Homemade Teething Biscuits Recipe

Store bought teething biscuits are filled with junk – corn syrup, soybean oil (!), etc. Here’s an all natural teething biscuits recipe that kids love.

Store bought teething biscuits are filled with junk - corn syrup, soybean oil (!), etc. Here's an all natural teething biscuits recipe that kids love.

Teething biscuits… kinda old school, eh (nothing like teething necklaces!)? I know my mom used the famous Zwieback Toast when I was teething. And, just like most store-bought teething biscuits, I’m sure they contained high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil (!), not to mention refined flour and synthetic additives.

I think these ingredients should be illegal to serve to children. Even the “organic” varieties use enriched flours, rancid vegetable oils, and dry milk.

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So, as your kids start teething (here’s how to tell if they are), be sure to try these effective and natural teething remedies. But, if you’re like me, you might also want to give them a nutritious biscuit to chew on. Teething biscuits can soothe gums and are great practice for eating solid foods (aka baby-led weaning).

Note: these biscuits aren’t really made for “eating” per se, but rather tasting and gnawing.

Teething Biscuits Ingredients

I used a combination of rolled and steel cut oats as my flour base to make it gluten free. I would assume you could replace the oats with sprouted flours from millet, spelt, and brown rice.

I included maple syrup as my sweetener but you could replace with apple sauce, dates or none at all. Since babies won’t be chowing down on these, I’m OK with the added sweetener. (You gotta give them some incentive to gnaw on!) Plus, maple syrup does contain some trace minerals and is a healthier alternative.

I used organic, unrefined coconut oil since it can withstand high heat and is made up of medium-chain fatty acids (particularly the antimicrobial lauric acid) similar to breast milk.

I made without eggs since some babies react to the whites under 1 year of age.

homemade teething biscuits ingredients

Here are a couple of recipes that I’ve adapted:

Apple Teething Biscuits Recipe

  • 1 c. rolled oats
  • 1 c. steel cut oats (grind oats in blender till they’re a flour consistency)
  • 1 c. organic apple sauce (be sure it’s thick or drain any liquid part)
  • 2 TB maple syrup
  • 2 TB coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Mix dry ingredients. Add in syrup and melted oil. Form date-like shapes and put on greased baking sheet or parchment paper.

Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven. Flip them halfway through so that you have a nice golden crisp on both sides of biscuit.

Store in uncovered dish for at least 24 hours which will harden them further. You can also put in freezer and serve cold for extra teething relief! (A hard texture is good so that they don’t break apart while baby is gnawing.)

homemade teething biscuits before baking pumpkin banana apple

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Banana Teething Biscuits Recipe

  • 1 c. rolled oats
  • 1 c. steel cut oats (grind oats in blender till they’re a flour consistency)
  • 1 c. of mashed ripe bananas (no added sweetener is needed if bananas are ripe)
  • 2 TB coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Mix dry ingredients. Add in mashed bananas and melted oil. Form date-like shapes and put on greased baking sheet or parchment paper.

Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven. Flip them halfway through so that you have a nice golden crisp on both sides of biscuit.

Store in uncovered dish for at least 24 hours which will harden them further. You can also put in freezer and serve cold for extra teething relief!

Natural homemade teething biscuit recipe baby’s hand grabs biscuit by Mama Natural

Pumpkin Teething Biscuits

  • 1 c. rolled oats
  • 1 c. steel cut oats (grind oats in blender till they’re a flour consistency)
  • 1 c. pumpkin puree
  • 2 TB maple syrup
  • 2 TB coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Mix dry ingredients. Add in pumpkin and melted oil. Form date-like shapes and put on greased baking sheet or parchment paper.

Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven. Flip them halfway through so that you have a nice golden crisp on both sides of biscuit.

Store in uncovered dish for at least 24 hours which will harden them further. You can also put in freezer and serve cold for extra teething relief!

homemade teething biscuits punkin before mixing
Pumpkin teething biscuits ingredients before mixing

Another Way to Enjoy Teething Biscuits

When I made these for my daughter, my older son loved to eat them as hard cookies 🙂 I drizzled raw honey on top and he enjoyed them well enough. (Hey, he doesn’t get many baked goods so you take what you can get 🙂 Papa Natural thought they tasted a little “bland” but that’s good for a teething biscuit. And, he still ate his biscuit. These would be good as a type of scone and dipped in a hot chocolate.

Want to try more homemade recipes? Check out this post for more homemade baby food recipes.

How About You?

Did you give your baby teething biscuits? Share with us in the comments below!

Sources:

  • http://www.coconut-oil-central.com/coconut-oil-breastfeeding.html

 

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Genevieve Howland

About the Author

Genevieve Howland is a childbirth educator and breastfeeding advocate. She is the bestselling author of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and creator of the Mama Natural Birth Course. A mother of three, graduate of the University of Colorado, and YouTuber with over 130,000,000 views, she helps mothers and moms-to-be lead healthier and more natural lives.

98 Comments

  1. Oh my, I have to admit, this blog post is absolutely astonishing! The author did a wonderful job of providing thoroughly-researched information and delivering it in a concise and engaging way. I discovered the content to be exceedingly educational and mind-stimulating. The writing style is fascinating, making it effortless to stay engaged throughout the complete article.

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    Reply

  2. “ I think these ingredients should be illegal to serve to children.”. Really? As a 62 year old grandpa, I suggest you chill a bit. If you want to hassle with 100% organic ( and trust all the organic s you by truly are) that is perfectly fine. But to suggest refined flour, vegetable oils, pure beet or cane sugar should be illegal to give to a child is pure silliness. I am all for eating heathy but being so extreme makes you come across as a bit neurotic at the cost of losing credibility.
    Your site seems to have some good information but many will tune out when you make such extreme statements.

    Reply

  3. I love these recipes but I was reading I thing the apple one said to add steal cut oats I don’t have them is there anything I can use to substitute that or dose it have to be the steal cut

    Reply

  4. I made the apple ones yesterday. I didn’t have steel cut oats, so I blended one cup of old fashioned oats and used one cup of quick oats as is. I probably made mine a little big, but noticed that the center was still a little soft after 40 minutes. I wanted them rock hard to avoid pieces breaking off so I put them back in the oven at 200 degrees F for 10 minutes. Then I turned the oven off and left them in there to cool. Did the trick for me! My 6 month old enjoyed gumming one this morning! He has a couple teeth and is able to get little bits off, but not big chunks.

    Reply

    • Same happened to mine? They’re almost rubbery but not solid. I wonder if I can put in and cook longer as they’ve been trying to harden for 24 hrs but had t worked

      Reply

  5. Can u pls mention what does ‘c ‘ refers in measurements

    Reply

    • c. is an abbreviation of cup.

      Reply

  6. Wow fantastic idea.
    Can I use only 1 type of oat or must the recipe be made with both oats?

    Reply

  7. Careful of the coconut oil. I would substitute this item. The fear of store-bought cookies and the misinformation of coconut oil has me a bit concerned about the rest of the recipe as well. Reader beware.

    Reply

    • What is the concern with coconut oil?

      Reply

      • From what I have read, the problem with coconut oil exists only when it is processed. When it is raw, it is good.

        Reply

    • What do you mean? Coconut oil is proven as healthy from what I’ve read.

      Reply

  8. Can vegetable oil be substituted for coconut oil?

    Reply

    • Vegetable oil is horrible for you.

      Reply

  9. A patient gave me these for my son and I ate one. AMAZING! (banana) I’m probably making these for myself.

    Reply

  10. Hey I love this recipe idea.
    My son is 6months. How young would you offer grains to your baby. I was initially wanting up to a year before I introduced grains. Is oats ok then?

    Reply

    • That’s really up to you and your comfort level.

      Reply

  11. I read into the properties of coconut oil and many health institutions recommend avoid its use because it is made up entirely of saturated fats, which are not healthy. I know a child would only have one, now and then, however, when I made these the idea was that the whole family could also have them as a regular healthy biscuit alternative. As a result, I substituted the coconut oil for sunflower oil and the recipe works just fine. 🙂

    Reply

    • That’s a lie because breastmilk is made up of mostly saturated fat and it’s the healthiest milk for your baby. Coconut is actually one of the healthiest oils out there. It has so many benefits including killing off candida fungus. Oils you shouldn’t use is vegetable oil, mazola oil, corn oil, sunflower seed oil. The healthiest oil to cook with is actually ghee. Olive oil and avocado oil is good but not for cooking only for drizzling on food or making dressings.

      Reply

      • Saturated fats are good for you 100%. Healthiest form of fat hence why breastmilk is composed of saturated fats.
        You have to avoid trans fat , that’s what makes your Triglycerides which is part of the cholesterol panel check they do. High triglycerides is more dangerous than LDL because high Triglycerides is what causes strokes and heart attacks. So avoid trans fats but not saturated because saturated fats lower triglycerides and LDL. ( I am a nurse by the way)

        Reply

  12. These came out awesome and my baby loved them. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    Reply

  13. ladies i dont think you have to grind both of the oats bc in the picture you can see some oats in the biscuits. My question is, do i have to keep them so thick? can i make them thinner and cut them with cookie cutters?

    Reply

    • I didn’t want large oats in these biscuits so I ground the oatmeal and substituted oat flour that I had on hand. They turned out just fine.

      Reply

  14. Hi,
    Can I omit the maple syrup? My baby is still 10 months old and I’m not sure if it’s safe to give it to her? Also, can I use rice flour instead of steel cut oats?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • I think the steel cut oats offer more nutritional properties than rice

      Reply

  15. I haven’t tried the biscuit recipe, but I’d try raw honey rather than maple syrup. In addition to the dozens of other benefits it brings its also naturally anti flammatory, which might also help relieve the teething pain.

    Reply

    • Babies under one year of age should not be fed honey.

      Reply

    • It’s just that honey often has trace amounts of botulism in it that stomach acid can easily kill. But babies have very low amounts of stomach acid until they get older.

      Reply

  16. I tried the pumpkin recipe as subbed coconut flour for the steel oats. Is that ok? The dough was really dry and didn’t hold together well. I am baking just 9 now and we’ll see. Thanks!

    Reply

  17. I didn’t see an answer to this question and have the same one. Do you grind both types of oats to make flour or just the steel cut ones as you describe in your recipe?

    Reply

  18. Not just any coconut oil has the lauric acid, MCT oil is the one, but it has a laxative affect on adults. We do a low carb, ketogenic diet. I don’t have oats and my son has a banana allergy! Do you think coconut flour would work well, for the pumpkin biscuits?

    Reply

    • The coconut flour did not work for me at all!!! Sadly, bc I love that stuff! It was way too crumbly and I even added more pumpkin. Perhaps adding half the coconut flour. So half cup instead of whole. That might help. Please post if you try and get it to work.

      Reply

      • Coconut flour is very absorbent flour, may explain why yours were so crumbly. When you’re substituting for another flour, you need to use a decreased amount of coconut flour. Here’s an article about using coconut flour in baking: http://nourishedkitchen.com/baking-with-coconut-flour/

        Reply

  19. Hi! Mine seem kind of mushy. Is there something I can do to help them harden?

    Reply

  20. Mine turned out like dry oatmeal cookies and seem like a choking hazard for my eight month old. Are these for older babies? More like toddlers?

    Reply

  21. Hi, I noticed you said to grind up the steel cut oats into a flour, but do you grind up the rolled oats into a flour as well?

    Reply

    • No you don’t because in the pictures before it is completely mixed it shows the rolled oats whole in the bowl with the other ingredients.

      Reply

  22. Hi there could you tell us how to substitute with dates?

    Reply

  23. How do you feel about using essential oils for the ginger and such?

    Reply

    • Essential oils shouldn’t be consumed especially for babies

      Reply

  24. can you sub baby cereal for oats and flour?
    i have lots of it and baby girl love to chew

    Reply

  25. Hi! Is there an oil other than coconut oil that you would suggest using? I’m very allergic to coconut and my baby is only 9 months, so I think I’d like to hold off on introducing, just in case.

    Reply

    • Sure. You could use a sustainable palm oil or butter.

      Reply

  26. I made these and they are very soft. I live in a very humid climate and leaving things out on the counter makes them go soft, I opted to leave in the fridge for 24 hours; however they remained soft. I did then try leaving them on the counter and they got even softer. What can I add more of or remove to account for the humidity.

    Reply

    • After you have baked the cookies till light golden, then turn the oven off, and leave the cookies in the oven for half the day, without opening the oven, that will dry them out for you. Then put then in an air-tight container ( glass jar with tight lid), so they stay dry. 🙂 I hope that works for you, that is my suggestion. The only other thing you can do, is put them I’m a food dehydrator. 🙂

      Reply

  27. Can I use Breast milk in place of coconut oil?

    Reply

    • Breastmilk isn’t an exact replacement of coconut oil since breastmilk contains water and coconut oil is just fat, but go ahead and try it and let us know!

      Reply

  28. Thank you for the recipe! Do you need to grind the rolled oats as well? Also, if you wanted to add peanut butter, how much would you use/ anything you would reduce in amount? (I have no common sense when it comes to cooking and have to follow recipes to the letter!). Thanks!

    Reply

    • What I would do, if I was you, is replace the oil, with the peanut butter that you want to add. 🙂 Give that a try. 🙂

      Reply

  29. Just about to make these now. Can’t wait to see my little boys reaction as it’ll be his first teething biscuit 🙂 He’s 10 months already. Feel guilty that it’s taken me all this time to give him any.

    Reply

    • Oh good! Let me know how he likes them 🙂

      Reply

  30. Perfect!!! Thank you! My 10 month old is kind of bored of purée or ripe fruits. He wants to bite bite bite. And I saw the teething biscuits at wholefoods very good ingredients but they had a few other not so very good. I thought there’s gotta be a recipe I can make my own biscuits and booom back to mamanatural I follow your blog since I was pregnant. Thanks again for all the advice!!!

    Reply

  31. I made the banana biscuits and I forgot to sprinkle the baking powder.

    Are the biscuits supposed to be rock hard? They were just taken out from the oven and they had been that hard.

    Reply

    • Yep, they’re supposed to be hard — good for baby to gnaw on. You don’t want them to break up in baby’s mouth too easily.

      Reply

  32. My mother just gave us whole peeled carrots – quick, easy and tasty! Worked for all three of us.

    Reply

    • That is an awesome idea! Peeled CarPeeledI like it.

      Reply

    • I discovered this myself! A great teether! Just be careful as they get older because they will start getting real chunks off the carrot with those newly formed teeth

      Reply

  33. I made the Pumpkin Teething Biscuits, but substituted some leftover puree I had for the pumpkin. Since my baby recently decided to quit spoons and only eat finger food, I needed a way to use up the purees I made just last week. On hand I had sweet potato and apple; spinach, strawberry and mango; and kale and berries. I just thawed a few frozen cubes and mixed them together til I had a cup then followed the rest of the recipe.
    The biscuits turned out delicious and most importantly, my teething baby old loves them. This is a great recipe to use up leftover purees. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Thanks for that tip!

      Reply

  34. Great recipe. I substituted a cup of coconut flour and a cup of sprouted super flour for the oats and they turned out perfectly. My 16 month old recently discovered crackers and asks for them all the time. Now I can give him something I know is healthy and wholesome. Thank you!

    Reply

  35. Hello! How long do these stay good for? Can I make ahead and freeze them? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Yes, absolutely. They last for at least a week at room temperature and longer in fridge. They don’t contain ingredients that are as susceptible to mold.

      Reply

  36. Mine turned out REALLY spikey! Did I do something wrong? Also, I baked mine for 15 extra mins and they are still really soft in the center.

    Reply

  37. In the video you say 3 tablespoon coconut oil, on the website you list 1/4 cup which is 4 tablespoons in the basic recipe using applesauce, and the remaining recipes you use 2 tablespoons. I am a little confused about how much coconut oil to use.

    Reply

  38. The basic recipe above is different than that of the video. (Written recipe calls for maple syrup and a bit more coconut oil). Mine were very moist. Next time I will follow recipe from the video to see if the bicuits are harder. Thanks for the idea.

    Reply

  40. Can I use blackstrap molasses inplace of the brown rice syrup?
    I know that is good for iron…

    Reply

    • Hi! Be careful with black strap molasses. It can have botulism just like honey and it is not recommended for babies under one. Botulism unfortunately does not cook out.

      Reply

  41. This is awesome! I’ve been shopping for organic, gluten free teething biscuits and they all have added sugar! I was wondering if you could make these out of rice flour or baby rice cereal? I’m a little leary of oats, since I personally am gluten free and avoid oats. Any advice on subbing with rice?

    Reply

    • If you have a Trader Joes near you they have gluten free oats. Oats are gluten free naturally but tend to be processed in plants that also process wheat or other gluten products. Traders Joes oats are gluten free. They are all I use now and I love them!

      Reply

    • I would be a little concerned about rice cereal because of the arsnic they are finding in rice. that’s why I’m looking for different teething biscuits.

      Reply

  42. This is EXACTLY the recipe I was looking for! Yay! And, I have a Griffin too! Though these will be for baby Grant 🙂

    Reply

  43. why not use actual spice in place of the extract?

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  44. I wouldn’t use brown rice syrup because of the arsenic. I would like to try these with applesauce though.

    Reply

    • Apples have arsnic in them as well. Everything you eat has chemicals you wouldn’t dare ingest in large amounts. It occurs in such small amounts that it does not cause any harm.

      Reply

      • The seed of the apple, rather than the flesh, has arsenic.

        Reply

  45. I had a mommy bring these to a baby wearing / breast feeding group and they were delish! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  46. I haven’t taken these out of the oven yet but they were really really dry as a batter (hard to ball up when putting them on the pan) – is that normal?

    Reply

  47. I thought babies weren’t supposed to have grains until they were 18 months…

    Reply

  48. sounds like you added an extra tb of coconut oil by accident! Maybe try that. I am going to try these also.

    Reply

  49. I made the basic recipe. Can we also grind up the rolled oats?

    Reply

  50. Thank you for this great recipe. My daughter hasn’t started on solids yet. Is this okay to give her? Should I mill the rolled oats also?

    Reply

  51. Why did mine spread like a cookie? They crumbled

    Reply

  52. Finally a healthy recipe for teething biscuits :). I will be trying these once my baby is 6 months :).

    Reply

  53. I made the biscuits as outlined on the video but it’s been 24 hours + and they are still not rock hard. I even used less apple sauce. Any ideas?

    Reply

    • I would keep out for longer. Try 48 hours and see if that hardens them up. Did you use extra oil by chance?

      Reply

  54. what could i substitute for the coconut oil, olive or safflower?

    Reply

    • great biscuits, the baby loved them. DB

      Reply

      • Oh good! Thanks for sharing. I found Griffin liked the pumpkin the best as they were the “hardest.”

        Reply

    • Grape seed oil, organic butter (melted) and even Peanut oil is a good substitute if baby has no allergies.

      Reply

  55. Hi Genevieve,
    I have just discovered your video-blog and wanted to congratulated for the amazing way you have to live your life.
    I am a Catalan mum from Barcelona, living in London for the last 3 years and I have a little monkey of 5 months. I also started to write a blog recently ( in Catalan, but I added google translator to be more international, HA!) so as you can see I have just started my journey as a mum and as a blogger.
    http://unamamaalavidamoderna.blogspot.com/
    Best,
    MamaModerna

    Reply

  56. this is EXACTLY the type of teething biscuit i was after!!! are you a weston price fan? i am and this is perfect for how hubs and i eat and the way we feed huxley. many, many thanks!!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Ashley,
      Oh good! Yes, I like WAPF. I disagree with a few of their interpretations but overall they’ve done incredible work in raising consumer awareness. Hope Huxley likes them!!!! Griff liked the pumpkin and banana ones best.

      Reply

  57. These recipes look amazing! can’t wait to try them out 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Jackie! Thanks. Let me know how they work out.

      Reply

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