I never intended to go the baby led weaning route, but at nearly 9 months old Baby A has decided all for herself that mush on a spoon is so passé, and coconut milk yogurt is definitely a finger-food anyway, right? So what to give her for breakfast? Wheaty toast is definitely a daddy activity – those gluteny fingers make my skin crawl!

The lovely and talented Nia suggested this versatile recipe. Unlike my own healthier flapjack recipe, the milk keeps the bars nice and soft – perfect for little teeth, and as they are unsweetened they make a much better breakfast. Check out Nia’s blog for many other allergy-friendly recipes.

Baked Bircher Porridge Bars

Makes 9-10 bars

Ingredients

• 250g porridge oats (I used a mixture of gluten free oats, millet flakes and rice flakes)
• 1 large mashed banana
• 150ml of your usual milk (we use Alpro Junior soya milk or Baby A’s Neocate formula as it has the right nutrient & vitamin levels)
• 120g of fresh or thawed berries
• 1 tbsp of melted margarine (I used Pure Sunflower)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150ºc (fan), line a loaf tin.
2. Simply mix together all of the ingredients, place in the tin, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
3. Remove, and leave to cool before slicing into fingers. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until breakfast time.

Variations/Substitutions

• Try adding your own flavours and fillings – we particularly like cinnamon, vanilla, dried coconut and blueberries.
• The banana can be substituted for 130g of pumpkin or sweet potato purée. Baby pouches are the perfect size if you don’t want to make your own.
• Instead of margarine, try butter (if diet permits) or melted coconut oil.
• If you like a sweeter taste, and aren’t making for baby, add a tablespoon of golden/maple/agave syrup or honey.
• For slightly chewier breakfast ‘cookies’, bake the mixture in a Yorkshire pudding tin.