Baby finger food recipe ideas

15 Nutritious Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby

This post is long overdue because so many of you have asked me for more recipes of finger foods for babies. But with this blog and my work gradually moving into a more consulting/counseling space, I just do not have a lot of time to test recipes and take pretty pictures anymore!

Luckily, I can still curate a selection of safe, balanced and nutritious finger food recipes for your little ones.

Please note: none of the recipes below contain salt, sugar or commercial sauces. So many “baby friendly” or BLW recipes available online are not suitable for babies at all because they have salt, sugar, salty seasoning and even mayonnaise.

So while you are in good hands on this page, be aware of these age-inappropriate additions when you look for recipes on your own.

Read: Seven things you need to know before giving your baby family food

Read: How much salt is safe for babies?

Also, although I am all for trying new recipes with your baby, try to make minimally processed one-two ingredient finger foods the bulk of their diet, especially in the first few weeks of starting solids. This way, your baby will get to learn to appreciate the flavor and texture of whole foods and you will save plenty of time and energy in the kitchen.

If you need some inspiration, make sure to download my selection of 65 whole finger food ideas that require no or minimal cooking.

Finally, if you need a whole step-by-step plan on how to start your baby on solids using the mixed approach (finger foods+purees), check my online program with videos, handouts, recipes, sample meal plans, videos of babies eating, photos of finger foods from all food groups, schedules and more.

Ready for the recipes? Scroll below to find your pediatric dietitian-curated selection of sweet and savory finger foods for your baby.

Sweet finger foods

1. Basic banana oat cookies

Source: My Kids Lick the Bowl

A great treat for the whole family, created by My Kids Lick the Bowl. This nutrition writer and mom of 3 has lots of recipes for babies and toddlers on her website, so make sure to check it out.

2. Banana toast for babies

Source: One Handed Cooks

A very simple variation of a regular toast, slightly sweet and perfectly nutritious. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or snack, created by One Handed Cooks.

3. Apple and oat pancakes

Source: My Kids Lick the Bowl

Another great recipe from My Kids Eat the Bowl. Everyone’s favorite that takes minutes to make and can feed the whole family.

4. Baby cereal pancakes

Source: Wholesome BabyFood

Love this quick way to use the leftovers of any type of iron-rich baby cereal, by Wholesome Baby Food.

5. Three ingredient muffins

Source: WINKGO

The easiest muffin recipe that are perfect for little hands.

6. Porridge fingers

Source: Healthy Little Foodies

Just a few wholesome ingredients and a few minutes in the microwave is all you need to make this delicious breakfast or snack for your baby. Genius idea from Healthy Little Foodies.

Savory finger foods

7.

Broccoli potato bites

Created by your truly, this recipe is one of the most popular articles on my website. I had to tweak the recipe a little to make sure the bites hold their shape better and it look like now it works like a charm.

8. Tuna and sweet corn mini quiches

Source: Little Grazers

Rich in protein from cottage cheese and Omega 3 from tuna – a nutritional powerhouse for babies, kids and adults alike, by Little Grazers.

9. Sweet potato frittata slices

Source: My Fussy Eater

I really like this protein rich and fast way to reuse leftover cooked sweet potato from My Fussy Eater – we get a lot of that in our house.

10. Sweet potato hash

Source: Bethany King

Sweet potato recipes are very popular with babies because, well, they taste sweet! But make sure to try a version with a regular potato – it is also very nutritious and tasty. Recipe credit – BLW ideas.

11. Turkey-ricotta meatballs

I created this recipe because my kids found the texture of regular meatballs quite tough and chewy. Ricotta works as a magic ingredient here, keeping them moist and very tender.

12. Sweet potato quinoa bites

Another hit that I hope you try. The texture and flavor are absolutely wonderful, if I may say so about my own creation :).

13. Pea fritters

Source: Healthy Little Foodies

These fritters by Healthy Little Foodies can be whipped in a food processor in minutes and are perfect for little hands.

14. Chicken veggie patties

Source: Charisse Yu

Easy to make and you can use as many veggies as you wish (really helps when you need to clear out your fridge!) Lovely idea by Charisse Yu.

15. Baby’s first Greek yogurt pizza

And a final Feeding Bytes recipe to round up this selection. This pizza dough has only 2 ingredients and the toppings are all baby-friendly. My whole family loves it!

More on safety and finger food ideas for babies:

Iron rich finger foods

Breakfast finger food ideas

Nutritious toppings for toast

The difference between gagging and choking

If you would like to get the whole framework and all the steps to start your baby on solids using the mixed approach, check my Stress Free Solids program – it’s completely online and has videos of babies eating both finger foods and purees, in addition to recipes, schedules and the latest scientific advice on introducing allergens. You will also learn how to progress between textures on time, so your baby learn to self feed and eat table foods fast!

Best Early Finger Foods for Baby (With Tips, Visuals, and Recipes)

Use this list of safe, nutritious, and easy to eat finger foods for baby to help you know exactly what (and how) to offer at meals and snacks. Plus, find the best first finger foods, troubleshooting tips, and visuals of foods broken down by food group to keep things easy!

Finger Foods for Baby

After baby starts solids and is ready to move onto finger foods, you may feel a little confused by exactly what to serve and how to serve it. Which is totally normal because it can be scary to let baby feed themselves this way and we may not have any experience doing this—or we may have totally forgotten from our last kiddo!

This list of finger foods for baby will cover some great first finger foods to start with, then set you up with plenty of healthy options from each food group.

TIP: Find more info on starting solids here and the best foods to start with if doing baby led weaning or purees with baby.

Healthy Baby Food

I love sharing these ideas for baby food since they are easy to prepare and serve and because I know how hard it can be to continue to come up with flavorful and healthy meals and snacks for our little ones. Let me tell you, I’m on my third kiddo and it can be such a challenge to feed him during the chaos of parenting the rest of my crew! These foods are wholesome and nutritious—perfect for your baby.

TIP: I’m a big fan of SpoonfulONE, a company that offers the most complete way to introduce food allergens to our kids. They make mix-ins, puffs, and crackers that are yummy and easy for babies and toddlers to eat. Learn more about their pediatrician-approved baby foods here. (sponsored link)

Best First Finger Foods

When baby is around 9 months, you’ll notice that they’re able to pick up smaller pieces of food with two fingers. This is known as the “pincer grasp” and is a sign that they’re ready to start finger foods. To be clear, when I say “finger foods” I mean small pieces of food that a baby (or toddler) can feed themselves.

Here are some of my favorite ones to start with that are all super soft, safe to eat, and easy to pick up.

Scrambled egg, broken up into small pieces
Roasted sweet potato mashed and broken up into small pieces
Fresh raspberries, broken up into smaller pieces
Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
Ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
Shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
Mashed sweet potato, in little pieces
Peanut butter puffs

TIP: You can serve the tofu, ground meat, or meatballs in veggie puree from a pouch or a simple marinara sauce for extra moisture and flavor. Learn more about how and why to introduce peanut butter.

Finger Foods for Baby: Fruits and Veggies

Some of my favorite early fruits and veggies to serve babies are:

Mashed roasted sweet potato, broken up into small pieces
Warmed frozen peas, slightly mashed if desired
Roasted Zucchini
Diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
Fresh blueberries, cut in half or quarters
Fresh raspberries, broken into small pieces
Banana, broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
Avocado, diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)

TIP: A good rule of thumb is to serve pieces of food that are about the size of a pea to start and soft enough that they are easy to squish between your fingers. This will be easy for baby to pick up and eat and will also reduce chances of choking.

Finger Food Ideas: Carbohydrates

Offering complex carbohydrates can provide fiber, a variety of textures, B vitamins, and more. Try these with your baby.

Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
Baby Puffs
Peanut Butter Puffs
Rice (it’s easiest if it’s in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
Baby Banana Muffin
O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
Baked Oatmeal, diced

Finger Food Ideas: Proteins

Offering proteins will continue to expose baby to a range of nutrients. These are my go-tos for babies newer to finger foods—and toddlers too.

Shredded cheese (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up)
Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
Flaked cooked wild salmon
Lightly mashed meatballs
Shredded chicken, cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
Ground beef, turkey, or chicken, broken into smaller pieces
Lightly mashed beans
Scrambled eggs, broken up into small pieces
Diced egg muffins

I’d love to hear any questions you may have, or if you have foods that your babies enjoy that I didn’t include here.

Chime in below in the comments!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Baby Food

Calories 124kcal

Servings 1

First Finger Foods (choose 1-3 per meal)

▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup Roasted sweet potato, mashed and broken up into small pieces
▢ 1/4 cup Fresh raspberries (broken up into smaller pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
▢ 2 tbsp shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
▢ 1/4 cup Mashed sweet potato (broken into little pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup Peanut butter puffs

Fruits and Veggies

▢ 1/4 cup mashed roasted sweet potato (broken up into small pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup warmed frozen peas
▢ 1/4 cup Roasted Zucchini
▢ 1/4 cup diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
▢ 1/4 cup blueberries (cut in half or quarters)
▢ 1/4 cup raspberries (broken into small pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup banana slices (broken into small segments—they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
▢ 2 tbsp avocado (diced and mashed slightly—be sure it's ripe and very soft)

Whole Grains and Carbohydrates

▢ 1 Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
▢ 1/4 cup Baby Puffs
▢ 1/4 cup Peanut Butter Puffs
▢ 1/4 cup fully cooked rice (it's easiest if it's in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
▢ 1 Baby Banana Muffin
▢ 1/4 cup O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
▢ 1/4 cup Baked Oatmeal (diced or regular oatmeal broken into little pieces)

Dairy

▢ 2 tbsp Shredded cheese (such as mozzarella)
▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
▢ 2 tbsp flaked cooked wild salmon
▢ 1 lightly mashed meatballs
▢ 2 tbsp finely shredded chicken (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, turkey, or chicken (broken into smaller pieces)
▢ 2 tbsp lightly mashed beans
▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
▢ 1 Diced Egg muffins

For each meal or snack, choose 2-3 foods from a mix of food groups. Aim to include some fat in most meals and protein in many too.
Prepare the food, cutting into small pieces and/or mashing as needed to make the food easy to eat.
Start with small portions and allow more as baby indicates according to their hunger.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Many foods you cook for your family will work as baby finger foods—just be sure they are easy to squish between your fingers and the pieces are small and easy to chew.
Babies very normally make a lot of faces when they eat, so don't assume they don't like something just because they scrunch their nose!
Flavors and textures can take time to learn to eat, so continue offering foods in small portions even if baby hasn't liked them in the past—and make sure they taste good to you!

Calories: 124kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 9857IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

ᐉ Recipes for children under one year old, with photos, step by step, for every day, pp recipes- food4baby.

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Recipes for children under one year old

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Baby food up to a year - this is one of the most important questions that mothers have in the first year baby's life. According to WHO recommendations, complementary foods should be introduced from 5 months, if the child is bottle-fed and from 6 months, if the child is breastfed. nine0010

Products follow enter in the following order: vegetable mono puree (zucchini, broccoli, colored cabbage, carrots), dairy-free cereals (corn, buckwheat, rice, oatmeal), fruit purees. From 8 months, you can start introducing meat purees (rabbit, turkey, veal) and egg yolk.

When injected a new product should be monitored for the reaction of the child's body. When allergic reaction, contact your pediatrician for advice.

After introduction vegetables, cereals and fruits, you can cook vegetable puree soups, fruit purees, cereals with fruit purees.

From 8-10 months soups and vegetable purees can be given a less tender consistency by grinding them through sieve or mash well with a fork. From 10 months, the child can be offered a finger complementary foods - small pieces of well-boiled vegetables and ripe fruits without peels (broccoli, potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini). So baby will learn to eat in pieces and develop fine motor skills of the hands. nine0010

Meals for children up to a year should be boiled, baked or steamed, without adding salt and seasonings.

On our website you you will find many options for what you can cook for a child up to a year old for breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack or snack. There are simple, tasty and healthy recipes for cereals, dishes from vegetables, meat and fish. Our recipes are very simple and quick to prepare, because a child under one year old needs constant supervision and care. mothers have very little free time. nine0010

You can make a menu for a child for the day or a week, saving the recipes you are interested in as favorites.

And most importantly, we always in touch! If you have any questions about the recipe, write in the comments under it and we will respond promptly.

We wish you baby have a good appetite!

Finger menu. Meals for babies

Actually, there is a whole book with "finger" recipes for little children who have not yet mastered cutlery, but can already eat with their hands. But I didn’t read it (once), but in the course of random experiments in our family, such finger dishes for our baby became popular. nine0010

Usually, at 6 months, babies begin to receive complementary foods in addition to the main food (breast milk or adapted formula). Of course, at first it is mashed potatoes and liquid cereals, juices - something that is easy to swallow. But the child grows and quickly masters chewing skills (even if he has very few or no teeth at all!), improves fine motor skills and shows independence. All these skills help to develop food, especially if it is appetizing, entertaining and you can eat it yourself.

After a year, it usually becomes easier for parents - the baby already eats a lot from the common table, allergies for many go away or are not so acute - and it's time to turn meals into a joyful activity. nine0010

It is common to give children dairy products/cottage cheese, cereals, vegetables, fruit and meat/fish during the day. Here are some examples from personal experience.

We have breakfast with cats and dogs (do not be afraid, not a single cat or dog was hurt!) Many children periodically refuse porridge. Do not want and that's it! You can diversify cereal food and give self-baked cakes instead of porridge (you can also just make children's cookies or bread, but this is not so useful and interesting).

It only takes a short time to mix 2-3 cups of baby porridge (rice, buckwheat, corn, or multigrain) with about 1 cup of milk (or if the porridge is dairy, water), an egg, and a tablespoon of cane sugar (but usually prepared porridge is already sweet, then you can not add sugar). You can add berries or some grated fruit or chopped nuts, put on a baking sheet greased with olive oil, an ordinary tablespoon or teaspoon with neat rounds, or faces, or hearts (the fantasy is limitless - you can "draw" everything that your baby loves) and put in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Voila, your baby will be happy to eat delicious and lovingly prepared healthy food by mom! nine0010

You can also add children's cottage cheese instead of milk to this recipe - it will also be delicious.

We dine with green trees and the sun. Boiled broccoli is so healthy and so similar to a tree or a bush that if you give a child a little show and show how you can eat it all, he will surely be delighted.

My daughter is one year old and she knows how tall the trees are in the street. At lunch, I once showed her, using the example of broccoli, how you can pick it up yourself and show a tall tree. She proudly takes a piece, lifts it up, and then happily puts it in her mouth. Cauliflower for her is a "blooming" tree. nine0010

Slices of boiled carrots or peppers (but it takes longer and you need to remove the skin so that the baby does not choke) or potatoes, or half an egg yolk can serve as the sun. You can also take the sun, show how bright it shines and ... gobble it up!

Cucumber straw weed, tomato flowers and green peas - the most common foods can be served as an entertaining side dish so that the baby develops fine motor skills by picking up pieces with his hands, learns to chew on his own (which does not happen with puree) and, importantly, learns to control feeling full, eating exactly as much as his body requires. nine0010

Meat or fish meatballs or pieces of large "adult" cutlets will perfectly play the role of "balls", "balls", running past the "bears". Yes, and just a "patty" like a child, if he sees how she likes her mother.

From the pulp of bread you can "make" a flower or an animal and give it to your child as a reward for a wonderfully eaten dinner!

We have lunch from a cup. All children learn to drink independently in different ways. Someone quickly learns to hold a cup with both hands and drink from it; nine0010

In any case, encourage and help your baby improve by giving him more opportunities to drink without your help, offer different options - and let him choose the one that he likes at the moment.

A glass of milk, milk drink, yoghurt or baby kefir is good for an afternoon snack. You can have a snack with not too hard chopped or even whole fruit (if it is convenient for the baby to hold it, for example, a banana) or a bagel, or diet bread (because it crunches so funny!).