How to Make Sweet Potato Baby Food
Updated: Sep. 23, 2019
You can't go wrong with sweet potato baby food. Parents love that it's full of vitamins and nutrients, and baby will gobble up the sweet, tasty flavor. Read on for the simple recipe.
If you love sweet potatoes, you’ll be happy to discover that they might quickly become one of your baby’s favorite foods, too.
When can my baby eat sweet potato?
Your baby can try sweet potatoes as soon as she is ready for solid foods, usually at around four to six months. Sweet potatoes are a great choice for one of baby’s first foods; being rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. Plus, you’ll have no trouble getting her to open wide for sweet potatoes—babies usually love the flavor!
At the grocery store, look for firm potatoes without any bruises or cracks in the skin. Once home, store them in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to whip up a batch of sweet potato baby food.
How to Make Sweet Potato Baby Food
Here are the simple step-by-step instructions for making your own sweet potato baby food. (Check out these other homemade baby foods, too.)
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 sweet potatoes (that’s it!)
Step 1: Preheat and prep
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse and scrub the sweet potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Place potatoes on baking sheet, skin side up, then prick all over with a fork.
Step 2: Bake
Bake on the middle rack at 400°F for about 30 minutes. Let cool.
Don’t feel like heating up the oven? Here’s how to make baby food in the Instant Pot!
Step 3: Puree
Once cooled, scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes using a spoon and place the flesh in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. If the consistency seems to thick, you can add water, breast milk or formula as needed to thin it out.
Sweet potatoes are great for adults, too. Try ’em in these tasty recipes.
Other things that go well with sweet potato:
If you and your baby are feeling adventurous, try adding one or two other ingredients to the sweet potatoes to amp up the flavor and texture. Sweet potatoes pair well with spinach, apples, pears or even chicken! Cook any extra ingredients until soft, then add them to the food processor or blender along with the sweet potatoes and blend together until you reach a smooth consistency.
