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Cheesy Pumpkin, Potato & Cauliflower Cakes 🎃🥔🥦
Tender veggie cakes made with pumpkin, cauliflower, potato, cheddar and panko. An easy savory lunch or dinner for babies and toddlers.
Keep the cakes soft and tender inside. For younger babies, avoid frying until the breadcrumb coating becomes hard or overly crisp.
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz pumpkin, peeled and steamed 100g pumpkin, peeled and steamed
- 3.5 oz cauliflower florets, steamed 100g cauliflower florets, steamed
- 3.5 oz potatoes, peeled and steamed 100g potatoes, peeled and steamed
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, plus extra for coating ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, plus extra for coating
- ⅓ cup grated mild cheddar cheese ⅓ cup grated mild cheddar cheese
- 1 egg 1 egg
- ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Steam the pumpkin, cauliflower and potatoes until soft.
- Allow the vegetables to cool slightly, then transfer them to a large bowl and mash.
- Add the egg, grated cheddar cheese, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs and garlic powder.
- Using a fork, mix and mash until everything is well combined.
- Scoop portions of the mixture and shape them into small cakes with your hands.
- Lightly press each cake into extra panko breadcrumbs, coating both sides.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Cook the veggie cakes for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the pan and allow them to cool slightly before serving. This also helps them firm up.
Baby Serving Guide
9 months+: Steam all three vegetables until completely soft before mashing.
Keep the inside of the cakes moist, tender and easy to break apart.
For younger babies, avoid frying the breadcrumb coating until hard or very crisp.
Serve as a tender cake, cut into strips, or break into manageable pieces depending on baby's feeding skills.
Before serving, check that the cake can be easily squashed or broken apart between your fingers.
Baby-Friendly Tips
- Texture: Pumpkin, cauliflower and potato should be completely tender before mashing.
- Coating: Keep the panko coating lightly golden rather than hard or heavily crisped for younger babies.
- Egg: Egg is a common food allergen.
- Dairy: Cheddar contains milk, a common food allergen.
- Wheat: Traditional panko breadcrumbs contain wheat.
- The original recipe contains no added salt.
- Always serve baby seated upright and under close adult supervision.
Recipe Tips
- Let the vegetables cool slightly before combining them with the remaining ingredients.
- Coat both sides lightly with panko before pan-frying.
- Let the cakes cool slightly after cooking so they have time to firm up.
- The uncooked cakes can be shaped ahead and refrigerated until ready to cook.
Storage
- Fridge: Store cooked veggie cakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Make ahead: Shape the uncooked cakes and refrigerate, covered, for up to 24 hours before cooking.
- Reheat cooked cakes in a pan, oven or air fryer until heated through.
