Avocado for Baby – 4 Delicious (and easy) Ways! Avocados are a superfood and a great first food for babies 4 months and up. Serve them pureed, smashed, or as a finger food for baby-led weaning.
Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
Avocado for Baby
Avocados 🥑 are one of my all-time favorite foods for baby!
Whether you are making all of your own baby food, or if you are tapped out in life and only want to make one homemade recipe for baby – avocados would be the first and only recommendation.
Besides being relatively cheap and easy to find, avocados are one of the, if not the top, healthiest foods for baby. They are also beyond easy to make into a puree, smashed into a chunky puree, sliced into a finger food and cut into a slice with an easy to grip handle for baby-led weaning.
So no matter what style of feeding you are doing with your little one, avocados got you covered 👍.
Plus, after you are done making baby an easy avocado meal, you can also slice some for your very own snack! And in my opinion, anytime avocado is involved in a meal, it’s going to be a good day.
Top 3 Reasons to Serve Avocado to Baby
- Avocados are beyond healthy for baby – healthy fats help baby’s brain grow!
- You can make and serve avocado to baby in 30 seconds flat!
- Works for all types of feeding styles – puree, chunky puree, finer food or baby-led weaning!
Benefits of Avocado for Baby
Avocados are one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet!
- Super Nutrients: avocados are full of 20 different vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin E, magnesium, and vitamins B-5 and B-6, along with a good amount of fiber and heart-healthy fats.
- Health Benefits: improves heart health, supports eye, skin, and hair health, fights cancer cell growth, enhances digestive health, boosts one’s mood, keeps the nervous system healthy, provides healthy fat for brain growth, and is good for gross motor skills.
- Boosts immunity: avocados are loaded with antioxidants, anti-inflammation & antimicrobial properties, which will help prevent baby from getting sick.
When to Introduce Avocado to Baby
Whether you start baby on purees or are doing baby-led weaning, bananas are an amazing first food for baby! When a baby can start on solids is determined by their own rate of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of age for purees and at or after 6 months for baby-led weaning. Some of the developmental milestones baby need to reach in order to start solids include: if baby has solid control of their head and neck, if baby has doubled in weight, and if baby is reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat (see my guide here). Before you start baby on purees, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally ready.
How to Serve Avocado to Baby
There are several different ways to prepare avocados for baby. Here are 4 of my favorite ways:
- Smashed – this is a great way to make a super-fast chunky or smooth puree for baby. Great puree for 4-6+ months.
- Sliced with Some Peel Left On – when you leave the peel on half of a slice of avocado, you are making a little easy-to-hold handle for baby. They can hold (or palmar grasp) the peel and then eat the peeled portion. Great for Baby-Led Weaning (6+ months) or Finger Foods (9+ months).
- Smooth Puree – when blended with half of a banana, avocado becomes super-duper smooth. This is great for babies that want a smooth and creamy puree. Plus it takes all of 40 seconds to make. Great puree for 4-6+ months.
- Slices Rolled in a Coating – this is a great option for babies that want to eat with their fingers but need a little help getting a good grip on the avocado slices since avocados can be a little slippery. You can do this option with slices or diced avocados. Great for Baby-Led Weaning (6+ months) or Finger Foods (9+ months).
Looking for more easy baby-led weaning and puree recipes? Then be sure to check out my favorite ways to serve apples and bananas to baby!
ARE AVOCADOS A CHOKING HAZARD FOR BABIES?
No, avocados are not typically included among the foods that are a common choking hazard for babies as they are usually soft and easy for baby to chew. If an avocado is not ripe and ready to eat, the flesh will be harder and more of a risk to baby. It is best to serve baby strips of avocado or mashed. When selecting an avocado for baby, look for one that is ripe, soft (but not mushy) and easy to press your finger into the skin of the avocado. A ripe avocado will typically be darker green in color and have bumpy skin.
Mashed Avocado – Smooth or Chunky
Smashed avocado is a great way to make a super-fast chunky or smooth puree for baby. You can serve this to baby 4-6 months and up!
For Baby-Led Weaning, I love to add this thick puree to a slice of toast, pancake or waffle for baby to self-feed or you can serve it to them on a self-feeding spoon.
To make: simply peel a quarter or half of a ripe avocado, place on a cutting board and smash with the back of a fork. You can smash until just chunky or until smooth. I have found that adding in a small teaspoon of breast milk or formula will help make it super smooth.
Slice of Avocado for Baby-Led Weaning
When you leave the peel on half of a slice of avocado, you are making a little easy-to-hold handle for baby. They can hold the avocado peel section with their palmar grasp and then eat the peeled portion of the avocado. You will want to help baby by placing the peel portion in their hand during their first meal with avocado.
To make: simply cut a slice off of a ripe avocado with the peel still intact. Then using a knife, gently cut through the peel until you reach the flesh of the avocado, but don’t cut all the way through the avocado. Then peel off half of the peel. Baby can grip the peel for easier holding and eating.
Avocado Puree with Banana
When you blend avocado and a half of a banana it becomes super-duper smooth. This is great for babies that want a smooth and creamy puree. Plus it takes all of 40 seconds to make.
To make: place half an avocado and half a banana into a small blender or food processor, puree until smooth adding in a tablespoon of breastmilk, formula or water if needed.
Coated Avocado Slices
These coated avocado slices are a great option for babies that want to eat with their fingers but need a little help getting a good grip on the avocado slices since avocados can be a little slippery. You can do this option with slices or diced avocados as well when baby has developed their pincer grasp.
To make: slice and peel avocado and roll in hemp seeds, whole wheat bread crumbs or crushed baby puffs.
More Avocado Recipes
- 5-Minute Banana, Blueberry and Avocado Baby Food Puree
- Egg Yolk + Avocado Baby Food Puree
- Spinach Avocado Breakfast Cereal for Baby
- Pear, Avocado, + Kiwi Baby Food Puree
- Avocado Green Smoothie for Baby + Toddler
- Avocado Blueberry Muffins for Baby + Toddler
Avocado for Baby – 4 Delicious Ways
Ingredients
MASHED AVOCADO – SMOOTH OR CHUNKY
- 1/4 avocado
- 1 tsp breast milk, formula or water (optional)
SLICE OF AVOCADO FOR BABY-LED WEANING
- 1/4 avocado
AVOCADO PUREE WITH BANANA
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 banana
COATED AVOCADO SLICES
- 1/4 avocado, sliced and peeled
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds, breadcrumbs or crushed baby puffs
Instructions
MASHED AVOCADO – SMOOTH OR CHUNKY
- Place the avocado on a cutting board, and taking the back of a fork, smash until you get your desired consistency. For a smooth puree, add in the liquid and smash until smooth.
SLICE OF AVOCADO FOR BABY-LED WEANING
- Cut a slice of avocado with the peel on. Using a sharp knife, cut the peel 1/3-1/2 the way up the side of the avocado until you get to the flesh. Do not cut all the way through the avocado slice. Take the peel off and serve the avocado slice to baby with them holding the peel that is still on the avocado.
AVOCADO PUREE WITH BANANA
- Place the avocado and banana in a small blender or food processor. Puree for 1 minute or until smooth, adding in liquid if needed.
COATED AVOCADO SLICES
- Take the sliced and peeled avocado and roll in the hemp seeds, breadcrumbs or crushed baby puffs.
Hi Michelle,
I love your recipes! I used so many with baby #1 and now baby #2 is starting to eating purees as well. Do you think I can freeze the banana and avocado puree and still have it taste fresh when reheated? Thank you
Great question – I would add just a tiny bit of lemon juice to it so that it doesn’t brown while frozen. And make sure to freeze right after you puree the banana and avocado together.
HI, IM doing bIw with my baby, I was trying to find new ways for him to eat avocado since it’s so slippery. For the coating, can I use the baby rice cereal/oatmeal to coat them or would that not be a good idea?