Tasty food recipes for babies

60+ Healthy Superfoods to Try

Make feeding your baby and 1 year old easier with this go-to list of healthy baby food recipes. Each of the 60+ ideas is easy to make at home, tastes great, and introduces baby to delicious flavors and nutrients!

Baby Food Recipes

Deciding what to make for baby when they start solids can be a little daunting, so I wanted to put together a resource that breaks it down by age. Included in this post you’ll find ideas for what to feed a 6 month old baby, an 8 month old baby, a 10 month old baby, and a 1 year old.

Each child is unique and will progress through the phases of starting solids differently, so adjust as needed for your child.

TIP: Keep in mind that babies should avoid added sugars and salts, so simply eliminate them as needed from any recipes. If you’re making something to share with a baby, you can salt your serving to taste.

Baby Food Recipes 6+ Months

Offering a 6 month old baby healthy, flavorful foods is a great way to set them up for success when starting solids. Some babies will show more interest in food than others, so don’t worry if your baby takes a month or so to get into food…or dives right in from the start!

Applesauce
Avocado puree
Banana puree
Broccoli puree
Butternut Squash puree
Carrot puree
Cantaloupe puree: Blend until smooth, adding a little water if needed.
Green bean puree
Mango Puree
Peach puree
Pear puree
Pea puree
Raspberry puree
Sweet potato puree
Quinoa Baby Cereal
Zucchini puree: Blend any cooked zucchini until smooth, adding a little water if needed.

TIP: You can feed these purees to baby or offer them on a preloaded spoon so baby can feed herself. You can find the full information on the baby led weaning style of feeding here.

Baby Food Recipes 8+ Months

Continue offering nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, protein, iron-rich foods, and some dairy such as plain whole milk yogurt.

Most babies in the 8-10 month range are able to pick up and eat pea-size pieces of food, so aim for about that size with their finger foods.

Baby Pasta
Boiled Beets
Black Beans
Egg Muffins with Zucchini
Cottage Cheese Dip
Hummus with beets
Hummus with butternut squash
Hummus with carrots
Lamb Meatballs
Mango Smoothie
Marinara Sauce with Extra Veggies
Meatballs with Extra Veggies
Oatmeal with Butternut Squash
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
Sauteed Apples
Sauteed Pears
Sesame Tofu
Strawberry Applesauce
Strawberry Smoothie
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Sweet Potatoes Puree with Coconut

TIP: You can also try Homemade Baby Food Combinations.

Baby Food Recipes 10+ Months

Continue serving a 10-12 month old baby healthy finger foods cut up into a small dice as most won’t yet be able to take appropriate sized bites of food. Soft finger foods are great for this age (they’re often called “Stage 3 baby foods“).

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Raisins
Applesauce Muffins
Baby Muffins
Baked Oatmeal Cups
Banana Spinach Pancakes
Butternut Squash Risotto
Caramelized Bananas
Chicken Nuggets with Sweet Potato
Coconut Rice
Lentil Soup with Veggies
Mashed Potatoes with Broccoli
Overnight Oats with Applesauce
Spinach Banana Muffins
Soft Roasted Chickpeas
Shredded Chicken
Stewed Peaches
Sweet Potato Hash
Roasted Salmon
Wild Salmon Cakes
Mini Meatballs with Kale

TIP: Babies at this age can eat many of the same foods as the rest of the family, but still may need extra attention to the size of their food (a small dice is good) and the texture. Continue to avoid anything too crunchy, sticky, or hard.

Homemade Baby Food Recipes for 1 Year Old

As your baby turns into a toddler, they can continue eating the same types of food though you can keep expanding the textures you offer. And remember to offer a variety of foods for the best range of nutrients and foundation of flavors.

Baby Cookies
Baked Zucchini Fritters
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
Baked Banana French Toast Sticks
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Cheesy Rice
Easy Cheese Crackers
Healthy Pasta Salad
Homemade Broccoli Tots
Homemade Cauliflower Tots
Spinach Recipe with Cheese
Quick and Easy Sauteed Carrots
Simple Green Smoothie
Spinach Pesto Pasta with Peas
Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
Sweet Potato Pudding
Veggie Chili

TIP: You can find my full list of Baby Snacks for babies eating finger foods and 1 year olds.

What foods can I puree for my baby?

You can puree any foods that you’d like to spoon feed your baby by adding a little breastmilk, formula, or water to the desired consistency.

What is the best food for baby to start with?

You can feel free to go with a nutrient dense fruit, vegetable, or baby cereal, or with something rich in iron such as beef. The rules have relaxed a lot in recent years, so as long as the food is a single food without added sugars or salts, there are really a lot of options!

TIP: Find my best 10 No-Cook Baby Foods here.

How do you make baby food with a blender?

You can puree almost any soft food in a blender simply by adding enough water to get the blender to blend. It’s often not possible to do a small quantity in a regular blender, but you can do 1-2 cups and freeze small portions in an ice cube tray.

Just transfer the frozen cubes to a zip top freezer bag for longer term storage.

What’s the deal with baby food stages?

When starting to think about starting solids with baby, you’ll see a lot of labels of baby food stages. Learn what the terms Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 mean related to baby food—and the ages and recommended recipes that correspond to each—in this explainer post.

10 Easy Homemade Baby Food Ideas (No-Cook, Super Fast, Stage 1)

Learn how to make the EASIEST homemade baby food recipes (stage 1) for your little one with these super simple no-cook ideas. Plus: I have the best tips for making them ahead and freezing them so you can batch cook and simplify your days!

Homemade Baby Food

As a mom to three kids, I know firsthand how the urge to make homemade baby food can be both exciting and a little daunting. And if you have a busy schedule or other kids in the house, finding the time to actually do it can seem impossible. But, there are so many healthy foods that you can transform into stage 1 baby food purees with hardly any work or special equipment at all!

TIP: I use a regular blender for all of these recipes, so you don’t need to buy a special baby food maker unless you want to.

Baby Food Recipes for 6, 7, and 8 Month Old Babies

These homemade baby food ideas are designed for younger babies who are still eating thinner purees, but you can of course use them for older babies and toddlers too. Each can be served as is, or you can combine more than one together to create new flavors if you’re feeling creative!

TIP: If you want to add fat or protein to any of these fruit or veggie purees, simply stir in a little whole milk yogurt, coconut cream, or Avocado Puree.

Best Way to Make Baby Food

I’ve found that the easiest and most approachable way to make baby food is to simply use a blender. With fresh ingredients and a little water, breastmilk, or formula to thin it as needed, you can easily make your baby meals without investing in equipment you may not use very long.

TIP: You’ll want to start with at least 1 cup of any base ingredient to ensure that there’s enough in the blender to fully blend up.

Tools You Need to Make Homemade Baby Food

To make these baby food recipes you’ll need:

Blender (you could also use an immersion blender if yours is very strong)
Water, formula, or breastmilk to thin as needed
Knife for chopping produce
Spoon
Bowls
Ice cube tray
Freezer bags for storage
Baby food storage containers

Stage 1 Baby Food

These baby foods are meant for early eaters as they are typically very thin and easy for a baby to move around in their mouths. I follow the recommendations to wait until 6 months to start solids, so I personally don’t worry excessively about this distinction as I like babies to experience some texture in their purees. (The ones you find at the store are low allergenic foods and are meant for 4+ months.)

Stage 2 Baby Food

These baby foods are typically a little bit thicker, sometimes include more than one ingredient, and offer a wider variety of ingredients. Most babies are ready for these sorts of purees around 7-8 months, or once they’ve mastered thinner purees. (Again, since I like to do a combined baby feeding approach with both baby led weaning and purees, I don’t worry too much about following the calendar to decide when to introduce these.)

TIP: As a backup to my homemade baby foods, I love the options from Amara Organic Baby Food (paid affiliate link) since you simply need to stir it together with breast milk, formula, or water and it’s ready to serve.

And now, for my ten go-to homemade baby food purees that you don’t even need to cook!

1.

Avocado Puree

To make avocado puree for a baby, you just need a fresh avocado, a blender, and some lemon juice if you plan to store it for later. I sometimes even do this with just a fork if the avocado is super soft! It’s a perfect way to introduce a low allergenic food that’s rich in healthy fats.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Avocado Puree here.

2. Bean Puree

Baby’s early foods don’t have to be all one food group and beans are a great food to have in the mix. You can do this easy bean puree with chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, or even white beans, thinning it as needed with water, formula, or breastmilk. This is a great puree to mix with a little sweet potato or butternut squash.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Bean Puree here.

3. Blueberry Puree

Using fresh or frozen blueberries, this easy berry puree is loaded with fresh flavor and antioxidants. It’s delicious on its own or stirred into plain whole milk yogurt or baby oatmeal. (Note that it thickens up as it sits in the fridge, so you’ll need to stir it well to serve.)

TIP: Get the full recipe for Blueberry Puree here.

4. Kiwi Puree

With a bright flavor, this puree is great for babies who seem to love flavor—and it’s a fun one to make and store for later. You’ll want to make sure that you choose very ripe and sweet kiwi and taste it before you make the puree to ensure that it’s not too tart. (If it seems tart, you can mix with banana or applesauce.)

TIP: Get the full recipe for Kiwi Puree here.

5. Mango Puree

Using fresh or thawed frozen mango, this baby puree blends up in seconds. It’s bright, flavorful, and a great source of immune-boosting vitamins. Taste your mango to be sure that it’s sweet and not too tart. (If it’s tart, you can add Applesauce or ripe Banana Puree.)

TIP: Get the full recipe for Mango Puree here.

6. Peach Puree

Turn fresh or frozen and thawed peach slices into a super smooth Stage 1 baby food with this easy blender method. You’ll want to strain out the skin since it’s hard to blend up smooth, even with a high powered blender, but that’s so easy to do! This baby food recipe is a nice alternative to applesauce.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Peach Puree here.

7. Whipped Peanut Butter

This may not have occurred to you, but whipped peanut butter is a great baby food! This is a perfect way to introduce baby to peanut butter and to offer it safely there after. You just need to stir water into unsweetened creamy peanut butter until it forms a whipped consistency like yogurt. It’s smooth, not too sticky, and packed with protein.

TIP: Get the full scoop on introducing peanuts to baby here.

8. Pineapple Puree

Blend up fresh or frozen pineapple chunks into a tropical baby food puree that’s smooth and creamy. This is yummy on its own or paired with whole milk plain yogurt. Taste your pineapple to ensure that it’s not too tart. (If it’s tart, you can add Applesauce or ripe Banana Puree. )

TIP: Get the full recipe for Pineapple Puree here.

9. Strawberry Puree

Fresh strawberries blend up into a perfectly smooth homemade puree without the need for any additional liquid. You can serve this as is, or mix with applesauce if desired. The flavor of your berries will determine the flavor of your puree, so be sure to taste them for sweetness.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Strawberry Puree here.

10. Banana Puree

Ripe bananas make great homemade baby food with the help of just a blender. This is a super simple baby food to make at home and it’s easy to digest as a Stage 1 baby food. Use ripe bananas with brown spots to ensure that the puree tastes sweet and is easy for baby to digest.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Banana Puree here.

Homemade Baby Food Storage

The easiest way to store homemade baby food is to add fresh purees to an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, simply pop out the cubes and store in labeled freezer bags for up to 3 months. These are a perfect way to make it easy to send homemade baby food to daycare or to simply get ahead for the coming week.

TIP: Find more information about storing baby food—including the best small food storage containers—here.

]

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Baby Food

Use at least 1 cup base ingredient to ensure that a blender has enough volume to blend well.
Thin any homemade puree with water, formula, or breast milk.
Freeze any baby food you won’t use within 3 days in an ice cube tray. Transfer frozen cubes into freezer storage bags for up to 3 months. Thaw these frozen baby food recipes in an airtight container in the fridge overnight before you plan to serve.
Taste all fresh foods for sweetness and to ensure that your puree isn’t too tart. To tame tartness, mix any puree with Banana Puree , Avocado Puree, Applesauce, or Mashed Sweet Potato.
If you want to add fat or protein to any of these fruit or veggie purees, simply stir in a little whole milk yogurt, coconut cream, or Avocado Puree.
Use breastmilk or formula in place of the water if desired.
Mix two purees together for more complex flavors.
Add texture to any puree by stirring in baby oatmeal or hemp seeds.
For more details on each of these, find them here: Avocado Puree; Banana Puree, Bean Puree; Blueberry Puree, Kiwi Puree, Mango Puree, Pineapple Puree, Peanut Butter Puree, Peach Puree, Strawberry Puree

I’d love to hear your feedback on this way of making simple baby food, so please comment below. I so appreciate hearing your experience with my recipes!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Baby Food

Calories 42kcal

Servings 4

▢ 1 cup blueberries, diced strawberries, diced peaches (peeled), diced kiwi (peeled), diced pineapple (peeled), diced banana (peeled), diced mango (peeled), diced avocado (peeled), OR beans (rinsed and drained)
▢ water, formula, or breast milk (as needed)

Choose one fruit, the avocado, or beans and add to a blender.
If making the puree with blueberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, mango, or beans, add ¼ cup water and blend, adding more water as desired to make a thin, very smooth puree. If making avocado or banana, just blend (without water) until very smooth.
Serve or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Vitamix Blender
Storage Containers
Silicone Ice Cube Tray

Use at least 1 cup base ingredient to ensure that a blender has enough volume to blend well.
Thin any homemade puree with water, formula, or breast milk.
Freeze any baby food you won't use within 3 days in an ice cube tray. Transfer frozen cubes into freezer storage bags for up to 3 months. Thaw these frozen baby food recipes in an airtight container in the fridge overnight before you plan to serve.
Taste all fresh foods for sweetness and to ensure that your puree isn't too tart. To tame tartness, mix any puree with Banana Puree , Avocado Puree, Applesauce, or Mashed Sweet Potato.
If you want to add fat or protein to any of these fruit or veggie purees, simply stir in a little whole milk yogurt, coconut cream, or Avocado Puree.
Use breastmilk or formula in place of the water if desired.
Mix two purees together for more complex flavors.
Add texture to any puree by stirring in baby oatmeal or hemp seeds.
For more details on each of these, find them here: Avocado Puree; Banana Puree, Bean Puree; Blueberry Puree, Kiwi Puree, Mango Puree, Pineapple Puree, Peanut Butter Puree, Peach Puree, Strawberry Puree

Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 42kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 57mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 40IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

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

20 recipes from Eat at Home.

Cooking articles and life hacks

Pleasing young gourmets is not an easy task, especially if you need to prepare not only tasty, but also healthy dishes. When the supply of ideas runs out, time-tested recipes and children's smiles come to the rescue. See the selection from "Eat at Home" and delight young household members with delicious treats!

Children's vegetable soup

Grated cheese, pieces of boiled meat can be added to this soup, and older children will love the fried bacon added before serving, sparkling golden snake in the middle of the plate. If you are whipping soup, then 2 tbsp. l. cream will make it even more tender. nine0003

Detailed recipe.

Children's sausages and sausages with cream

Homemade sausages and sausages can be prepared in reserve and kept in the freezer. Hearty meat products will always be a good addition to lunch or dinner, and most importantly, this is a natural product.

Detailed recipe.

Children's pumpkin risotto

Who said that children won't like risotto?! Add fragrant pumpkin, grated cheese, cream, and your gourmets will not resist such an appetizing dish. Parmesan can be substituted for any other hard cheese in this recipe. nine0003

Detailed recipe.

Sloppy Joe Sandwich

If your child has long dreamed of a hearty burger or sandwich, please your child! Make Sloppy Joe with homemade bun and toppings. Cooking will not take much time, and the result will exceed all expectations.

Detailed recipe.

Multi-grain porridge with baked banana

Breakfast porridge is healthy! And to make the kids like it, add baked bananas, cinnamon, some fresh berries. Cook the dish in milk and put a little butter for flavor. Overeating! nine0003

Detailed recipe.

Curd cakes with carrots

Sometimes an unexpected impromptu can result in an original dish. Curds with carrots and apples are very tender and tasty. And if you bake them in the oven, children's delight is guaranteed!

Detailed recipe.

Hot chocolate on a stick

Hot chocolate on a stick is both a drink and a dessert. Undoubtedly, the younger family members will like the treat. The author also suggests picking up beautiful packaging, writing a wish and presenting such chocolate on a stick to relatives and friends. nine0003

Detailed recipe.

Cottage cheese donuts

Lush and fragrant curd donuts with a crispy crust are a delicious treat for children and adults.

Detailed recipe.

Healthy candies

Prepare healthy candies for the whole family! They can be served with tea and taken with you as a snack. The ingredients are completely natural and healthy. What could be more important when it comes to the health of a child?!

Detailed recipe.

Cottage cheese biscuits with almonds

Spend time with your children in a fun and healthy way - cook delicate fragrant biscuits together! Young household members will like to cut out the dough using different molds, and when ready, the treat will delight them doubly.

Detailed recipe.

Chicken pancakes with cheese

Tender and tasty chicken pancakes. They do not contain anything superfluous and are prepared from simple and affordable products. We recommend the dish especially for the children's menu. nine0003

Detailed recipe.

Vegetable puree soup with peas

This light vegetable soup will appeal not only to children, but also to adults: vegetarians, those who adhere to a healthy diet or fast. From the main products you will need potatoes, broccoli, green peas. Complement the meal with toasted pumpkin seeds or crispy bacon strips if you're a meat eater and want to make your meal more satisfying.

Detailed recipe.

Mini pizzas

The author of the recipe makes mini pizzas from homemade yeast dough, so it will take time to proof. The filling can be completely different, be guided by the taste of your young gourmets. nine0003

Detailed recipe.

Pasta with meatballs

This is a hearty and tasty dish that can be served both for lunch and dinner for the whole family. Tender meatballs, juicy baked vegetables and pasta that help fill you up.

Detailed recipe.

Chocolate rice porridge with sea buckthorn

Chocolate porridge with berries is almost a full-fledged dessert that a child is unlikely to refuse. The dish can be supplemented with any chopped nuts. nine0003

Detailed recipe.

Cherry cake

Very soft, porous cake with juicy cherries. Berries are also suitable frozen, and cooking takes only 1 hour. Such pastries will be delicious the next day.

Detailed recipe.

Mini breakfast pancakes

Look at those babies! Mini pancakes will cause tenderness and genuine interest in the child. Put berries in a plate, pour over everything with topping - and a wonderful children's breakfast is ready.

Detailed recipe. nine0003

Lazy dumplings

Another favorite childhood breakfast is lazy dumplings with just four ingredients. You will need cottage cheese, flour, sugar and chicken eggs. Serve the dish with sour cream and berry sauce or jam.

Detailed recipe.