Get the recipe: Pumpkin for Baby-Led Weaning
Learn how to serve pumpkin for baby-led weaning or making purees with this informative guide. Pumpkin is full of essential nutrients, making it a great first food for babies 6 months and up. Serve pumpkin as a baby food puree, as a solid for the finger food stage, or for baby-led weaning.
Ingredients
- 1/2 small pie pumpkin, deseeded and cut into chunks
- pinch cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place half of a pumpkin onto a cutting board.
- Deseed the pumpkin and cut it into large chunks.
- Place the chunks onto a the baking sheet and place in the oven.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork.
- Cut or mash into age appropriate pieces.
Notes
Age: 6+ months
Yield: 8 portions for baby
How to Cut:
Mashed or wedges (cooked) - (6-9 months): Baby can eat cooked and mashed pumpkin with their hands or from a pre-loaded spoon. They can also gnaw and munch on wedge-shaped pieces (about the size of 2 adult fingers in width) of well-cooked pumpkin, with the rind on or off at this stage.
Bite-sized pieces (cooked) - (9-12+ months): Bite-sized pumpkin pieces will allow your baby to practice using their pincer grasp, which is developing at this age. You can also continue to offer mashed pumpkin or large pieces of well-cooked pumpkin (with rind removed at this age). Once you toddler is around 12-24 months, you can start to offer bite-sized pieces of cooked pumpkin with a fork to encourage utensil use.
Storage: you can store this recipe in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Puree for Self-Feeding: Yes, it can be done! You can offer purees and still allow your baby to lead the way with self-feeding.
- Place a few spoonfuls of purees directly on the tray or in a bowl for your baby to dip fingers into. Model how to dip your fingers into the puree and bring them to your mouth, to taste some.
- Offer your baby a pre-loaded self-feeding utensil and hold it out for them to grasp or set on their tray.
- Use a solid food as a dipper. You can also offer a soft stick-shaped piece of food, such as a soft roasted carrot or bread lightly toasted and cut into strips to dip into the puree.
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