Get the recipe: Instant Pot Baby Food
Using an Instant Pot is a quick and nutritious way to make baby food purees or finger foods for baby-led weaning! Up to 6 different baby foods made in 3-minutes! Great for 4 months and up!
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or cubes for puree
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or cubes for puree
- 1 small zucchini, cut into rounds, peeling is optional
- 1 1/2 cups squash (butternut, acorn, winter), fresh or frozen works - peeled and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or cubes for puree
- 2 medium beets (red or golden), peeled and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or cubes for puree
- 1 red pepper, cored and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or cubes for puree
- 1 1/2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 1/2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen, trimmed and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or small strips for purees
- 1 1/2 cups asparagus, fresh or frozen, trimmed and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or small strips for purees
Fruit
- 1 medium sweet apple, leave the skin on and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or peel and cut into cubes for puree
- 1 medium pear, leave the skin on and cut into 2-3" strips for BLW or peel and cut into cubes for puree
- 1 1/2 cup peaches, frozen or very firm work best, peeled and sliced
- 1 1/2 cup mango frozen or very firm work best, peeled and sliced
- 1 1/2 cup pitted cherries, frozen work best
Base of Instant Pot
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Prep Instant Pot: plug in the Instant Pot and add the trivet to the bottom.
- Prep Produce: peel and chop produce according to directions. Add the prepped produce into separate ramekins. If making a bigger batch of baby food, you can use a steamer basket.
- Water: add in 1 cup of water to the bottom of the instant pot.
- Layer: if using ramekins, place 3 ramekins on top of the trivet.
- Second Layer: you can either add another row of ramekins or a steamer basket filled with additional food.
- Cook: lock the lid on tight and place the valve in the sealing position. Selection Manual High Pressure and set the time for 3 minutes.
- Quick Release: Once the timer is up, quick release the pressure, turn off the Instant Pot and remove the lid. Let the ramekins cool for a few minutes until you can safely touch them, they will be hot.
- Puree for Baby Puree: using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked produce to a blender, food processor or larger bowl, leaving any liquid in the ramekin. Puree until smooth adding liquid to the puree in small quantities as needed. Since the produce is very tender, you can also just mash it with the back of a fork for a chunkier puree.
- Strain for Baby-Led Weaning: if you are serving the produce whole for baby-led weaning, you will want to strain out any liquid that is at the bottom of the ramekin.
- Eat: serve the puree or store for another meal.
Notes
Age: 4 months and up
Yield: roughly 30-40 ounces depending on how much you add to the ramekins or steamer basket.
Note on Chopping: if you are going to puree your fruit and vegetables, then I would roughly chop them into cubes as you will be able to fit more produce into each ramekin. If you are going to serve as finger foods - then I would slice them into 2-3" strips. Exceptions: for beets, I would chop into smaller chunks and then once cooked I would either mash with a fork (creating a pancake of sorts) or dice into "pea" size shapes. For zucchini, I would slice into rounds, cook and then before serving cut into "pea" size shapes. I have found that strips of beets and zucchini don't always hold up as well and can get super mushy.
Note on Ramekins: I love the 10 oz ramekins as I can easily fit 6 of them in my instant pot at the same time. The size and depth of your brand of Instant Pot and ramekins will determine how many will ultimately fit in there. If you don't want to invest in a set of ramekins for just this recipe, you can use any bowl or jar labeled as "oven-safe" and some popular brands are Pyrex, CorningWare, Anchor Hocking and canning jars. You can also use any steamer basket in the Instant Pot if it fits.
Blending: since you are making such a small quantity of baby food with this method, I have found that using a food processor or handheld emersion blender work the best to get a smooth puree. You will want to also drain any liquid from the ramekins before transferring the produce to another bowl or food processor to blend. If the puree is too thick, you can add the liquid back in a little at a time.
Storage: you can store the purees or the finger foods in the fridge – store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezer – can be frozen for up to 4 months. See post above for more details.
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