Sweet Potato Baby Cookies with Hemp Seeds
Who said baby’s first cookie couldn’t be a healthy one? These tasty Sweet Potato Baby Cookies are soft, easy for little hands to hold, and made with real sweet potato, for a boost in nutrients for your little one. Perfect for 9+ months, baby-led weaning, and toddlers!
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Healthy Cookies for Baby
Looking for an easy cookie for your baby or toddler? One that is made with natural and healthy ingredients? I’ve got you!
Made with just 5 simple ingredients and no added sugar, these healthy sweet potato baby cookies are a perfect finger food for little ones. They can be made gluten and peanut-free as needed and come together using just one bowl. Plus, they can double as either an addition to breakfast or a healthy snack.
Looking for more sweet potato recipes? Then I’ve got you covered! Between these amazing Sweet Potato Pancakes, these reader favorite Sweet Potato Muffins, or this quick and easy Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese recipe, we have plenty of options to keep your baby and toddler full and satisfied. You can also check out my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Baby Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste!
Sweet Potato Baby Cookies
Watch this video to see how easy these cookies are to make!
Reasons to Love Baby Cookies
- Simple ingredients
- Great source of fiber and vitamin A
- No added sugar!
- Great for baby-led weaning, baby and toddlers
- Allergen friendly – can be made gluten or nut-free
- Made in one bowl
- Easy and healthy snack when you’re on-the-go or traveling
- Freezer friendly
- Customizable with favorite add-ins
- Perfect breakfast addition or snack for toddlers and kids
Ingredients
Please make sure to look at the complete recipe card for ingredients and instructions.
- Oats: this recipe calls for quick oats, or you can pulse rolled or old-fashioned oats in a food processor for 5-10 seconds. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- Flour: whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or a gluten-free flour blend will all work for this recipe.
- Sweet Potato: we are using cooked, mashed, and cooled sweet potatoes for this recipe. You can also use any sweet potato puree you have – homemade or store-bought.
- Peanut Butter: natural peanut butter with no added sugar, you can also use almond butter or a large egg.
- Hemp Seeds: optional
- Cinnamon
Benefits of Baby Cookies
Not all cookies are sugar bombs! These actually have no added sugar and have many healthy attributes.
- They are high in fiber thanks to oats, sweet potato, peanut butter and hemp seeds.
- Sweet potatoes give these cookies lots of beta-carotene, an antioxidant which is needed for good vision and a healthy immune system.
- Peanut butter and hemp seeds are full of healthy fats and protein to keep bellies full.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the oats, flour, hemp seeds, cinnamon, and baking powder until well incorporated.
- Add in the cooked sweet potato and peanut butter and mix well.
- Scoop dough out into 1″ balls and then flatten into disks as the batter will not spread. The cookie batter will be slightly sticky, so I found it helps to gently wet your hands before handling the dough. Place the flattened cookies onto the greased cookie sheet.
- Place the cookie sheet into the oven and then bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden brown.
- Let cool and then serve.
Variations
One of the best parts about these sweet potato baby cookies is that they are quite versatile, if you need or want to make a variation. Here’s a few ideas that will work easily.
- ground flax seeds instead of hemp seeds
- chia seeds instead of hemp seeds
- splash of vanilla
- 1/2 cup of any baby food puree or mashed 1 banana – apple, carrot, pear, etc.
How to Store
Store these sweet potato cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipes & Feeding Tips
- Introduce allergens separately first. Since these cookies include two common allergens (wheat and peanut), make sure you’ve already introduced these foods separately to your baby without a reaction before offering these cookies.
- Make it gluten-free. Use certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free flour.
- Make it peanut-free. Substitute your favorite almond butter.
- Add a hint of sweetness. These cookies are not very sweet (although your baby will not know the difference). But if you’re serving for toddlers or older kids and would like to make them a little sweeter, you can try adding a couple tablespoons of maple syrup, banana, or unsweetened applesauce.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Baby Cookies with Hemp Seeds
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quick oats, or rolled oats blitzed in a food processor
- 1/2 cup flour, whole wheat, white wheat, all-purpose or gluten-free blend
- 1/2 cooked sweet potato, mashed or pureed
- 3 tbsp peanut or almond butter
- 3 tsp hemp seeds (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line or spray a baking sheet.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the oats, flour, hemp seeds, cinnamon, and baking powder until well incorporated.
- Add in the cooked sweet potato and peanut butter.
- Mix until well incorporated.
- Scoop dough out into 1" balls and then flatten into disks as the batter will not spread. The cookie batter will be slightly sticky, so I found it helps to gently wet your hands before handling the dough. Place the flattened cookies onto the greased cookie sheet.
- Place the cookie sheet into the oven and then bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden brown.
- Let cool and then serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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2 Comments on “Sweet Potato Baby Cookies with Hemp Seeds”
Made these and they were great, however, I wish they had something in them that were a bit sweet. Baby seemed to not want them until I spread apple butter on top.
Introducing new food may take some time. Adding apple butter is a great idea! xo, Michele