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