This is how to make homemade baby food yourself. Instant Pot baby food is easier than you think and you’ll know exactly what you’re feeding your baby.
Instant Pot baby food is where it’s at and now listed as 1 of 101+ Instant Pot recipes on The Typical Mom site. I will say that with my first two daughters I didn’t make any homemade baby food for them. It was inconvenient and took too long in my opinion but once my third daughter came around it was a bit easier. But not as easy as it is today!! If you’re wondering how to make homemade baby food it is a cinch now using a pressure cooker and blender. Now you will know exactly what is in the baby food you feed your child and can add different vegetables and fruits together creating just the right consistency and flavors they will love.
This recipe is specific to pureed carrots that are great for babies, but using these steps you can make baby food of any kind at home the same way….like our pressure cooker applesauce that is naturally sweetened and even my kids nowadays love it.
This is how to make Instant Pot baby food and what you’ll need to get started
- A pressure cooker – I have this 6 qt. Instant Pot
- A small food processor – or immersion blender / baby bullet
- Vegetables – we used rainbow carrots, sweet potato or butternut squash work great too
- You can use this pressure cooker cook times for vegetables chart for timing
You may ask is homemade baby food better?
- Of course the answer would be subjective depending on who you asked, but the general consensus is YES!
- It is less expensive than store bought.
- Average store bought is $45/mo vs. homemade that is $15/mo. That is a huge savings
- You know EXACTLY what you’re feeding your baby. You can omit all preservatives, salt or sugar this way.
- Homemade avoids any possibility of allergic reactions or cross contaminations.
- It is less expensive than store bought.
Is making your own baby food worth it?
I would say before the invention of inexpensive hand held blenders and pressure cookers such as the Instant Pot I would say no. BUT now it is so simple to throw in fresh vegetables with a bit of water and have them come out SO tender in no time at all.
Now here is seriously how easy it is to make homemade baby food.
- Peel and slice your carrots into dials – or cut your vegetables into 3″ pieces
- Put 1/3 c water per 2 c or so of chopped up vegetables into your Instant Pot
- Use the vegetable cook time chart to determine how long to cook them
- Do a quick release
- Drain the water but keep it on the side
- Chill your vegetables under cold water or in the fridge
- Put into your food processor and puree until it’s the texture you want
- Slowly add the vegetable juice back in and mix until it’s the right consistency
- Serve
You could easily make peas, green beans, and put a bit of fruit in them as well to sweeten it up naturally.
What is the best food for baby to start with?
- Ground, cooked, single-grain cereal or infant cereal mixed with breast milk or formula.
- Followed by mashed bananas, avocado or cooked beans that have been mashed.
- Pureed carrots (like these), peas or sweet potatoes.
- We’ve made sweet potato in the air fryer too and it comes out super tender for mashing.
- Cooked and pureed meat or poultry.
How long does homemade baby food last?
In the refrigerator stored in a closed container it is safely stored for 48 hours, 72 hours by some has said to be fine.
Here’s how we made pressure cooker pumpkin too that would be a great addition to these carrots or applesauce.
- Here are printable directions to make Instant Pot baby food so you can try it too.
- If you want to make a batch of pressure cooker carrots for everyone else in the family to enjoy too at dinnertime we have that!
Instant Pot Baby Food
Ingredients
- 2 c carrots rainbow variety if possible, peeled and sliced
- 1/3 c water
Instructions
- Peel all of your rainbow carrots and slice them into dials....3" size
- Put them into your Instant Pot or pressure cooker with your 1/3 c water, close lid and steam valve.
- Set to soup setting for 15 minutes....20 minutes if you want them really pureed later and very smooth.
- Do a quick release, drain water but set that aside to use later.
- Put carrots in a bowl and cool them under cold water, or in the fridge.
- Put carrots into food processor or baby bullet and puree until they are the consistency you desire.
- Put in a bowl and slowly add the carrot juice reserved from cooking in until it is as thick or thin as you want.
- Serve