Top brekkie ideas for 12+ months

When your baby hits 12 months, it’s time to try new, exciting, nutrient-packed breakfasts. We’ve rounded up some of our favourites that we know your baby will love!

• Piccolo offers nutrient-dense porridge recipes and tasty finger foods suitable for babies 12 months and older
• These baby breakfast ideas focus on variety, flavour, and essential nutrients for healthy development.
• Incorporating different textures and ingredients helps expand your baby’s palate.
• Quick and easy options make wholesome weaning breakfasts achievable for busy parents.
• Piccolo’s baby-led weaning breakfast tips ensure a fun, nutritious start to the day

As your little one turns one, it’s time to try new breakfasts. These should be tasty whilst also being good for your little one. 

Nutrient-dense porridge recipes

Porridge is a great breakfast choice as it’s easy to make it healthier with an array of toppings. Try adding baby cereal, pureed fruits, and ground nuts to your baby’s porridge.

Some of our favourite porridge recipes include…

• Creamy oat porridge with mashed banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon
• Blackberry and Apple Quinoa Porridge
• Millet porridge with grated apple and a drizzle of almond butter
• Apple Pie Overnight Oats

Tasty finger foods for little hands

Finger foods are great for babies to help them learn to feed themselves. We suggest soft veggies, fruit slices, and toast fingers with avocado or hummus. Try one or all of the below!

• Steamed broccoli florets and carrot sticks
• Soft-cooked sweet potato wedges
• Sliced avocado and banana
• Whole grain toast soldiers with mashed peas or ricotta cheese
• Oaty Fingers

When your baby turns 12 months, they need a balanced breakfast to help them grow well. Meals that contain iron, protein, and vitamins will help your baby thrive.

Iron-rich breakfast options

Iron is needed for your baby’s brain and to avoid anaemia. The below help to ensure your little one gets plenty of iron in their diet…

• Baby cereals that contain extra iron, mixed with breast milk or formula
• Scrambled eggs with finely chopped spinach
• Pureed lentils or beans combined with mashed sweet potato

High-protein breakfast combinations

Protein helps your baby’s muscles grow and keeps them full. Try these high protein options…

• Cottage cheese blended with mashed banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon
• Tofu scramble with finely diced bell peppers and tomatoes
• Greek yoghurt mixed with pureed berries and a dash of vanilla extract

Vitamin-packed fruit and vegetable blends

Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals. Here are some blends to try…

At 12 months, babies are eager to try new tastes, textures, and colours. Fun breakfasts can spark a love for healthy eating, which is why we’ve put together some tasty, colourful and nutritious breakfast ideas for your baby.

Colourful breakfast bowls

Breakfast bowls are great for introducing a variety of fruits and veggies to your little one. They’re not only fun to look at but also packed with nutrients…

• Mashed avocado, scrambled eggs, and diced cherry tomatoes
• Greek yoghurt, pureed mango, and finely chopped kiwi
• Cooked quinoa, pureed butternut squash, and crumbled feta cheese
• Cottage cheese, mashed banana, and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon

When making these bowls, use soft textures that match your baby’s stage and as they get better at feeding themselves, you can add bigger pieces.

Interactive breakfast platters

Interactive platters help with self-feeding and fine motor skills and they let your baby try different tastes and textures at their own pace. 

Make sure all foods are cut into safe sizes to avoid your little one choking and always watch your baby while they eat

At Piccolo, we know that the way food looks is key to making breakfast fun for your little one! Using baby-led weaning tips and healthy breakfast ideas can make mealtime exciting. Here are some creative ways to serve breakfast to your 12-month-old. And for all of us busy parents who don’t always have the time for elaborate meals, consider these ideas perfect for birthdays or special occasions—those moments when you want to add a touch of creativity to the table.…

• Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes from toast, pancakes, or fruit. Hearts, stars, and animals are always a hit.
• Serve breakfast in small, colourful containers or bento boxes. This lets your baby choose what they want and practice self-feeding.
• Create themed breakfast plates, like a sunshine breakfast with a round pancake and fruit rays. Or, try a happy face made from eggs, toast, and fruit.
• Offer dips like yoghurt or hummus with finger foods. 
• Use silicone moulds to make mini muffins, frittatas, or omelettes in fun shapes; these are easy for little hands to hold.

Always watch your baby when introducing new foods and serving ideas and make sure they are safe and comfortable. Encourage them to explore and have fun with their food but never force them to eat if they don’t want to.

Need easy inspiration to encourage variety in your baby’s diet? Try these tips…

Seasonal ingredient inspiration

Using seasonal foods is a great way to make breakfast exciting. As the seasons change, so do the fruits and veggies available…

• Autumn: Pumpkin pancakes, apple cinnamon oatmeal, Squash Puree, or sweet potato and pear puree
• Winter: Cranberry and orange quinoa porridge, parsnip and pear mash, Orange and Cranberry Muffins, or cinnamon-spiced butternut squash puree.
• Spring: Asparagus and pea frittata fingers, rhubarb and strawberry compote with yoghurt, or spinach and ricotta mini muffins
• Summer: Berry-topped overnight oats, peach and apricot smoothie bowl, or courgette and corn fritters

Global flavour infusions

Introducing global flavours early can broaden your baby’s taste. Use mild spices, herbs, and international ingredients for tasty breakfasts they’ll love!

• Indian-inspired: Mild curry spiced lentil porridge, cumin-scented carrot and lentil mash, or turmeric and ginger-infused mango lassi
• Mediterranean-inspired: Tomato and basil omelette, hummus and vegetable soft-finger platter, or yoghurt with olive oil drizzle and za’atar
• Asian-inspired: Congee with shredded chicken and vegetables, miso-glazed tofu cubes, or coconut milk chia seed pudding with mango
• Latin American-inspired: Black bean and sweet potato mash, avocado and banana smoothie, or quinoa porridge with cinnamon and plantain

Texture explorations for developing palates

As your baby grows, introduce different textures for their development. Start with smooth foods, then move to lumpy mashes and soft foods before finally adding more substantial textures. 

• Smooth: Silky avocado puree, creamy yoghurt with pureed berries, or velvety butternut squash and pear soup
• Lumpy: Mashed banana with chia seeds, ricotta and spinach mash, or coarsely pureed overnight oats with grated apple
• Soft finger foods: Soft-cooked carrot sticks, banana pancake strips, or steamed broccoli florets
• Textured bites: Scrambled eggs with finely chopped vegetables, mini whole-grain muffins, or homemade granola clusters