This puree carrots for baby recipe is a great stage 1 baby food recipe that can be made in 3 ways and served either as carrot puree, carrot mash and baby-led weaning for your 6 month old baby or older. Only 5 min prep.
*This post has been reviewed by Dora Babic-Cikos, PhD Nutritional Science
Ingredients and nutrition
- Ingredient: this is a stage 1 baby food puree so we will just use 1 ingredient - a carrot (for carrot puree combinations scroll to the bottom)
- Type: you can use any type of carrot you like, including baby carrots or even antioxidant rich purple carrots
- Nutrition: it will depend on what type of carrots you use, but the majority are full of carotenoids, antioxidants that have been found to protect from cancer. Carrots mostly contain water and complex carbohydrates (and fiber) and are a low glycemic index food, meaning they don't spike up the blood sugar like processed carbs
- How to store carrots: unwashed carrots keep at room temperature for a week or so, or a little longer in the fridge. If you want them to last longer then wash, peel, and submerge in cold water to store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks
How to cook carrots for baby recipe?
There are 3 methods to make carrot puree for babies: steaming, boiling and roasting.
Steaming retains the most nutrients, followed by roasting and then boiling. Most of the beneficial nutrients found in carrots are water-soluble meaning that they are released into the water while cooking. That's why roasting and steaming are far better options than cooking.
TIP: If you want to try out baby-led weaning in addition to puree, scroll below to find instructions on how to prepare and serve baby-led weaning carrots.
Method 1: How to steam carrots for puree?
- Trim the tops, peel, wash the carrots and cut them into chunks.
- Place water in a saucepan. Once boiling place the carrots in a steamer basket on top, cover and steam for about 15 minutes until soft. Retain the water from steaming for the puree.
- Transfer the carrots to a blender, food processor or Vitamix and blend. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.
Method 2: How long to boil carrots for baby food?
- Trim the tops, peel, wash the carrots and cut them into chunks.
- Place water in a saucepan. Once boiling add the carrots, cover, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes until tender.
- Transfer the carrots to a blender, food processor or Vitamix and blend. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.
Method 3: Roasted carrot baby food
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Trim the tops, peel, wash the carrots and slice them horizontally.
- Drizzle with olive oil so they soften while roasting and spread them in one line on the tray.
- Roast for about 30 minutes.
- Transfer the carrots to a blender, food processor or Vitamix and blend. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.
How to feed carrot to baby?
Carrot baby food for 6 month old baby:
- Puree carrots - have a few spoons available. Place puree on a preloaded spoon in front of the baby so they can explore. Or place a tiny bit of puree on the tray so they can dip their finger and then lick it. The more we allow children to have control over their feeding the better their relationship with food will be.
- Mashed carrots for baby food - If you have already given your baby many different stage 1 purees and they are doing great with feeding then you can offer them mashed carrot which has a little bit more texture. Follow either the boiling or steaming method and then mash the carrot with a fork. Give them a preloaded spoon or place a small amount in front of them.
- Baby-led weaning - using the boiling or steaming method make sure the carrots are cut in half horizontally and they are so soft that they can be mashed in between your fingers.
Baby food carrot for 9 month old baby+:
- Pincer grasp - this is a great time for your baby to try developing their pincer grasp skills so cut the boiled or steamed carrot into pieces the size of your fingernail and serve on the baby's plate or tray.
Carrot baby food storage
- Puree is best stored in airtight containers in the fridge. In freezer use ice cube trays or specific trays for baby puree like this one from Keedo Feedo.
- Store in fridge for 3 days and freezer for up to 6 months
- Thaw overnight in fridge in airtight container
- To serve remove it 2 hours in advance from the fridge so the puree reaches room temperature and then you don't have to reheat it
- Reheat in a small saucepan on the stove with a tsp of water
Baby allergy to carrots?
Carrots are not really classified as a common allergen but that doesn't mean someone cannot be allergic to carrots. The good thing is that known carrot allergies haven't been shown as fatal and severe ones but rather manifest as an oral allergy mostly when a raw carrot is ingested.
Main symptoms are itchiness of the mouth and/or throat and swelling of the mouth, tongue, or face. The bad thing here is that a small baby won't be able to tell you if they have an itch so it is very important to observe your baby each time a new food is offered (including carrots) and check for any unusual symptoms or behavior while eating.
If you notice that your baby is allergic, immediately remove all foods from their mouth and reach out to your doctor/pediatrician.
Carrot puree baby food combinations
If you are passed stage 1 baby puree and you want to make homemade baby food more exciting you can combine carrots with:
- Chicken
- Sweet Potato
- Pumpkin
- Butternut squash
- Apples
- Pears
- Peach
- Beef
- Chicken Butternut squash puree
- Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree
- Olive oil
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Curry powder
FAQ
Yes, carrots are a great first food for baby because they are a sweet vegetable with lots of vitamins. They can be given to babies from 4 months onwards. However most recommendations state that babies should start solid foods at 6 months old. See here more recipes for 6 month old baby.
You can either give as a carrot puree, mashed with a fork, very soft but in bigger chunks for baby-led weaning, or if your baby is ready for pincer grasp then cut into small pieces. All methods require carrots to be cooked until soft.
No because they are a very hard vegetable so it is better to cook. Also, for younger babies their digestive system is not yet developed to be able to efficiently process raw carrots so eating raw ones (if they are at all able to) might lead to digestive problems like tummy ache or constipation.
Carrots or carrot puree are not a known constipation-causing food since it does contain fiber but each body and digestive system reacts differently so constipation after eating carrot puree cannot be ruled out. If you notice that your baby has trouble passing stool and is cramped after eating carrot puree than you might want to cut back on it for a few days and offer it alongside fiber-rich foods such as wholegrains or seeds.
If you've tried this recipe for kids then rate the recipe below and leave us a comment!
More homemade baby food recipes you will enjoy
Baby Food Carrot Puree Recipe
EQUIPMENT
- Small Blender optional
- Food Processor optional
- Vitamix optional
Ingredients
- 500 g carrots
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
Method 1: How to steam carrots for puree?
- Trim the tops, peel, wash the carrots and cut them into chunks. Place water in a saucepan. Once boiling place the carrots in a steamer basket on top, cover and steam for about 15 minutes until soft. Retain the water from steaming for the puree.
- Transfer the carrots to a blender, food processor or Vitamix and blend. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency
Method 2: How long to boil carrots for baby food?
- Trim the tops, peel, wash the carrots and cut them into chunks. Place water in a saucepan. Once boiling add the carrots, cover, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes until tender.
- Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.
Method 3: Roasted carrot baby food
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Trim the tops, peel, wash the carrots and slice them horizontally. Drizzle with olive oil so they soften while roasting and spread them in one line on the tray. Roast for about 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.
Notes
- Airtight containers in the fridge. In freezer use ice cube trays or specific trays for baby puree like this one from Keedo Feedo
- Store in fridge for 3 days and freezer for up to 6 months
- Thaw overnight in fridge in airtight container
- To serve remove it 2 hours in advance from the fridge so the puree reaches room temperature and then you don't have to reheat it
- Reheat in a small saucepan on the stove with a tsp of water
Nutrition
If you've tried this recipe for kids then rate the recipe below and leave us a comment!
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