Looking for easy ways to serve broccoli to your baby? I’ve got you! This steamed broccoli with lemon recipe makes a flavorful, perfectly tender meal for little hands to grab, squish, and self-feed. Great for babies 6 months and up.

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

Teal baby plate sitting on my kitchen counter showing different ways to serve broccoli to baby.

Looking to serve your baby nutrient-dense broccoli right from the start? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of ways to get babies to enjoy broccoli, and while both of my kids preferred simple steamed broccoli florets with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, I know that’s not always a guaranteed win for every baby. That’s why this post includes four tried-and-true broccoli recipes that babies tend to love:

🥦 Steamed Broccoli with Lemon
🥦 Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
🥦 Broccoli and Ricotta
🥦 Broccoli Cheese Egg Muffins

The key is cooking the broccoli until it’s soft enough for your baby to gnaw on and safely eat, while still sturdy enough for little hands to pick up and self-feed.

For babies 6 months and up, you can serve broccoli in several baby-led weaning-friendly ways — tender steamed florets, finely chopped broccoli mixed with ricotta, or broccoli baked into soft, cheesy egg muffins.

The goal? To make broccoli delicious enough that it hopefully becomes a veggie your little one loves for years to come 💚

Broccoli for Baby-Led Weaning Video

Teal baby plate sitting on my kitchen counter showing different ways to serve broccoli to baby with the help of graphics and arrows pointing out the ages baby can have with size of broccoli.

How to Serve Broccoli for Baby-Led Weaning

A good rule of thumb to follow is the younger the baby, the bigger the piece of food. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but the bigger the piece of food, the more it allows your baby to hold onto it while chewing and sucking on it without posing as a high a choking hazard. For babies 6-9 months, you will want to cut food into 2-3′ strips or sticks roughly the size of 2 adult fingers. For babies 9-12 months, you can shred or cut food into ‘pea-size’ pieces.

6-8 Months: steam or roast bigger florets until tender.
8-10 Months: smaller florets or chopped pieces of steamed or roasted broccoli.
10-12 Months: chopped pieces of steamed or roasted broccoli.

Broccoli Puree: You can offer purees and still allow your baby to lead the way with self-feeding by offering the puree on a self-feeding spoon, by placing a few spoonfuls of the puree directly on the tray or in a bowl for your baby to dip their fingers into, or you can even use the puree as a dip for solid foods, such as a banana or piece of toast.

To the Kitchen, we go –>

Cutting board with chopped broccoli.
Steamer basket with steamed broccoli.
Steamer filled with steamed broccoli with a hand squeezing lemon on to them.
Blue baby plate with 3 different ways how to serve baby broccoli,
  • Chop some broccoli into florets. You can also slice the stem into 2-3″ pieces as well.
  • Place in a steamer basket and steam over boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
  • As the broccoli cools, add just a splash of fresh lemon juice. Toss.
  • Cut into age-appropriate pieces and serve to baby.

More Ways to Serve Broccoli to Your Baby

Hand holding a baby spoon with some broccoli ricotta mixture.
Hands holding a 6-cup muffin tin filled with colorful liners and broccoli egg cups.
  • Roasted Broccoli – served with a pinch of garlic for warm and earthy finger food for your baby!
  • Broccoli Ricotta Mash – Steamed broccoli and creamy ricotta come together in this delicious mash for baby! This thick and chunky mash can be served to your baby on their highchair tray, in a bowl, or with a baby-led weaning spoon.
  • Broccoli Cheese Egg Muffins – These Egg Muffins are made with a few simple ingredients and a great way for your baby to explore a healthy and tasty meal that is soft and easy to chew. Serve these egg muffins cut in half, in chunks or strips.
Teal baby plate sitting on my kitchen counter showing different ways to serve broccoli to baby.

Get the recipe: Steamed Broccoli with Lemon for Baby-Led Weaning

5 stars (6 ratings)
Looking for easy ways to serve broccoli to your baby? I’ve got you! This steamed broccoli with lemon recipe makes a flavorful, perfectly tender meal for little hands to grab, squish, and self-feed. Great for babies 6 months and up.
Yield: 8 small servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Baby Led Weaning, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients 

  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions 

  • In a medium saucepan, bring 2" of water to a boil over high heat. Add a steamer basket with the broccoli florets. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork.
  • Remove from heat, and let cool.
  • Squeeze the lemon juice on the broccoli and toss.

Notes

Age: 6+ months
Broccoli Ricotta Mash: In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp of steamed chopped broccoli and 2 tbsp whole-milk ricotta until well combined.
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic: Add 2 cups of broccoli florets to a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Bake in a 425°F oven for 20 minutes. 
Broccoli Cheddar Egg Cups: these broccoli egg cups are another great way for baby to try broccoli.

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