10+ Baby Food Recipes Stage 1 to Help Your Little One Start Healthy Eating

Starting your baby on solid foods can feel a little intimidating. You want to offer safe, healthy options, but you’re also hoping they’ll actually eat it.

Stage 1 baby food recipes keep things simple and gentle for tiny tummies. These purees introduce new tastes and textures, plus they pack in key nutrients your little one needs.

Making your own baby food at home is usually easier than folks think—and honestly, it’s often healthier than store-bought jars. You get to choose exactly what goes in, so it’s all fresh and natural.

Let’s dig into some easy ideas and tips for making those first purees.

1) Sweet potato puree

Sweet potato puree makes a gentle first food. Babies tend to love the naturally sweet flavor and velvety texture.

You can bake or steam sweet potatoes. Baking brings out more flavor, but steaming is faster.

After cooking, peel off the skin and blend the flesh until it’s smooth. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water or breast milk.

Serve it alone, or mix with other mild veggies down the road.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• Water, breast milk, or formula (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Wash and poke holes in the sweet potato with a fork.
3. Bake on a tray for 45-60 minutes, until soft.
4. Cool, peel, and blend until smooth.
5. Add water or milk if you need to thin it out.

2) Banana puree

Banana puree is a classic first food. It’s sweet, easy to digest, and you can make it in seconds.

Just mash or blend a ripe banana until it’s silky. If you want to get fancy, try roasting the banana first—it adds a subtle caramel note.

Make sure your banana’s nice and ripe for the best texture. Store leftovers in the fridge for two days, or freeze small portions for later.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana

Cooking Instructions

1. Peel and slice the banana.
2. Mash or blend until smooth.
3. For roasted flavor, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and roast the peeled banana for 10 minutes before blending.
4. Serve fresh or store as needed.

3) Avocado puree

Avocado puree is creamy, mild, and full of healthy fats for growing brains. The smooth texture makes it an easy win for stage 1.

Mash up ripe avocado with a fork or give it a quick blend. If you want to save leftovers, a little lime juice can help keep it green (just a few drops).

You can also mix avocado with banana or pear for a new flavor. It’s gentle on little tummies and usually gets gobbled up.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• Few drops of lime juice (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Cut avocado in half and remove the pit.
2. Scoop out the flesh.
3. Mash or blend until smooth.
4. Add lime juice if you want to keep it from browning.
5. Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to a day.

4) Carrot puree

Carrot puree is mild and loaded with vitamins. Start with fresh carrots and cook them until they’re super soft.

Peel and chop the carrots, then steam or boil them. Once they’re tender, blend with a bit of water until you get the right texture.

Adjust the thickness with more water or breast milk. It’s a simple way to introduce solids.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium carrots
• Water as needed

Cooking Instructions:

1. Wash, peel, and chop carrots.
2. Steam or boil for 15-20 minutes until very soft.
3. Blend with a splash of water until smooth.
4. Let cool before serving.

5) Pea puree

Pea puree is another smooth, gentle starter. You can use fresh or frozen peas—whatever’s easiest.

Cook the peas until soft, then blend with water, breast milk, or formula. For younger babies, thin it out a bit more.

Freeze extra portions in small containers for quick meals later.

Ingredients

• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• Water, breast milk, or formula (to thin)

Cooking Instructions

1. Put peas in a pot and cover with an inch of water.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Cook about 5 minutes, until tender.
4. Drain and blend.
5. Add liquid to thin, blend until smooth.
6. Serve warm or let cool.

6) Apple puree

Apple puree is gentle and sweet—babies usually love it. Start with fresh apples, and you only need a couple steps.

Peel and chop the apples, then steam or boil them until very soft. Cool, then blend until smooth.

Add water or breast milk if you want a thinner puree. This one’s great for babies 6 months and up.

Ingredients

• 2 medium apples
• Water or breast milk (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Peel and core apples.
2. Chop into small pieces.
3. Steam or boil for 10-15 minutes until soft.
4. Cool, then blend until smooth.
5. Add liquid if needed.

Find more apple puree tips here.

7) Brown rice cereal puree

Brown rice cereal is a classic starter. It’s easy to digest and gives a little nutritional boost.

You just need brown rice and water. Homemade versions are lower in arsenic than some store-bought options, which feels reassuring.

Mix in breast milk or formula to get the texture just right. Later on, you can add mashed fruit for extra flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Breast milk or formula (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Rinse the rice.
2. Cook in water for about 45 minutes, until very soft.
3. Let cool, then blend with cooking water until smooth.
4. Thin with breast milk or formula if needed.
5. Serve lukewarm.

8) Pumpkin puree

Pumpkin puree is smooth, lightly sweet, and easy on tiny tummies. Serve it solo, or try mixing with apples or yogurt for a twist.

Roast fresh pumpkin until soft, then blend until creamy. The texture is perfect for new eaters.

You can even stir pumpkin puree into oatmeal or pancakes for a nutrition boost. No added sugars or weird stuff—just pumpkin.

Ingredients

• Fresh pumpkin (peeled and chopped)
• Water (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet.
3. Roast 30-40 minutes until soft.
4. Cool, then blend until smooth.
5. Add water if you need to thin it out.

9) Chicken liver puree

Chicken liver puree is full of iron and vitamins—super important for babies. The flavor is mild, and it blends up nice and smooth.

Start by gently cooking the liver in a little coconut oil or butter. Go slow so it stays soft.

Puree with warm broth or water to get the right texture. If you want to sweeten things up, blend in a little apple or a few berries.

Ingredients

• 100g chicken liver
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter
• 1/4 cup warm broth or water
• Optional: 1 small apple or a handful of berries

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oil or butter in a pan over medium.
2. Cook chicken liver until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Let cool a bit.
4. Blend liver, broth, and optional fruit until smooth.
5. Add more liquid if you need to thin it.
6. Serve warm or refrigerate.

Want more details? Check out this nutrient-dense chicken liver pate.

10) Beef puree

Beef puree is a solid way to get your baby started on protein and iron. Just grab some lean beef and cook it until it’s really tender.

Simmering the beef in low-sodium broth gives it a bit more flavor, but you won’t have to worry about extra salt sneaking in. After it cooks, toss the beef and a splash of the cooking liquid in the blender and blitz until it’s smooth.

This texture should make swallowing a lot easier for your little one. If you want, you can sprinkle in a tiny bit of oregano or thyme for a gentle flavor boost.

Try beef puree with babies 6 months or older. Always keep an eye on your baby when you introduce something new.

Ingredients

• 100g lean beef
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth or water
• Optional: a pinch of oregano or thyme

Cooking Instructions

1. Cut beef into small pieces.
2. Simmer beef in broth or water for about 20 minutes until tender.
3. Let it cool slightly.
4. Blend beef and cooking liquid until smooth.
5. Add more liquid if needed for consistency.