Easy Baby Purée Recipes: 10 Simple First Tastes

Starting With Simple Flavours

When you first begin weaning your baby at around six months, single-ingredient purées serve a valuable purpose: they allow your baby to experience and begin recognising individual flavours, and they allow you to clearly identify the source of any allergic reaction. There is no need to start with very bland foods — the old advice to begin with plain baby rice has little nutritional justification, and babies who are exposed to a wide variety of vegetables and flavours from the outset tend to be more accepting eaters in the long run.

Research by Professor Lucy Cooke at University College London has shown that repeated exposure — offering a rejected vegetable ten or more times over several weeks — significantly increases acceptance. Don't be disheartened if your baby makes a face at a new flavour on the first attempt. Persistence, without pressure, is key.

How to Make Batch Purées

Making purées in batches saves considerable time and means you always have something nutritious to hand. The general method is the same for almost every vegetable or fruit:

1. Peel, core (if applicable), and chop the fruit or vegetable into even pieces.
2. Steam until very tender (steaming is preferable to boiling as it retains more nutrients).
3. Transfer to a blender with a little of the steaming water (or breast milk/formula for a creamier result) and blend until completely smooth.
4. Allow to cool thoroughly before portioning.
5. Spoon into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, transfer cubes to labelled zip-lock bags.
6. Use within three months. Defrost individual portions overnight in the fridge or in a bowl of warm water. Reheat until piping hot throughout, then cool before serving. Never refreeze.

The Recipes

1. Sweet Potato Purée

Sweet potato is often a favourite first food. Its natural sweetness is appealing, its texture blends smoothly, and it is an excellent source of beta-carotene (which the body converts to vitamin A), fibre, and potassium.

Peel and cube one large sweet potato. Steam for 12–15 minutes until completely soft. Blend with enough water or breast milk to achieve a smooth, loose consistency. This freezes beautifully.

2. Butternut Squash Purée

A mild, creamy purée that most babies accept readily. Butternut squash is rich in vitamin C, potassium, and beta-carotene.

Halve and deseed the squash, roast cut-side down at 200°C for 30–35 minutes until completely soft, then scoop out the flesh and blend. Roasting intensifies the natural sweetness and gives a richer flavour than steaming. Add a little butter for extra creaminess and healthy fat.

3. Parsnip Purée

Often overlooked, parsnips make a wonderful baby purée with a distinctive, slightly sweet flavour that helps expand the palate.

Peel and chop two parsnips. Steam for 15–20 minutes until very soft. Blend with a little butter and enough liquid to achieve a smooth consistency. The natural sweetness makes this a good bridge between sweeter and more savoury purées.

4. Pea Purée

Peas are an excellent source of plant-based iron and protein — two nutrients of particular importance during weaning. The bright green colour is also visually stimulating.

Use frozen peas (which are often more nutritious than fresh, as they are frozen immediately after picking). Place in a saucepan with a small amount of boiling water and cook for 3–4 minutes. Blend until as smooth as possible, then pass through a fine sieve if you prefer a very smooth result (the skins can make pea purée slightly grainy). A little mint can be added for flavour.

5. Carrot Purée

A classic first food and rightly so. Carrots are sweet, smooth when cooked, and extremely well tolerated. They are high in beta-carotene and vitamin K.

Peel and chop three to four medium carrots. Steam for 15–20 minutes until completely tender. Blend with a little butter and enough liquid for a smooth consistency. You can also roast carrots for a more caramelised flavour.

6. Apple Purée

Apple makes an excellent sweet purée for mixing with more savoury vegetables or for use as a breakfast option. Use eating apples rather than cooking apples to avoid the need for any added sugar.

Peel, core, and chop two medium apples. Simmer in a small amount of water for 10–12 minutes until very soft. Blend until smooth. A pinch of cinnamon can be added for variety, though plain is equally good. This pairs well with pork-based meals.

7. Pear Purée

One of the most digestible first fruits, pear purée is gentle on small digestive systems and very rarely causes any reaction. It is high in fibre and vitamin C.

Peel, core, and chop two ripe pears. They may not even need cooking if very ripe — simply blend raw. If slightly firm, simmer briefly in a little water until soft. Blend until smooth.

8. Broccoli Purée

Introducing green vegetables early is one of the best things you can do for your baby's long-term eating habits. Broccoli is rich in iron, calcium, folate, and vitamin C.

Cut a head of broccoli into florets. Steam for 8–10 minutes until tender. Blend with a little of the steaming water until smooth. The colour is vivid green and the flavour is distinctly "green" — some babies love it from the outset, others need repeated exposure. Keep offering.

9. Avocado Purée

Avocado requires no cooking and is extraordinarily nutritious — high in monounsaturated fats, potassium, folate, and vitamin E. It is also one of the few fruits that provides a significant amount of fat, which is essential for infant brain development.

Halve an avocado, remove the stone, scoop out the flesh and mash or blend until smooth. Add a little lemon juice to slow browning. Avocado does not freeze well — prepare fresh and use within 24 hours. It is ideal for days when you want something quick and nutritious.

10. Courgette Purée

Courgette (zucchini) has a very mild flavour and a soft texture that blends easily. It is a good introduction to less sweet vegetables.

Wash and chop two courgettes (no need to peel). Steam for 8–10 minutes. Blend with a little butter until smooth. For a more interesting flavour, add a tiny amount of mild cheese (such as cream cheese) before blending.

Combining Purées

Once your baby has been introduced to individual ingredients without any adverse reaction, you can begin combining them:

• Sweet potato and parsnip
• Pea and mint with a little cream cheese
• Carrot and lentil (add well-cooked red lentils to the carrot before blending)
• Apple and pear
• Broccoli and potato
• Butternut squash and apple

Combination purées can be more nutritionally complete and introduce more complex flavour profiles. They also make batch cooking more interesting.

When to Move On From Purées

NHS and BDA guidance recommends beginning to introduce texture — moving from smooth purées to mashed, lumpy, and chopped foods — by around seven months at the latest, and certainly by nine months. Research shows that delaying lumpy textures beyond nine to ten months is associated with an increased risk of feeding difficulties in later childhood.

Signs that your baby may be ready for more texture include: seeming bored with purées, watching other family members eating with great interest, showing excellent hand-to-mouth coordination, and actively trying to grab food from your plate. Trust those cues, and begin introducing the next texture stage with confidence.

Purées are a starting point, not a permanent fixture. The goal is family food, and every new texture is a step towards it.