Kid's Health

Blueberry Puree For Baby | The Picky Eater

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My healthy, antioxidant-rich blueberry puree for baby combines sweet blueberries, crisp Fuji apples, creamy banana, and juicy mango. I also have a simple 2-minute version made with just blueberries and water. It’s great for anyone looking to make an easy blueberry baby food recipe at home, and it’s so delicious, your little one will love it!

Blueberry puree for baby served in a glass jar.

Remember the Gerber Blueberry Buckle recipe that babies couldn’t get enough of? Well, they don’t sell it anymore, but that’s actually a good thing since that particular brand of commercial baby food was loaded with sugar.

But blueberries in general are so healthy and packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals (source), that I knew I had to create my own blueberry baby food recipe at home!

I’m so happy that my version is naturally sweet, and tastes just as good as the Gerber baby food, but is more budget-friendly, added-sugar free, made with simple ingredients, and is a great first food.

You can do so much more with my blueberry puree besides feeding it to a baby. Sometimes I mix it into oatmeal for breakfast, turn it into mini popsicles for a snack, or use it to make a dessert. My kids may be older now, but they still love it!

🫐 When Can Babies Eat Blueberries?

You can introduce blueberries to your baby between 4 to 6 months of age. They are an excellent fruit to add to your baby’s diet as they are healthy and not a common allergen.

Just keep in mind that blueberries for 6 month old babies and younger need to be pureed. Whole berries can be a choking hazard. For older babies who like chunkier food and can use their gums, you can serve mashed up blueberries or cut them into tiny bite-sized pieces as finger food.

I introduced both of my kids to blueberry puree at around 6-7 months, and once they became a little older (around 11-12 months), I gave them mashed or tiny cut up blueberry pieces to eat.

Perfect for busy parents, my homemade blueberry baby food is a simple, budget-friendly fruit baby food recipe that is quick and easy to make. Every baby I’ve made this for tends to love the sweet blueberry flavor and the creamy texture.

I’m a big fan of making baby food at home because it’s cheaper than the store-bought version, and unlike commercial baby food, homemade baby food recipes with blueberries have no added sugar or preservatives!

Some blueberry benefits for baby include high levels of antioxidants, flavonoids, fiber, and nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and manganese (source). They also aid in heart and brain health and help with hydration (source).

I also love that I can easily create different types of blueberry combination baby food with one recipe or use the puree for smoothies, oatmeal bowls or other recipes for older kids and adults. It’s really easy to customize my recipe by swapping out different fruits, adding spices, or mixing it with other types of baby food.

But the best part is that my baby food with blueberries is perfect for making in bulk. It stores well in the freezer for months. It’s a great recipe for meal prep for baby!

Latest Recipe Video!

🥘 Ingredients

My blueberry puree doesn’t call for any special ingredients. All you need are a few basic fruits that you can find at any grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact amounts and nutritional information.

Organic Blueberries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries for baby food. I tend to use frozen organic wild blueberries because they are easily available throughout the year. If using fresh, look for berries that are plump and a deep blue color.

Organic Fuji Apples: Fuji apples are my favorite variety of apples! This type of crisp apple is refreshing and has a hint of tartness along with notes of honey and citrus, which make them excellent for baking and cooking.

Organic Banana: The banana adds natural sweetness, and creaminess. Make sure your banana is ripe as unripe bananas have a slightly bitter flavor.

Organic Frozen Mangoes: For a little extra creaminess and sweetness, I add some frozen mango.

🔪 How To Make Blueberry Puree For Baby

Learning how to make blueberry baby food is super easy and requires just a few simple steps! Watch my video below to see the step-by-step process.

Simmer Fruit: To begin, I add the blueberries, apples, and mangoes along with ½ cup water to a large pot. Then I bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and let the fruit simmer for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

cooked blueberries mangoes apples in a pot

Blend Blueberries: Once cooked, I pour the blueberry mixture into a blender and add the banana. Next, I let it cool slightly and then puree blueberries for baby until nice and smooth adding extra water if needed for a thinner puree.

Store Or Freeze: After it’s pureed, I pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate it, or portion it into ice cube trays, wrap them, and freeze.

Other Cooking Methods

When it comes to how to cook blueberries for baby you’ve got options. If you follow my simple recipe, I use the boiling method but you can use your oven or a steamer if you prefer.

Roasting: I do love roasting fruit, as roasting brings out an incredible caramelization and depth of flavor. To make roasted blueberry fruit puree put the blueberries on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes, and then follow the rest of the steps of my recipe.

Steaming: You can also make this recipe with a steamer. Set up your steamer by filling the bottom with water according to the manufacturer’s instructions, place the blueberries, mango, and apple in the steamer basket, and then steam until they are soft and tender. After steaming, finish the recipe per my instructions.

My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to use a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, to achieve a super smooth puree. A regular blender will blend the blueberries and other fruit but won’t achieve that smooth texture you would find in a store-bought baby food puree.

If you don’t have a high-powered blender, I recommend investing in one because then you won’t need a special baby food maker at all! You can use the high-quality blender for both your homemade baby food, and you can continue using it for all sorts of other recipes as your baby moves past purees.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Use Organic Blueberries: Blueberries are on the dirty dozen plus list, so I highly recommend using organic blueberries when possible.
Cook Frozen Blueberries: If using frozen blueberries, I always cook them over the stovetop first to soften them and help get that jammy quality. For fresh blueberries, you can add them directly to the blender.
Stuck Blender: When (or if) my blender gets stuck, I just add a bit of water to help get the blades moving.
Stir Before Serving: Give your baby blueberry puree a good stir before serving, especially if defrosting from frozen. This ensures all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Defrost Properly: For the best results, I thaw the puree overnight in an airtight container rather than warming it in the microwave.
Watch For Allergies: When introducing new foods to your baby, only introduce one new food at a time and wait two days before introducing any other new foods to monitor for any allergic reaction.

📖 Blueberry Puree Combinations For Baby

Once you learn how to make blueberry baby food you can take my recipe and create different combinations and variations. Just follow the simple principle of adding the fresh fruits to a large pot, simmering for 10 minutes, transferring to a blender, and pureeing.

Here are some of my other blueberry baby food combinations:

2-Minute Blueberry Puree Recipe: Take 24 ounces of frozen, thawed blueberries, add to a blender with at least ½ cup water (more if needed), and blend until smooth!

Blueberry Yogurt Puree For Baby: After blending, I would take the puree and mix it with 1-2 tablespoons of organic, whole milk yogurt for a creamier finish.

Use Banana: Omit the apples and mangoes from this recipe and make blueberry banana puree for baby. I would use this as a substitute whenever I didn’t have apples and mangoes on hand!

Blueberry Apple Baby Food: Omit the mangoes and bananas and make it as directed.

Blueberry Pear Baby Food: Mix my blueberry baby puree with my pear baby food recipe in a 1:1 ratio.

Add Strawberries: Omit the apple and mango and make a strawberry and blueberry puree for baby. I use frozen strawberries.

Mixed Berry Puree For Babies: Use a frozen berry medley as a 1:1 replacement for the blueberries.

Baby Blueberry Oatmeal: Mix the blended blueberries with up to 4 tablespoons of cooked rolled oats.

Sweet Potato Blueberry: Combine it with baby foods like this butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree. You can also mix in some pureed white beans for more protein!

Add Spices: When preparing blueberries for baby I often add a pinch of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or even cardamom.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Now that you know how to make berry puree for baby, I want to share some different ways that you can serve it to babies, older kids, and adults! Here are some of my favorites.

Baby Food Stage 1 & 2: Serve it as a smooth, puree, or mixed with other pureed baby food. You can also make blueberry baby food stage 1 by mixing it with breastmilk or formula right before feeding. Just don’t mix it and store it either in the fridge or freezer as it spoils quickly. If using formula, I recommend one of these organic baby formulas which have a close formulation to breastmilk.

Baby Food Stage 3: For older babies that are 8+ months, I would make a simple blueberry mash recipe. Just don’t blend the mixture completely and leave it as a chunky puree that your baby can gum. At this age, my kids also liked it when I stirred the puree into cooked oatmeal.

Toddlers: I sometimes freeze the puree in popsicle molds for a refreshing treat. My kids love it when I swirl some into these banana popsicles. I’ve also mixed it into the batter of these oat flour pancakes.

Older Kids & Adults: Blend some with yogurt, milk, and a banana for a delicious and nutritious smoothie, or mix some into this banana smoothie bowl. I use it as a topping for these spinach pancakes, vegan protein waffles, and vegan French toast. It’s also perfect with this lychee ice cream.

🧊 Storage Directions

Fridge: Once the puree is cool, I transfer it to an airtight container or jar and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. A clean and sanitized mason jar works well.

Freezer: For longer storage, I transfer the puree to a baby food storage container, ice cube trays, or baby food trays. Wrap and seal them so they are airtight, and freeze overnight. After 1-2 days, I pop out the blueberry cubes and place them in a freezer bag for easy storage. The puree will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Defrost: When ready to serve, I take a portion and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to defrost overnight. Alternatively, you can quick-defrost it in the microwave. Be careful not to heat it for too long, and always test the temperature before giving it to baby.

❓Recipe FAQs

WHY IS MY PUREE WATERY?

Your puree might be watery if you’ve added too much liquid during the blending process. Additionally, some fruits naturally have high water content, which can make the puree thinner. If this happens, I thicken the puree by adding a bit of baby cereal or another banana.

Can I puree frozen berries?

You can blend frozen blueberries, however, to get a smooth puree I recommend thawing frozen berries first before blending.

HOW LONG TO STEAM BLUEBERRIES FOR BABY FOOD?

If you’re using frozen blueberries, cook them over the stovetop for about 10 minutes until they are soft and tender. If you’re using fresh blueberries, you can add them directly to the blender without steaming.

HOW DO I SANITIZE JARS FOR STORING BABY FOOD?

First, wash your jars with hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Then submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes, making sure they are completely covered. Use tongs to remove them and place them on a clean towel to dry.

Blueberry puree for baby served in a glass jar with a wooden spoon.

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