Sweet potato pancakes

Name: Sweet potato pancakes
Total time: 35 min
Yield: About 10 small pancakes
Ingredients: 1 small (about 200 g / 7 oz) sweet potato; 2 eggs; 4 tbsp (about 35 g) plain rolled or quick oats; 1–2 tsp vegetable oil

Soft, bright orange pancakes made from mashed sweet potato, egg and blended oats, with no sugar or salt. Offer them once your baby has had egg (and oats) on their own without a reaction.

From: 6 months
Time: 35 min
Makes: About 10 small pancakes

Contains egg

Ingredients

1 small (about 200 g / 7 oz)sweet potatoabout 150 g (½ cup) once cooked and mashed
2eggs
4 tbsp (about 35 g)plain rolled or quick oatsno added sugar or salt
1–2 tspvegetable oilfor the pan

Steps

1Wash your hands. Scrub the sweet potato with a clean vegetable brush under running water, then peel it and cut it into small chunks.
2Steam the chunks for about 10 to 15 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Mash them until smooth and let them cool for 10 minutes.
3Blend the oats until they look like fine flour, so there are no dry flakes left. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then stir in the mashed sweet potato and the blended oats until smooth. Don't add sugar, honey, syrup or salt. The batter contains raw egg, so don't let your baby taste or lick it, and wash your hands after handling it.
4Heat a little oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add tablespoons of batter, spreading each into a pancake about 8 cm (3 in) across and no more than 1 cm thick.
5Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is set and lightly golden, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. They're done when the middle is set all the way through, with no wet batter: tear one open to check. Egg dishes should reach 160°F (71°C). Lower the heat if they brown too fast.
6Let them cool on a plate for a few minutes, then cut them for your baby's stage and check the temperature before serving.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Offer only after egg has been introduced on its own. Cut each pancake into strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in). Each strip should squash easily between your thumb and finger.

9 months+

Cut into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) for pincer-grasp practice, or keep serving strips.

12 months+

Serve whole small pancakes, strips or bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), topped with mashed fruit, or plain yogurt once dairy has been introduced on its own, instead of syrup or honey.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains egg. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Cooked pancakes keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer (freeze them in a single layer, then pack them together once frozen). Reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let them cool and check they're still soft before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave pancakes at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).

For the grown-ups

Double the batch for the whole family. Once the baby's pancakes are set aside, adults can add a pinch of salt, chili flakes or a spoonful of plain yogurt and herbs to their own for a savory brunch.