Blackberry Baby Food (puree & blw)
by Blackberries for baby? Yes! Introducing a variety of foods to your baby is so important in their first year, and while blackberries will most likely not be the first food you try, it’s a great choice to include once your baby is ready for new flavors. Great for 6+ months.
Blackberry for Baby Video
Looking for a slightly less traditional fruit to introduce to your baby? Look no further than blackberries!
After you’ve checked off more conventional first foods — apple, sweet potato, and broccoli — blackberries make a bright, flavorful addition to your baby’s growing menu.
Blackberries are one of the sweetest, juiciest little fruits to serve your baby. They taste wonderful steamed with a few apples to give them a smooth base, on their own, added to oatmeal, or blended into smooth ricotta cheese for a creamy treat.
For baby-led weaning, start with whole blackberries that you have flattened with your fingers or a fork so your baby can grasp it with their palm and gnaw safely. As their pincer grasp develops, you can offer smaller, chopped pieces for them to pick up independently.
Let’s Make Some Blackberry Puree
- Place the blackberries and apples in a saucepan.
- Simmer for 10 minutes or until everything is tender.
- Puree for 1-2 minutes until smooth and all of the blackberry seeds are gone.
- Serve to baby.
- Pour remaining puree into a freezer-safe tray and freeze.
- Store frozen cubes in a Ziploc baggie for future meals.
Puree Tips: If you still have seeds, strain through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. I have tried making blackberry puree several ways, and this is by far my favorite; the apple gives the berries the body they need, and simmering them together makes the puree naturally sweet and mild. Our personal favorite blackberry puree recipe: add an apple and a pinch of cinnamon to let the blackberry flavor shine, it’s a match made in heaven.
Blackberries for Baby-Led Weaning
Blackberry is 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.
Flattened or smashed (6-9 months): Use the back of a fork or your fingers to flatten blackberries for babies this age. It helps to minimize choking risks and will still keep the berries a manageable size for your baby to pick up while still developing their pincer grasp.
Halved or Quartered, lengthwise (9-18 months): Serving in small pieces helps your baby work on their pincer grasp. You can also continue to smash and mix them into other foods, like yogurt or oatmeal.
Whole or Halved (18+ months): Depending on your toddler’s skill level, they may be ready to practice eating ripe, soft blackberries whole. It’s actually a good idea to err on the side of serving a larger, riper blackberry versus a smaller one, as the larger ones are often easier to take a bite off of and manage in your toddler’s mouth.
Get the recipe: Blackberries for Baby (Puree & Baby-Led Weaning)
Ingredients
- 2 cups blackberries
- 2 medium apples, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp water
- pinch cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add in the blackberries, apples, cinnamon and water.
- Over medium-low heat, cook for 8-10 minutes or until the apples are tender.
- Transfer all ingredients to a blender and on medium speed, puree for 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth. If there are still seeds, run the puree through a fine mess sieve.
- Serve to baby and enjoy.
Notes
- A ripe blackberry is one that will flatten easily between your thumb and two fingers or using the back of a fork.
- If your toddler tends to eat quickly and shovel too many blackberries in their mouth at once, limit the amount served at one time and place halved blackberries directly on their tray or table (no bowl or plate), to encourage slowing down and using a pincer grasp.
- Pureed and mashed blackberries are also great for adding to yogurt, oatmeal, and other pureed fruits and veggies.
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Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
