog Sugar Free Flapjacks Oat Bars for Baby Led Weaning | My Fussy Eater Blog

This recipe also makes a great base for so many different flavoured flapjacks. You could add some nut butter for babies over 1 year, dried fruit or even some dark chocolate chips for older children.

Storage Instructions

The flapjacks are best eaten within 24 hours or they will start to dry out. However the best thing to do is to freeze them. Wrap each one in individual parchment parchment paper and pop in a freezer bag or a box. They will defrost in 30 minutes or less so are perfecting for throwing into your changing bag ready to have on hand for snack time.

a small child picking up a slice of flapjack from a pile on a green cake stand

I’m really excited to be posting more baby and weaning recipes. Are they any baby friendly recipes in particular that you would like to see? Just drop me a message in the comments below!

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Sugar Free Flapjacks for Baby Led Weaning


★★★★★ 4.8 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Ciara Attwell
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 – 16 1x
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: European
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Description

Quick and easy sugar free flapjacks or oat bars, perfect for baby led weaning


Ingredients

  • 150g / 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 50g / ⅓ cup coconut oil or butter (melted in the microwave)
  • 1 ½ bananas
  • 3 dates
  • 4 tbsp orange juice or apple juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170c / 340f and line a baking dish (mine was 8in x 8in) with some parchment.
  2. Blitz the oats in a food processor for a few seconds to break them down a bit. Transfer the oats into a large bowl and mix in the desiccated coconut.
  3. In a blender blitz the melted coconut oil or butter, bananas, dates and fruit juice until it forms a sticky paste. Pour this on top of the oat mixture and stir until everything is well combined.
  4. Scoop the mixture into the dish and press down with the back of the spoon to make it compact.
  5. Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until the edges of the mixture are beginning to brown.
  6. Lift the parchment paper out of the dish and leave to cool before cutting into 8 large or 16 small pieces

Notes

These flapjacks can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. However they are best eaten within 24 hours before they start to dry out. They can also be frozen. Simply wrap them individually in parchment or in individual freezer boxes. They will defrost at room temperature in about 30 minutes.

1 Serving (based on large flapjacks)2489.7 g2.4 mg6.6 g5.9 g38.3 g5 g5.2 g
Sugar Free Oat Bars for Baby Led Weaning | My Fussy Eater Blog

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Filed Under: Baby Foods & Weaning, Dairy Free Recipes, Egg Free, Recipes Tagged With: baby food, baby led weaning, flapjacks, oat bars

Comments

  1. Steph says

    January 19, 2022 at 6:09 am

    Is there any reason all the ingredients can’t be tossed into the food processor together?

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Bianca Carey Spencer says

      March 1, 2022 at 9:34 am

      Hi Steph! There’s no specific reason why you can’t put everything into the food processor together, however it may change the consistency of the flapjacks. We’ve not tried it, so not sure how it would turn out so if you do try it this way, please do come back and let us know how you got on.

      Reply
  2. Sakina says

    January 5, 2021 at 11:29 pm

    Thanks for a very adaptable recipe. I’m pretty sure that cups in the US and cups in the U.K. and Australia are different so once I figured out the right quantities the rest was easy. I subbed roasted sweet potato for the banana which I know is a bit of a leap but I’m trying to give my little girl a veggie boost at every opportunity. The flavours really worked!! I tasted the mush before mixing with the oats and I thought it tasted really good, the orange and sweet potato combo was lovely. Even the coconut oil helped. Baby polished her snack so will definitely make again and experiment with some seeds/ nuts/ nut butter/ tahini/ dried fruit etc

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Ruth says

    March 11, 2019 at 5:22 pm

    These were lovely and went down a treat with the whole family. We substituted raisins for dates and added a small amount of milk instead of fruit juice. Will definitely be making again, maybe with some cinnamon or nutmeg!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Shelley says

    October 26, 2018 at 10:18 pm

    My 9 month old loved these! Thanks for the recipe:)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Sid says

    July 27, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    Hello! Do you think if I don’t have any oats in hand I could substitute the oats in your recipes with oatmeal cereal such as the Happy Baby one? Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Sid says

    July 27, 2018 at 2:03 pm

    Hello! Do you think if I don’t have any oats in hand I could substitute the oats in your recipes with oatmeal cereal such as the Happy Baby one instead? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lindsey says

      April 17, 2021 at 11:11 am

      We love this recipe, thank you. Love that they can be frozen as mentioned, then I can just get one out of the freezer if ever I’m lacking inspiration or availability of snacks! Easter was a hit with my 15 month old, who loved trying chocolate for the first time! I know dark chocolate can be a good source of iron but I’m aware that sugar should be avoided as much as possible – I don’t suppose you have any sugar free (or minimal) chocolate recipes eg brownies. Ideally something that can also be frozen!
      Thank you x

      Reply
      • Bianca Carey Spencer says

        April 20, 2021 at 8:28 am

        So glad you loved the recipe Lindsey! We have a Healthy Apple & Banana brownie recipe on the blog that is refined sugar free and can also be frozen! If you search for “brownie” n the blog, you will find it there. Hope you like it. x

        Reply
  7. dominique says

    May 28, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    They were excellent. thanks! I only had 1/2 banana so I cooked 1 apple in a bit of water instead, then added it to the blender with the dates and banana, and I kept the cooking water because I don’t buy juice. I also added 2 huge spoons of peanut butter!

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      May 29, 2018 at 7:06 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  8. Sarah says

    April 6, 2018 at 9:14 am

    I’ve been making these for we’ll over a year now and I love how adaptable the recipe is. I’ve substituted just about everything, raisins and apricots work well instead if dates, and I’ve added everything from nuts (ground,butters and chopped) every dried fruit possible, normal chopped fruit too,and seeds, also a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. The only thing I never bother with is the fruit juice!Everyone loves them and they’re a firm favourite if my twins! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      April 8, 2018 at 1:13 pm

      Thanks so much Sarah. Love all your variations too!

      Reply
    • N says

      August 8, 2018 at 10:45 pm

      Ooh thanks! I was wondering if I could omit the juice.

      Reply
  9. Sarah says

    March 13, 2018 at 3:41 pm

    Would oat flour work just as well as rolled oats? My daughter is under1 yrs old and I thought to save time on blending the oats I could use oat flour. Should the oats be that refined or not?

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      March 13, 2018 at 6:02 pm

      Yes that should work just as well!

      Reply
  10. Brenda says

    March 5, 2018 at 11:30 am

    Super recipe! Actually made these for my husband who is on a bit of a health kick and couldn’t find anything in the shops that was sugar free. Will save a fortune as well on his usual shop bought ones!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. Julia says

    January 19, 2018 at 11:40 am

    Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe! I tried it this morning and the result is absolutely delicious. Both my 18 month old and I can’t get enough of them. I’d call them oat bars instead of flapjacks, at least mine turned out more like oat bars. Do you think it would be possible to replace the butter partly or entirely with vegetable oil and if so how much?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Catherine Crowley says

    October 27, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    Absolutely fantastic Ciara, thanks for sharing this and all your recipes. I have just become a ‘My fussy eater’ convert. Cant wait to try them all.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      October 29, 2017 at 11:54 am

      Thanks Catherine! x

      Reply
  13. Christie says

    October 17, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    Do you think it is possible to use a watered down homemade baby puree instead of the juice? We typically don’t purchase juice

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      October 29, 2017 at 12:00 pm

      Yes that would probably work. Or fresh juice too.

      Reply
  14. Christina says

    October 15, 2017 at 7:33 am

    Hi there. I have bananas that I had frozen for muffins. Would these work or would they have to be fresh?

    Reply
  15. Annette says

    October 4, 2017 at 7:29 pm

    I love making these for my LO! I blintz the oats and dates before my morning smoothie and save the mixing and baking after she goes to bed. So easy! Lately I’ve been trying to use up some purees that she doesn’t go for as much any more- So fyi- I replace one of the bananas and the juice with one fruit pouch and it works great! Adds

    Reply
  16. Claire says

    July 27, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    Hi Ciara do you think you could use dried apricots instead of dates in this recipe? Thanks

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      July 28, 2017 at 10:33 am

      Hi Claire, you can certainly try it. The dates make the mixture a little sticky so that the bars hold together but you might get the same result from the apricots if you blend them up really well. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  17. Cristina Gomes says

    May 7, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    Are this flapjacks crispy or soft? baby with 9months and only 2 teeth 🙂

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      May 8, 2017 at 8:13 am

      They are soft but still require a little bit of chewing

      Reply
  18. Lyve says

    March 12, 2017 at 8:54 am

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! Look forward to trying it out! X

    Reply
  19. Mahnusch says

    February 17, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    It seems delicious and healthy.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  20. Beverly says

    December 30, 2016 at 3:24 pm

    I was disappointed that these werent flapjacks. My grandsons love flapjacks but I rarely make them due to sugar content

    ★★★

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      December 30, 2016 at 3:27 pm

      I should have said PANCAKES, as we often use tge term interchangeably

      Reply
  21. Emily McKean says

    October 3, 2016 at 10:12 am

    Looking forward to making this! Bring on the weaning finger food recipes 🙂

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      October 3, 2016 at 10:14 am

      Hope your little one like them!

      Reply
  22. Caro says

    September 11, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    I loved this recipe, however you should not state that it’s “sugar free” you can say it’s “no sugar added” which is quiet different. Dates, bananas and oranges have tons of sugar

    Reply
    • Sandra says

      May 30, 2017 at 8:44 pm

      Thank you for this comment, I was about to post the same thing.

      Reply
      • Weffy says

        March 2, 2018 at 9:28 am

        Sugar from fruit is different to refined sugar. Fructose uses the liver to break down rather than stomach so no spike in insulin…. better form of sugar…and children use it up!

        Reply
    • Tasha says

      September 19, 2017 at 6:51 pm

      I think she’s well aware of that. Maybe she should of stated that they’re unrefined for the food police but if you thought you’d find a flapjack minus a “sweet” binder you were maybe looking for cardboard. I for one can’t wait to try this for my little one. Thank you.

      Reply
  23. Emma Lofthouse-Burch says

    August 7, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    Another great weaning recipe, thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      August 8, 2016 at 9:14 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  24. Maria says

    June 9, 2016 at 4:57 am

    These were on point! A real hit. I also used honey instead of Juice for my 15mo. She loved it.

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      June 23, 2016 at 11:00 am

      Fantastic, so happy to hear that!

      Reply
  25. Em says

    May 19, 2016 at 4:56 am

    Hi ciara, I am thinking of making them in a muffin tray for my 7,5mo boy .. Do you think they’d bake well in muffin form? Thank you! Can’t wait to try them.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      May 19, 2016 at 7:53 am

      I’m not 100% sure they’ll work as I haven’t tried this myself, but its certainly worth a shot. Maybe use cupcake liners just in case they don’t stick together very well.

      Reply
  26. Soph says

    January 21, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    These are amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe. Fantastic for baby but also great for a mummy who is trying to eat less chocolate! Have gone down very well in our house x

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      January 21, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know. So glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  27. Paul says

    January 20, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    My son is 2 years old.Is honey OK for him as a sweetener instead of dates? Thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      January 20, 2016 at 9:50 pm

      Hi, yes honey is ok for a 2 year old!

      Reply
  28. Ruth Robinson says

    January 13, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Hi there. Just to say a big thank you for your excellent sugar-free flapjack recipe. It’s gone down very well with my seven-month old boy with whom I’m now doing baby-led weaning after over a month of battling it out with purées. He ate a whole finger of flapjack this morning – and seemed to really enjoy the whole process – which I was staggered by! Think they are rather tasty myself and they’ll be a hit with my mother, who’s on an added-sugar-free diet. Much appreciated!

    Reply
  29. Leeanne says

    September 25, 2015 at 11:51 am

    What sweet we can I use in place of the dates and how much , maybe maple syrup ?

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      September 25, 2015 at 12:58 pm

      Hi, honey would probably work the best as it will help the mixture to stick together. Try 1 tablespoon to start with and add a little more if it doesn’t seem to stick!

      Reply
  30. Lucy says

    September 24, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Love your recipes, keen to try this one but I don’t have space for a food processor, tried another date recipe using the nutribullet but it didn’t work – any tips?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      September 24, 2015 at 6:23 pm

      Hi Lucy! Maybe try soaking the dates in warm water before you blitz them in the nutribullet. That might help to soften them enough so that they break down. Failing that you could also buy date syrup and just use that instead. Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Lucy says

        September 24, 2015 at 7:25 pm

        That’s brilliant thank you I’ll try that, so many recipes use them!

        Reply
        • Maria says

          June 9, 2016 at 4:55 am

          Hey there I blitzed everything in my smoothie blender and it worked fine! I did substitute honey for the juice. Was great!

          Reply
  31. Ines says

    March 26, 2015 at 8:30 am

    great recipe- thank u!
    I am trying to find some more plant-based recipes (also for brekky) cos I wanne get the whole family on more veggies. My hubby, baby (7months) and me ( trying to get off my pregnancy weight). Would be very grateful for some ideas!

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      March 26, 2015 at 8:15 pm

      Thank Ines. I want to eat more plant-based meals too. Its so healthy and also good to give your body a little rest from lots of meat and dairy. I will try to upload more!

      Reply
  32. Lori says

    March 25, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    What is 1 tbsp desiccated coconut?

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      March 25, 2015 at 2:21 pm

      one tablespoon desiccated coconut or shredded coconut

      Reply
  33. Laura @ KneadWhine says

    March 21, 2015 at 11:46 am

    These look great – I wonder if Roo would like them.

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      March 23, 2015 at 9:43 am

      They’re definitey worth trying Laura. So handy to have on hand for baby and toddler snacks!

      Reply
  34. Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says

    March 18, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    These should be renames sugar free flapjacks for Bintu ‘off chocolate’ weaning.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ciara Attwell says

      March 19, 2015 at 10:20 pm

      Ha ha! Good name!!

      Reply

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★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Hi, I'm Ciara! I'm a food writer and cookbook author and I'm always looking for new ways to make food fun and interesting for kids! I specialise in fussy eating and share tips and tricks to get your kids eating better along with lots of family friendly recipes. Read More…

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