Looking for the most ridiculously good apple puree for your baby? Then, I’ve got you! This puree has hundreds of 5-star reviews for one reason only: it’s good—like, really, really good. The recipe can easily be made with a baby on your hip, in 20 minutes, and with only 2 ingredients. I’ve made this recipe countless times over the years, fine-tuning it along the way to make it absolutely perfect! And now it’s your turn, so let’s good pureeing!

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Pink baby plate with gray baby bowl restaurant tub filled with a creamy apple purée.

Apple Puree Video

I have been making this apple puree for over twelve years, and my kids at every age have crushed it. This was the first baby puree I served both of my little ones, followed closely by the best Broccoli Puree and Sweet Potato Puree to round things out.

But still, to this day, my kids will devour this apple puree in seconds. Now that they are older, I usually serve it chunky and as a side to their lunch or dinner. It’s a puree that will grow alongside your baby. And that, to me, is priceless.

The key to making this swoon-worthy puree is gently simmering chunks of apples and cinnamon together until tender. This way the apples absorb the cinnamon flavor while bringing out their natural sweetness.

Here are three reasons I love this puree:

✔️ delicious – seriously better than any homemade brand
✔️ freezer-friendly – make a double batch and freeze a bunch for later meals
✔️ easy to make – done in less than 20 minutes

#mymomhack—This puree can also be spooned into a reusable pouch for your on-the-go toddler. I fill a punch of pouches, store some in the fridge for the next couple of days, and then keep the rest in the freezer until needed.

4.83 stars (79 ratings)
“This is one of my daughter’s all time favorites. Highly recommend with a pinch of cinnamon!” -Holly F.
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Ingredients

Wooden cutting board with six apples and a small white bowl of cinnamon.

Let’s Get Cooking

Wooden cutting board with chopped and peeled apples in a small bowl of cinnamon.
Peel and roughly chop the apples.
Silver sauce pan with chopped apples.
Add the apples to a saucepan.
Silver sauce pan with chopped apples and hands reaching over with a pinch of cinnamon.
Sprinkle in the cinnamon. Add in the water and cook until the apples are tender.
Silver sauce pan on a white background with cooked tender chunks of apples.
Let cool slightly.
And holding a clear blender with cooked chopped chunks of apples.
Place all of the ingredients into a blender.
Clear blender on a white background with puréed apples.
Puree until smooth.
Gray baby bowl with. Apples.
Serve or freeze for later.

Peeling Tip: You can peel or not peel apples for this puree. If this is your first time serving apples to your baby, I would recommend peeling the apples as they contain a good deal of fiber, which might be a little too much for a baby’s belly. Once your baby gets used to the apples and their fiber content, peeling is completely up to you.

Spread of Beaba babycook and a cutting board with raw apples in chunks with a small bowl of cinnamon.
BEABA babycook with chunks of cooked apple inside the glass container.
Beaba babycook with steamed and pureed apples.

Other Cooking Methods

While I love the crisp flavor of simmered apples, there are several different ways you can cook apples for baby food. 

BEABA Babycook

To make, place 3 peeled, cored and chopped apples into the stainless steel steamer basket, and place the basket into the glass container, closing the lid. Fill the reservoir tank to a level 3, close and lock the lid. Hit the steam button and let the machine get to work. Once steamed, transfer the apples into the glass container, leaving the water, and add a pinch of cinnamon. Close the lid, and hit the blend button for 1 minute or until the puree is smooth. You may need to add more water to the puree if needed in 2 tablespoon increments.

Steaming

Peel and roughly chop apples before placing them into a steamer basket over 2 inches of boiling water for 8-10, or tender when pricked with a fork. Puree in a blender as directed below. 

Boiling

Place peeled and roughly chopped apples into a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover the apples and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or when tender with pricked with a fork. Puree in a blender as directed below. Just FYI, boiling tends to leave foods less nutritious than other methods of cooking because many of the nutrients are leached into the water while boiling, and then the water is thrown out. 

Pink baby food storage container with puréed apples and hands holding it.

Top 5 Apple Combination Purees

While this apple puree is delicious on its own, it can also be mixed into other purees. Here are my favorite purees to create a combination puree with:

Apples for Baby-Led Weaning: Apples are also a great food to serve to your baby whole for baby-led weaning (6+ months) or as a finger food (9+ months). You can always serve baby a combination of purees and finger foods right from the start.

Get the recipe: Ridiculously Good Apple Baby Food Puree

4.8 stars (79 ratings)
This Apple Baby Puree recipe is a wonderful first food for baby! A delicious nutrient-dense puree that baby will go gaga over!
Yield: 20 ounces
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Baby Food
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Ingredients 

  • 6 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions 

  • Add: In a medium saucepan, place the apples, water and cinnamon.
  • Cook: Cover and heat on medium-low for 10-15 minutes or until apples are tender. Let cool slightly.
  • Transfer: Transfer all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor.
  • Puree: blend on medium for 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth. For a chunky puree, quickly pulse the ingredients 10-15 times or until you receive your desired consistency.
  • Eat: Serve to your baby or freeze for later.

Notes

Age: 6+ months and up
Yield: roughly 20 ounces
Additional Spices: Feel free to sub in these spices instead of the cinnamon for this recipe – pinch of cloves, nutmeg, ginger powder, coriander or 1-2 leaves of fresh mint, 1-2 leaves of fresh basil, a pinch of freshly grated ginger. 
Apples: you can use any sweet apple in this recipe – Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, McIntosh, or any other sweet apple variety.

How to Store:

Refrigerator
You can store this apple puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.
  • Spoon puree into a freezer storage container – do not overfill. 
  • Place the lid on the storage container or cover with a piece of saran wrap and label with date and recipe name. 
  • Place the tray into the freezer and let freeze completely – preferably overnight. 
  • Pop out the baby food cubes and place in a zip-lock baggie or stasher bag – don’t forget to re-label the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.

Equipment

Blender
Freezer Tray
Tripp Trapp High Chair
Saucepan
Bumkins Baby Bowl
Serving: 1ounce, Calories: 35kcal, Carbohydrates: 9.3g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 72mg, Fiber: 1.6g, Sugar: 7g, Calcium: 1mg

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