Who doesn’t love a simple, sweet Apple Purée with Optional Vanilla? Warmed or chilled, baby is sure to enjoy this delicious purée on its own, or paired with cereal, natural yoghurt, or other fruit and vegetables. The added vanilla gives a lovely depth of flavour to this wonderful first food. This is a versatile, easy to make baby purée that is a regular on my home cooking list. It’s sure to be on yours as well.
What you need to make Apple Purée with Optional Vanilla
It’s a very simple ingredient list for this homemade baby food:
Apples –Fresh Apples of course! I use sweet apples so red or pink varieties, whichever is on special and looks great at my local fruit market. Try Pink Lady, Fuji, Royal Gala, Red Delicious or similar. Don’t go for green apples – they can be a bit tart for baby.
Vanilla – I’ve added vanilla as an optional ingredient in this recipe, but it’s up to you to include or leave out. Cinnamon is another common spice added to apple which works really well.
How to make Apple Purée with Optional Vanilla
This simple purée is quite possibly the easiest baby food to make. Cook and blend!
Thermomixer? To steam the apples, I use the simmering basket in my Thermomix. Steaming (rather than boiling) is often the best way to preserve both taste and nutrients. The cook times might vary depending on how small you’ve chopped the apple pieces. Make sure you’ve cooked them until just soft. Then add vanilla and blend in your machine.
Conventional cook? You can also steam the apples using a steamer basket and saucepan, or a baby food maker/appliance. Once cooked, transfer to a food processor or blender with the vanilla to purée.
See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both thermo cooker and conventional methods.
How to serve this yummy apple purée recipe
Puréed apples are great to have on hand in the freezer, to mix into cereal for a quick brekky or offer as a desert after dinner. Making your own apple puree is by far a healthier option than using commercially prepared purees or apple sauce. Sweet apples don’t need any additional sugars or sweeteners like maple syrup! And these should definitely be avoided for baby. If you’re looking for a naturally-sweet combination purée with apple, try this Apple, Nectarine and Strawberry Purée.
I served this Apple Purée with Optional Vanilla either on its own or with iron-fortified baby cereal in the first couple of weeks of starting solids [1]. Once I was happy with the amount of iron-rich foods Baby LJ was having throughout the day, I then switched to serving it with Weet-Bix. They are super easy to crush up either in your hand, or in bulk in the Thermomix or food processor in about 2 seconds! I also added my Nut and Seed Sprinkle for an extra nutrition boost.
First stage weaning or second stage weaning?
This apple baby food recipe is ideal for both Stage 1 (around 6 months of age) and Stage 2 (around 6-9 months) weaning. For first stage/younger babies, try offering this dish for the first time without the vanilla and as a very smooth purée by mixing through a small amount of cooled boiled water, formula milk or expressed breast milk immediately before serving. For second stage weaning/older babies, add the vanilla or another spice like a pinch of cinnamon, and increase the texture by blending/puréeing for less time. The great thing about homemade baby food is that as baby grows and develops, you can progress to new textures from runny/smooth purées to chunkier mashed foods, to serving appropriately chopped soft foods as you would for the family.
Storing Apple Purée
This apple puree can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freezer for up to 1 month. I found that freezing different fruits and vegetables in individual portions was best, using baby food or silicone ice cube trays. Remember to be food safe when freezing, defrosting and reheating any baby food. If you’re unsure, Annabel Karmel has a helpful go-to guide [2] with tips on preparing, freezing and reheating food.
Baby food combinations
Homemade apple purée is perfect to combine with other first foods, to make your own baby food combinations. Make this purée without the spice, along with other single-ingredient purée recipes like this Sweet Potato Purée (with Optional Sumac) or Pea Purée (with Optional Mint). You can then mix the flavours together to create your own baby purées – apple and sweet potatoes are delicious! It can be really useful when baby first starts solid foods to freeze purées in an ice-cube tray, and then when frozen transfer to a labelled freezer bag. Mix and match the frozen cubes as your growing baby progresses with flavour combinations. It’s great way to gradually introduce them to different foods alongside their favourite fruits and vegetables!
Looking for more homemade baby food recipes? Check out the Purée category for the perfect first foods.
If you try this Apple Purée with Optional Vanilla, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more delicious recipes, from first baby foods to finger food and beyond.
Enjoy!
Chloe x
Apple Purée with Optional Vanilla
Category: PuréeTap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 2 large apples peeled, cored and roughly chopped (Note 1)
- 500 g water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla paste
Thermo Cooker Instructions
- Put the prepared apple into the simmering basket.
- Pour the water into the mixing bowl. Insert the simmering basket and cook for 12 minutes, Varoma, speed 2, MC on.
- Remove the simmering basket and reserve the cooking liquid in a bowl or jug.
- Put the apple into the mixing bowl with 2 tbs of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the vanilla paste.
- Chop for 15 seconds, speed 7, MC on, making sure to increase the speed gradually to avoid the apple immediately sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl. Scrape down the mixing bowl and lid and repeat 1 to 2 times until you are happy with the consistency (Note 2).
Conventional Instructions
- Steam the apple using a steamer basket over a saucepan/pot with lid for 10 minutes or until apple is tender.
- Blend apple with the vanilla paste and 2 tbs of cooking liquid, using a food processor or electric hand blender, until you are happy with the consistency (Note 2).
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
[1] Introducing Solids: why, when, what and how, 2022, Raising Children Network (Australia) Limited.
[2] Go to guide: preparing, freezing and reheating foods for baby, 2022, Annabel Karmel.
