Pear, Prune + Clove Baby Food (aka.. the Constipation Cure Puree)
This Pears, Prunes + Cloves Baby Food recipe is a tasty puree that will help cure baby constipation right up! An easy puree made with fresh pears, prunes and cloves. Great for 6+ months.
Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
Constipation Puree for Baby
Got a little one that is backed up 😳?
For most parents, a baby’s constipation can be a troubling concern, especially because symptoms usually appear at 3 am.
While baby’s little bellies might be going MORE MORE MORE for all of the new delicious foods you are serving them, their delicate intestines might be saying WHOA THERE COWBABY, EASY DOES IT ✋!
It takes a while for a baby’s digestive system to catch up with its stomach, so while a backed-up baby is unnerving, it is nothing to completely freak out about.
Because both pears and prunes are packed with fiber and contain the sugar alcohol sorbitol, which acts as a natural laxative, they help get things going down there in a completely safe and gentle way.
And while I am calling this the Constipation Cure Puree 💩, you can really make and serve this puree anytime because it is soooooo good.
Sweet pears are steamed until just tender and then pureed with re-hydrated prunes and a dash of cloves to make a delicious puree that will help baby become more regular.
Constipation Cure Puree Video
Watch this video to see how easy it is to make this easy constipation cure puree!
REASONS TO LOVE THIS CONSTIPATION PUREE
- creamy and smooth
- aids in digestion and eases constipation in baby
- nutrient-dense – high in fiber and vitamin K and a good source of and vitamin C and antioxidants.
- baby food for 6 months and up
- freezer-friendly
- fast to make – done in less than 20 minutes
- tastes great – baby will love it
Ingredients
- Pears: are a great fruit to add into a constipation puree as they are full of two types of fiber that will gently get things moving for baby down there. You can use any pear variety you have on hand: Bartlett, Concorde, Bosc or Comice will all work.
- Prunes: are used in this constipation remedy as they have a high sorbitol content which acts as a gentle laxative for baby.
- Cloves: is a great addition in this puree as it may help with the production of gastric mucus and fiber that is good for digestive health.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Chop: Core and chop pears.
- Steam: Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place the pears in a steamer basket over the boiling water, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly. Reserve steamer water.
- Soak: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place the prunes in hot water, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Blend: Add the pears, prunes and cloves into a blender or food processor.
- Puree: Start on low speed and work the blender up to high speed for 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth, adding water from the steamer in 1/4 cup increments, if needed.
- Eat: Serve to baby, or freeze for later.
How much to serve to baby
If baby is backed up, I would start small with serving 1-2 ounces of this puree during the day, and continue to serve this to baby until they are regular. If needed, you can work your way up to 3-6 ounces a serving. I recommend always serving this to baby during the day, as it will give baby the rest of the day to get things going down there… aka… no big blowout during the middle of the night.
HOW TO STORE BABY PUREE
REFRIGERATOR
You can store this puree in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Let the puree cool.
- Transfer puree to an airtight container and place in the fridge. I like using these smaller 4-oz containers so you can have a single serving at your ready.
- If using larger containers, make sure you use a clean spoon to scoop out the amount of puree needed for a feeding, do not warm up the entire container if you don’t plan on feeding it all to baby at once.
FREEZER
This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.
- Spoon puree into a freezer storage container (this is my favorite 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.
Need more information on how to store your baby foods – head over to my Best Baby Food Storage Containers – Plus 6 Tips on Freezing and Thawing post!
Label Tip: Don’t forget to label your purees before you place them in the fridge or freezer with the name and date you made it. Take it from me, you will completely forget when and what is in your freezer by the end of the week;).
ADDING CLOVES AND ADDITIONAL SPICES
In this recipe, we are adding in a pinch of cloves to help aid in digestion, but feel free to use the following spices instead – nutmeg, cinnamon or freshly minced ginger (see quantity recommendations in the recipe card).
Tip on Spices: I have always added in spices to my baby food purees, but you can add or leave out spices in all of your baby food. You do you! Either way, this puree will taste amazing.
Tips
- Do Not Peel: a good amount of the fiber in pears is contained in the peel, so it is best to leave and steam the pear with the peel on. Once you puree the pears, the texture will be smooth.
- Baby-Led Weaning: if you are doing baby-led weaning, you can make this recipe as-is but instead of pureeing you can pulse the ingredients into a chunky puree and serve to baby on a self-feeding spoon.
- Freezer-Friendly: this puree is completely freezer-friendly and is a great puree to make and then freeze, so you can defrost a small portion on the spot when needed.
Helpful Tools
DID YOU MAKE THIS CONSTIPATION BABY PUREE?
I’D LOVE TO KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT! LEAVE A COMMENT AND A ⭐️ RATING BELOW 👇
Get the recipe: Pear, Prune + Clove Baby Food (Constipation Cure Puree)
Ingredients
- 3 medium pears
- 4 dried prunes, pitted
- 1 cup hot water
- pinch ground cloves (roughly 1/8 tsp)
Instructions
- Prep: Core and chop pears.
- Steam: Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place the pears in a steamer basket over the boiling water, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly. Reserve steamer water.
- Soak: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the prunes to the hot water, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Add: Place the pears, prunes and cloves into blender or food processor.
- Puree: Start on low speed and work the blender up to high speed for 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth, adding water from the leftover steamer water in 1/4 cup increments, if needed.
- Eat: Serve to baby, or freeze for later.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @babyfoode on Instagram and hashtag it #babyfoode!
100 Comments on “Pear, Prune + Clove Baby Food (aka.. the Constipation Cure Puree)”
Tried this today with my six month old and he really enjoyed it!
It’s so good! I am so glad he liked it! And watch out it will really get him going:)
xoxo, Michele
Gave this to my 5 day constipated 6 month old last night. No movement as yet (14 hours later) but he thoroughly enjoyed it, much to my surprise! And wolfed it down. First food he has ate so much of so would make again and again even if it doesn’t ‘do the job’!
Update – a few hours after posting this the floodgates opened!!
This is so good to hear! Making it tonight for my 8 month old and hoping and praying for the same result!!
My son, who’s 6 month, has been constipated for a few days and I finally got the ingredients to make this and it’s certainly help him in the poop department and he loved every bite. I thought it would be too strong because of the cloves but it taste amazing. Your blog is so great, it’s my go to for recipes. 🙂
Hello JSM,
So glad this puree worked and that he enjoyed it!! Thank you for reading:)
xoxo, Michele
my son also constipatied
my son also constipatied
I made it today for my 6 month old (I had to sub cinnamon for the clove because it’s what I had on hand), she loved it!
She is complaining to me now because she can’t have more! 😂
P.S.
I would have posted a picture but I don’t know how.
emr
I am worry about my daughter.. She tell me she feel very pain during her bowel movement. I knw tat she is having constipation.. I always bring her to doctor but her problem can be solved temporary only.. wat should i do?
Hello Veliby,
I am not a doctor, but maybe increase her water or liquid intake or add some more fiber to her diet. Let me know how that goes.
xoxo, Michele
This is the greatest recipe ever! My dd LOVES this combo, and it really helps keep her regular! Also, I just purchased your mix and match spring 2015 guide, which made about 300 ounces of baby food! Thank you so much for being so inspirational. 🙂
Hello Majka,
So happy to hear both this!! Thank you for reading and supporting my passion in life:)
xoxo, Michele
Maybe you can try using traditional remedies less chemical. But for the long run prevention, I will suggest you to swicth to milk powder that contains high pre-biotic
Maybe you can try using traditional remedies less chemical. But for the long run prevention, I will suggest you to swicth to milk powder that contains high pre-biotic
its true that prebiotics can help in treating and preventing children’s constipation cos I’ve used Mamil which has it and my LO nvr encounter constipation prob. I think u can try switching ur milk formula la. Also Mamil has no sugar and highest DHA level in the market now. Try for urself and see the results in a week time.
Milk formula really will cause child constipation? Don let your child rely too much on medicine..
Avoid giving your child to eat fried food.. It will harden the stool and cause constipation. Another way is to let your child move around as much as they can everyday.
My DS is currently taking Mamil, he was also having constipation problem as well. My friends asked me to switched to Mamil due to their ingredient could help to prevent constipation. Give it try!!! It could help you in the long run! =)
My DS is currently taking Mamil, he was also having constipation problem as well. My friends asked me to switched to Mamil due to their ingredient could help to prevent constipation. Give it try!!! It could help you in the long run! =)
great artical
Thanks! I will get my wife to try out this remedy for my 2 yo son. Pears + Prunes + Cloves an interesting ingredient for sure he will like it. Thank you so much for being so inspirational. 🙂
In fact, my children have seldom constipation matter issued! My wife always feed her with enuff fruit and she like to google these ingredient to enuff my DS feed enuff with fiber. Somehow I do think right milk powder is important too as by recommendation below- I can see someone recommend Mamil Milk Powder as well.. this milk powder contain alot of Pre-biotics – which is good bacteria that help to let children to have better stool.
I would conclude Fiber + Pre-biotics = best constipation remedy for children.
You guys can try too!
Dun try to simply simply give your children so call as Constipation Remedy for your kid! I worried your children constipation will become diarrhea. or even you give such consipation remedy, he may not absorb enuff vitamin for grow.
Paisey Leong, the milk I would like to recommend is Mamil Dumex for kid between 1 to 9 yo
Pears + Prunes + Cloves, i think I try on this constipation remedy also. Plus, I drink vitagen daily. It really clear out by intestine daily. And happy to say I got lesser pimple after I try this remedy!
Anyway for my kids 5yo and another one is 7yo, I try to avoid to get him taking vitagen daily because it is too sweet for him and it is cold drink. as another option, I feed them with Mamil Dumex which contain with pre-biotics where it can prevent them from getting constipation. my wife tried mamil dumex for more than 3 months. yet to see any constipation on my kid lol 🙂
one more things after trying this constipation remedy – Pears + Prunes + Cloves, your poos will be smelly like no body business. Beware!! haha
someone told me to try lemon + apply cider is good for constipation too
since someone is talking about baby, that recipe that mention above is workable for baby.
somehow there is no constipation remedy for baby – I even try out so many type of formula milk like Abbort Isomilk Plus, Enfagrow A+ even I try Nestle (cannot remember the name), none of this milk can help my baby to prevent constipation!
I would rather try on your constipation remedy with Pears + Prunes + Cloves since it is not too sour see whether work for my children or not…
mind share what is your constipation remedy that suitable for baby?
someone told me to try lemon + apply cider is good for constipation too
since someone is talking about baby, that recipe that mention above is workable for baby.
somehow there is no constipation remedy for baby – I even try out so many type of formula milk like Abbort Isomilk Plus, Enfagrow A+ even I try Nestle (cannot remember the name), none of this milk can help my baby to prevent constipation!
I would rather try on your constipation remedy with Pears + Prunes + Cloves since it is not too sour see whether work for my children or not…
Besides offering my daughter prune juice, drink plenty of water and have a good amount of rest, I have also switched her milk powder to the Mamil. Mamil contains mixture of Prebiotics Oligosaccharides which are good in softer stool and prevent constipation by building a healty gut. 😀
perfect perfect !! my LO is 5mths and we tried this recipe because he was constipated. Not only does it taste amazing(even for the adults too) but it does just as it says Cure Constipation!!!. within a few hrs he had gone to the loo without the usual pain you could tell he was in when he was constipated.
thanks so much
So happy to hear that this worked on your LO!! And let’s just talk about how funny it is that we all monitor our kids bathroom movements so closely!!lol!! 😉
xo, Michele
Child constipation can be so annoying, normally laxative medicine can taste really bad, and hard to make your child take it, also it has side effect, even child go to poop, he or she will suffer a lot.
My sister was bothered by her son’s constipation problem for so long, till I find this website:
http://www.constipation-relief.net/constipation-in-infants.htm
It is natural, herbal, no side effect, my son go to restroom without any pain and discomfort, and it is easy to use, stick 1/2 piece to his navel, with 30 minutes he will go poop, also he just use one time, till now, more than one year, never have constipation any more.
He used to have constipation all the time.
I think this is the best choice for child constipation.
I use it myself too, actually, all my family have hemorrhoids, we all stay in restroom for hours with pain but nothing come out, we all suffered a lot from constipation, till we found this website.
Hope this information can help people too.
Later I start to work for this website, try to make people get the best help of constipation, please don’t delete this message, I just want to help people.
Thanks Lily for the information! We don’t have constant constipation in our house, but I know some families do.
xo, Michele
thanks for sharing~~~~~~~~
My 3YO little princess is suffering in terrible constipation. I know that puree and prunes help to treat constipation so I bought a lot for her. She took lots of them but how come my little princess still constipate? They did not working finely. What should I do to relief her tummy ache instead of sending her to the hospital? Thanks in advance
Besides of puree and prunes, there are several kinds of fruits and veggies, such as pears and broccoli, can get things back on track, along with fruit juice and water. Sometimes I will give my child to have some laxatives, they are working perfectly because my child will recover on the next day.
Try to give your child has some puree and prunes because both of them are working fine in preventing children constipation issue. Besides, you can feed your child with high fiber food and drink more water in order to prevent constipation
Do not try to attempt those unproven remedies as they are risky. Better send your child to the hospital or the pediatrician to get a proper treatment. Medication is the better way compared to those unproven natural remedies. Although it is not the natural way but at least it shows improvement.
My DD used to suffer from constipation issue. I was told by the pediatrician that my girl had consumed the unsuitable FM brand. Then I switched to Mamil FM brand which suggested by my SIL. I feel assured, since the day she switched to consume Mamil, she seldom constipate and no longer tummy ache.
My boy constipate always. I dont know the formula milk that he consuming whether suitable for him or not. Should I change for him?
Mamil works in preventing children constipation because Mamil ingredients contain zero sucrose and high level of DHA. It also contains prebiotic that helps to promote the growth of good bacteria as to help maintain healthy digestive system. Therefore, constipation issue is seldom happened to my LO. You can visit Mamil official site and redeem trial pack to try it out.
This advice works… these foods do the trick most of the time, but it’s "soft" advice unfortunately, meaning it does not help a lot (enough) when the problems are really big.
My baby son has been constipated only once but it passed after several days and I am sad I didn’t have the knowledge about probiotic drops I have now because he was having some serious pain. You see, my daughter got diarrhea form antibiotics and it was bad so we got her some probiotic drops for babies and she was helped inside 24 hours. The same goes for constipation everyone says… but she never was constipated and maybe it’s because of them. Wrote an article on the subject at <a href="http://kids-nook.com/biogaia-drops/">Biogaia Drops</a> , hope you like it and hope it helps.
Thanks for the great recipe! It was a hit in our household and not just with baby.
http://peterberries.com/3-reasons-to-blend-up-some-baby-food/
I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Toddler Magic Tea naturally-sweet, all-natural supplement helps relieve constipation, promotes healthy digestion, improves toddler’s sleeping, and helps reduce the symptoms of the common cold.
Hi there! Does it matter if the pears are really ripe or not? I have some D’anjou pears that are a day or two away from being ‘ripe,’ but since this recipe involves steaming the pears, I’m guessing it doesn’t matter if they’re ripe or not. Advice? Thank you!
You can totally use the almost ripe pears for this recipe, they just might not be as sweet as ripe pears.
Does cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg help with constipation or just adds flavor? And my daughter seems to love oatmeal base. Would this work if I mix this with oatmeal to cure constipation?
This spices just add flavor, but you can add in some freshly grated ginger to soothe the tummy if you wanted.
Oatmeal usually causes the system to back up a little, so if you are trying to cure constipation, then I would leave it out. If you just want a delish puree, then you can leave add it in.
Is this safe for baby’s who is just starting iut with stage 1 (single purée) foods?
Yes. It’s got a somewhat bold flavor but will help with any constipation issues they might be having.
I just made this for my 7 month old baby last night and subbed cinnamon for the cloves. She loved it!! It smelled amazing while I was cooking it too!
I every time used to study post in news papers but now as I am a user of
internet so from now I am using net for articles, thanks to web.
Would canned pears work for this or is there something helpful in fresh pears that breaks down when canned? Pears I find at the grocery store tend to take a long time to ripen, if they ripen at all, which is not convenient if I want to make this in a hurry. Unripe pears are not nearly as tasty and I bet don’t have as many sugars developed to help this recipe “work”. Thanks!
I haven’t tried canned pears for this recipe, as most canned pears have added sugar in their juices. If you try canned pears, I would drain and rise the pears before cooking. Also, maybe try frozen pears.
I use Kroger’s simple truth canned pears with *ahem* excellent results! No sugar added; just pears in pear juice. I use 2 cans with the juice, 15 prunes, spices, and some ground flax (mine’s for a toddler though- flax might be a bit much for a baby). I just dump it in, wuzz it up, pour in my pouches, and we’re in business (pun intended)!
Love this! And so glad your toddler is back in business!
Can’t wait to try this, my little one has been struggling. How much should I give my 7mo old?? Recommended time, for lunch or would giving her this for breakfast be better?
Thanks!!
I would start with 1-3 ounces depending on how much he usually eats, and then add more from there. I would give it to him in the morning or lunch so you don’t have a blowout during the nighttime 😉
I made this today for my grandson who was very constipated. I could eat that myself as it was good. Bought 2 Bosch pears…hard but sweet. Didn’t notice prunes too much, and the cloves gave it as great flavor. We’ll see how it works. I think you said you could free it. I have a silicone mold for baby food. Didn’t know Ziploc makes pint size freezer bags. Perfect for those molded baby foods.
So glad you both liked it:)
Do I remove the skin on pears
You can peel the pears if your baby is just starting purees, otherwise you can leave then on as they will blend into a smooth puree.
I just wanted to write to say thanks so very much for this recipe. My toddler has a neuromuscular disease, and that means that everything is weaker, including the muscles that are supposed to move things along and keep him regular!
It’s no joke: he was starting to lose weight and his growth was slowing because the constipation made him too sick to eat well, and was impairing digestion of what he did eat. This is the ONLY THING that 1. He thinks is tasty enough to eat (he’s older so isn’t into purée texture in general), and 2. Works almost every time!
He had lost a pound when we started this, and now he has gained three pounds back, and has grown several inches! Between this and the techniques from his GI, he goes every single day instead of 5-6 days! What a relief 😅 Thanks so so much!!!
I am so sorry to hear about your toddler’s struggles, but am so happy that this has brought him (and you) some relief!
Hi
How many spoonfuls shall I give my 6 and half month baby of this mix at a go ?
Thank you
I would start with 1-2 ounces, and go from there.
This recipe worked wonders! I could tell my baby was uncomfortable haven’t pooed for 2 days. I gave him 1 cup of this recipe and he started straining within minutes and had a great large poop! Thank you thank you!
So happy to hear this!
You are my inspiration, I own few blogs and often run out from
post :).
I just made this and it is absolutely perfect! Thank you for your recipe.
Literally can’t believe how affective this recipe is. I made it and fed about 3 oz to my 7 month old who had been struggling to have a bowel movement. Within 15 minutes she released everything that had been backed up. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or this is the best recipe ever, but either way I’ll be using it in the future (for the whole family)! Thank you!
I am so glad that baby isn’t backed up anymore!
Hi, What kind of prunes do you use?
I used dried prunes, any brand will work.
Hi, how many time should I feed it to my baby? Do I feed it to him at every meal till he poops?
I would feed it to your baby 1-2 times a day until regular. Hope that helps.
I’ve fed my baby breakfast, lunch and dinner but he still hasn’t pooped yet and it’s been more than 24 hrs.
We also swear by prune puree whenever baby has constipation. Your blog is amazing.
Prunes definitely get the job done;). Thanks for being here.
My baby girl has been struggling for months with constipation and I don’t like using over the counter laxatives. So i tried giving her water, prune and apple juice, it all didn’t work until i tried this constipation cure purée. I only fed her twice (in two consecutive days) and i can’t believe it worked. She’s now popping nicely. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
So glad this recipe worked for your little one! It really is a miracle puree 🙂
I made this purée about 2 hours ago and my baby finished it about an hour ago and had a smooth textured poop not even 30 minutes later. He was constipated all week and this did the trick! Thank you!
So glad this puree worked for your little one so fast! What a relief (for both of you). 🙂
My almost 8 month old baby was constipated, we tried multiple things and nothing was working. So I made him Pears & Prunes! I didn’t have Cloves so that was left out. Within 24 hours he was had a movement! Without struggle, without strain! Thank you so so so much for this recipe! I’ll have a back stock in the freezer from now on! ❤️
So glad this puree worked for your little one! It really is a miracle puree!
My poor 6.5 month baby was crying and screaming trying to pass hard movements all day. I gave him 3 tablespoons of this and within 3 hours his movement came out soft and easy. Thank you thank you thank you!
Yay! I am so excited that this puree worked for your baby!
I cannot thank you enough for the plethora of information, recipes and encouragement I have received from your page. THANK YOU! My 9 month old most certainly rated better than I do lol.
Also, try son loves puree! Helps him with his constipation every time!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so glad you are here and your little one enjoys his purees!
New time mother here & I’ve been breastfeeding my 7month old as well as introducing solids here and there. He has always been regular. So when he was constipated for 5 days, I panicked. I tried massaging, warm baths, water, trying to give him more milk (though he wouldn’t suckle for too much). Then I came across a reddit post about prunes- I found this recipe. Gave my baby some, then more a couple hours later. I gave him a hot bath, more milk then BAM. Took only 5 hours for his diaper to EXPLODE! So stinky, so great! I will ALWAYS have this recipe at hand. Very tasty, very simple, & great!
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe worked for you! It’s crazy how ‘effective’ it is ;). I love to have a freezer stash on hand for when baby needs it the most.
Exactly! From that day on thats EXACTLY what I do! Thanks a bunch again!
I love all the recipes on this blog, but this one I need to really give a hats off to you for. It’s really tasty and it really works to help with the constipation!!
I wasn’t sure about adding clove, but it’s a very small amount, so it’s not overpowering. I was very pleasantly surprised. Love, love, love this recipe.
Thank you for your 5-star review! I am so glad you have been loving all of our recipes, especially this one! There is no false advertising on this puree – it really does do the job 😉.
We love this recipe! But if I ran out and needed to make a quick batch, if I substitute the pears for apples, do you think this will still help with constipation?