Homemade teething biscuits

Lately Mary Virginia has been a bit fussier than normal, a bit droolier than normal, and waking  a few more times at night than normal.

I think — and I say this with all caution — I think she might be teething. She might not be. Any book about babies and development will say that you can tell a baby is teething when it is drooling, chewing on things, and fussing. Since those are the only three things babies ever do, it takes a mom to decipher the fine nuances of their child to really know if these symptoms are more than normal. Hey, lady at the grocery store. I’m talking to you. I promise I know my baby better than you do.

But who knows what’s going on.

The truth is, I’ve exhausted all other possibilities so I’m banking on teeth because until those two-year molars come in, all babies are technically teething. Also, I feel like after  weekend of bad sleep, I’ve earned some teeth.

We’re dealing with a dose of Tylenol for the baby (which does seem to help) and  a glass of wine for Mommy after bedtime (which definitely seems to help) and I also made these: Homemade teething biscuits.

Impressive, I know. Please, hold your applause until the end.

I found a ton of options online, and adapted my recipe from this one.

This recipe is easy, and the best part is you can change it up. You’re basically making a dough that will harden when it bakes, so unlike other types of baking you don’t have to worry about leavening or the temperature of your ingredients or which type of fat you use.

The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Homemade teething biscuits

Homemade teething biscuits

Start by dumping all the ingredients into a bowl and mixing. I used my hands. I tried to be dignified and use a utensil, but I had to roll up my sleeves and use my hands to get it well-mixed.

Next, on a well-floured surface, roll the dough to 1/2-1/4″. I added too much water, so my dough is a bit too wet and sticky. That’s why my surface is well floured. You might not need this much flour.

Homemade teething biscuits

Cut dough with a cookie cutter, a place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pop ’em in the oven.

Homemade teething biscuits

Homemade teething biscuits

Bake them at 425 degrees, until they look completely baked through. They shouldn’t look dough-y at all. Tom likes cookies and bread to be a bit raw in the middle, so, to him, anything that’s “done” is over-done. This recipe is the opposite. You want them brick-hard; ready to take some abuse from sore gums.

20-ish minutes and they’re done.

Homemade teething biscuits

They’re made of wholesome ingredients, smell pretty decent, and save you a trip to Target for teething biscuits. But the best part?

They subdue Mary Virginia’s teething-induced nihilism. For just a bit.

Homemade teething biscuits

Teething biscuits

Ingredients
1 Cup infant oatmeal
1 Cup flour
1 C pureed fruit or vegetable (I used a mashed banana. You can also use apple sauce, sweet potato, or a store-bought puree.)
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or other oil)
2 tsp cinnamon
5 Tbsp water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Dump all ingredients except water in a bowl and mash them up (I used my hands).
3. Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing as you go. Add water until dough is sticky and holds together well. (The dough in my photo is a bit too sticky.) Make sure the dough is well-blended with no big chunks of fruit or flour pockets.
4. Dust a surface with flour and roll out the dough to 1/2-1/4″ thickness.
5. Use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes.
6. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes (until brown and hard — they shouldn’t look raw or chewy).

Cool biscuits and store in the refrigerator, or freezer.

Note: This recipe makes a biscuit that isn’t easily broken/bitten by baby. The cookie should turn gooey, not crumbly, when they gnaw on it. A thick cookie and simple shape helps keep baby from breaking pieces. Make sure to always supervise your baby while eating teething biscuits.

 

Healthy homemade teething biscuits

61 Comments

  1. Grammy February 3, 2014

    and they are perfect for little hands. Looks great.

    Reply
  2. Meredith February 4, 2014

    What a great idea! Filing this away for like… September. Or sometime around then 🙂

    Reply
  3. Carrie February 13, 2014

    I found your blog through a friend and this idea intrigued me for my ever teething (6 teeth and counting) 6-mth-old. Plus Mary Virginia looks so cute eating hers. I tried it with sweet potatoes but they never seemed to get hard in the oven (25+ min) and some puffed up with air. Any idea what I did wrong? Maybe I didn’t mix well enough, added too much water, or rolled too thick (I am so not a baker). My toddler reports they are yummy “cookies” though and the baby is knawing away at one hard-ish one!

    Reply
    • amandakrieger February 14, 2014

      WOW! 6 teeth! That’s impressive!
      The air puffing could be because the fat wasn’t mixed completely. What kind of fat did you use? Try oil or melting the fat (butter or coconut oil) completely before mixing it.
      I’d try rolling them much thinner, and adding a bit of flour to toughen them up.
      I love that your toddler likes them. I gave one to my toddler and he didn’t like it at all!

      Reply
  4. Katie March 21, 2014

    i want to make these! thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Patti March 25, 2014

    That face…oy! I love the recipe and will pass it along to all my younger mommy friends.

    Reply
  6. Kay July 9, 2014

    Will this recipe work with just infant oatmeal and no (all purpose?) flour?

    Reply
    • amandakrieger July 9, 2014

      Perhaps! I’ve never tried it, but if you try it let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
      • Kay July 10, 2014

        With just oatmeal, it came out nice and tasty but way too soft to give my little one!

        Reply
  7. FABBY September 15, 2014

    Oh how wonderful! Just in case I have another G’child I’m pinning this recipe.

    Thanks and have a nice week ahead.
    FABBY

    Reply
  8. Kat December 24, 2014

    I made these today – super easy and my 6 month old loved them! Even my husband tried one and he said they were alright. i couldn’t find any hard teething biscuits in the store so this recipe is a lifesaver. Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Samantha January 19, 2015

    I made these and my 20 month old daughter enjoyed her “cookie” very much! I really like that there is no sugar and I could change up the puree I use each time. How long do you find that they are good for? Just wondering if she only has one a day would they be safe to give here this week or even next week? Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • amandakrieger January 19, 2015

      I’m so glad you like them! And especially glad your little girl did! I’ve kept them for at least two weeks. And I usually make a batch and throw them in the freezer, that way they keep for much longer. Plus, it makes them cold, which the little ones really like on sore gums.

      Reply
  10. Cindy March 1, 2015

    Thank you! My daughters and I cooked up a batch of these this afternoon. We used rice cereal and they turned out great.

    Reply
  11. brittney July 22, 2015

    What age is ok to start a baby with these?

    Reply
    • amandakrieger July 22, 2015

      Hello! I’m not a medical or developmental professional, but I can tell you my experience. Mary Virginia was about 8 months in these photos, and she was definitely ready for them. I would wait until they’re ready for solids, until they’re sitting up on their own, grabbing for food, and already eating the ingredients — baby cereal, etc. I probably won’t give my new son them until he’s at least 6 mos.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  12. Tiern August 3, 2015

    Do you have to use cinnamon? LO has never had cinnamon before so I’m worried about using it

    Reply
    • amandakrieger August 4, 2015

      Hello! No, you don’t have to use cinnamon. It’s just to add a little flavor, but it’s not necessary to the recipe. Let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  13. Cara August 31, 2015

    Thanks for the recipe. I was looking for something without a ton of sugar and junk. My toddler and I made these for baby today, we made them as stars, and they felt hard/solid on the spikes but not in the middle where they were pretty firm but not rock hard.

    We supervised her sample and they broke off in her mouth after several chomps/droopy sucks.

    Not enough flour perhaps?

    I did wonder if the jar of purée needed extra flour or no water to compensate that jar purée has water in it, where as a mashed banana is just banana….?

    I’d like to give it another shot, so would love your thoughts? She LOVED them!

    Reply
  14. Michelle S November 3, 2015

    I made these with applesauce initially and the results were from hell (pun intended). The dough was so wet I had to throw it out.

    Mommies…be warned, not all fruit purees are the same consistency. So, if you choose something other than the banana that this recipe was actually made with, add your puree slowly. I ended up using less than 1/2 cup applesauce on my 2nd attempt and the dough was a good consistency.

    Yet to see if the little man likes them….they’re baking!

    Reply
    • alissa November 10, 2015

      I should have read this b4 making them. I used half cup of banana and 1/2 cup.applesauce. turned out terrible. Good to know this now. I’ll have to try it again with something g else

      Reply
      • amandakrieger November 10, 2015

        I’m sorry yours didn’t turn out well! I’ve made them with bananas, sweet potato, pumpkin, and apple sauce and they’ve turned out fine… My only suggestion might be that, as with any dough or pastry, you should always add wet ingredients slowly. If the dough doesn’t have the right consistency before baking, add a bit more cereal or flour.

        Reply
  15. Kendra February 3, 2016

    Has anyone tried these with flavored cereal/oatmeal and not fresh fruit or veggie?

    Reply
    • Kendra February 3, 2016

      I made them with peach/apple flavored cereal and followed the recipe exactly (just leaving out the fresh fruit/veggie). I had to add more water, but they turned out great! SO glad I found this recipe!

      Reply
      • amandakrieger February 3, 2016

        Interesting! I have a new little one now who’s ready for some teething biscuits, I’ll try that. Did you just do like normal, cereal? Not baby cereal?

        Reply
  16. Lindsey February 10, 2016

    Not sure if this was mentioned in the post (didn’t see it!) but is the cereal cooked or uncooked? Do you use instant baby cereal or adult ground cereal? Also, I saw in the comments that you have frozen yours before. How long did they last in the freezer? Thanks!

    Reply
    • amandakrieger February 10, 2016

      I’ve always used uncooked; infant cereal isn’t cooked before it’s eaten! And I’ve only used instant baby cereal.
      I think I kept mine in the freezer for about three months!

      Reply
  17. mommaamelie April 26, 2016

    I tried making these today with sweet potato. Had to increase baking time significantly (35+ minutes) so they were no longer doughy. Once I removed them from the oven they were slightly more hockey puck than I would have liked. That said, my bambino ferociously sucked on it (and nothing really came off).

    Reply
  18. kristinc May 2, 2016

    I made these today and they didn’t turn out quite right. One pan full started to burn before they started to get hard and the other pan came out soft. Not sure what I did.

    Reply
    • amandakrieger July 10, 2016

      see my reply below! i’m sorry to hear one batch burned! I’d cook them at a lower temp for longer.
      also, if they’re soft straight out of the oven, they’ll firm up after they cool.

      Reply
  19. Amber July 9, 2016

    Mine did something similar got hard and started to burn on side touching pan but stayed kind of soft on the top side. Would dropping the temp and letting them go longer fix this issue?

    Reply
    • amandakrieger July 10, 2016

      Yes! I think turning the oven down is a great idea. We’ve actually moved since I first wrote this post and my new oven is MUCH hotter (kind of too hot…), I make them 50 degrees lower!

      Reply
  20. Brittany August 21, 2016

    I know this is an older post but your baby is beautiful! Anyways I’m going to make these tonight. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • amandakrieger August 22, 2016

      thank you! she’s three and wild now 🙂 hope you enjoy the biscuits!

      Reply
  21. Chicken Blog October 15, 2016

    2nd Step Teething Biscuits

    […] today with sweet potato. Had to increase baking time significantly (35+ minutes […]

    Reply
  22. Charger 71 March 11, 2017

    Glad I found this. Am going to try to bake them for grand dauhter or get grammy to do as I am away for a couple weeks. Been lookimg for old style hard teething biscuits and could not find. Thankds

    Reply
  23. […] 6. Homemade Teething Biscuits […]

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  24. Kirsta August 9, 2017

    I had a good dough until I added water. I used pear puree and it was way way way too wet. I should’ve read the comments first. I had to add probably a cup of flour to save it. They probably won’t taste very good but she just needs something to gnaw on. Maybe need to add a note next to that part of the post so people are warned.

    Reply
  25. Jessica September 1, 2017

    Has anyone’s turned out like the rough texture after cooking them? They seem hard enough but kind of jagged ends that over cooked and I’m worried will hurt her gums

    Reply
  26. Maria WG October 10, 2017

    I just made these with mashed strawberry and a little bit of masshed blueberry and I kind of added all the water at once lol
    I had to keep adding flour to get it from sticking to everything! It wouldn’t hold together at first but I think I had to add about two cups of flour.
    I rolled it too flat and baked half a batch and they puffed up. Then I added a tiny bit more flour and made them thicker and they baked well.
    My 9 month old is teething with six teeth and one poking out and he loved his biscuit. Kept him busy until it got all gooey and he was done with it lol Making it again tomorrow with raspberry and strawberry and less water this time. See how it goes 🙂
    Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  27. Kirsta January 28, 2018

    I used your recipe (properly acredited of course) in my blog post today. Thank you for the awesome recipe, everyone in the baby room at my little one’s daycare is going to get some for Valentine’s Day! Check it out at http://www.mamaofthedrama.com

    Reply
  28. Gail March 16, 2018

    I want to make some for my 11 month old granddaughter, but she lives across the country. Should I put a cold pack in with the package to keep them cool?

    Reply
    • amandakrieger March 17, 2018

      what a sweet gift! i don’t think a cold pack is necessary, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt!

      Reply
  29. mary July 29, 2018

    i tried this but the dough was way too sticky i tried adding more flour but it did nothing to help. any suggestions?

    Reply
    • amandakrieger July 30, 2018

      If you read in the recipe, my dough was too sticky too, because I used too much water. Just make sure your surfaces are WELL floured so it doesn’t stick as you roll it out, it should be fine.
      This is different than normal kinds of baking because you want a tough product, so it’s ok if the consistency of the dough isn’t perfect!

      Reply
  30. debbie sicoly December 12, 2018

    just did these with mini christmas cookie cutters – they looked so cute and taste is great

    Reply
  31. Lisa May 30, 2019

    UHHHH!!! This is AWFUL! I used almond flour and applesauce. More dough on my fingers than the cookie sheet! After adding a ton more flour and dipping my fingers in water I managed to bake the cookies. No shocker, they are terrible. Terrible flavor and terrible texture. What a waist! This is why most people buy premade goods!

    Reply
    • amandakrieger May 30, 2019

      Sorry these didn’t work for you. Perhaps the almond flour was the problem? Don’t give up though, and remember that most baby food doesn’t taste good to adults who are used to salt and sweeteners and literally have different taste buds than babies.
      also, *waste*

      Reply
    • Bryanna May 3, 2020

      Obviously the issue is with the baker, not the recipe! This has been tried and loved for years—almond flour is different than regular flour. If you want to use a different flour, you have to do the research and experiments to make it work. Don’t knock the original baker because you failed to take the necessary steps when changing a recipe.

      Reply
    • Janice October 1, 2020

      Almond flour does not really absorb moisture and that was why your dough turned out gooey and difficult to shape.

      Reply
  32. […] Recipe From The Kriegers […]

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  33. Linda July 31, 2019

    How much banana would you use.

    Reply
  34. Bryanna May 3, 2020

    This recipe has been around a long time, and I’m grateful. I’ve been looking for a reliable teething biscuit without a lot of unnecessary ingredients. Will make these today—thanks.

    Reply
    • amandakrieger May 4, 2020

      So glad! And yes, this is why I loved the recipe — it’s comforting to give your baby food that you made using ingredients that are simple and healthy. Enjoy <3

      Reply
  35. Amy October 9, 2021

    These are so wonderful! I used peanut flour instead of regular flour to make them peanut butter banana flavored 🙂
    And I love that they don’t break off. They’re perfect for teething!

    Reply
    • amandakrieger October 9, 2021

      i’m so glad you (and mostly, baby!) liked them! thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  36. Suzana September 16, 2022

    How long the cookies last? A week? Should I refrigerate them?

    Reply
    • amandakrieger September 19, 2022

      Hello! They should last for a while! At least a month. I always kept mine in the fridge bc it helped them last and the cookies were cool on baby’s gums!

      Reply
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