10 easy baby puree recipes your baby will actually eat
10 easy baby puree recipes your baby will actually eat
Simple homemade purees organised by stage, from first tastes at six months through to soft mashes at twelve months, with everything you need to make batch cooking actually stick.
Theo (3 years old) ate his first puree sitting in his highchair in our kitchen, watching me with the same intensity he now reserves for excavator videos on YouTube. It was steamed sweet potato, blended with a little of breast milk, and the look on his face when the spoon went in was one of the genuinely great moments of early parenting. Not because it went perfectly. He wore about half of it. But because something had clearly clicked. Food was a thing that happened now, and he was in.
These are the easy baby puree recipes we made most often across the starting solids journey with both Luca (6.5 years old) and Theo. They are organised by stage, made with ingredients you can find at any Australian supermarket, and designed to actually taste good. Not just nutritionally adequate. Good.
Easy baby puree recipes: what you need to know
Start with single-ingredient purees at around six months. Include iron-rich options like lentils, pureed meat or chicken from the very beginning, not just fruit and vegetables. Progress to combination purees at seven to eight months, then textured mashes from nine to twelve months. Batch cook on Sundays and freeze in portions so weeknight meals are ready without starting from scratch.
Before you start with easy baby puree recipes
I defaulted to sweet potato and pear for the first two weeks and then wondered why Luca was not getting enough iron. Nobody had told me that iron was supposed to come first.
According to Raising Children Network, first foods should be soft, smooth, and rich in iron. You can introduce foods in any order, but iron-rich options such as pureed meat, chicken, fish, lentils, and iron-fortified cereals should be among the first foods offered rather than left until later. Many parents default to fruit and vegetable purees first because they are easy to make and babies enjoy them, but iron matters from around six months and it is worth building it in early.
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby recommends starting with small amounts (around one to two teaspoons) and increasing according to your baby's appetite and cues. Some babies take to spoon feeding immediately. Some spend the first two weeks wearing more than they eat. Both are normal. You are introducing a concept as much as a food.
No salt. No honey. No added sugar. Everything else is fair game from around six months, introduced one at a time if you want to monitor for reactions, or together once you are confident.
Storage at a glance
Fridge: up to 2 days in a sealed container. Freezer: up to 1 month in individual portions. Always cool completely before storing, label with the date, and never refreeze food that has already been thawed. The PureePops Tray is designed for exactly this: individual portions that pop out frozen and go straight into a bag for the week ahead.
Stage 1: first purees (around 6 months)
These are single-ingredient, smooth, and thin enough for a baby who is still working out what a spoon is for. The goal is introducing flavours and textures, not feeding a full meal. Start with one or two teaspoons and see what happens.
1. Sweet potato puree
The classic first food for good reason. Naturally sweet, smooth when blended, and freezes beautifully. Theo ate this for three weeks straight before I introduced anything else, which is fine. Repetition helps babies accept new flavours over time.
You need
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- Breast milk, formula, or cooled boiled water to blend
Method
- Steam the sweet potato for 18 to 20 minutes until completely soft when pierced with a fork.
- Blend until completely smooth, adding liquid gradually to reach a thin, easily swallowable consistency.
→ See full sweet potato recipe and video
2. Pumpkin and carrot puree
A warmer, more complex flavour than sweet potato alone. The carrot adds natural sweetness and a slightly different texture that helps build flavour acceptance early.
You need
- Half a cup of pumpkin, peeled and cubed
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
- Liquid to blend
Method
- Steam together for 12 to 15 minutes until both are completely tender.
- Blend until smooth, adjusting consistency with liquid.
3. Apple and pear puree
One of the first fruit combinations we introduced. Pear is naturally high in fibre and gentle on small digestive systems, which is useful in the early weeks of starting solids when constipation can be a factor.
You need
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
- A splash of water
Method
- Simmer in a small amount of water for 8 to 10 minutes until completely soft.
- Blend until smooth. This one does not need extra liquid as the fruit releases enough moisture during cooking.
4. Iron-rich red lentil puree
This is the one that surprised me most. I expected both boys to resist it and they both ate it without hesitation from the first try. Red lentils cook down completely and blend into a smooth, earthy puree. More importantly, lentils are an excellent plant-based source of iron, which matters from the moment you start solids.
For a full guide to getting iron right from the start, see our iron-rich foods for babies guide.
You need
- Half a cup of red lentils, well rinsed
- One and a half cups of water or low-sodium vegetable stock
- A small piece of pumpkin or sweet potato (optional, but improves the flavour)
Method
- Simmer the lentils in the liquid for 15 to 18 minutes until they have completely broken down.
- Blend until smooth, thinning with water or breast milk if needed.
The lentil puree is the one I still think about when people ask where to start with iron. It is easier than it sounds and babies genuinely take to it.
By now your baby has tried a range of single ingredients and their digestive system is better established. Texture can be slightly thicker at this stage, and small soft lumps are fine for babies who are ready for them.
5. Pea, spinach and potato puree
Bright green, iron-rich, and one that I make to this day as a dipping sauce for both boys. The potato adds body and creaminess, and the spinach disappears into the colour of the peas so it never looks as alarming as spinach alone tends to look on a baby's face.
You need
- Half a cup of frozen peas
- 1 large handful of baby spinach
- 1 small potato, peeled and cubed
Method
- Steam the potato for 10 minutes.
- Add the peas and steam for a further 3 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the basket for the last 60 seconds until wilted.
- Blend all together until smooth.
6. Chicken, sweet potato and zucchini puree
Introducing chicken early matters because it is one of the most reliable sources of zinc and iron for babies.
You need
- 1 small chicken thigh, trimmed of fat and skin
- Half a medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- Half a medium zucchini, sliced
Method
- Steam the sweet potato for 8 minutes, then add zucchini and steam for a further 4 minutes.
- Poach the chicken thigh in water for 12 to 15 minutes until cooked through with no pink remaining.
- Combine with the vegetables and blend, adding poaching liquid gradually until smooth and thick.
7. Broccoli, pea and ricotta puree
Ricotta makes everything creamier and adds a mild dairy flavour that babies tend to respond well to. Luca ate this one so consistently that I made it every Sunday for about four months. Then one day he decided broccoli was his enemy. Classic.
You need
- 4 to 5 small broccoli florets
- Half a cup of frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons of full-fat ricotta
Method
- Steam the broccoli for 6 minutes, adding the peas for the final 2 minutes.
- Blend with the ricotta until smooth, adding a small amount of water to loosen if needed.
At this stage, smooth purees start giving way to rougher mashes and soft finger foods. The MashMunch Spoons are useful here, designed for the transition stage when babies are learning to manage thicker textures and starting to want some independence with feeding.
8. Pumpkin, lentil and mild spice puree
By nine months, you can start introducing gentle spices. A pinch of ground cumin or coriander adds depth that starts broadening your baby's palate for family food. Both boys ate this one enthusiastically, which I took as a personal win given that Luca had recently declared war on peas.
You need
- 1 cup of pumpkin, peeled and cubed
- Half a cup of red lentils, rinsed
- One and a half cups of low-sodium vegetable stock
- A small pinch of ground coriander or cumin
Method
- Simmer the pumpkin and lentils in stock for 15 to 18 minutes until completely soft.
- Add the spice and blend until smooth, or leave slightly textured for older babies.
9. Banana, avocado and full-fat yoghurt
No cooking required, which makes this the recipe for the day you have run out of frozen portions and need something in three minutes. The yoghurt adds probiotics and protein, and the avocado provides the healthy fats that babies need in abundance at this stage. I have made this one standing at the bench in my pyjamas more times than I would like to admit.
You need
- Half a ripe banana
- A quarter of a ripe avocado
- 2 tablespoons of full-fat plain yoghurt
Method
- Mash or blend all three together until smooth.
- Make only what you need. This one does not freeze well.
10. Beef, sweet potato and pea mash
By ten to twelve months, this is less of a puree and more of a proper little meal, a soft mash that a baby with a few months of eating experience can manage easily. Beef provides iron and zinc in their most bioavailable form, and the sweet potato gives it enough body that it stays on the spoon, which at this age feels like a genuine parenting achievement.
You need
- 80g lean beef mince
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- Half a cup of frozen peas
- A small amount of low-sodium beef or vegetable stock
Method
- Steam the sweet potato for 12 minutes until tender.
- Cook the beef mince in a pan over medium heat until completely browned with no pink remaining.
- Add peas to the steaming basket for the final 3 minutes.
- Combine all three and mash together, adding stock to reach the desired consistency.
The best puree your baby ever eats will probably be something simple, made on a Sunday afternoon, that you almost did not bother making. That is always how it goes.
Making batch cooking sustainable
The recipes above all freeze well except the banana and avocado combination. The approach that made the whole thing work for us was batch cooking two or three recipes on a Sunday afternoon using the KiddoKook Pro, which steams and blends in one bowl with almost no washing up. The whole session takes around 20 minutes. The portions go into the PureePops Tray, freeze overnight, and transfer to labelled bags on Monday morning. From there, any weeknight meal is a matter of pulling out a portion and reheating.
It is not glamorous. It is just the system that kept homemade food on the table consistently rather than just occasionally. For a full guide to making the Sunday session work, see how to batch cook baby food.
Two or three recipes on a Sunday. Twenty minutes. A week of meals done. That is the system.
Make the Sunday session faster
The KiddoKook Pro steams and blends in the same bowl, then self-cleans. Every recipe above can be made start to finish in one appliance.
Shop the KiddoKook ProFrequently asked questions
When can I start giving my baby purees?
Most babies are ready to start purees at around six months. Signs of readiness include sitting up with minimal support, showing interest in food, and being able to move food to the back of their mouth and swallow. If you are unsure, your GP or child health nurse is the right first call.
Can I add salt or seasoning to baby purees?
No salt or added sugar until at least twelve months. Gentle spices like cumin and coriander are fine from around nine months and actually help broaden your baby's palate for family food later on. Think of it as the earliest possible investment in a child who will one day eat a curry without complaint.
How long do homemade purees last in the fridge?
Up to two days in a sealed container in the fridge. In the freezer, most purees keep well for up to one month when stored in individual portions. The banana and avocado combination does not freeze well and should be made fresh each time.
Do I have to introduce foods one at a time?
Not necessarily. Introducing foods one at a time does make it easier to identify any reactions, but it is not a hard rule for most families. Current Australian guidelines suggest watching for reactions rather than strictly isolating every ingredient.
How much puree should I give my baby at first?
Start small. One to two teaspoons is enough in the early days. You are introducing the concept of eating as much as the food itself. Amounts increase naturally as your baby gets more confident and interested.
My baby refuses purees. What should I do?
Keep offering, but do not force it. It can take ten or more exposures to a food before a baby accepts it. Luca spat out pear three times before deciding he loved it. If your baby is consistently refusing all food and you are worried about their intake, a chat with your GP or a paediatric dietitian is always a sensible next step.
Sources
Raising Children Network: Introducing solids:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-solids/solids-drinks/introducing-solids
Raising Children Network: Homemade baby food:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-solids/solids-drinks/homemade-baby-food
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: Introducing solid food:
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/introducing-solid-food