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This butternut squash baby food puree is rich in flavor, vitamins, and minerals for your little one! It’s a simple puree recipe that has a naturally sweet taste your baby will love! A delicious stage 1 food to introduce to your baby.
This was both of my kids’ absolute favorite purees when we first started solid foods! They would happily eat roasted butternut squash at meal times. That’s right – roasted and caramelized butternut squash for your baby’s diet – how delicious does that sound?
It takes a while to make – you have to let the butternut squash roast in the oven for an hour, then you have to peel off the outside and get all the flesh into the blender (this can get messy) and then puree and freeze. So basically: make this butternut squash baby food in bulk!
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Another tip: save yourself the cleanup and use parchment paper on your sheet tray – that way you won’t be scrubbing the caramelized goodness of butternut squash off your sheet tray for days. 🙂
Butternut squash is another nutritional powerhouse – it’s deep orange hue is a good indication of its nutritive value! It is rich in Vitamin A, B vitamins, Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and fiber – making it a great first food for babies (and delicious for adults too!)
This simple puree will become a favorite baby food recipe!
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and Easy
- Only one ingredient, plus water
- Many Cooking Method Options
- An excellent source of vitamins and minerals
- A Stage 1 first food, for 6 months of age and up
- Has a natural mild flavor and subtle sweetness that babies love
- Smooth and creamy
- Less expensive than store bought
How to Make Butternut Squash Baby Food Puree
Ingredients and Notes
Butternut Squash: When preparing homemade baby food, I like to create a lot so that I can freeze it, and use throughout the month. I recommend using 2 medium butternut squashes. It will yield about 20 servings for baby. You can also use any winter squash for this recipe to change things up.
Water: In order to get a smooth puree, you’ll need to add water to thin out the butternut squash. You’ll need approximately 16 ounces of water.
Equipment Needed
- A goodCutting BoardandKnife
- A qualityBaking Sheet!
- A high-speedblenderorfood processorfor pureeing. You don’t need a baby food maker!
- An ice cube tray like Mumi & Bubi Traysfor storing
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven and prep butternut squash: Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove butternut squash seeds. Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Roast Butternut Squash: Pour 8oz water onto the parchment paper. Roast for about an hour until tender. The squash should be bubbling and caramelized.
Puree Butternut Squash: Allow to cool 10-15 minutes until you can hold it without a problem. Peel off the outside thick skin and put flesh of the squash into a blender with 8oz water. Puree until smooth.
Prep for Freezer: Pour into ice cube trays, allow to cool, then wrap/cover and freeze.
Thawing to Serve: Thaw in the fridge the night before use, or thaw by putting the small cubes in a bowl over a bowl of hot water on the counter to defrost.
Recipe FAQs
Is butternut squash good for babies?
Yes! Butternut squash is a healthy and nutrient rich food for your baby. It is rich in antioxidants which help reduce free radicals. It contains vitamin C to boost baby’s immune system. It’s also high in B vitamins and vitamin A which helps keep their skin healthy, improves eye sight, and supports immunity. It’s also high in fiber which helps with digestion. Lastly, it’s a good source of potassium for healthy bones, and has folate for brain development.
Does butternut squash cause constipation?
Any food that is high in fiber and low in starch needs to be consumed with enough water in order to prevent constipation. Butternut squash is high in fiber, and for some babies this can cause constipation if they’re not drinking enough water with their meals. However, if you provide your baby a balanced diet, that includes other foods that relieve constipation such as pears, or prunes, your child should not have a problem with constipation caused by butternut squash.
When can baby start eating butternut squash?
Baby can start eating butternut squash as early as 4 months, although solids are typically recommended around the age of 6 months of age. It is an excellent option for baby’s first foods because it is easy for baby to digest, and it doesn’t contain common allergen(s). Of course, with any new food, you want to wait 2 days before introducing each food to ensure your baby doesn’t have any food allergies or reactions to any baby food purees you give them.
Do I need to peel butternut squash before roasting?
No, you do not need to peel the squash before roasting. It is much easier to peel the skin off the flesh after it has been roasted. Just be sure to remove all skin before you puree, as the skin is very tough, and not suitable for baby.
How to Store and Keep
To Store in the Fridge: Let the puree cool, transfer to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Let the puree cool, transfer to a storage container for baby food (individually portioned), or in ice cube trays / baby food trays. Wrap and seal so they are airtight. Freeze overnight in the ice cube trays. After 1-2 days, you can pop out the cubes and place them in a freezer safe zip top bag for easier storage. It will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To Defrost: When ready to use, defrost a cube in an airtight container overnight in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature. You can also defrost in the microwave on the defrost setting, but be careful not to overheat the puree or it’ll be too hot / not safe to serve to your baby! Feel free to mix with breastmilk or organic baby formula right before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
Add Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs can bring out the flavor of butternut squash even more, so try adding some to your baby puree! Try fresh thyme or rosemary.
Add Spices: Add more flavor to your homemade baby food by adding a touch of cinnamon, or nutmeg. These warm spices bring out the natural sweetness of butternut squash. Other delicious spices include dried rosemary, basil, cilantro, coriander, mint, or a mild curry powder.
Alternative Cooking Methods: If you’d prefer not to roast your butternut squash, feel free to steam or boil your squash until soft. For these methods, I recommend removing the skin, and cubing the butternut squash. Submerge in water, or use a steamer basket to boil the squash until soft, about 10 minutes depending on the size of your cubes. This is a great method to use if you have frozen or prepared butternut squash from the grocery store.
Add healthy fats! A little olive oil, coconut oil, or even avocado puree tastes great with this butternut squash baby food.
Expert Tips
- No need to use a fancy baby food maker. Your blender or food processor will work just fine!
- If choosing the roasting method, use 2 medium butternut squashes, and simply cut half to roast.
- If choosing to boil or steam, use frozen or pre-cubed butternut squash. This will save you time from peeling and cubing a whole squash.
- Use baby freezer containers or small food storage containers for ease of use. They are made specifically to freeze baby food, and make it much easier to defrost as needed.
- Add additional water if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Stir in breast milk, or baby formula just before serving to baby to add to the nutritional content or to thin out the consistency instead of water.
More Baby Food Recipes!
- Sweet Potato Baby Food Puree
- 10 Easy Baby Food Recipes for Beginners
- Zucchini Baby Food
- Butternut Squash Puree
- Pea Puree
- Superfoods for Babies and Recipe Ideas
If you have tried this recipe for Butternut Squash Baby Food, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME onFACEBOOK,TWITTER,INSTAGRAM, andPINTERESTto see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
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5 from 5 votes
Baby Food Recipes: Butternut Squash Puree
This butternut squash baby food puree is rich in flavor, vitamins, and minerals for your little one! It's a simple puree recipe that has a naturally sweet flavor your baby will love! A delicious stage 1 food to introduce to your baby.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course: Baby Food
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 ounces
Calories: 34kcal
Author: Anjali Shah
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized organic butternut squash
- 16 oz water divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F
Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds.
Place squash flesh side down on a sheet tray covered with parchment paper.
Pour 8oz water onto the parchment paper.
Roast for about an hour until tender. The squash should be bubbling and caramelized.
Allow to cool 10-15 minutes until you can hold it without a problem.
Peel off the outside skin and put flesh into a blender with 8oz water. Puree until smooth.
Pour into ice cube trays, allow to cool, then wrap/cover and freeze.
Thaw in the fridge the night before use, or thaw by putting the ice cube in a bowl over a bowl of hot water on the counter to defrost.
Notes
Expert Tips
- No need to use a fancy baby food maker. Your blender or food processor will work just fine!
- If choosing the roasting method, use 2 medium butternut squashes, and simply cut half to roast.
- If choosing to boil or steam, use frozen or pre-cubed butternut squash. This will save you time from peeling and cubing a whole squash.
- Use baby freezer containers or small food storage containers for ease of use. They are made specifically to freeze baby food, and make it much easier to defrost as needed.
- Add additional water if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Stir in breast milk, or baby formula just before serving to baby to add to the nutritional content or to thin out the consistency instead of water.
- Spice up your baby’s food! Serve with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or ginger.
- 1 ice cube = 1 oz of food
Adapted from BabyLove
Nutrition
Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 7973IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
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