10 Favorite Homemade Baby Food Recipes – to save you money!

We’ve all been there: staring at the baby food aisle trying to figure out which of these jars and pouches our baby will eat. And then, when we finally pick a few, they get thrown in our faces since Mr.-Picky-Pants won’t eat the store bought, organic, $1.68 pouch.

So in order for me to avoid wasting money on jarred food and to know what exactly is going into said food, I decided to make my own! And surprisingly, most were decent-enough hits. Plus, I felt much better about saving some money (to then spend on their clothes…).

Buying in-season fresh produce is my first choice since it tends to be less expensive than out of season. And frozen produce is amazing for when you do want to bring some summer or spring into the house on a cold, dreary day.

Here are 10 of my favorite homemade baby food recipes (best for 6-12 month olds):

1. Apricot & Banana

Starting out simple but this is a great combo that I hadn’t thought of until I stumbled upon it. Of course, wait until you introduce each of the ingredients separately to make sure baby doesn’t have a reaction!

2. Sweet Potato + Coconut Milk + Coriander Puree

If you’re looking to add a little kick to their lives, this is an awesome recipe that introduces bold spices that will liven up their palates. I love this recipe because it gives you options for the different spices you can use.

3. Spinach with White Yams

Sticking with the more exotic theme, this is a great recipe to try with both frozen and fresh spinach.

4. Pumpkin & Thyme

This is a great choice when you have an over-abundance of leftover pumpkins in the Fall. And what’s even better is that it works well with butternut squash come the summer months.

5. Acorn Squash Ginger Puree

A nice change from pumpkin and butternut squash, this recipe uses acorn squash with ginger! I really like adding a bit of spice to baby’s food so he can develop a taste for it down the line.

6. Quinoa Banana Mash

I know quinoa sounds a bit far-fetched for babies, but it’s such a super-food and has virtually no taste. And if you buy in bulk, you can save a ton! Plus, mixing it with bananas to begin with is an easy introduction to baby’s system.

7. Baby Beef Stew

It may not look appetizing, but the little guy devoured this! Buying the meat in bulk and freezing it is key to saving money here. Plus, since it’s stew meat, it tends to be not as expensive. Bonus: you can serve this to the rest of the family, just skip blending it up.

8. Banana Oatmeal Cookie

Although I like to stick to just whole foods, sometimes a cookie hits the spot and I figure it would for the baby too! Of course he loved it and it would be a great addition to any first birthday celebration!

9. Baby Pancakes – Apple & Oat

Baby food doesn’t always have to be purees (when baby gets old enough that YOU feel comfortable). This is a great breakfast for the whole family.

10. Homemade Baby Yogurt Melts

And lastly, I could not help by mention the best tip a reader (Melissa!) gave us awhile ago about Baby Yogurt Melts. Seriously melt-in-your-mouth. I will be honest and say I’ve definitely snuck a few!

Hopefully you’ll be inspired to make your own baby food at home to save some money! Let me know which recipe you liked!