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If you’re looking for more options to include in your baby’s menu, check out these healthy baby led weaning recipes! Each one is formulated specifically for babies and toddlers, and they make it so much easier to feed them nourishing, healthy meals every day!
60+ Best Baby Led Weaning Recipes
I get it— baby led weaning can feel absolutely intimidating at the beginning! It’s overwhelming figuring out which foods are safe and how to prepare them, managing your child’s dietary needs, and hoping that you’ve got it just right. Plus, there’s all the time and effort that goes into preparing foods from scratch! I want to assure you that baby-led weaning can actually be very easy.
As a Registered Dietitian and mom of two, I’ve had plenty of practice with this and want to make BLW as easy for you as possible! That’s why I created my baby led weaning recipes book Healthy Baby Foodie. It is the ultimate guide to baby led weaning to help you truly understand:
- How baby-led weaning works
- Child nutrition 101
- How to build healthy balanced meals
- Adapting foods to your child’s fine motor development
- Finding easy, nutritious recipes
- Meal ideas
- Making your own “baby food”
And, doing it all in a way that doesn’t take over your life! Grab your copy of my step-by-step guide right here.
Why You’ll Love These Baby Led Weaning Recipes
- Dietitian-formulated to suit your baby’s developmental needs
- Lots of great make-ahead options you can stick in the freezer for later
- Naturally sweetened to avoid added sugar
- High in fiber and healthy fats with lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein and iron-rich options
- Low in sodium to suit your baby’s needs
- Introduces a wide variety of new foods to help foster a more adventurous eater
- Tasty enough to serve the whole family
Baby-Led Weaning Breakfast Ideas
At breakfast, I recommend focusing on serving simple whole foods whenever possible because mornings are crazy enough! Focus on offering iron-rich foods like eggs and iron-fortified oatmeal, whole grains like toast, or homemade waffles and pancakes, and fruits and veggies to support your baby’s energy needs.
The recipes below have been formulated to include iron, extra produce, whole grains, and healthy fats whenever possible, and they can easily be served as part of a healthy breakfast. Try these simple meal ideas to set your little one up for success every day!
Baby Frittata Recipe
These frittata fingers are one of the first recipes I served to our babies. They’re the perfect make-ahead option, and also make it easy to incorporate extra iron and harder to serve veggies like spinach and zucchini!
ABC Muffins
ABC = apple, banana, carrots. They last for months in the freezer and contain no added sugar!
Spinach Banana Waffles
We like to call these “hulk waffles” at home. They’re so easy to cut into different shapes and sizes so that you can gear them towards your baby’s stage of development.
Single Serve Baked Oats
Oats are one of the very best first foods because they’re loaded with fiber and will help keep those little tummies full for a long time!
Mini Sweet Potato Muffins
Sweet potatoes are the perfect binder for these muffins, adding extra fiber, sweetness, moisture, vitamins and minerals.
Mini Blueberry Banana Muffins
These mini muffins are made with almond flour to help prevent nut allergies and offer lots of healthy fats. They taste great with the blueberries!
Baby Cereal Pancakes
These pancakes are such a life saver! We like to whip up a big batch on the weekend and serve them throughout the week for quick breakfasts. They’re so easy to make!
Banana French Toast
Pro Tip: Cut your French toast into thin strips for babies just starting with BLW. As baby gets older, you can cut them into smaller pieces or even use little cookie cutters to make mealtimes more exciting.
Healthy Date Muffins
These mini muffins are naturally sweetened with dates, so they’re the perfect option for baby! Offer these with some scrambled eggs or Greek yogurt with fresh fruits for a super easy meal!
Blueberry Bliss Balls
The entire family loves these blueberry-flavored energy balls! Babies can easily hold onto them with a palmar grip, and they’re soft enough to eat without teeth.
BLW Overnight Oats
These overnight oats are loaded with healthy fats from the chia seeds. You can even use breast milk to make them more nutritious!
3-Ingredient Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
Made with just applesauce, dates, and oats, these cookies are nice and soft, perfect for babies They make a great teething cookie too!
Mini Egg Bites
If you like Starbucks’ egg bites, these are similar, but they’re made with nutritious ingredients like bell pepper and spinach for extra iron. These are great to have on hand for the whole family!
Banana Bread Muffins with 2 Bananas
These yummy muffins are so moist and flavorful, and you only need 2 overripe bananas. Easy!
3-Ingredient Protein Waffles
Blend together oats, cottage cheese, and eggs for the easiest protein and iron-rich waffles ever. We live off of these!
Mango Popsicles
These mango popsicles are made with just mango and coconut milk, so they’re nutritious enough to even offer for breakfast! Make them in mini popsicle molds for a refreshing treat that’s easy for babies to hold.
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
This is one of my favorite baby-led weaning recipes because it makes such a large serving! The oats are so soft and tender, thanks to the bananas and milk, and you can reheat the a serving every day to save some time in the morning.
Carrot Zucchini Muffins
I love adding extra veggies to baby meals, and these muffins make it even easier! Each one has carrots and zucchini plus almond and coconut flour for healthy fats and extra fiber.
3-Ingredient Banana Waffles
These waffles taste like banana bread and have a soft, tender texture that’s very easy for babies to eat.
Pumpkin Oat Waffles
Pumpkin is high in beta carotene, which is an important antioxidant, as well as essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Mix together oats, bananas, and peanut butter for the easiest little muffins! Serving nut butter early on is a great way to reduce the likelihood of allergies developing later on.
Scrambled Eggs for Baby
Scrambled eggs are one of the easiest breakfast foods for babies, but you can make them even softer and more nourishing by adding a little high fat Greek yogurt!
3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars
The soft texture of these oat bars makes them ideal for little hands and mouths. They’re so easy to make too!
Baby Pancakes with Blueberries
These berry pancakes are made in the blender for easy cleanup. So handy and babies will love the pop of juicy berries in each bite!
Baby Banana Bread
This nourishing banana bread is made with almond flour and no added sugar. It freezes great, too!
Pumpkin French Toast Sticks
French toast sticks are the perfect size for eating with a palmar grip. Once your baby has developed a pincer grasp, cut the sticks into small pieces.
Baby Oatmeal
These porridge fingers are basically handheld oatmeal! The individual “fingers” make it easy for babies to self feed. Plus, it’s so easy to whip together on a busy morning!
Jam for Baby
Great for serving over yogurt, pancakes, waffles, and more!
Strawberry Banana Oat Bars
Fresh strawberries make these oat bars so fresh and tasty! We like to serve these with a little yogurt.
Pumpkin Pops
These frozen treats are so soothing on teething gums, and the handle makes them great for baby-led feeding.
Unsweetened Applesauce
This homemade applesauce can be made with the skin on to add extra fiber. Great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snack in between!
Mango Puree for Babies
This smooth, creamy puree is perfectly sweet and uses just one simple ingredient! You can even mix it into oatmeal or yogurt to add some extra flavor!
Zucchini Frittata Muffins
These cheesy egg muffins are loaded with zucchini and spinach, making them even more nutritious. They reheat really well, too, so you can warm them up on busy days!
Healthy Smash Cake
When your baby reaches a year old, celebrate their special occasion with this healthy dessert (it can even be eaten for breakfast)! This cake always gets rave reviews!
Baby-Led Weaning Lunch & Dinner Ideas
For lunch and dinner, it’s best to make foods the whole family will enjoy! This will save you so much time and energy because you won’t be making separate meals. Prioritize adding iron whenever possible since baby’s iron stores start to become depleted after 6 months of age.
Sweet Potato Tots
These are just as tasty as storebought tots but way less processed. They even include a secret ingredient to add extra iron!
Chicken Avocado Poppers
Chicken is a good source of iron and avocados are offer healthy fats for baby.
Veggie Quinoa Bites
These little bites are an easy lunch for babies, especially with fresh fruit on the side.
Cheesy Zucchini Fritters
The flavor of zucchini and cheddar cheese makes these fritters so tasty and babies love them! Ready in just 20 minutes, they’re a quick and healthy side dish for your family meals.
Baby-Led Weaning Quesadilla
The black beans make these quesadillas even more filling and are a nice soft filling that’s easy for babies to suck on.
Broccoli Cheese Tots
If your little one loves fries and nuggets, they’ll love the crispy texture of these tots. They’re made with broccoli florets to offer extra fiber, and vitamins C, K and A too.
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
This is one of my go-to meals! The mini muffins last about 4 days in the fridge and are just the right size for little hands. Plus, they’re the perfect source of iron and protein!
Mini Chicken Quesadillas
Support those growing bodies with an extra dose of avocado, with its healthy fats!
Chicken Zucchini Poppers
These poppers are great for babies 6 months or older, as the ground chicken breaks apart very easily, making it easier to chew even without teeth!
Pumpkin Soup for Babies
Creamy, pureed soups like this are one of the easiest first foods for babies.
Healthy Corn Fritters
The sweetness of the corn makes these extra yummy!
Baby Pasta Recipe
This spinach avocado pesto is such an easy, nourishing option for young babies! Be sure to adjust the type of pasta to your baby’s eating stage (check the tips in the FAQs)!
Roasted Carrot Pasta
Blend the roasted carrots together in the food processor for a smooth, creamy sauce babies will love.
Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites
A little broccoli and cheese make regular quinoa way more kid-friendly.
Mashed Sweet Potato Fritters
This is such an easy way to serve sweet potatoes, especially for picky eaters!
Leftover Salmon Cakes
Salmon is a very nutritious food, and these salmon cakes are the perfect size for baby hands to hold.
Homemade Veggie Tots in Air Fryer
Kids love the crispy texture on the outside and soft texture on the inside. Veggies never tasted better!
Chicken Pastina Soup
This is a nourishing version of chicken noodle soup. If you’re feeling nervous about serving baby solids, the tiny star pasta is super easy for young babies to chew.
Sweet Potato Cracker Recipe
These crackers are such a yummy alternative to store-bought snacks. Because they have a firmer, more crunchy texture, these ones are better suited for older babies and toddlers.
5-Ingredient Mac and Cheese
Tip: Overcook the noodles slightly to make them softer for babies to eat.
Chicken Noodle Soup for Babies
The tender veggies and longer noodles will help little ones feed themselves.
Zucchini Fries in Air Fryer
Such a fun alternative to regular fries! They are easy to hold and taste great with different dips.
Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Take it from me – you’ll want to make a double or triple batch to have these on hand all the time. The parmesan cheese makes them even tastier!
Chickpea Veggie Nuggets
These are completely plant-based and made with real food ingredients, like chickpeas, broccoli, carrots, etc.
Cauliflower Tots
No one will even know there are leafy greens in these tots!
Cauliflower Chicken Nuggets
Introducing kids to different textures is really important, and these nuggets are the perfect opportunity! They’re crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside (with some extra veggies packed inside too)!
Turkey Veggie Meatballs
This is such a simple way to incorporate some extra veggies into your child’s diet and one of my favorite lunch ideas since they’re freezer-friendly and so easy to reheat!
Chicken Muffins
This mini meatloaf preportioned for healthy meals on the go!
Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes
What an easy way to serve extra quinoa and veggies all at the same time!
Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
You’ll want to keep some of this sauce on hand in the freezer at all times! It’s loaded with veggies, you can customize the sodium level and it even contains a secret ingredient to increase the iron content too!
Like it? Save these recipes for later!
Healthy Baby Foodie
Struggling to know how to get started with baby-led weaning? Check out this comprehensive guide for baby-led weaning including tips for getting started, balanced meal ideas, recipes and more!
