Apricots for baby? Absolutely! One of the best parts of starting solids is introducing your baby to a wide variety of foods, flavors, and textures. So if apricots happen to be in season while you’re feeding your little one, don’t miss the opportunity to add them to the menu. With their sunny golden-orange color and naturally sweet-tart flavor, apricots make a fun first puree or finger food for baby-led weaning. Great for babies 6 months and up!

Blue baby plate on a white marble kitchen with apricots cut and pureed in different ways to serve to baby.

Apricots have a little bit of everything going on – they’re soft and juicy with a flavor that’s sweet, tart, and slightly tangy all at the same time. While that combination can make them a little tricky for some babies to warm up to, I’ve found a simple way to tip the scales in their favor.

My favorite method is to simmer ripe apricots with a pinch of cloves (or cinnamon). The warm spice helps balance the tartness and brings out the fruit’s natural sweetness, creating a puree that both of my babies happily devoured.

For baby-led weaning, start with larger slices of ripe apricot so your baby can use their palmar grasp to hold and gnaw on them. I found it helpful to leave a little of the peel on for a better grip. You can also roll the slices in finely crushed nuts, unsweetened shredded coconut, or hemp seeds to make them easier for little hands to hold.

#mymomhack – Got extra apricot puree? Swirl it into plain whole milk yogurt and add a small drizzle of peanut butter for an easy, delicious nut-exposure meal. It’s one of those combinations that’s so good, you may find yourself making a bowl for yourself, too.

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Two hands holding a bunch of apricots.
Gather some apricots and deseed them.
Hey small silver sauce pan filled with chopped apricots against a white background.
Add apricots, cloves, and water to a saucepan.
A small silver sauce pan full of summer apricots with cloves and water.
Cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
A gray baby bowl with a teal baby spoon with apricot. Against a white background.
Puree for 1-2 minutes and serve.
Oh graphic for post – apricot baby led weaning, images of a teal kids plate full of different ways to serve apricots to Baby as a purée or as a finger food.

Apricots for Baby-Led Weaning

Apricots are a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

Halved, ripe (6-9 months): Cut soft, ripe apricots in half and remove the pit. Baby can pick up this larger piece easily. You can also leave the skin on (it’s edible). Or try gently steaming and serving the apricot this way, halved or mashed.

Sliced or diced (9-12+ months): Serving smaller slices or bite-sized pieces of apricots will allow your baby to practice using their pincer grasp, which is developing at this age. You can also roll apricots in finely crushed or ground foods, such as nuts, cereal, shredded coconut, or hemp seeds to help your baby grasping it.

Halved or whole (12-24 months): Depending on your toddler’s skill level, you can try offering either halved apricots (pit removed) or whole apricots (with pit) so they can practice taking appropriately sized bites, chewing, and swallowing. You can keep the skin on or peel it. If offering a whole apricot, it’s best to model eating one yourself to show them how to eat around this part.

Blue Fraser tray full of apricot purée against a white background.
a Hand holding and frozen cube of apricot baby food purée over a blue freezer tray background.
A stasher bag full of frozen apricot baby food purées.
A hand holding a baby spoon with apricot baby food purée over a glass jar against a white background.

How to Freeze Apricot Puree

  • Spoon puree into a freezer storage container – do not overfill. 
  • Place the lid on the storage container or cover it with a piece of Saran Wrap and label it with the date and recipe name. 
  • Place the tray into the freezer and let it freeze completely – preferably overnight. 
  • Pop out the baby food cubes and place them in a zip-lock baggie or Stasher bag – don’t forget to re-label the baggie or Stasher bag for future reference.
Blue baby plate on a white marble kitchen with apricots cut and pureed in different ways to serve to baby.

Get the recipe: Apricot Baby Food (Puree & Baby-Led Weaning)

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Apricots for baby? Absolutely! One of the best parts of starting solids is introducing your baby to a wide variety of foods, flavors, and textures. So if apricots happen to be in season while you're feeding your little one, don't miss the opportunity to add them to the menu. With their sunny golden-orange color and naturally sweet-tart flavor, apricots make a fun first puree or finger food for baby-led weaning. Great for babies 6 months and up!
Yield: 12 ounces
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients 

Apricot Baby Food Puree

  • 6 ripe apricots, pitted and roughly chopped
  • pinch cloves, or cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions 

Apricot Baby Food Puree

  • In a small saucepan, place the apricots, cloves, and water.
  • Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until the apricots are tender. Let cool slightly.
  • Transfer the apricots to a blender of food processor. Turn on the blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes on medium. If the puree is too thick, add 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid at a time, until you achieve desired consistency.

Notes

Age: 6+ months
Apricots for Baby-Led Weaning: Serve to your baby in an age-appropriate way – either cut a ripe apricot in half off the pit, sliced, or chopped into smaller pieces. You can also puree or mash the apricot and serve it to your baby on a self-feeding spoon.
Storage: you can store the apricot puree in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can store the apricot pieces in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. 
Expert Tips:
  • Pureed and mashed apricots are also great for adding to yogurt, oatmeal, and other pureed fruits and veggies.
  • Dried apricots (or any dried fruits) are a choking hazard for babies and younger toddlers, so we recommend waiting to serve whole dried apricots until your child is very efficient in taking small bites from a whole piece and chewing thoroughly.
  • To remove the pit from a fresh apricot, run a sharp knife all the way around the natural ‘dimple’ of the fruit. Twist the two halves in opposite directions, separate them, and remove the pit.

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