How long do you steam green beans for baby food

Green Bean Baby Food (Stage One)

Looking for the first puree to serve your baby? Try this Green Bean Baby Food recipe! Steamed until just tender, this nutritious and smooth puree features a mild taste for your baby’s emerging palette. It’s a great Stage 1 Baby Food for 4-6 months and up.

Medically reviewed and co-written by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Green Bean Puree

Hold on ’cause I’m about to tell you something shocking. 😲

This homemade green bean puree is not only full of essential nutrients, but it is also delicious!

I know, this seems hard to believe because pureed green beans as baby food get a pretty bad rap.

But it’s 💯 true! This green bean puree will knock your 🧦 off!

We start with fresh or frozen green beans that are gently steamed to bring out the freshness. Then, we blend them into a velvety and creamy puree for baby. I add a pinch of cilantro, parsley, or basil to this puree to round out the flavor profile, but you can skip that step if you prefer. Because we are using this gentle way of cooking the green beans 💚, their taste doesn’t get aggressive, making it the perfect light puree for your baby’s first bite.

Is it your first time making homemade baby food? If you answered yes, then I suggest you start this journey by reading my in-depth Guide on How to Make Homemade Baby Food. The detailed article goes over all the essential information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, knowing when your baby is ready for solids, introducing purees, making the best first foods for baby, and more! You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes.

Green Bean Baby Food Video

Watch this video to see how easy this Green Bean Puree recipe is to make!

Reasons to Love this Green Bean Puree

simple and easy to make
filled with nutrients for a growing baby
features a gentle taste
great for babies 4-6+ months
stage 1 baby food
freezer-friendly
smooth and creamy
aids digestion
budget-friendly

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

Green Beans: You can use fresh or frozen green beans for this recipe.
Herbs: You can add a pinch of cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, or chives to this puree to enhance the flavor profile. While I love the boost of flavor that herbs add to the puree, putting in herbs is completely optional.

Health Benefits of Green Beans

Good source of fiber to help with any digestive issue.
A great source with vitamin C to help support your baby’s immune system.
A good source of vitamin K to help strengthen bones.

Want to learn more about the benefits of Green Beans for your baby? Then read the entire Green Bean Profile here.

Green Bean Tip: You can use either fresh or frozen green beans for this recipe. If you want to use organic but are on a budget, try looking for frozen organic green beans in the freezer aisle, which are cheaper than fresh conventional green beans.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Trim: Roughly trim the green beans. If you’ll be adding herbs, roughly chop them as well.
Steam: Fill a medium saucepan with 2” of water and bring to boil over medium heat. Place the green beans (fresh or frozen) into a steamer basket over the boiling water, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Let it cool slightly — reserve the steamer water.
Puree: Transfer the green beans and herb to a blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, adding liquid in 1/4 cup increments if needed until you reach your desired consistency.
Eat: Serve to your baby or freeze for later.

Tools Needed

These tools will make it a lot easier for you to make this healthy Green Bean Puree. For more of my favorite kitchen tools make sure to check out my shop.

Steamer insert with lid
Blender or Food Processor
Freezer Tray
Storage Containers for Fridge
Stasher Bag
Bib with catch pocket
Reusable pouches

Recipe Tips

Adding Healthy Fats: Adding a teaspoon of avocado, coconut oil, or olive oil wonderfully compliments this green bean puree. Not only will healthy fats bring out the natural nuttiness of green beans, but they also add healthy fats into your baby’s diet.
Fresh or Frozen: Feel free to use fresh or frozen green beans for this recipe.

Other Cooking Methods

While I love the crisp and fresh flavor of steamed green beans, there are several ways you can cook green beans for baby food.

Skillet

Trim the green beans and then add them to a large skillet that has been preheated with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes. Puree in a blender as directed below.

Roasted

If you want the baby puree to have a dense, earthy taste, then roast the green beans instead.

Trim the green beans and then toss with 1-2 tsp of olive or avocado oil on a baking sheet. Cook 425 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through baking time or until tender when pricked with a fork. Puree in a blender as directed below.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can baby eat green beans?

Babies can have green beans as one of their first foods. When a baby can start on solids is determined by their own rate of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of age. Some of the developmental milestones babies need to reach in order to start solids include: if your baby has solid control of their head and neck, if your baby has doubled in weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat (see my guide here). Before you start baby on purees, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally ready.

Can green beans be baby’s first food?

Green beans can 100% be your baby’s first food if you want it to be. It is recommended to wait to introduce the top eight allergen foods to your baby once a few other well-tolerated foods have been introduced, but otherwise, foods can be introduced in any order so choose whatever you are most excited for your baby to have.

Are green beans a common allergen for baby?

No, green beans are not a common allergen, however, as with any food, start with a small portion and be aware of any signs that might be an allergic reaction after introducing it.

Do green beans cause constipation for babies?

Green beans do not usually cause constipation in babies, and may actually help alleviate constipation due to their high fiber content.

Adding Spices

Feel free to add a big pinch of roughly chopped basil, cilantro, mint, parsley, or chives to this puree before blending.

Coconut Oil: Another great addition to this puree is adding 1-2 teaspoons of organic virgin coconut oil. Healthy fats, such as coconut oil, help aid your baby’s brain development and function, repair torn or strained muscles (great for crawlers), and is great for digestion needs.

How to Store Green Bean Puree

Refrigerator

You can store this puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

Spoon puree into a freezer storage container. Do not overfill.
Place the lid on the storage container or cover with a piece of saran wrap — label with the date and recipe name.
Place the tray into the freezer and let it freeze completely – preferably overnight.
Pop-out the baby food cubes and place them in a zip-lock baggie or stasher bag. Don’t forget to relabel the baggie or stager bag for future reference.

Need more information on how to store your baby foods? Head over to my Best Baby Food Storage Containers – Plus 6 Tips on Freezing and Thawing post!

Label Tip: Don’t forget to label your purees before you place them in the fridge or freezer with the name of the puree and the date you made it. Take it from me; by the end of the week, you will completely forget what is in your freezer and how long it’s been there. 😉

Green Bean Combination Purees

While Green Bean Baby Food is already tasty by itself, you can also easily mix and match it with other nutrient-dense baby food purees. For a Stage Two puree, give these fun flavor combos a try!

Apples
Broccoli
Quinoa Baby Cereal
Chicken
Pea
Softened Tofu
Yogurt
Mango

Green Beans for Baby-Led Weaning: Green beans are also a great food to serve to your baby whole for baby-led weaning (6+ months) or as a finger food (9+ months). You can always serve baby a combination of purees and finger foods right from the start.

Puree Feeding Tips

Follow your baby’s lead – when feeding purees from a spoon, sometimes there’s a tendency to keep offering bites past the point of your baby being full. Always follow your baby’s cues for when they are done eating. Turning away from the spoon, closing her mouth, or pushing food away are all signs that your baby is finished with the meal.
Try adding a little seasoning or spice to purees – babies like flavor! Or consider changing the temperature of purees from time to time, to slightly warmed or slightly chilled. Varying these aspects adds to the sensory experience!
Throwing spoons is a common phase that all babies go through at one point or another. One of the best ways to handle spoon throwing is to ignore it and keep feeding your baby as usual (with an extra spoon you already have at the table). If your baby ends up also throwing back up spoons #2 AND #3, simply encourage your baby to eat with their hands until they appear to be finished with the meal. ***Give baby plenty of opportunities to practice putting items in and taking items out of containers outside of mealtimes.

Or watch a shortened version of this video here.

1 pound green beans, fresh or frozen
1 big pinch of fresh basil, cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Trim: roughly trim the green beans and roughly chop the herb (if using).
Steam: fill a medium saucepan with 2” of water and bring to boil over medium heat. Place the green beans (fresh or frozen) into a steamer basket over the boiling water, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly. Reserve steamer water.
Puree: transfer the green beans and herb to a blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, adding liquid in 1/4 cup increments if needed until you reach your desired consistency.
Eat: serve to baby or freeze for later.

Age: 4-6 months and up

Yield: 16 ounces

Storage: Fridge – store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Adding Spices: you can add a big pinch of roughly chopped basil, cilantro, mint, parsley or chives to this puree before blending.

Blender

Freezer Tray

Stasher Storage Bag

Bumkins Grip Plate

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Green Bean Puree: Baby Food Recipe

By Anjali Shah on June 1, 2021

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

This green bean puree for baby is smooth, creamy and full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. A great first food for babies that you can start at 6 months of age, and it’s a simple recipe that will help your baby get used to less sweet flavors.

So for the record, my kids weren’t huge fans of green bean puree when I first introduced them to it. They’d gag, cough, make faces… it was actually kind of entertaining even though they weren’t very happy with me for giving them green beans 🙂

But green beans are so great for babies! They are rich in vitamin A and fiber, and they’re a green veggie which is a great way to get babies used to not-so-sweet things. I’d recommend using organic frozen green beans for this recipe – it’s the easiest prep and clean-up wise. It’s simple to make this baby food puree recipe.

Latest Recipe Video!

My trick for getting my kids to eat green beans was to mix it with whole milk organic yogurt! It sounds gross, but for some reason they loved it!

Why This Recipe Works

Simple and easy homemade baby food recipe
Healthy green vegetable to introduce to baby
Less sweet than other baby foods
Rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber that baby needs
Less expensive than store bought baby food
Makes 12 servings you can easily freeze for later
No fancy equipment needed

How to Make Green Bean Puree Baby Food

Ingredients and Notes

Frozen Green Beans: I recommend using 2 bags of organic green beans. You can also use organic fresh green beans. You’ll usually see these at the grocery store as “french beans” or “string beans”. When buying fruits and vegetables for your baby it’s important to get organic produce to reduce their exposure to pesticides.

Cold Water: The water helps to thin out the puree to make it easy for baby to eat.

Equipment Needed

Steamer basket or a large pot.
A high-speed blender or food processor to puree the sweet potato. You don’t need a baby food maker!
Mumi & Bubi Trays for storing

Step by Step Instructions

Cook Green Beans and Add To Blender: Place the green beans in a steamer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, over medium heat, or until tender. Drain green beans and place in blender with a little water. The more water you use, the thinner your puree will be. I recommend a couple tablespoons of water to start, you can always add more if needed.

Puree and Store: Puree the green beans until smooth. Pour the pureed green beans into ice cube trays, allow to cool, wrap/cover, and freeze.

Thaw and Serve: Thaw in the fridge the night before use, or thaw by putting the ice cube in a bowl over a bowl of hot water on the counter to defrost. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

Are green beans good for baby?

Yes! Green beans are good for baby! It is a healthy green vegetable full of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients. It is particularly high in vitamins A, C, K, fiber folate, potassium, iron, and calcium. Fiber helps with digestion for baby. Vitamin C helps build your baby’s immune system. They are mild in flavor, and most children do not have an allergy to them, thus they are a great food to introduce to your baby at the early stages of solids.

When can babies eat green beans?

Babies can eat green beans during the first stage of introducing solids (around 6 months of age). Make sure that you achieve a good puree so that baby can easily eat and enjoy this healthy green vegetable!

What can I add to green beans puree for flavor?

If your baby is not a fan of green beans at first, don’t give up! Both of my kids didn’t like green beans the first few times I served it. However, you can add some flavor to the green beans to make them more appealing to your baby. For my daughter, stirring in a bit of whole milk yogurt helped to give it a creamy texture that she enjoyed. You can also add breast milk or formula instead. As far as different flavors, I recommend a touch of garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, or ground coriander.

Do green beans cause constipation or gas in babies?

Foods that are higher in fiber and lower in starch (like green beans) can cause constipation in some children. This is typically because fiber, without enough water, can cause constipation. However, not all babies react the same way to the same foods. When eaten in moderation, and when served with a sippy cup of water to drink, green beans should not cause too much gas or constipation. Although I recommend paying attention to how your baby reacts to each food you introduce them to, and adjust accordingly.

Variations and Substitutions

Make Other Green Vegetables: Use this same method to make other green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and zucchini.

Add Fresh Herbs: Flavor up your green beans by adding fresh herbs to your puree. Cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, or chives can help enhance the flavor and make the green beans more palatable for baby, while also still keeping the puree fresh and healthy for baby!

Add Healthy Fats: Feel free to add some avocado into your puree to increase healthy fats.

Cook in Skillet or Pot: Cook your green beans in a pot or skillet. If you don’t have a steamer, prepare your green beans in pot of skillet. Place frozen green beans in a large pot, add a half cup of water. Cover, and cook the green beans for 5 minutes or until they are softened and cooked through.

Roast Green Beans: For a more enhanced flavor, roast the green beans. I recommend roasting with fresh beans vs. frozen green beans. Toss the green beans in 1-2 tsp of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 F. Puree in blender with water as directed in the instructions. It will have a stronger flavor.

Make Finger Food: If you are following baby led weaning, or your baby is older and ready for finger foods, then I recommend roasting the green beans according to the directions above, and then letting your baby pick up the pieces and gum them!

Add Breastmilk or Baby Formula: It’s totally fine to mix this green bean baby food with formula or breastmilk immediately before serving. But do not add formula or breastmilk to the puree before freezing it since formula can’t be frozen, and breastmilk has a different frozen shelf life than baby purees do. If you choose formula, I recommend using one of these best organic baby formulas for the cleanest ingredients, and a close formulation to breastmilk.

Expert Tips for Making Baby Food

Use organic green beans to reduce your baby’s exposure to pesticides.
Use frozen green beans to reduce prep time.
Make sure to puree your green beans long enough so that you get a completely smooth puree.
If you steamed your beans, add fresh, filtered water to your blender or food processor before pureeing. Don’t use the same water you steamed your green beans in. If you boiled your beans, then I recommend adding the water you boiled the beans in into the blender, to retain any nutrients that might have leached into the water during the boiling process.
Freeze in ice cube trays, or baby food trays. You can also freeze them in an airtight container, but you will have to use a few small airtight containers to get individual portions. Keep frozen until ready to use.
When ready to use your frozen baby food, transfer as many small cubes as you need to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. It will be ready for baby the next day. If you’re crunched for time, you can also defrost the cubes in the microwave but watch the temperature so that it doesn’t get too hot and burn your baby’s tongue!
When introducing new foods to your baby, I recommend introducing one new food every 2 days, and then watching for any allergic reactions in the 48 hours after you introduce that food, before moving onto another food.

More Vegetable Purees and Baby Food Recipes!

10 Easy Baby Food Recipes for Beginners
Sweet Potato Baby Food
Zucchini Baby Food
Butternut Squash Puree
Pea Puree
Superfoods for Babies and Recipe Ideas

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5 from 7 votes

Green Bean Puree: Baby Food Recipe

This green bean puree for baby is smooth, creamy and full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. A great first food for babies that you can start at 6 months of age, and it's a simple recipe that will help your baby get used to less sweet flavors.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Baby Food

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Servings: 32 ounces

Calories: 23kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

▢ 32 oz bags organic frozen green beans 2 (16 oz) bags
▢ 6 oz Water for pureeing use as much as you need for the consistency you want! start with 6oz and work your way up.

▢
Place the green beans in a steamer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender.
▢
Drain green beans and place in blender with water.
▢
Puree until smooth.
▢
Pour into ice cube trays, allow to cool, wrap/cover, and freeze.
▢
Thaw in the fridge the night before use, or thaw by putting the ice cube in a bowl over a bowl of hot water on the counter to defrost.

Expert Tips

Use organic green beans to reduce your baby’s exposure to pesticides.
Use frozen green beans to reduce prep time.
1 ice cube = 1 oz of food
Make sure to puree your green beans long enough so that you get a completely smooth puree.
If you steamed your beans, add fresh, filtered water to your blender or food processor before pureeing. Don’t use the same water you steamed your green beans in. If you boiled your beans, then I recommend adding the water you boiled the beans in into the blender, to retain any nutrients that might have leached into the water during the boiling process.
Freeze in ice cube trays, or baby food trays. You can also freeze them in an airtight container, but you will have to use a few small airtight containers to get individual portions. Keep frozen until ready to use.
When ready to use your frozen baby food, transfer as many small cubes as you need to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. It will be ready for baby the next day. If you’re crunched for time, you can also defrost the cubes in the microwave but watch the temperature so that it doesn’t get too hot and burn your baby’s tongue!
When introducing new foods to your baby, I recommend introducing one new food every 2 days, and then watching for any allergic reactions in the 48 hours after you introduce that food, before moving onto another food.

How to cook green beans

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The photo shows green beans already cooked. Honestly, it was not photoshop that preserved its green color, but it really remained so after heat treatment. And the beans were not boiled soft, but retained a light crunch. Adding to my piggy bank side dishes.

General\Active cooking time: 20 minutes \ 10 minutes
Rating: 5 / 5 20 reviews Read more about the rating
★★★★★

20

Rate recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories (100g): 65 kcal
Price: very economical

Ingredients:

String beans - 700 g
Butter - 50 g
Lemon juice - 1 tsp.
Parsley - 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Black pepper - to taste

Preparation: Step 1

Green bean garnish ingredients
Step 2

We need a large saucepan (I used a 5 liter one). Pour water into it and bring it to a boil. Before cooking, quickly rinse the beans under running hot water. Put it in a saucepan, season with salt and bring to a boil quickly. The lid does not need to be covered.

Fresh beans should be boiled for 8 minutes, frozen - 8 minutes from the moment the water boils.
Step 3

Take a sample - if the beans are already soft, but still slightly crunchy, then they are ready. After that, immediately discard it in a colander.
Step 4

Pour cold water into a saucepan and soak the beans in it for a few minutes to cool and restore their color and texture.
Step 5

Drain water again. Before serving, stir green beans in a saucepan or skillet until all liquid has evaporated.

Then add salt, pepper and butter.
Step 6

Preheat everything for about 2 minutes. Add parsley and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Bon appetit!

Categories: Legumes for garnish: recipes, Tasty and inexpensive: recipes for lunch and dinner, Main dishes in the post: recipes, Simple lean recipes, Recipes for side dishes, What to cook quickly and tasty, What to cook for dinner: fast and tasty

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Recipe Author Daria Chernenko

Author of the culinary portal “Menu of the Week“, which contains more than 5000 recipes
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Author of the reference book “Freezing: cooking for future use”
Author of a collection of quick recipes and scenarios “3 dishes in 30 minutes”
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How and how much to cook green beans

May 25, 2020 Likbez Food

Cook it on the stovetop, slow cooker or microwave.

How to prepare green beans

Frozen beans do not need to be thawed first. You can rinse it if you wish.

Fresh legumes should be washed. Usually the ends are cut off. You can also cut the beans into several shorter pieces.

How much to cook fresh and frozen green beans

It depends on your taste. Most often, the beans are brought to softness, while they remain dense, with a slight crunch. To make it exactly like this, cook as much as indicated in the recipes below. Depending on the cooking method, fresh beans will take 5 to 15 minutes to cook, while frozen beans will take 3 to 10 minutes.

If you cook the pods a little less, they will turn out al dente and remain even more crispy.

To ensure that they retain their beautiful color, immediately after cooking, you can dip the beans in ice water for a few minutes. This method is good for making salads, because dishes with bright pods will be much more appetizing.

If you like very soft beans, add a few more minutes to the time below. But keep in mind: the longer it cooks, the darker it becomes. Fix it with cold water will not work.

How to cook green beans on the stove

In water

Place the beans in boiling salted water. Adjust the amount of salt to your taste.

Wait for the water to boil again. From now on, boil frozen beans for 3-4 minutes and fresh beans for 5-7 minutes.

Steam

Boil water in a pot. Place a colander or steamer on top. It must not touch the liquid.

Put the beans in and cover with a lid. Salt if desired. Cook frozen for 3-5 minutes, and fresh for 6-7 minutes.

How to cook green beans in a multicooker

In water

Pour boiling water into the multicooker bowl, salt and toss the beans. Cook in the "Cooking" mode. Frozen will take 8-10 minutes, and fresh - about 15 minutes.

Steam

Pour 3 cups of hot water into the multicooker bowl, salt if desired. Place a steam container on top. Put the pods in there. Frozen cook for 6-7 minutes in the "Steam" mode, and fresh - 8-10 minutes.

How to cook green beans in the microwave

Place the beans in a microwave-safe container. Pour in a small amount of hot water, salt. Cover with a lid or plate. Cook frozen beans for 2-3 minutes at 800 W, and fresh for about 4 minutes.