It is completely up to you as to when to start weaning your baby and you’ll start to know when it feels like the right time. Having the right recipes to hand when starting to wean can make it a lot less daunting for you.
We’ve collected some weaning recipes to nourish your baby as they move on from milk and formula.
(At the beginning of your weaning journey avoid gluten, meat, fish, grains, milk, eggs any lumps and finger food until baby is six months.)
Most importantly remember to remain relaxed, and enjoy the experience!
Puree Recipes
Apple and Beetroot Purée
Ingredients:
baby's milk
Method:
Put the beetroot into a steamer over simmering water and cook for around 15 minutes, add the apple and cook for a further 8 minutes until both are tender.
Blitz to a purée in a food processor. Add a splash of milk (or water from the saucepan), if necessary, to create a smooth texture.
Serve one portion and divide the rest between small containers or ice cube trays and freeze.
Banana and Avocado Purée
Ingredients:
Method:
Halve the avocado, remove the stone and scoop out the centre and put into baby’s bowl.
Add the banana and mash together with the avocado.
If your baby is already used to purées, you may want to keep this a chunkier consistency.
If you’re introducing your baby to protein, stir through the yogurt and serve straightaway.
Sweet Potato Purée
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes (about 500g)
baby's milk
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Put the potatoes on a baking tray and roast in the oven for around 45 minutes or until a knife inserts easily into the flesh.
Allow to cool a little, carefully peel off the skin, removing any hard bits and blitz in a food processor, with a splash of baby’s milk, until smooth. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times to get a smooth consistency throughout.
Serve one portion and divide the rest between small containers or ice cube trays and freeze.
Spiced Pear Purée
Ingredients:
Method:
Put the pear into a steamer over simmering water and cook for around 8 mins until tender.
Blitz to a purée in a food processor along with a very small pinch of cinnamon, if you are using.
Add a splash of milk (or water from the saucepan), if necessary, to create a smooth texture although usually pears will blitz well without.
Serve one portion and divide the rest between small containers or ice cube trays and freeze.
Breakfast Recipes
Fruity Porridge
Age: 10-12 mths
Ingredients:
2tbsp (20g) porridge oats
120ml full fat milk
1/4 medium banana
10g frozen berries
1tsp plain full fat yoghurt
Method:
Put the porridge oats and milk into a saucepan and heat up.
Stir constantly, until the porridge thickens. Then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring until the oats are cooked.
Slice the banana into finger size sticks.
Stir the blueberries into the porridge and heat through until soft.
Add a little more milk if your baby prefers it a little runnier.
Pour the porridge into a bowl, add the yoghurt and serve with the banana sticks.
Fruit Medley with Yogurt
Age: 12 mths +
Ingredients:
¼ small banana, chopped
¼ small orange (segments)
6 grapes, quartered
120g full fat plain yoghurt
Method:
Prepare the fruit.
Pour the yogurt into a bowl, add the chopped fruit over the top and serve.
Put any unused fruit (except banana) in a bowl, cover and store in fridge for next day.
Cinnamon Toasty Fingers
Age: 7-9 mths
Ingredients:
¾ medium slice wholemeal bread
1tsp vegetable oil spread
Pinch of ground cinnamon
¼ medium banana, peeled and mashed
Method:
Toast the bread in the toaster until golden brown.
Meanwhile peel and mash the banana
Spread the vegetable spread evenly over the toasted bread
Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the toasted bread
Cut the bread into easy to eat finger slices and serve with the mashed banana in a side bowl with a spoon, or over the top of the toast slices.
Savoury Lunch and Dinner Recipes
Crustless Mini Quiche
Age: 6 mths +
Ingredients:
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 spring onions (optional)
Half medium pepper (any colour), deseeded
1 small tomato
5 medium eggs
2 tbsp full fat milk
1 tsp dried mixed herbs (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
Lightly grease a muffin tray.
Finely dice the spring onions (if using), peppers and tomatoes.
Distribute the vegetables between the muffin tray holes.
Beat the eggs, milk and herbs together and pour over the vegetables in the muffin tray.
Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until puffy, light brown and the eggs are set.
Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Beef Bolognese
Age: 10-12 mths
Ingredients:
½ onion, peeled (30g)
½ small pepper (30g)
1 tsp vegetable oil
90g minced beef, lean
2 mushrooms (30g)
150g chopped tinned tomatoes
5 basil leaves, chopped (optional)
40ml water
15g spaghetti (1 portion)
Method:
Finely dice the onion and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until softened.
Add the mince to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until starting to brown.
Dice the mushrooms, then add to the pan along with the tomatoes, basil (if using) and water.
Cook for 20 to 30 minutes until the meat and vegetables are cooked and the sauce has thickened.
In the meantime, bring a pan of water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until soft. Then drain.
Put the pasta in a bowl, place quarter of the Bolognese mix over the top and serve with a fork. Chop the meal if preferred.
Chicken and Leek Hotpot
Age: 10-12 mths
Ingredients:
½ medium leek
½ medium carrot, peeled
1 small potato, peeled
1 tbsp green beans
1 small chicken breast fillet
½ tbsp vegetable oil
150ml water
1 small spear broccoli
1 tbsp full fat cream cheese
Method:
Chop the leeks, carrots and potatoes. Trim and chop the beans.
Dice the chicken.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the chicken and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the leeks, carrots, potatoes, green beans and water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables and chicken are cooked. If you'd like extra sauce, add a little water during cooking.
Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the broccoli and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft (or microwave if you prefer).
Turn the hotpot off the heat and stir in the cream cheese.
Chop or mince the cooked hot pot. Serve ¼ of the hotpot with the cooked broccoli as a finger food.
Fish Pie Bites
Age: 10-12 mths
Ingredients:
1 medium baking potato
1 small salmon fillet, about 120g
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180 fan/ gas 6.
Wrap the potato in foil, place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. Wrap the fish in foil, put on the same tray and continue cooking for around 10- 12 minutes until opaque and cooked through.
Once cooked, halve the potato and scoop out the filling. Flake the fish, removing any bones and discarding the skin.
Grease a baking tray with a little oil. Mash the potato, then mix through the flaked fish, veg, chives, cheese and egg. Allow to cool a little, then take golf-ball sized dollops of mixture and form into little croquette shapes. Arrange on a foil-lined tray and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. If freezing, put the tray in the freezer instead. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and take them out when needed. Thoroughly defrost in the fridge before cooking.
To cook, heat the oven to 200C/ 180 fan/ gas 6. Arrange as many as you need on a baking tray and cook for around 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. The inside will be very hot so make sure it's sufficiently cooled before serving to your little one.
Chicken Meatballs
Age: 12 mths +
Ingredients:
½ celery stick, cut into small chunks
1 small carrot, cut into small chunks
500g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
a few chives, snipped
oil, for greasing
To serve:
Method:
Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Blitz the celery, carrot, chicken and chives in a food processor until finely chopped. You may need to use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.
Shape into small meatballs. If freezing, space out on a tray and put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and take them out when needed. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before cooking.
To cook, put on a baking tray lined with greased foil and bake for 10 mins or until browned and cooked through.
Served with boiled rice and steamed broccoli.
Mixed Veg Pork Casserole
Age: 12 mths +
Ingredients:
½ small onion, peeled
¼ medium green pepper
2 mushrooms
2 slices courgette
½ small apple, peeled and cored
1tsp vegetable oil
200g minced pork
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
100ml water
100g (1/4) canned chopped tomatoes
4 small new potatoes
2tbsp carrot, peeled and sliced
Method:
Dice the onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes and apples.
Heat the oil and fry the pork mince with the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.
Add the peppers, courgettes and mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the apples, tomatoes and water to the pan. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add a little more water if needed.
Meanwhile bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the potato and cook for 5 minutes, then add the carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes until both are cooked. You can microwave if preferred.
Serve a ¼ of the mixture on a plate with the new potatoes and carrots as a finger food.
Pea Pesto with Pasta
Age: 12 mths +
For the pesto:
50g frozen peas
20g pine nuts, toasted
20g parmesan, grated, plus extra for sprinkling on adult portion
around 8 basil leaves
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
cooked pasta
shapes, to serve
Method:
Tip the peas into a food processor, along with the pine nuts, Parmesan, basil and olive oil. Blitz until smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. It should be a really smooth consistency with no chunks of pine nut for babies.
Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, then stir through a little pesto. Babies should need about one teaspoon for a serving.
Cover and keep the remaining pesto in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Cheese and Mushroom Cakes
Age: 6 mths +
Ingredients:
1 medium potato (150g), peeled
Half a small leek (60g)
3 mushrooms (50g)
1 tbsp fresh chives (optional)
75g full fat hard cheese
1 medium egg
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
50g breadcrumbs
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4.
Dice the potatoes then boil until tender (for around 10 minutes). Drain and then mash.
Finely slice the leeks and dice the mushrooms. Roughly chop the chives (if using).
Grate the cheese. Beat the egg.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the leeks and mushrooms. Cook until softened (4 to 5 minutes).
Add the cheese, leeks, mushrooms and chives to the mash potato. Mix well.
Shape into 8 to 10 small patties that fit in palm of your hand.
Put the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls. Coat each cake in turn (flour first, then egg and lastly breadcrumbs).
Place the potato cakes on a baking tray in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Once cooled, serve one cake on a plate for your baby to pick up and eat.
Great Weaning Recipe Books
Ella's Kitchen: The First Foods Book: The Purple One by Ella’s Kitchen
Wean in 15: Up-to-date Advice and 100 Quick Recipes by Joe Wicks
Annabel Karmel's New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel
The Baby-led Weaning Cookbook: Over 130 delicious recipes for the whole family to enjoy by Gill Rapley
