These leek, pear and parsnip cakes - or patties - are easy to make, good for you and a great way to use up leftover veggies. Perfect for baby led weaning.
There are so many reasons to try these simple patties made from leek, pear and parsnip.
If you're doing weaning, or you have a finger-food loving toddler in the house, small savoury cakes like these are ideal.
Made with naturally sweet pears and parsnips and tasty leeks these parsnip cakes are a great way to introduce children to some new flavours.
They're also perfect for using up leftover veg or ripe pears and avoiding food waste.
These little parsnip patties are suitable for vegans.
Pear and parsnip is a great combination.
Pears and parsnips are both naturally sweet. They go together really well.
And the leeks add a lovely savoury touch to this dish, which complements the sweetness beautifully.
Leek, pear and parsnip cakes are very versatile
They work well in so many ways, including :
- for baby led weaning
- as a side dish for a roast dinner
- a good alternative to veggie sausages or similar for vegetarians
- will save any leftover Christmas parsnips from going to waste.
They would make a lovely simple Christmas dinner for a baby or toddler - with all the trimmings of course, such as my easy Christmas red cabbage.
Storage
These parsnip, leek and pear cakes are great for batch cooking.
Fridge
If you're not eating these straight away you can allow to cool and then store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freezer
Alternatively, you can freeze these leek, pear and parsnip cakes.
Once they've been shaped either:
- place a little baking paper between each one and freeze in a freezer-proof bag or container, or
- freeze on a tray for an hour then transfer them to a container.
Always remember to label and date food when freezing it.
More great weaning recipes
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you like this you might like this spiced pear semolina cake.
Read more about how to cook leeks.
Here's how to make leek, pear and parsnip cakes
If you've made this recipe please a leave a star rating and comment below. Thank you
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Parsnip, leek and pear cakes
Ingredients
- 4 medium parsnips peeled, cored and chopped (around 350g prepared weight)
- 1 ripe pear peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 leek sliced
- Pinch grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 30 g plain flour for shaping
- Olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Steam four prepared parsnips and one pear together until soft. Mash together then set aside and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry a sliced leek until softened. Allow to cool.
- Place the cooked parsnips, pear and leek into a mixing bowl with a pinch of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon dried sage and 50g breadcrumbs. Combine with your hands until well mixed.
- Using 30g plain flour shape into six balls and then flatten into burger shapes with your hands.
- Allow to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry for around five minutes on each side until golden brown.
- You can also oven cook these for 20 minutes at 180°C fan - however you won't get the crispy edges.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin leek, pear and parsnip cakes for later
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Tash
Hi! This recipe looks great. If I freeze them before baking, how long should I bake them for? Or can I bake them first then freeze and defrost overnight? Thank you x
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Tash, You can do either but I prefer the texture if you freeze them unbaked and then defrost and bake or bake from frozen for 20-30 minutes.
Jo
Realised I'd forgotten to let you know how I got on with these. M absolutely loves them! First tried them when she was about 7 months and she's about to turn 1 and they're still a firm favourite. I do them in the oven so I can just chuck them in and get on with something else. I freeze them after cooking and whack them in the microwave to defrost and warm up a bit. M loves them dipped in chicken curry 🙂
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Jo! So happy to hear she likes them x
Monika Dabrowski
How fabulous to put a pear in a savoury recipe! These look delicious:)
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Monika - they're really lovely x
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Damn, I wish I'd seen this before I used up my leftover parsnips, these little cakes sound absolutely yummy! I might have to go out and buy some new parsnips so I can make them!
Mandy Mazliah
Do it! And then let me know what you think x
Corina Blum
These sound delicious and I love how versatile they are. Happy New Year too! x
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Corina!