How to prepare bananas for baby food
Banana Puree Baby Food: Quick, Easy, Make-Ahead
byAmy Palanjian
Updated
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Turning ripe banana into a super smooth baby food is quick and easy. Which makes this Banana Puree baby food a great one to start with and make often as your baby explores solid foods!
Banana Puree Baby Food
With just one simple ingredient—bananas!—this no-cook baby food is so easy and straight forward to make. You’ll need just one banana and you can add extra flavors if you want or you can leave it sweet and basic. This is a great early baby food since babies tend to like the flavor, it’s easy to make smooth, and you don’t need to spend extra money on fancy ingredients.
TIP: To make this recipe, you just need a blender.
Ingredients You Need
To make this easy baby food, you just need ripe banana, pure and simple! Which makes this a great recipe to make when you don’t have a lot of time or didn’t remember to shop for ingredients.
Tips for Choosing a Ripe Banana
To pick a ripe banana that’s pleasantly sweet but not over ripe, look for one that’s yellow with a smattering of small brown spots. Avoid ones that have large brown areas as that may mean they’re mushy and brown on the inside.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this recipe.
- Slice a very ripe banana and add to a blender.
- Blend until very smooth.
- Add cinnamon if desired and serve or store for later.
TIP: You can stir in a few drops of fresh lemon or orange juice to help prevent the puree from browning, as it will otherwise naturally do.
Tips for Making the Best Banana Puree
- To store, place into small airtight storage containers and store in the fridge.
- To freeze, place into an ice cube tray, freeze, then transfer frozen cubes to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Add a sprinkle of cinnamon for additional flavor.
- To make a thicker banana puree, you can simply mash a ripe banana until mostly smooth using a fork or potato masher.
- To help prevent the puree from browning, you can add a few drops of an acid such as fresh lemon or orange juice.
- Mix with whole milk plain yogurt, Baby Oatmeal, Baby Rice Cereal, Avocado Puree, Broccoli Puree, or any other baby food you like as desired. (If you stir into oatmeal, you can still freeze it! Just make sure to stir well once thawed.)
- See more of my favorite baby food combinations here.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment below to share!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Author Amy Palanjian
Cuisine American
Course Baby Food
Calories 13kcal
Servings 8
- ▢ 1 ripe banana (about 1 cup sliced)
- ▢ Cinnamon, optional
Slice banana to measure out about 1 cup.
Add to a blender. Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Add a tiny pinch of cinnamon if desired.
Serve immediately.
Vitamix Blender
Silicone Ice Cube Tray
Storage Containers
- To store, place into small airtight storage containers and store in the fridge.
- To freeze, place into an ice cube tray, freeze, then transfer frozen cubes to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.
- To make a thicker banana puree, you can simply mash a ripe banana until mostly smooth using a fork or potato masher.
- Add a sprinkle of cinnamon for additional flavor.
- To help prevent the puree from browning, you can add a few drops of an acid such as fresh lemon or orange juice.
- Mix with whole milk plain yogurt, baby oatmeal, mashed avocado, sweet potato, or any other baby food you like as desired.
Serving: 2tbsp, Calories: 13kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 9IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 1mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!
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Banana Puree for Babies - Eating Bird Food
Banana puree is a great first food when introducing solids to babies and can be made easily by mashing or blending fresh ripe bananas.
It seems like only yesterday we were starting our little one on solids! Bananas were one of her favorites foods, which was great because they’re so easy to serve to baby because there’s no need to cook the bananas before mashing or pureeing!
I know there are outliers but most babies tend to love bananas because of their sweetness so hopefully your babe will enjoy this banana puree too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bananas are widely available and inexpensive.
- Banana puree is a great stage 1 food for babies because it’s sweet and has a smooth consistency.
- They are low on the allergy scale so they’re often a safe choice to start baby on.
- There are two easy ways to make banana puree and it’s also easy to meal prep and store in the freezer!
Bananas Make a Great First Food For Babies
Bananas are a great first food to introduce to babies because they’re naturally soft and mushy, easy to digest and loaded with vitamins and minerals. You can also easily mix bananas with rice cereal or oatmeal to add a little natural sweetness or just serve bananas straight up – mashed, pureed or you can serve larger spears or halves of a banana if you’re following a baby led weaning approach.
How to Make Banana Puree
Option 1: Mash
Mashing a banana is super simple and all you need is a fork! Place your banana on a plate and mash with a fork until the banana is the consistency you desire. Use in desired recipe or serve to baby as is.
Option 2: Blend/Puree
Blending the bananas in a food processor or blender makes for a smoother puree, which is perfect when you’re just introducing babies to solid foods and need thinner purees.
Simply add 2 bananas into a food processor or blender and process until the bananas are smooth and creamy. You can make the puree thinner by adding a little breast milk or formula, if needed. Once you’ve made the puree, serve to baby as is or mix with another puree to make a new flavor. See some ideas below.
Foods That Pair Well With Banana Puree
Banana puree pairs well with so many things, especially veggies because its natural sweetness will make them more palatable to baby! Here are some ideas:
- Green veggies – kale, spinach, avocado, zucchini, peas
- Orange veggies – sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot
- White veggies – cauliflower
- Other fruit – mango, strawberries, peaches, apples, kiwis,
- Dairy – yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese
- Grains – quinoa, oats
- Legumes – chickpeas, lentils
- Seasonings and spices – curry, ginger, mint, nutmeg, cinnamon
Banana Baby Food Combo Ideas
Here are some banana baby food combos that might be fun to try:
- Banana, peach and strawberry
- Banana, cinnamon and oatmeal
- Apple, banana and strawberry
- Banana, zucchini and spinach
- Yogurt and banana
- Avocado and banana
- Peas, banana and kiwi
Olivia also loved the combo of banana, blueberry, quinoa and flax that I shared in my baby food combinations post.
This one has a lot going on so it’s best for stage 2 eaters.
Banana Puree for Toddlers
For toddlers, banana puree can be used as a mix-in to sweeten up yogurt or baby oatmeal, as a dip for baby pancakes or put into reusable pouches for an easy, mess-free snack.
Bananas and Constipation
One thing to note is that bananas can slow digestion and in turn cause constipation. I know there were a couple times when we first started solids that Olivia dealt with constipation. Whenever it happened we tried to cut back on bananas knowing that they wouldn’t help the situation. If your baby does deal with constipation, I recommend limiting bananas and trying to add in more foods with fiber like pea puree or prune puree or juice. We used prune juice a couple times and it worked!
How to Store
Fresh banana baby food should be stored in the fridge and used within 3-4 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing the puree! I like using silicone ice cube tray or freezer safe jars because they make it easier to thaw smaller amounts for serving to babies.
How to Thaw
I recommend thawing frozen banana puree in the fridge the night before you want to use it, but you can also thaw it with a warm water bath. It thaws quickly if you’re defrosting a small amount to serve to a baby.
Banana Puree FAQ
Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes! Using frozen bananas is an easy way to save ripe bananas before they go bad. Check out my tips on how to freeze bananas.
How can I tell if a banana is ripe?
Look for a banana that is yellow with some brown spots. Typically you will find green bananas or overly ripe bananas at the grocery store, so it’s best to buy them a few days before you want to use them. Using a banana that is ripe will result in a slightly sweet flavor. If the banana is too brown it will be mushy and overly sweet.
Can I use a green banana?
Using a banana that is ripe is the most ideal, as it will result in a slightly sweet flavor.
If the banana is too brown it will be mushy and overly sweet. Too green and it won’t be very sweet.
Are bananas healthy?
Yes! Bananas are loaded with full of vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C.
Can you quickly ripen bananas?
Bananas not ripe yet? There are a few things you can do! Start by keeping the bananas together, they will ripen faster when close together, and store them in a warm or sunny spot.
If you need them to ripen faster, you can place them in a brown paper bag with another high ethylene producing fruit, such as another ripe banana, an apple, potatoes, peaches, pears, avocados or blueberries. Fold the bag over a few times to trap the ethylene in the bag and allow the bananas to ripen. This will take about 1-2 days.
Other Ways to Use This Puree
Banana puree is great for babies, but there are so many other ways for older kids and adults to enjoy it too.
Here are some ideas:
- Topping for pancakes and waffles – level up your breakfast or brunch by topping pancakes or waffles with this puree. Try it on my almond flour pancakes!
- Serve over ice cream – mix banana puree into your favorite ice cream or simply serve over top of ice cream or frozen yogurt for an extra touch of sweetness that packs in some nutrients!
- Swirl into oatmeal, yogurt or chia pudding – add a boost of flavor and nutrition by adding banana puree to oatmeal or chia pudding. It’s perfect for my banana bread overnight oats.
I also have a ton of banana recipes that require mashed or pureed bananas! Highly recommend my vegan banana bread or oatmeal chia cookies.
More Baby Food Purees
- Sweet Potato Puree
- Butternut Squash Puree
- Peach Puree
- Avocado Puree
- Carrot Puree
- Pea Puree
- Pumpkin Puree
- Applesauce
More Recipes and Resources
- Oatmeal For Babies
- Healthy Smash Cake
- Banana Pancakes For Babies
- Baby Yogurt Melts
Be sure to check out my full collection of banana recipes as well as all of the baby food recipes here on EBF.
Banana Puree for Babies
5 from 2 votes
Fresh banana puree is a great first food and baby will love it because it tastes sweet! Easily make it by mashing or blending ripe bananas.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
- 1-2 ripe bananas
Smooth Banana Puree
Add 2 bananas into a food processor or blender and process until banana is smooth and creamy. Serve to baby as is or make the puree thinner by adding a little breast milk or formula.
Chunky Mashed Banana Puree
Place banana on a plate and mash with a fork until the banana is the consistency you desire. Use in desired recipe or serve to baby.
food processor
Serving: 4ounces Calories: 53kcal Carbohydrates: 13g Protein: 1g Sodium: 1mg Potassium: 211mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 7g
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I love seeing your recipe shares!Banana Puree Encyclopedia Baby Food
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Levchuk Victoria©8 months +
- Vitamins: A, C, folate
- Minerals: potassium, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, calcium
Banana puree - helps digestion. Bananas are sweet, so babies love their first eating experience. Although most pediatricians believe that it is best to postpone the introduction of sweet vegetables and fruits due to the child's possible refusal to eat other less sweet foods.
Bananas and banana puree can be frozen. To keep the banana from turning brown, you can add a little lemon juice while freezing. Citric acid or ascorbic acid helps in keeping fruits fresh.
The effect of oxygen on the enzymes in the banana (and most other fruits) causes them to turn from green to yellow to brown to black as they ripen. A black or brown banana is not necessarily a rotten or bad fruit.
Banana puree
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Banana puree - a gentle sweet taste will be pleased with the baby.
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| 5 minutes 5 minutes 9 minutes 9 minutes0033 | Print the recipe
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Places where the skin has darkened must be cut off! 
