Beets for Baby? You betcha! While beets might not be the first food that comes to mind when starting solids, they can be a delicious and nutritious addition to your baby’s menu. The secret? Steam them until they’re nice and tender, then add a pinch of cinnamon to bring out their natural sweetness. Serve as a smooth puree or cut into age-appropriate pieces for baby-led weaning. Great for babies 6 months and up!

Purple kids plate with different ways to cut and serve beets to your baby, on a white countertop.

Beet Baby Food Video

I get it. Beets can be a hard sell for babies (and let’s be honest, sometimes for adults, too). They have a reputation for being a little earthy, and if they’re not prepared well, that flavor can quickly take center stage.

But over the years, I’ve found a simple trick that helps turn even skeptical little eaters into beet fans: steam the beet until it’s nice and tender, then add a pinch of cinnamon before serving. The cinnamon complements the beet’s natural sweetness and helps mellow some of that earthy flavor.

And don’t feel limited to the classic red beet! While red beets tend to have the strongest flavor, there are plenty of other varieties worth trying. Golden beets are milder and slightly sweeter, while candy-striped (Chioggia) beets are my personal favorite. Their beautiful pink-and-white rings make them extra fun for little ones to explore.

#mymomhack – Baby still not convinced? Try stirring a spoonful of beet puree into plain whole milk yogurt. The creamy yogurt softens the beet flavor and turns it into a colorful snack that many babies happily gobble up.

Beet Puree

Purple and gray baby bowl filled with a bright dark red beet puree with a wood and blue spoon resting inside.

Beet puree is incredibly easy to make. Simply steam whole beets until tender. Then peel, add a touch of cinnamon, and puree in your blender.

Beets for Baby-Led Weaning

Graphic for post - beet for baby-led weaning. Shows a purple kids plate with different ways to cut and serve beets to your baby.

Beets 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.

Halves or quarters (cooked) – 6+ months: great for babies 6+ months or just starting on solid foods. Make sure to cook beets until easily pierced with a fork or mashable with your fingers. It’s best to start your baby with a bigger piece of cooked beets so your baby can chew, gnaw, and take bites without them being a choking hazard. Remove the skin before serving to your baby.

Bite-sized pieces (cooked) – 9+ months: Bite-sized beets will allow your baby to practice using their pincer grasp, which is developing at this age. Continue to cook beets until they are soft and remove the skin before serving to baby.

Expert Feeding Tips

  • Beets are known to cause baby’s poop to be red, so do not be alarmed if this happens after your baby eats beets.
  • You can grate raw beets if you are short on time or do not feel like cooking.
  • Beets are super messy and stain just about everything they touch so make sure to have a good bib or strip baby down before serving beets.
  • Pre-cooked, canned, or pre-packaged beets are a great option when fresh or frozen are not available. Choose low-sodium brands with no added sugar.
  • Beets can be slippery and firm, which can increase their choking risk. To minimize choking hazards, cook beets thoroughly until soft and serve in age-appropriate sizes.
  • Choose beets that are small to medium in size, as these will be sweeter and more tender.
Purple kids plate with different ways to cut and serve beets to your baby, on a white countertop.

Get the recipe: Beet & Cinnamon Baby Food (Puree & BLW)

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Beets for Baby? You betcha! While beets might not be the first food that comes to mind when starting solids, they can be a delicious and nutritious addition to your baby's menu. The secret? Steam them until they're nice and tender, then add a pinch of cinnamon to bring out their natural sweetness. Serve as a smooth puree or cut into age-appropriate pieces for baby-led weaning. Great for babies 6 months and up!
Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: baby food
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Ingredients 

Baby Food Puree

  • 3 medium beets
  • 1/3 cup liquid, (reserved water, fresh water, fresh breast milk, or formula)
  • pinch cinnamon (optional)

Instructions 

  • Prep: scrub off any dirt on the beets, leaving the skin and stem attached.
  • Steam: In a medium saucepan, bring 2″ of water to a boil over medium heat. Place the whole beets into a steamer basket, cover, and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork. Make sure you have enough water in the steamer around the 20-minute mark.
    Reserve steamer water. Let cool slightly.
  • Peel: once cool enough to handle, peel the beet and then cut off the stems.
  • Transfer: Place the cooked beets into a blender or food processor and add a pinch of cinnamon as well as 1/3 cup of reserved steamer water, fresh breast milk, formula or water.
  • Puree: Turn on the blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes on medium. If the puree is too thick, add in 1/4 cup of liquid at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
  • Eat: Serve and enjoy, or freeze some for later.

Notes

Age: 6+ months
Storage: you can store baby puree for up to 4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer. You can store any cooked beets in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
Spices: You can add a pinch of cinnamon or try adding nutmeg, cloves, fresh mint, chives, or a splash of vanilla. 
Baby-Led Weaning
Cook beets according to the directions above. Let cool, peel, cut off stems, slice into age-appropriate pieces for your baby. Optional – add a sprinkle of cinnamon before serving. 
Halves or quarters (cooked) – 6+ months: great for babies 6+ months or just starting on solid foods. Make sure to cook beets until easily pierced with a fork or mashable with your fingers. It’s best to start your baby with a bigger piece of cooked beets so your baby can chew, gnaw, and take bites without them being a choking hazard. Remove the skin before serving to your baby.
Bite-sized pieces (cooked) – 9+ months: Bite-sized beets will allow your baby to practice using their pincer grasp, which is developing at this age. Continue to cook beets until they are soft and remove the skin before serving to your baby.
 

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