Leading UK baby and children’s cookery author Annabel Karmel MBE has launched a new cookbook titled: Finger Foods for Babies and Toddlers. Below, we share three easy-to-make recipes from the book and Annabel gives her top finger food grip tips. Enjoy!
Annabel Karmel shares finger food recipes and tips for babies from her new cookbook

ENERGY BALLS – 3 WAYS
My power-packed porridge oat energy balls provide a slow release of energy to fuel busy days of play. Here are three tasty ways to serve them; from a healthy take on carrot cake that Peter Rabbit would be proud of, to power packed snap, crackle, and peanut butter pops!
Suitable from 18 months | Suitable for freezing
APRICOT & COCONUT ENERGY BALLS
MAKES: 12 ENERGY BALLS
Ingredients
100g soft pitted dates, chopped
6 tbsp boiling water
75g soft dried apricots, chopped
40g pecan nuts, chopped
100g porridge oats
25g desiccated coconut
4 tbsp sunflower oil
Method
Put the dates and boiling water into a heatproof bowl and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Put the date mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and whizz until the mixture comes together. Using your hands, shape the mixture into small balls. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in a plastic freezer container for 2 to 3 months. When needed, thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
CARROT CAKE ENERGY BALLS
MAKES: 16 ENERGY BALLS
Ingredients
100g soft pitted dates, chopped
6 tbsp boiling water
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 apple, peeled and grated
100g porridge oats
40g desiccated coconut
50g raisins
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
3 tbsp sunflower oil
Method
Put the dates and boiling water into a heatproof bowl and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Put the date mixture into a food processor and whizz until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and whizz again until finely chopped and the mixture comes together. Using your hands, shape the mixture into small balls. Spread the coconut out on a plate, then roll the balls in the coconut to coat. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in a plastic freezer container for 2–3 months. When needed, thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
PEANUT BUTTER & CRANBERRY ENERGY BALLS
MAKES: 12 ENERGY BALLS
Ingredients
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
125g porridge oats
50g dried cranberries, chopped
25g desiccated coconut
15g toasted rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Method
Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 small balls. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in a plastic freezer container for 2–3 months. When needed, thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until finely chopped and the mixture has come together.

SALMON & SPINACH FRITTERS
Fish doesn’t have to be a hard sell to mini diners. My crispy fritters will have little shipmates scoffing salmon AND spinach in one sitting!
MAKES: 10 FRITTERS
Suitable from 8 months | Suitable for freezing
Ingredients
1 egg, beaten
20g cornflour
100g boneless salmon fillet, skinned and finely diced
15g spinach, shredded
25g Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
25g cherry tomatoes, chopped
3 spring onions, sliced
A little sunflower oil
Method
To freeze, allow to cool fully, then arrange on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and freeze for 2–3 hours until solid. Once frozen, pack into a plastic freezer container or a sealed freezer bag. When needed, thaw in the fridge overnight.
Put the egg and cornflour into a mixing bowl. Add the salmon, spinach, cheese, tomatoes, and spring onions and mix well. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. Add heaped tablespoon of the mixture to the pan and spread out slightly to make a thin fritter. Fry over a medium heat in batches for 4 minutes on both sides until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

MAC ‘N’ CHEESE VEGGIE MUFFINS
These mac ’n’ cheese veggie muffins are a savoury medley baked into portable muffin shapes; a tasty twist on a classic comfort food.
MAKES: 24 MUFFINS
Suitable from 9 months | Suitable for freezing
Ingredients
75g macaroni
50g butternut squash, peeled and finely chopped
75g cauliflower, cut into cut into tiny florets
20g butter
20g plain flour
250ml whole milk
50g strong mature Cheddar, grated
2 tsp freshly chopped thyme
1 egg, beaten
Method
Freeze the cooled muffins on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Once frozen, transfer to a sealed freezer bag or a plastic freezer container. When needed, thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for several hours. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6). Put a 24-hole silicone mini muffin tray onto a baking sheet. Cook the macaroni in a saucepan of boiling water for 8 minutes. Add the squash and cauliflower and continue to boil for 3–4 minutes. Drain. Melt the butter in another saucepan. Add the flour and stir over the heat for a few seconds. Pour in the milk, continuing to whisk until you have a smooth thick sauce. Remove from the heat, add the cheese, thyme, cooked pasta, and vegetables. Stir in the beaten egg. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and set in the middle. Allow the muffins to cool on a wire rack.
Finger food grip tips!
There’s no denying that putting baby in charge of feeding themselves can be big on the clean up front! Dropping food (and throwing food!) is common when babies are starting to quite literally get to grips with self-feeding. And certain foods are just that little bit more slippery than others – think avocado, nectarine, pear and peach! However, there are a few tips and tricks to make certain foods that little less slippery and easier for tiny hands to hold on to.
– Use a crinkle cutter or cut out small triangle ridges to add texture. These little ridges make it easier for babies to grab hold of. Plus, a crinkle cutter can make everyday veggies that little more interesting (and appealing) for fussy
toddlers too.
– Add a new texture (and a nutrient boost while you’re at it!) by coating in ground flaxseeds or linseeds, desiccated coconut, or breadcrumbs.
– Leave a little of the skin on the bottom so that your baby can grab hold of this while munching and gumming down on the top half.
– If you offer cooked florets to babies upside down, they are likely to pick them up by the stem.
– Some babies will squeeze a banana and it turns to mush so it’s often a good idea to leave some of the skin on. Simply run a knife around the peel (about 3cm from the open end). Gently peel back the skin leaving just the 3cm deep handle at the end for your baby to hold. Et voilà – a banana ‘lollipop!’

Annabel Karmel’s Finger Foods for Babies & Toddlers
Packed with over 100 nutritious, delicious recipes and the very latest advice on how to safely serve finger foods to babies and toddlers, this is the perfect cookbook for raising independent little eaters.
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More baby recipes here.
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