What to mix with carrots for baby food
Best Baby Food Combinations (50 Easy Recipe Ideas + Tips)
Learn this simple approach to making baby food combinations with this master list of ideas. With this post, you’ll always have ideas for easy baby meals that both taste great and are realistic for you to execute…even with a busy schedule!
Baby Food Combinations
Moving from single ingredient baby foods to combinations in stage 2 baby food is such a fun stage of feeding babies because things can get so much more flavorful and interesting! And it means that you can batch cook basic purees and then combine them in so many delicious ways to keep things interesting and nutrition varied.
And while I am not opposed to sometimes buying baby food, each of these ideas is super easy—even if you are very busy. I love to have a stash of these in the freezer to use for quick meals in a pinch. (And to be honest, we still use them in the toddler years as easy ways to offer up veggies!)
TIP: Scroll to the recipe at the end of the post for all of the details, and read through the post for answers to common questions and basics about making baby food combos.
Ingredients in Baby Food Combinations
To make the baby foods in this post, you’ll need basic ingredients (that will obviously vary according to which specific puree you choose). The base purees are made with:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Butternut Squash
- Carrots
- Mango
- Pear
- Peas
- Spinach
- Sweet Potatoes
TIP: Then, to mix things into combinations, you can add in peanut butter, plain whole milk yogurt, Baby Oatmeal, Baby Rice Cereal, and other purees including those made with beans, chicken, pineapple, avocado, peach, and more.
How to Make Stage 2 Baby Food Combinations Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making this sort of stage 2 baby food. Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe for the full information.
- Make your base purees.
- Store or freeze until ready to combine.
- Stir together the purees, adding any optional spices or ingredients, until uniform.
- Serve with a spoon or in a reusable pouch.
TIP: I like to make the single ingredient purees and freeze them, then mix and match frozen cubes of purees into yummy combinations. This ensures that you have flexibility to adjust if baby doesn’t love one combination and that you can change up the flavors you’re offering regularly.
How do you combine baby food?
With the way I do it, you simply make two purees (or one puree if you plan to combine it with something like yogurt or oatmeal) and mix them together. You can really do any combinations that sound good to you. I have 10 base purees and 5 easy combination ideas for you to get started, but then you can totally run with it!
Best Baby Food Containers
For storing baby food, I like these Wean Green Storage Cubes (they are glass and are insanely durable—I’ve been using the same set for 8 years), these Beaba Clip Containers, and these Wee Sprout Containers. My go-to reusable pouches include this silicone one from Squeasy Gear and these Wee Sprouts BPA-free plastic ones.
(I prefer the 3 ounce size for babies in both pouch options.)
Apple Baby Food Ideas
Once you make basic Apple Puree, you can combine it with so many yummy flavors!
- + plain whole milk yogurt = Apple Yogurt
- + Baby Oatmeal = Apple Oatmeal
- + Spinach Puree = Apple Spinach Baby Food
- + Carrot Puree = Apple Carrot Baby Food
- + Butternut Squash Puree = Apple Squash Baby food
Banana Baby Food Ideas
Try these easy combinations that start with Banana Puree.
- + Peanut Butter Puree = Banana Peanut Butter Baby Food
- + plain whole milk yogurt = Banana Yogurt
- + Baby Oatmeal + Banana Oatmeal
- + Bean Puree = Banana Bean Puree
- + Avocado Puree + Banana Avocado Puree
Baby Food Combinations with Blueberries
Start with Blueberry Puree, then transform it into these fun flavors.
- + plain whole milk yogurt = Blueberry yogurt
- + Baby Oatmeal = Blueberry Oatmeal
- + Banana Puree = Blueberry Banana Puree
- + Mango Puree = Blueberry Mango Puree
- + Peach Puree = Blueberry Peach Puree
Baby Food Combinations with Butternut Squash
Smooth Butternut Squash Puree is a great base as it’s rich in nutrients and has a naturally mild flavor.
(Any of these would be great with a tiny pinch of cinnamon.)
- + Pear Puree = Squash Pear Puree
- + Bean Puree = Squash Bean Puree
- + Banana Puree = Squash Banana Puree
- + Applesauce = Squash Apple Puree
- + plain whole milk yogurt = Squash Yogurt
Baby Food Combinations with Carrots
Start with Carrot Puree, then add in new flavors!
- + Apple Puree + Sweet Potato Puree = Carrot Apple Sweet Potato Puree
- + Pear Puree + Sweet Potato Puree = Carrot Pear Sweet Potato Puree
- + Banana Puree = Carrot Banana Baby Food
- + Quinoa Baby Food = Carrot Quinoa Baby Food
- + Bean Puree = Carrot Bean Puree
Baby Food Combinations with Mango
Mango Puree is a cinch to make and is so intensely flavorful—which makes it play really well with other purees!
- + plain whole milk yogurt = Mango Yogurt
- + Baby Oatmeal = Mango Oatmeal
- + Banana Puree = Mango Banana Puree
- + Avocado Puree = Mango Avocado Puree
- + Peach Puree = Mango Peach Puree
Pear Baby Food Combinations
Ripe pears make delicious Pear Baby Food that freezes and combines well.
- + Avocado Puree = Pear Avocado Puree
- + Baby Oatmeal + Cinnamon = Pear Cinnamon Oatmeal
- + Banana Puree = Pear Banana Puree
- + Pea Puree = Pear Pee Puree
- + Carrot Puree = Pear Carrot Puree
Baby Food Combinations with Peas
Keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer and homemade Pea Puree is just minutes away. Then try:
- + Apple Puree = Pea Apple Puree
- + Pear Puree = Pea Pear Puree
- + Mango Puree = Pea Mango Puree
- + Banana Puree = Pea Banana Baby Food
- + Pineapple Puree = Pea Pineapple Puree
Baby Food Combinations with Spinach
My Spinach Baby food already has peas in it (to ensure it’s smooth and mellow in flavor). You can also combine it with:
- + Apple Puree = Spinach Apple Puree
- + Pear Puree = Spinach Pear Puree
- + plain whole milk yogurt = Savory Spinach Yogurt
- + Quinoa Baby Food and pinch Parmesan cheese = Spinach Parmesan Quinoa
- + Bean Puree = Spinach Bean Puree
Sweet Potato Baby Food Ideas
Start with a batch of Sweet Potato Baby Food and then try these yummy options:
- + Chicken Puree = Sweet Potato Chicken Baby Food
- + Bean Puree = Sweet Potato Bean Puree
- + Applesauce = Sweet Potato Applesauce
- + Carrot Puree + Cinnamon = Cinnamon Sweet Potato Carrot Puree
- + Bean Puree + Cumin = Mexican Sweet Potato Bean Puree
How to Store Baby Food—and Send it to Daycare
I prefer to freeze batches of baby food in a silicone ice cube tray overnight, transfer it to a zip top freezer bag, then store it until I’m ready to serve or combine it.
You can then mix and match from the single ingredient purees you have in the freezer by adding a cube or two of two purees to a container. If you do that the night before you plan to serve the food, it will thaw and be ready to stir together.
This makes it easy to batch cook and have a lot of option to feed baby at home or at daycare.
Tips for Making the Best Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2 & Stage 3)
- These Stage 2 baby foods are great to introduce after baby has started solids with single ingredient baby foods.
- For a 6 month old baby, 1-2 tablespoons baby food may be plenty for a single serving. For a 9 month old baby, they might want ¼ cup or more.
- Adjust the servings based on your child’s hunger, using a roughly one to one ratio of the purees in each combination.
- Read more about the differences in Baby Food Stages here.
- Find my best tips for Baby Food Storage here.
- Add in a little mashed avocado, coconut oil, or Prune Puree to help with baby constipation.
- Serve with a spoon or in a reusable pouch.
I’d love to hear your feedback on these ideas, so please comment and rate the recipe ideas below! I appreciate all of your comments so much.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Author Amy Palanjian
Cuisine American
Course Baby Food
Calories 5kcal
Servings 6
1-2 tablespoons Butternut Squash Puree and with one of the following
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Pear Puree
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Bean Puree
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Banana Puree
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Applesauce
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt
1-2 tablespoons Spinach Puree and one of the following:
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Apple Puree
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Pear Puree
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Quinoa Baby Food and pinch Parmesan cheese
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Bean Puree
1-2 tablespoons Sweet Potato Puree and one of the following:
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Chicken Puree
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Bean Puree
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Applesauce
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Carrot Puree and pinch cinnamon
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons Bean Puree and pinch cumin
Prepare each puree.
Freeze in a silicone ice cube tray, transferring the cubes to a freezer bag once solid, or store in the refrigerator as needed.Place roughly equal amounts of the two (or more) purees you plan to combine into a bowl. Stir together. (If the purees are frozen, place a cube or two of each into a bowl or storage container. the night before you plan to serve and let thaw overnight in the fridge before stirring together. Or thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours.)
Serve or store for later.
Mixing Bowl
Reusable Pouch
Silicone Ice Cube Tray
- Taste the purees and add more of a sweeter one if needed.
- Add small pinches of spices like cinnamon, ground ginger, and cumin to add flavor.
- Add small pinches of ground flaxseed to add healthy fats.
- Serve with a baby spoon or in a reusable pouch.
- Pack for daycare if needed in small airtight containers.
- Serve cold or warm just slightly.
- If. baby has a dairy intolerance, use a nondairy, unsweetened nondairy yogurt.
- If baby has a nut allergy, use a nut-free alternative that's unsweetened such as Sunbutter.
Calories: 5kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 11mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 30IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!
6 Homemade Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2)
I’ve shared a couple stories on Instagram showing what Piper eats and you guys have seemed to enjoy them. So I've put together this post showing how to make some of her favorite homemade baby food purees.
As a new mom, what to feed my baby was one of my top questions. In the beginning didn’t know when to start her on solids or what types of food she could eat. I researched and did some experimenting to see what worked for my baby and our family.
Ultimately, we decided to make homemade purees to start with then eventually moved on to baby-led weaning as she got a little older. I’m a big believer in doing your own research and finding what is best for your baby so don’t feel like you have to do this, it’s just what worked for us. That being said, the combos I’m about to share consist of mostly fruit and vegetables for babies in Stage 2 of eating.
Piper is almost one now so she eats mostly what we eat but these recipes I’m about to share were ones that we used quite frequently with her and were all baby approved. I hope your little enjoys them too! Let me know if you try any of these in the comments below or tag @withsweethoney on Instagram!
Jump to:- How Do You Make Baby Food Purees?
- 6 Veggie and Fruit Baby Food Puree Combos
- How To Store Homemade Baby Food
- How to Reheat Frozen Homemade Baby Food
- Let's Connect!
- More Baby Food Recipes
- 6 Homemade Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2)
How Do You Make Baby Food Purees?
Wash and Prep: First things first, prep your fruits and veggies by washing them with water.
Peel and chop them if needed. Some veggies or fruit do not need to be peeled but it depends on what it is or if you're using fresh or frozen.
Cook: I usually steam the veggies and fruits but you could also roast them. For example, I steamed all of the vegetables besides the sweet potato in the recipes below. I roasted the sweet potato for 45 mins at 425°F. I chose to roast the sweet potato so I could have it in the oven while I was steaming the other vegetables on the stovetop. The vegetables/fruit are done when they are soft and easily squashed between your fingers. Some veggies and fruit don’t need to be cooked before blending though. For example, avocado and banana are great to have on hand because they are soft enough to blend or mash right from the start.
Puree: The last step is to blend the veggies/fruit into a food processor or blender until smooth puree forms. Note, you don't have to have a fancy baby food blender to do this, whatever normal blender or food processor you have should work fine.
You can also add purified water, breast milk or formula to the puree to get your desired consistency.
A Note on Cooking Times: Cooking times will vary depending on what fruit or vegetable it is that you’re preparing. You can also choose to use fresh, frozen or sometimes canned. I chose to use frozen for some of the ingredients in the combos below since that is what I had on hand. I also try to use organic when I can but I know sometimes that isn’t everyone's preference and that’s okay.
6 Veggie and Fruit Baby Food Puree Combos
Broccoli + Sweet Potato
Puree Ingredients: ¼ cup roasted sweet potato (about 1 sweet potato) + ½ cup steamed broccoli + a little bit of water or breast milk (to thin if needed)
Peach + Apple + Nutmeg
Puree Ingredients: 1 steamed and peeled apple + 1 steamed peach (could used canned peach instead) + ¼ tsp nutmeg + a little bit of water or breast milk (to thin if needed)
Carrots + Butternut Squash
Puree Ingredients: 1 cup large carrots, peeled and steamed + 1 cup steamed butternut squash (I used frozen squash cubes) + a little bit of water or breast milk (to thin if needed)
Pineapple + Mango
Puree Ingredients: ½ cup steamed pineapple + ½ cup steamed mango + a little bit of water or breast milk (to thin if needed)
Avocado + Banana
Puree Ingredients: 1 avocado + 1 banana + a little bit of water or breast milk (to thin if needed)
Carrot and Blueberry
Puree Ingredients: ¼ cup steamed blueberry and ½ cup steamed carrots + a little bit of water or breast milk (to thin if needed)
How To Store Homemade Baby Food
There are a lot of different trays and containers out there that are food safe and used to store homemade baby food.
I use simple glass containers when I’m storing the baby food in the fridge. Homemade purees usually last about 3 days in the fridge.
I also like to freeze the homemade baby food in food safe silicone trays. I have these and they’ve worked really well for us. They’re larger so they’re ideal for a baby that eats a bit more. I just pop the frozen cubes into a freezer safe baggie and they last in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you're just starting with purees, a small ice cube tray or a small silicone tray with a lid would also work.
How to Reheat Frozen Homemade Baby Food
I usually thaw the frozen baby food cubes by taking them out of the freezer and leaving them in the fridge overnight. You could also place the frozen cubes in a container in warm water and defrost that way. If in a pinch, you could also use the microwave on a low setting. It’s up to you, just make sure the puree is cooled before feeding to baby.
Let's Connect!
I hope this was helpful and that it inspired you to try making homemade puree baby food for your little one.
Please comment below or tag @withsweethoney on Instagram if you try any of these out and don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations!
More Baby Food Recipes
- Kale Baby Food Puree Combinations (Stage 2)
- 3 Sweet Potato Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2)
- How To Make Baby Oatmeal
- Applesauce Baby Pancakes
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Broccoli + Sweet Potato
- ¼ cup roasted sweet potato
- ½ cup steamed broccoli
- a little bit of water if needed, to thin
Peach + Apple + Nutmeg
- 1 steamed and peeled apple
- 1 steamed and peeled peach
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- a little bit of water if needed, to thin
Carrot + Butternut Squash
- 1 cup steamed and peeled carrots
- 1 cup steamed and peeled butternut squash
- a little bit of water if needed, to thin
Pineapple + Mango
- ½ cup steamed pineapple
- ½ cup steamed mango
- a little bit of water if needed, to thin
Avocado + Banana
- 1 avocado
- 1 banana
- a little bit of water if needed, to thin
Carrot + Blueberry
- ½ cup steamed and peeled carrots
- ¼ cup steamed blueberries
- a little bit of water if needed, to thin
Choose the above combination that you want to make.
Steam or roast the fruit or veggies.Add the ingredients to a blender and puree. Add some water, breast milk or formula to thin if needed.
Serve or store in the fridge or freezer.
Tried this recipe?Tag @withsweethoney on Instagram!
Carrot puree - Encyclopedia Baby food
Victoria Levchuk©Victoria Levchuk©
Carrots are sweet and tasty, healthy and nutritious, that's why children love carrots! A small child is offered only boiled carrots, namely carrot puree, homogenized, homogeneous, without lumps.
Carrots are among the foods to which an allergic reaction is possible on the part of a young growing organism. Therefore, we carefully observe the waiting regime for 4-7 days, monitor the condition of the baby, and with any change, cancel the carrot puree.
The approximate age of introduction of carrots is about 7-8 months, however, if there is any doubt, it can be introduced later into the child's diet.
The main thing we do not forget is that it is rich in beta-carotene and other useful vitamins.
Carrot puree
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Like this article? Subscribe to site updates "Encyclopedia Baby Food"! Don't forget to bookmark us! (CTRL+SHIFT+D) Subscribe to the site, comment, share in social networks.On our site Encyclopedia Baby Food there is useful information on the nutrition of your children, which is useful for everyone, and we update the site "Encyclopedia Baby Food" constantly and try to search and write only excellent, verified and necessary information for you and your children. Disclaimer No. 1: It must be understood that the author of the articles on the Baby Food Encyclopedia website is not a medical staff, “I am not a doctor.” The information I share is based on my own experience. My goal is not to teach you how to eat or feed your child, but to talk about how we did it, what new things I learned or read. This expands the picture of Baby Food knowledge, gives you a glimpse of the whole process so you can decide if you like it or not. Disclaimer No. 2 : However, the above does not cancel visiting a pediatrician. Before you start complementary foods, you need to get his professional opinion on the best way to introduce new foods for your baby. I also draw your attention to the fact that you need to look at the original date of the published articles, because some of the "best practices" may have changed. Always check with your child's pediatrician about complementary foods and their health. Disclaimer #3: Keep in mind that every family is unique, every situation is also completely unique. Disclaimer No. 4: On the Encyclopedia Baby Food website, photos from books on baby food with attribution are used to better understand the information (Article 1274, paragraph 1, part four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Literature on baby food is found in the public domain on the Internet. Apricot puree with chicken | 82 Bread lavash
There are no universal solutions. Only you can find what works best for you. Certain goals require certain sacrifices and priorities - not everyone wants to make those choices, and that's GREAT! Just know what you want to achieve, and be ready to get to work, putting the best of your strength! 
I also draw your attention to the fact that you need to look at the original date of the published articles, because some of the "best practices" may have changed. Always check with your child's pediatrician about complementary foods and their health. 
Your baby week after week. From birth to 6 months 
You can also use a food processor, blender, or hand grinder. Mix one or two teaspoons of mashed carrots with breast milk or formula until you have a thick soup, you can also add dry rice porridge if you like. In fact, carrots do not have to be mixed with anything, this is only done to give the puree a familiar taste, increase volume and help you control the consistency by analogy with diluting rice porridge with milk. Offer the child as many carrots as he wants - at this age he cannot overeat. However, you can continue to use rice porridge throughout the complementary feeding program to increase the amount of mashed potatoes. The finished puree will keep in the refrigerator for 24 hours, but never store it if milk has been added to it. You can also freeze puree (no milk added) in ice cube trays. At this stage, you will need approximately one cube of frozen puree per feeding. 
Now the baby will have a choice of three dishes - rice porridge, carrots and pears. When your baby starts to swallow more confidently after a few weeks, you can thicken the puree a bit by adding dry rice porridge so that the spoon tilts a little but doesn't fall when you stick it into the puree. 
