Easy Baby Oatmeal

With Max the first food I gave him was apple puree, followed by sweet potato puree. But soon enough I knew he needed something more substantial, higher in carbs and calories in order to keep him full. And that is where oats come in.

Most baby cereals are heavily processed and have additives and other ingredients. I prefer to make as much homemade baby food as possible (if time allows) especially if it is easy and quick. And making your own oats for babies is simple, quick and nutritious.

Why we love this recipe:

• easy homemade baby oatmeal cereal
• protein-rich
• fiber packed
• ready in 5 minutes
• great stage 1 baby food
• for 6 month old baby and older

Oats benefits for baby

Oats are one of the best foods that you can offer your baby when they start weaning. Not only are they a great source of calories and complex carbohydrates but they are also filled with fiber which comes in handy in those first days of weaning when the baby's digestive tract is getting used to solids.

Oats are also a nice source of protein and do have some fat making them a grain with the most protein and fat.

Baby oatmeal allergy?

Oats are not considered a high allergen food and are actually quite safe as one of the first foods to give to your baby.

Nevertheless you always need to be mindful of the fact that any food can be an allergen to an individual so watch out for any signs of intolerance if you give it to your baby for the first time.

How to make oats for babies?

You can use any oats you have on hand. Here we will show how you can make them with 3 different types: quick/instant oats, rolled oats, and steel cut oats.

All oats first start as groats - which are usually toasted to make them more shelf stable. Then they are processed into different varieties of oats.

Do oats for babies need to be blended into a smooth consistency?

No. Cooked oats are not a choking hazard no matter the type. When prepared they are so soft and so small that they do not pose a choking risk and therefore do not need to be blended.

However if you prefer, after you have cooked them you can blend them (we use the Magic Bullet in that case).

That being said, offering you children different textures from 6 months old onward is beneficial for their oral-motor development. Scroll below to see how to offer oats baby-led weaning to baby.

Rolled oats are made by first steaming the grain of oats and then flattening it. These are cooked faster than steel cut oats and hold their shape very well. This is the variety we tend to use most in our home because it is less processed than instant oats and hold their shape well for baby-led weaning.

1. Place the oats in a saucepan with double the amount of water, breastmilk or formula.
2. Bring to boil, then lower the temperature to medium until oats absorb the water (and add all the additional ingredients you want) - about 5 minutes.
3. Cool and serve

Quick/Instant Oats for 6 month old baby

Quick/instant oats are most processed of the bunch. They are basically rolled oats that have been chopped into smaller pieces then cooked and dried so they cook very quickly.

1. Place quick/instant oats in a saucepan with double the amount of water or breastmilk.
2. Turn to high until boiling, stir a few times and after about 2 minutes the oats should have absorbed all the water and you should have baby oatmeal cereal ready.

Steel cut baby oatmeal cereal

Made by chopping the whole groat into several pieces. It is the least processed and therefore requires the longest cooking. It is also chewy in texture and not a favorite for lots of people.

1. Place quick/instant oats in a saucepan with double the amount of water or breastmilk.
2. Bring to boil, then lower the temperature to medium until oats absorb the water - about 20 minutes.
3. Cool and serve.

How to serve oats for babies?

• on a preloaded spoon so they can practice gross motor movement (we like these Avanchy spoons for younger babies, and Doddl for older babies)
• in a bowl that has been suctioned to the tray so they can scoop it out an feed themselves (we use this bamboo bowl)
• roll the rolled oats into a ball that they can grab and feed themselves for a perfect baby-led weaning opportunity

How to store baby oatmeal?

• Store oatmeal in fridge for 3 days or freezer for 3 months
• if you use breastmilk, formula or milk for older babies then storage will be based on the ingredient you used
• if you used frozen breastmilk then the oatmeal only lasts 24 hours whereas if you use fresh breastmilk it can be stored in the fridge up to 3 days
• to warm up I personally leave it outside of the fridge 2 hours before serving or you can put it in the microwave or heat in a saucepan with a tiny bit of water

Variations and flavorings for baby oatmeal

• the recipe below includes our favorite variation with peanut butter, banana, coconut oil and cinnamon
• You can add any stage 1 baby food puree you may have pre-frozen or on hand, such as apple puree, strawberry puree, puree carrots for baby recipe, mango puree
• add a mashed banana, mashed raspberries, mashed strawberries, mashed peaches or nectarines
• add peanut butter or any other nut butter as a great way to introduce and test for nut allergies
• spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg work great
• stir in some delicious coconut oil, yoghurt or kefir for calorie boost
• chia seeds, hemp seeds and flaxseeds
• try readers favorites such as Apple Banana Oatmeal, Strawberry Oatmeal, Blueberry Oatmeal with Kefir and Almond butter