5-Minute Banana Puree for Baby

As a mom of three, I've tried lots of different way to make homemade baby food. And this 5-minute banana puree has to be the easiest. I've made it hundreds of times and for all my kiddos.

Banana puree is one that many people choose to feed their babies at the beginning of their food journey.  It’s sweet, soft, and pairs well with so many other fruits and veggies that its almost a no-brainer.

As babies incorporate more fruits and veggies into their diets, combining the banana with other flavors is simple.  Banana with avocado puree and banana with pear puree are great next steps.

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The Perfect Fruit

The simple banana is one of the world's most perfect fruits.  They come in their own package, are easy to transport, ripen on your counter, and are enjoyed by people of all ages all over the world.  Bananas are many babies' first food and are great not only in purees, but added into smoothies, breakfast cookies, and are just as delicious on their own.

Parents love bananas because they are portable, inexpensive and easy to find year round.  While I recommend you have a blender to make a big batch of this puree to freeze, you can also make this dish with a fork and a bowl anywhere you are.

Choosing a Ripe Banana

Picking the perfect banana is the only really important piece to this recipe.  Picking an underripe banana - one that is green or still has green on it, will lead to a tough and not super sweet end product.  

• For eating: Look for a perfectly yellow banana with little to no spotting.
• For pureeing: Look for a yellow banana with brown spots on it. 
• For baking: For banana breads, breakfast cookies, etc, look for a banana that is mostly brown with little yellow.

Ingredients

A few notes on the ingredients:

• Use a banana that is ripe.  It’s better to use one that is a bit over ripe than one that is under ripe.

Step by step instructions

To make things even simpler, here are step-by-step photos to help you every step of the way.

Cut up the ripe bananas into chunks and toss into the blender. I use the Vitamix, but any blender should do the trick with a soft fruit like this.

Blend until smooth and then pour into the silicone molds for freezing.

You’ll want to get the puree into the freezer kind of quickly as it will turn brown if it sits out in the air too long.  It’s still totally safe to eat if it does brown, but may not look as appetizing.

For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Smooth vs. Chunky Puree

For young babies use the blender method to make a super smooth puree that you can serve on it's own or with rice cereal.

For older babies, you can mash a ripe banana with a fork into a chunky puree that is delicious, but has just a bit more texture.

How to Freeze

• Pour the blended puree into the silicone ice cube tray. 
• Tap it a few times on the counter to let the air bubbles out. 
• Press plastic wrap directly on top of the entire tray to make it air tight.. 
• Carefully place the entire tray on a flat surface in the freezer.  If the tray is really wiggly, a small baking tray works great underneath the ice cube tray.

Storage Instructions

Once the banana baby food cubes are fully frozen:

• Pop them out of the ice cube tray and put them into zip top bags.
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• The banana puree cubes come out a bit sticky, so you may want to wear gloves when transferring them to the zip top bag.
• Be sure to label the bags so you don’t mix up the banana puree with the cauliflower puree 😉.

Serving Suggestions

Mix and match your homemade baby foods to keep things interesting for your baby as they explore new flavors. Since banana puree is one of many babies first foods, you can easily add to it as you continue the feeding journey.

Bananas can handle being paired with a lot of different foods and even warm spices.  Here are some ideas for combinations that work well with it:

• Fruits: Pear Puree, Strawberry Puree, Blueberry Puree
• Vegetables: Pumpkin Puree, Spinach Puree, Green Bean Puree
• Grains: Quinoa, Rice
• Proteins: Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese
• More complex pairings for older babies and young toddlers:
  • Banana, Pear Puree, Cinnamon, Yogurt
  • Banana and Avocado Puree
  • Banana and Sweet Potato Puree
  • Banana, Spinach, Strawberry Puree
• Spices that pair well: cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice

Uses for Leftover Purees

If you have leftover banana puree cubes, you can throw them into smoothies like you would a frozen whole banana. Try using them in this triple berry smoothie or a pina colada smoothie.

When I'm craving an easy dessert, mix the banana puree right into the whipped topping in this banana cream pie recipe. You won't be sad about it!

📖 Recipe