Baby Food Recipes: Sweet Potato Puree
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.Sweet potato puree is another Layla favorite! I think she just loves orange veggies haha. I’m fine with that because like it’s cousins butternut squash and pumpkin, sweet potato is another nutritional powerhouse. They are loaded with carotenoids, Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
There are many options for cooking sweet potatoes. If you’re in a bind for time, you can microwave them by wrapping them in saran wrap and using the “baked potato” setting on your microwave. You can also cut them up and steam or boil them. But ideally, you would roast the sweet potatoes in the oven, similar to how you’d cook butternut squash, and let them caramelize before you puree them. Any way you cook them, they are still a great option for your little one!
Baby Food Recipes: Sweet Potato Puree
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds organic sweet potato about 2-3 medium sized ones
- 8-10 oz water more if you want a thinner puree
Instructions
For Roasting in the Oven:
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Cut potatoes lengthwise
- Place potatoes flesh side down on a sheet tray covered with parchment paper
- Pour 8oz water onto the sheet tray
- Roast 60 minutes until tender. The potatoes should be bubbling and caramelized.
- Allow to cool 10-15 minutes so you can hold the potatoes without a problem.
- Spoon out the flesh/peel off the skin and put into a blender with 8-10oz water. Puree until smooth.
- Pour into ice cube trays, allow to cool, wrap/cover, and freeze.
For Microwaving:
- Wrap potatoes in saran wrap and poke a few holes in the potato with a fork
- Microwave on baked potato setting
- Allow to cool
- Spoon out the flesh/peel off the skin and put into a blender with 8-10oz water. Puree until smooth.
- Pour into ice cube trays, allow to cool, wrap/cover, and freeze.
Hi there! In your article about best baby food pouches, you had mentioned avoiding sweet potatoes, carrots, pears and apples because they are at risk for containing “heavy metal” (arsenic, lead, etc). Is it okay to prepare homemade baby food using these ingredients or should we really limit the amount baby eats, even if it’s homemade?
Thank you!
Hi! So it’s true that carrots and sweet potatoes primarily are at higher risk for heavy metals contamination due to the soil they’re grown in (less so for apples & pears) – but when eaten as whole foods and part of a balanced diet they should be ok to incorporate as long as your pediatrician is comfortable with it as well! I wouldn’t give your baby only sweet potatoes and carrots on a daily basis, but 1-2 times a week should be ok provided they are organic, whole foods, and pureed at home. Hope that helps!
Hi there!
Is there a guide on how much food should be given in the beginning when introducing solids? Like how much of avacado/sweet potatoes/banana etc? And how many times a day? Thank you!!
Hi Ewelina! I think this post should help you out: https://pickyeaterblog.com/step-by-step-guide-to-introduce-solids-to-your-baby/ — it has answers to all of your questions!
Hi,
I am also loving your recipes! If I free the baby food into cubes and thaw one out, how long can that last in the refrigerator? Still 5 days or less?
Thanks so much!
Hi Carolyn! Thanks so much – I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes! I’d say if you thaw one of the cubes and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container, I would use it within four days (so if you put it in the fridge on Monday, use it by Friday). Hope that helps!
Hello
Your baby food recipes are great and simple to make. I have been following your blog for making food for my little one and he loves them. I just had one question though. I do not freeze any of the baby food that I make but I was thinking of refrigerating them so that it’s easier for me. So how long can I refrigerate the vegetable purees (sweet potato, zucchini, squash, lentil stew etc) ?
That would help me a lot.
Hi Sonam! Thanks so much for your kind words – I’m so glad my blog has been helpful for you! Regarding the purees, if you refrigerate them I’d use them within 5 days of making them. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!