Greek Yogurt, Spinach & Oat Fritters
Allergen lists cover the priority allergens in the recipe as written. Always check your own ingredient labels, and introduce each new allergen on its own first.
Ingredients
- 120 g (1/2 cup) full-fat pasteurised Greek yogurt, unsweetened
- 60 g (2 cups loosely packed) fresh spinach, finely chopped
- 50 g (1/2 cup) porridge oats, blitzed to a coarse flour (choose oats labelled gluten-free if you are avoiding gluten cross-contact — oats are not wheat, but they are often milled alongside it)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 20 g (2 tbsp) finely grated mild hard cheese — mild cheddar or Edam work well; check the label actually says 'pasteurised', because traditional Gruyère and Emmental are usually made from unpasteurised milk. Pick the lowest-salt option you can find and add no extra salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional, no salt)
- 1 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter, for the pan
Method
- 1. Wilt the chopped spinach in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, then squeeze out all excess liquid and cool.
- 2. In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, egg, blitzed oats, grated cheese and cumin until you have a thick, scoopable batter.
- 3. Fold in the cooled squeezed spinach. Let the mixture rest 5 minutes so the oats absorb moisture and firm up.
- 4. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
- 5. Shape the batter into strips or small rounds (see age guides) and cook 3-4 minutes per side until the egg is fully set through and the fritter is lightly golden — no wet or runny batter anywhere in the centre.
- 6. Cool until just warm and squash one between thumb and forefinger to confirm it is soft before serving.
How to serve by age
6–8 months
Shape the batter into flat finger-length strips about 8-9 cm long and about 2 cm wide — roughly an adult finger's width — so a good 3-4 cm sticks out of baby's closed fist. That protruding end is what the palmar (whole-hand) grasp needs at this stage, because baby cannot yet pick up anything small. Keep them soft enough to squash easily.
9–12 months
Cook as small rounds and break them into 1 cm pea-sized pieces spread on the tray so baby can practise the pincer grasp, picking each piece up between thumb and forefinger.
Paediatric note
Pairing dairy calcium with spinach in the same dish works better when the spinach is cooked and drained, because heat and the discarded cooking liquid reduce the oxalates that otherwise bind calcium and block its absorption. Choose full-fat pasteurised yogurt and cheese — fat is a key energy source under 12 months and supports absorption of vitamins A and D, while pasteurisation removes the listeria risk infants are especially vulnerable to. Check the cheese label rather than trusting the cheese type: several traditional hard cheeses, Gruyère and Emmental among them, are made from unpasteurised milk. Cheese is naturally salty, so it belongs here as a small flavour-and-calcium booster rather than a bulk ingredient; add no salt of your own. Make sure the egg is cooked right through, never runny. Oats carry no wheat allergen, but they are commonly milled alongside gluten grains, so use gluten-free-labelled oats if gluten is being avoided.
Source guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/
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