Many years ago, Kelby Carr of Kids Cuisine shared this wonderful recipe for pumpkin banana baby food with us. It’s high in fiber, potassium, and vitamins A, C and E, and kids love it!
There is one thing I find really annoying about buying baby food. Your selection is extremely limited (you can get apples, or peas, or pears. Yawn!). Prepackaged baby foods rarely include some of the healthiest ingredients that are ideal for babies like avocado, pumpkin, and cantaloupe.
It’s also pricy. I mean, you’re paying 50 cents to a dollar for four ounces of mediocre mush. Make your own food, and you can serve organic baby food for half the price of standard store bought. It isn’t really hard to take matters into your own hands, though. Even though I work full time and have three kids, I found it pretty quick and easy to whip up my own concoctions for my babies. Some of their favorites were mango cantaloupe baby food and this banana pumpkin baby food.
Last fall, I happened on pumpkins at a local organic market. It dawned on me I’d never seen pumpkin baby food, so I created this homemade Pumpkin Banana Baby Food.
That was easily my twins’ favorite baby food. In fact, when the pumpkin season ended, I wished I’d made a huge batch to last several months in the freezer (as it froze very well).
This year, my babies are too old for pureed food (and my 4-year-old is way too old). I bought that pumpkin I saw at the store today, though, and I plan to dice it and then roast it for all three of my children to eat. I also look forward to taking all three kids to a local pumpkin patch so they can each pick out a pumpkin (or maybe two, with one to decorate and one to eat).
Making Your Own Dairy-Free Baby Food
The ultimate Web resource before you start is Wholesome Baby Food. This site features tons of information on getting started, homemade baby food recipes, and which foods babies can eat at each stage. Before you start, you should also consult this list of homemade baby food DOs and homemade baby food DON’Ts. And be sure to read the recommendations for infant food allergy prevention.
Special Diet Notes: Pumpkin Banana Baby Food
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, paleo, and vegetarian.
- 1 small pie pumpkin
- 2 bananas
- Dash cinnamon (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. (You an reserve the seeds for recipes.)
- Place the pumpkin in a casserole dish with an inch of water.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until it's soft when you press an oven mitt-covered hand against the side.
- Allow the pumpkin to cool for 30 minutes.
- Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop the flesh out, placing it in a mixing bowl or directly into a blender or food processor. You want to avoid the skin and any remaining seeds.
- Peel the banana, and break off pieces to add to the pumpkin. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon, if desired.
- Process, blend, or mash the ingredients until the food is the desired consistency (pureed for babies just starting on solids, and chunky for more experienced babies).
- Freeze leftovers in cubes.
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