Banana Puree couldn't be easier! No cooking or fancy equipment is needed - just peel and mash. Delicious on its own and adds a wonderful creaminess when combined with other purees.
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Reasons to Love this Puree
- Easy and Convenient: Bananas are nature's convenient baby food. With their built-in "packaging," they're a hassle-free option for homemade baby food puree, whether you're at home or on the go. Skip the prep and washing – just peel and mash.
- Loved by Babies: Embrace the smiles! Babies are naturally drawn to the delightful combination of natural sweetness and creamy consistency found in banana baby puree.
- Pairs Well: Get creative! Banana puree isn't just a solo act. It plays well with others, blending seamlessly with a variety of fruit purees. Mix and match to introduce your little one to a symphony of flavours.
- Nutrition: Packed with potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, banana puree provides a well-rounded dose of essential nutrients for your baby's overall health and development.
Ingredient Information
- Bananas: Look for bananas that have a nice yellow colour with a few brown spots. Under-ripe or green bananas do not have the same flavour or creamy texture and they are also harder for your baby to digest. You are best to allow them to ripen on your counter before mashing/pureeing
- Spices (optional): Adding spices and herbs to your baby food is a great way to introduce lots of flavours. Why not try a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, basil, or ginger?
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Peel and chop off the ends of the banana.
- Mash: Due to bananas having a very soft texture, you can mash them with a fork or potato masher. This gives you easy control of the puree's consistency. Leaving some banana chunks introduces textures and plays a crucial role in expanding your baby's palate. Introducing textures is as vital as introducing new flavours.
- Blend: If you are looking for a super smooth consistency then you can blend the bananas is a food processor or blender.
During the early stages of weaning, you may wish to mix it with a little formula/breast milk to thin it out and make it creamier for your baby.
Serving Suggestions
Banana puree adds a lovely creaminess to other fruit purees and adds sweetness to yoghurt and oatmeal. Why not try mixing it with
- strawberry puree
- raspberry puree
- peach puree
- apple puree
- sweet potato puree
- pumpkin puree
- avocado puree
- natural yoghurt
- baby oatmeal
Not just for babies! Banana puree can be used to
- naturally sweeten yoghurt ( banana yoghurt),
- add into baked goods
- swirl into oatmeal
- throw into smoothies
Storage Instructions
As banana puree is so quick and easy to make there is less need to make in batches for storing. However, if you have a surplus of bananas you can easily freeze banana puree. The puree may brown a little and change texture (can go a little slimey) but it is perfectly safe to eat.
To freeze, spoon the puree into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once solid, transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag/airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months.
Read more about storing baby food.
Recipe FAQs
Banana puree is a good first food for your baby. The timing for introducing solid foods depends on your baby's own rate of development, typically occurring between 4-6 months of age for purees. Key developmental milestones to consider include your baby's ability to control their head and neck, as well as their inclination to reach for or open their mouth during feedings. Consult with your paediatrician before introducing purees to ensure your child is developmentally ready for this milestone.
There is conflicting information regarding whether or not bananas cause constipation. Some claim that bananas cause constipation, while others say they help prevent it. This is because it depends on timing. Less ripe bananas may contribute to constipation, whereas riper bananas may not.
Babies might get constipated if they eat too many bananas. It is recommended not to feed banana to a constipated child, as there are many other good sources of fibre available (e.g. prunes, plums & pears)
Moving on from purees? You may also like this post on Banana for Babies, showing how to prepare bananas and includes some great baby-friendly banana recipes.
More Banana Recipes
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Banana Puree
Ingredients
- 1 Banana
Instructions
- Peel banana and slice. Place on a board or large bowl.
- Mash well, with a fork, until desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, add banana chunks to a blender and blend until smooth.
lupe says
I find what to do with my extra bananas, thanks
Amiee says
Hiya, Thanks for so much info! I see you included instructions to freeze, but I wondered if you had any extra info on thawing and is they are ok to eat just a it when thawed?
Bit of a long story, but I bought bananas to use for making a mashed banana/greek yoghurt/chia seed concoction to take to work as a snack, but we got put into lockdown again and work got postponed for a week. I now have some very ripe bananas that I was trying to figure out if i mashed them and froze them, could i just pop some cubes into the jar with the yoghurt and chia seeds when i mix that up the night before work this coming week?
Would love your thoughts if you yourself have tried eating the thawed banana puree
Amy says
Hi Amiee, You can freeze the bananas as they are (or in slices) and add to smoothies, make banana ice cream etc. Frozen banana slices taste great straight out of the freezer. You can of course blend and freeze if you wish, I do find the texture can be a little "slimey" (and can turn brown) one thawed but mixed into yoghurt it may be ok.
Bel says
I can’t believe anyone needs a recipe for this. Peel a banana and mash!
Amy says
Thanks for the feedback Bel. I have included a lot more information than that and actually over 2000 people search for banana puree a month!
Debbie says
Thanks for the info.