CARROTS
Yum carrots! Carrots are rich in so many nutrients like beta-carotene, biotin, vitamin K1, Potassium and vitamin B6 which are a perfect addition to a baby’s diet. Making your own will taste a whole lot better than store bought baby food stored in jars. Follow my easy step-by-step instructions for the healthiest and most delicious way to make homemade baby food. Such an easy and quick baby carrot puree recipe that your baby will love!
HOW TO MAKE CARROT PUREE
What Kind of Carrots Should You Use to Make Carrot Puree for Your Baby?
Carrots are such a versatile veggie. Once your baby masters single vegetable purees, you can mix carrots with practically everything! I like to look for firm carrots that are rich in color. I love buying my daughter organic multicolored carrots. You don’t have to buy the multicolored carrots, but I do highly recommend buying organic whole carrots or organic baby carrots for your puree. I always go with the organic option if it’s available for my little one.
Wash and Peel the Carrots
I always wash the carrots first and then peel them after washing. This is because I don’t want to push any dirt, pesticides or other unwanted contaminants that can be living on the outside of the carrot with the peeler tool. After I peel them I do give them a quick little rinse too.
How to Cook the Carrots
When it comes to cooking carrots, I recommend roasting the carrots because it brings out their natural sweetness and keeps their nutrients as well. Baking/roasting and steaming are the preferred methods to use when cooking homemade food. Boiling food can actually remove some of the nutrients within a vegetable or fruit.
Foods such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, parsnips, pears and peaches are wonderfully flavorful when baked.
STEP 1
Roast the Carrots
Dry the carrots off from the peeling and washing process and then toss them lightly with some extra virgin olive oil (Costco’s Kirkland brand is actually a top pick with olive oil experts!) and spread them evenly out on a cooking pan.
Next I roast them in the oven at 425 degrees until they’re slightly browned and shriveled. Bake for 40 minutes. Do turn them over halfway through. So delicious, save some for the baby! They should look close to the image below. Prick with a fork at the widest end to ensure they are cooked throughout.
STEP 2
Blend the Carrots
Using my Blendtec(always blends my baby purees perfectly), I blend the carrots until they’re a silky smooth puree. I add small amounts of water until I get the consistency that is best for my daughter. When your baby first starts on solids, you want to blend their food to being silky smooth because they are not ready to handle textures quite yet. Once your baby starts to grow you can leave the puree a little chunkier and chunkier as they age.
STEP 3
Freeze the Carrots
When you make your baby purees; I always recommend making it in a large batch so you can easily heat up the frozen batches on another day. I love using these silicone trays because they are easy to remove the purees from and they freeze in small honeycomb shapes, which are much easier to defrost than the large square cubes that other companies offer and take longer to defrost.
Once the puree is frozen in the silicone trays, pop out the honeycomb ice cubes and store them in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag in the freezer.
STEP 4
Reheat the Carrots
Warm the carrots in a microwaveable safe dish (I like to use the OXO Tot baby block glass container for heating up my baby’s food) in the microwave for 30 seconds (pausing half way to stir). At the moment I like to use 8 honeycomb cubes for my baby (about as much as she eats at the moment per feeding). Make sure the carrots are not too warm/hot before feeding your baby! You can also reheat over the stove as well.
You can also combine other whole foods in your baby’s puree that you have previously frozen, for optimal flavor and nutrients. The following list is a general guide, so feel free to be adventurous and combine and build your own meals for your little one:)
Carrot Flavor Compatibility Guide
| Apples | Bananas | Beets | Black Beans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | Cannellini Beans | Chard | Winter Squash |
| Lentils | Green Beans | Northern Beans | Kidney Beans |
| Parsnips | Cauliflower | Edamame | Garbanzo Beans |
| Pears | Navy Beans | Pinto Beans | Split Peas |
| Sweet Peas | Spinach | Kale | Summer Squash |
| Turnips | Apricots | Asparagus | Blackberries |
| Blueberries | Sweet Potatoes | Whole Grains | Cereal |
If you have read my post on the importance of probiotics for your child (linked here); you can sprinkle a little probiotics on top of your homemade baby food for added nutritious value.
If you make something from Herb’n Sage, I would love to hear about it in the comments! Don’t forget to rate this recipe and follow along on Instagram and Youtube for more recipes and inspirations for your creations for your little loved one(s)<3
Bon Appétit!
xoxo -Sage
Carrot Puree
Homemade Baby Carrot Puree is so easy to make and tastes so much better than store bought varieties!
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots (I used organic multicolored carrots)
- water
- extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
- Wash and peel the carrots
- Spread the carrots evenly on a baking pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
- Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes; flip and bake for an additional 20 minutes
- Add the carrots to a blender and blend, while adding water, to get your desired consistency until smooth
- Freeze excess carrot puree in the freezer (I like to freeze my purees in these silicone trays)
*Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at NO additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for helping a mama out:)
Herb'n Sage 