Baby-friendly tuna fish cakes recipe

Our baby-friendly tuna fish cakes take 40 minutes to make and you could share them for lunch if you like. 

With less than 10 ingredients, these easy fish cakes are quick to make and are a brilliant finger food for your little one. The recipe will make 15 mini fish cakes but you could shape the mixture into a few bigger ones for you to eat for lunch with a small side salad or even some oven chips! You can season your fish cakes with salt and pepper after cooking as it’s important not to season your baby’s food. 

Ingredients

• 1 tin tuna fish in spring water
• 250g potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 1 carrot, peeled & finely
• 2 handfuls of frozen peas
• 1 tsp finely-grated lemon zest
• 1 egg, beaten
• Plain flour, for coating
• Breadcrumbs, for coating
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method 

1. Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan, Gas 5). Cook your potatoes and carrots in boiling water until soft. Drain, mash and set aside.
2. Cook your frozen peas in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain, reserving a little of the water and blitz with a hand blender. Add to the potatoes and carrots.
3. Flake in the tuna and lemon zest and stir well to combine. Leave in the fridge to cool completely.
4. Arrange 3 bowls, each with the egg, flour and breadcrumbs ready to coat the fish cakes.
5. Take a tablespoon, scoop some of the fish cake mixture onto it and shape into a small patty. Coat in flour, shaking off any excess, before dipping in egg and then breadcrumbs. Lay on a non-stick baking tray.
6. Repeat with all of your mixture and then brush the top of each fishcake with a little olive oil.
7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the fishcakes are crunchy and golden. Leave to cool before serving.

Top tips for making baby-friendly tuna fish cakes

Current UK guidelines say you should introduce food into your baby’s diet around 6 months. You will be amazed at how quickly your baby learns to hold food and show an interest in feeding themselves.

Don’t worry if they don’t love what you’ve made straight away. A good tip is to eat with your baby as they will copy you. Continue reading for more weaning and fish cake tips. 

Jessica Ransom

“I always like to keep a tin of tina in the cupboard for a speedy lunch or dinner. It’s so much more than just a sandwich or jacket potato filling. I like to mix it with sweetcorn and chopped spring onions with a little flour and egg to make tasty brunch fritters. Another great way to eat it, is dressed with lime juice, chilli flakes and a dash of sesame oil. Serve with some steamed rice and quick pickled carrots and radish for a sort of sushi poke bowl.” 

When you’re weaning, a stick blender will become one of your most used tools and this one from Ninja doubled up as a baking tool too.

Ninja Foodi 2-in-1 Hand Blender & Hand Mixer - View at Amazon 

Not only will this tool make your soup making and baby food endeavours a breeze, it can also transform into an electric hand mixer. With the whisk attachment you can whip cream or cake batter together in a matter of minutes.

For more baby led weaning inspiration, explore our collection of baby food recipes You might also like these Annabel Karmel recipes, she’s an expert when it comes to nutrition and cooking for babies and children.