Name: Baby banana teething rusks recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: Makes: 20
Ingredients: 1 ripe banana, approx 100g; 100g plain flour; 2 tbsps olive oil; 100g baby rice cereal

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 14 February 2024

in Recipes

Our baby banana teething rusks take 30 minutes to make and are an excellent first finger food!

Once you see how cheap and easy it is to make rusks from scratch, you won’t bother buying the boxes from the supermarket. These take 30 minutes from start to finish and only require five ingredients.

Use a small banana or freeze half of it and use half the other ingredients to bake a smaller batch if you want to test if your little one likes them.

Ingredients

1 ripe banana, approx 100g
100g plain flour
2 tbsps olive oil
100g baby rice cereal

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Method

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan, Gas 6). Line a baking tray with a silicone mat or baking paper.
Mash the banana in a bowl, mix in the flour, oil and rice cereal. Add up to 6tbsp water until you have a soft dough.
Roll into finger-size batons and place on the tray leaving a little space between each one. Flatten each one a little with your finger. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden and crisp. Leave to cool completely before serving.

Top tips for making baby banana teething rusks

We recommend storing the rusks in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

What flavourings can I add to baby banana teething rusks?

You could add a little pinch of cinnamon to the dough for a subtle spiced flavour.

Why does the NHS advise against baby rusks?

Lots of pre-packed foods and baby rusks have added sugars which can be detrimental to young babies teeth. These homemade rusks only contain 1g sugar per portion and have natural sugar from the banana and we used a baby rice with no added sugars.

Are bananas good for teething?

Semi-frozen bananas can help soothe sore teething gums. You don’t need them to be rock solid as this can be difficult for your little one to chew. The banana should be firm enough after around four hours.

Jessica Ransom

“If you have a toddler and a young baby, you could make these with the toddler as the recipe is very easy for them to get involved. They will enjoy making a snack for their sibling and there’s no harm in them eating one too, although they can probably eat more exciting and flavoursome treats compared to your six month old.”

If you plan to bake more, it could be worth investing in a non-stick mat so you can cut down the amount of single-use baking paper you get through.

For more baby led weaning ideas, take a look at some of theseAnnabel Karmel recipes. We also have lots of baby food recipes that are both sweet and savoury.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.