Once babies reach 6 months of age, they can start eating solid foods. Bananas were one of the first foods I served all my children. It was such an easy and yummy first food.
While you can buy store-bought versions, it’s actually really easy to make banana baby food at home!
Some of my favorite methods to make banana baby food include a few other ingredients. These are typically foods your baby has already tried or could be ready to try for the first time. It’s always best to go at your baby’s pace when it comes to feeding.
Best Ways to Make Banana Baby Food
Pureed Banana
One of the best ways to make banana baby food is simply mashing it up or puree it. When babies first begin eating, they don’t chew their food. They use their gums to eat it. Mashed-up banana is a great way for babies to get used to the texture of food and is easy to swallow.
Using ripe bananas makes the mashing process much easier. Ripe bananas are also easier for babies to digest. As babies get older, you don’t necessarily have to mash it up for them anymore. That’s why bananas are great for growing children. Once they are old enough, you can simply peel the banana and hand it to them.
If the bananas you have on hand are not ripe and won’t easily mash, consider using a baby food maker to help puree them. If you are unfamiliar with baby food makers, we have a complete list to help you pick the best one for your needs.
Finally, don’t be afraid to let your baby feed themselves. While they might not get it all in their mouth, to begin with, it’s great practice. When babies first start trying foods, they still get their main nutrients from breastmilk or formula, so don’t worry if you feel like they aren’t actually eating much. Offer them one of the best baby spoons and watch them go to town on their mashed banana.
Mix Pureed Bananas with Other Foods
Once you have your pureed bananas, you can mix them with other foods. It’s important to take into consideration what your baby has already eaten before you start mixing foods. While the topic has various opinions, it’s been considered best to introduce a new food every three days, making it easier to pinpoint a potential allergy.
My favorite food to mix with bananas is avocado. However, several other foods mix well with bananas and make quite the treat for little ones.
- Peaches
- Pears
- Applesauce
- Yogurt
- Oatmeal
- Strawberries
Banana Pancakes
One of my favorite ways to use bananas is by making pancakes. This simple recipe only uses bananas, eggs, and oatmeal. Since eggs are used, it’s important to try this recipe after your baby has had eggs for the first time. You can use baby oatmeal, but regular oatmeal works great as well.
Banana pancakes are great finger foods for babies. I make small ones, no larger than 2″ in diameter, so babies can easily hold them to eat. You can also break them up if you prefer your little one to eat the pancakes in smaller pieces.
Easy Banana Pancake Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup oats
Instructions:
Simply mash the banana, and then mix with the other two ingredients. You can even blend the oats to create more of a flour texture. I tend to use oats this way, instead of flour, for other recipes as well.
I love doubling or tripling the batter so that I can have the pancakes on hand. If your baby isn’t new to foods, you can mix up the recipe by adding chopped berries or even peanut butter to the batter.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
A quick, funny story on these. When my oldest was potty training, we used these as a reward and dubbed them “potty cookies.” Feel free to call them something else in your house. The cookies are effortless and require just two ingredients: bananas and oatmeal.
As long as you don’t over-bake them, the cookies are soft and great for a little one to chew on. Simply mix 2 mashed ripe bananas and 2 cups of grinded-up oats, divide into individual portions and bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
These are a great snack to have on hand if you are out and about. While older babies with plenty of teeth will be able to bite into them, they are also great for younger toothless babies. Once they are a bit older, chocolate chips make these cookies truly delish.
Banana Smoothie
My kids love smoothies, and I find it one of the best ways to fit in extra fruits and vegetables. For the youngest of babies, a simple banana smoothie is a great option for a hot day. The simplest banana smoothie recipe I have tried is to use 1/2 cup of mashed banana, 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed orange juice, and 2 tbsp of thick curd.
If your baby has already been introduced to yogurt, you can substitute that for the curd. Just blend it up and serve to your little one. Most babies aren’t going to be able to pick up and drink from a cup, so make sure to have some straws on hand.
Drinking from a straw actually has some major benefits for a little one’s development. The movement required from their mouth and jaw area helps strengthen their oral motor skills and aid in speech development.
Once you’ve introduced other foods to your baby, you can start adding them into the banana smoothie as well. I love adding spinach (secretly) to my kids’ smoothies to get the extra greens. Since bananas are sweet, they can hide the taste of any veggies my kids may normally turn their noses up to.
Banana “Ice Cream”
Who doesn’t love ice cream? Ok, so this isn’t the real thing, but babies won’t know the difference. This is such a simple yet yummy treat.
You’ll want to start by freezing two peeled and cut bananas. Once they are frozen, add them to a food processor with a couple of tablespoons of the liquid of your choice. You can make it breastmilk, formula, almond milk, etc. Keep in mind, babies under 1 should not drink cow’s milk.
The faux ice cream is another great opportunity for little ones to get used to using a spoon.
The ice cream is a great food to serve if your baby is teething. The coolness of the food will feel nice on their sore gums. Frozen bananas are also another great soother for babies to gnaw on. Just be watchful to make sure they don’t get any large chunks in their mouth.
It usually only takes about 4 or 5 hours for the banana to freeze, so you can easily make this recipe in the morning and have it ready for after naptime.
Health Benefits of Bananas
Bananas are full of antioxidants and other nutrients. The antioxidants in bananas lead to a reduced risk of heart disease and degenerative illnesses. While it’s not something you think of when it comes to babies, it’s important to set your baby on a healthy start from the beginning. In addition, bananas are easy for babies to digest and gentle on their young stomachs.
Key Nutrients in Bananas:
Potassium – Helps with muscle and heart health
Vitamin C – Helps with tissue repair
Fiber – Helps digestive tract
Magnesium – Essential for heart health
Since bananas brown easily after being peeled, you can always freeze any leftovers. (And make some banana ice cream another day!) You can also spritz them with some lemon juice to prevent browning. Between bananas, apples, and avocado, I really hate when the food I want to serve turns brown.
How to Store Leftover Puree
Freezing leftovers is a great way to ensure the pureed bananas last longer. My go-to method was to fill an ice cube tray, freeze them, and then pop the cubes into a ziplock bag. When you are ready to serve the pureed banana cube, just thaw it, and they are ready to go.
If you know you will use the puree within a few days, there is no problem putting the leftovers in a Tupperware and putting that in the fridge. I tended to make batches of food on Sundays to last a few weeks, so I always filled up an ice cube tray with some baby food mixture. You can easily find some at your local dollar store, which is always nice on the wallet.
Wrap Up
Bananas tend to be one of the first foods we offer our babies, and there’s no question why. The delicious, healthy fruit is versatile and can be served in multiple ways. The best ways to make banana baby food are simple and quite delicious.
Bananas are fairly simple to serve to babies, but not all foods can be served in the same on-the-go fashion. We have a comprehensive list of the best baby foods to serve your little one when time isn’t quite on your side.
