Skip to main content

Pear and Banana Pancakes (Serves 6)


A few weeks ago, we were visiting Henry’s Grandma. She made blueberry pancakes for breakfast and Henry was a huge fan. Since then I have been experimenting with other fruit-filled pancakes, including this version with pears and bananas.
More blueberry pancakes please!
While I attempted this recipe with fresh pears, the winter pears I have available are just too firm. Canned pears provided the right texture and I was able to use the juice as well. Just be sure to choose pears canned in juice or water, not syrup. I may rework this recipe next fall when I can find ripe juicy pears in season.
This recipe is Henry-approved.
Ingredients
1 15-oz can pears in 100% juice or water
1 medium banana
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 egg
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Pear and Banana Pancakes cooking on the stove.
Directions
Drain the juice from the can of pears into a cup.

In a large bowl, mash together pears and banana using a potato masher. Whisk in lemon juice, egg, yogurt and oil.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the fruit mixture. Mix until just moistened. Stir in about ¾ cup of reserved pear juice until the pancake batter is desired consistency. If you like thicker pancakes use a little less juice. If you like thinner pancakes use a little more juice. There will be lumps; do not overmix.

Heat skillet over medium-low. Coat with about 1 teaspoon oil. When the skillet is warmed, scoop batter onto skillet using a ¼ cup measurer. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook a few minutes until browned on the other side. Recoat skillet with oil between each batch.

I serve Henry’s portion plain or smeared with a bit of yogurt. Daddy and I enjoy the pancakes topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. You won’t need as much syrup as standard pancakes since they are already sweetened with fruit.

If you have leftover pancakes, save them in resealable plastic bags and freeze. On busy weekday mornings, just pop the pancakes in the toaster for a ready-to-go breakfast.
Freeze extra pancakes and reheat them in the toaster for a quick weekday breakfast.
How your kids can help
  • 1-year old: Using a small kitchen sponge to help wipe the counter before and after food prep.
  • 2-year old: Mashing together the pears and banana using a potato masher.
  • 3-year old: Whisking the wet ingredients together.
  • 4-year old: Stirring the dry ingredients together.
  • 5-year old: Watching for bubbles to appear on the surface of the pancakes and letting you know when they are ready to flip.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

UPDATE (10/2/12): Unfortunately, I did not hear back from our original winner. Congratulations to our alternate winner for "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook" -- Robin Pfefer. UPDATE (9/29/12): I am happy to announce that Kashia Clopper is the winner of "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook". When I was first thinking about using the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) model for Henry, I was unsure about whether it would really work. I was excited about BLW’s claims of less stressful meals that the whole family could share together. Plus, I was all for encouraging Henry to gain new skills by learning about the shapes, textures, colors, smells and flavors of food. This sounded ideal in theory, but would it work in practice? After some fun but ineffective attempts at letting Henry feed himself, I went in search of resources to learn more about BLW. I needed to learn how to prepare meals for our family in which Henry could participate. That’s when I found “ The Baby-Led ...
16 comments
Read more

Five-Spice Salmon with Zucchini Spears (Serves 2 + baby)

As I mentioned yesterday, fish can be an outstanding choice for babies. It is a very healthy option. Plus, it melts into small pieces that are easy for Henry to chew and swallow. This recipe is Henry-approved. I've heard some people are intimidated by cooking fish, but there's no reason to be anxious. Grilling fish gives it a smoky flavor. Just be sure to oil the barbecue so the fish doesn't stick to the grate. The fish is ready when it easily flakes apart with a fork. This is likely to be our last grilling recipe for a while, since the weather is cooling down for autumn. Five-spice salmon and zucchini on the grill Ingredients 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon Chinese five-spice 1/3 cup orange or pineapple juice 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced 1 10-ounce salmon fillet 1 medium zucchini Henry enjoying a salmon dinner. Directions Whisk together the first five ingredients in a small bowl to create the ma...
4 comments
Read more

Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example. As parents, we are the first role models for Henry. He will learn from our example, so Daddy and I need to eat our fruits and vegetables too. I am not a big fan of mango, but I let Henry watch me eat it with a smile on my face. Then he wants to try some mango too. Henry is more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when he sees Mommy and Daddy eat them too. A recent study confirmed that when parents lead by example their children have a more nutritious diet. The best way to inspire healthy eating habits is to demonstrate them first-hand to your children. Another study found that when parents ate an extra serving of fruit or vegetables each day, their child ate an additional half serving. Yes, it is important to talk with kids about food. But don’t just tell your child to eat their vegetables, let them see you eating a balanced meal that includes plenty of fruits and veggies. It may not always seem like it,...
3 comments
Read more