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    Home » Kid Friendly

    Butternut Squash Baby Food Puree

    Published: Feb 27, 2022 by Katelyn | With Sweet Honey · This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Butternut Squash Baby Food Puree recipe is rich in nutrients and generally great for babies in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of baby food. We’ll go over simple steps on how to prepare butternut squash for purees and even share some recipe ideas for babies.

    butternut squash puree in a small silicone bowl with a silicon spoon

    I don’t know about you but I love butternut squash which is one of the reasons why I chose it as one of my daughter’s first foods to try. To my amazement, she loved the sweet butternut squash too!

    Part of the butternut squash’s appeal is the ability to use it in both sweet and savory recipes. It also helps that it is packed with nutrients and a great source of Vitamin A and C.

    In this recipe, we are going to go over how to prepare and make butternut squash baby food puree but also be sure to check out our other baby food posts for more ideas. Our 6 Homemade Baby Food Combinations, 3 Sweet Potato Baby Food Combinations and Kale Baby Food Puree Combinations are all great resources to check out.

    whole butternut squash on a marble table top with a striped napkin

    When to introduce butternut squash?

    As always, please consult your child’s pediatrician before trying new foods. In our experience, butternut squash was one of our favorite foods to feed our daughter when she first started eating food at around 6 months. Pureed butternut squash was easy to mix with other foods as she got older too which made it a great base for baby food.

    How to prepare butternut squash

    One of my favorite things about butternut squash is that I can pick it up from the store and let it sit on my counter for many days before preparing it without it going bad. This makes it perfect for baby food because, let’s face it, we’re busy and sometimes we don’t have enough time to make the puree right when we get home from the grocery store. Just speaking from experience. 

    Pro tip: Butternut squash has that distinguished hard outer skin that is sometimes hard to cut so please be careful. Cutting the butternut squash in half is always my least favorite part because of this.

    How to cook butternut squash

    My most used method to cook butternut squash for baby food purees is to bake it but there are a few other options we’ll go over too.

    Steps on how to BAKE butternut squash:

    1. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise.
    3. Remove the seeds with a spoon.
    4. Place the squash on the baking sheet with the cut side down.
    5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the squash is soft and a fork can easily be inserted.
    butternut squash in various steps of baking it

    Steps on how to STEAM butternut squash:

    1. Peel the butternut squash using a vegetable peeler or carefully with a knife. Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. 
    2. Roughly chop the squash into cubes and place in a pot with about an inch or two of water. 
    3. Bring the water to boil and cover for about 10 minutes or until the squash is softened.

    Steps on how to INSTANT POT butternut squash:

    1. Start by placing the Instant Pot wire trivet inside the Instant pot with about 1 cup of water. 
    2. Peel the butternut squash using a vegetable peeler or carefully with a knife. Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. 
    3. Roughly chop the squash into cubes and place in the Instant Pot.
    4. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes and let the pot naturally release pressure.

    Steps on how to SLOW COOK butternut squash:

    1. Wash the outside of the butternut squash.
    2. Place the whole squash in the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for about 4-5 hours. The squash should be able to be poked with a fork easily when done.
    3. Cut in half and scoop out the squash.
    whole butternut squash in a slow cooker

    How to puree butternut squash for baby food

    Butternut squash can get very hot when cooked so be sure to let it cool off before handling. Once the squash is cooled and ready to puree, simply scoop out the flesh with a spoon. 

    Place the butternut squash flesh in either a food processor or a blender. Blend on high until smooth.

    butternut squash pureed in a small blender
    butternut squash puree in a small silicone bowl with a silicon spoon

    Baby food combination ideas

    Plain butternut squash puree is awesome for babies and toddlers and even adults. But incase you wanted to add another flavor, here are a few other combination ideas:

    • Butternut Squash + Carrots Puree
    • Butternut Squash + Sweet Potato Puree
    • Butternut Squash + Pear Puree
    • Butternut Squash + Apple + Spinach

    Equipment needed for homemade baby food

    I’ve seen baby food makers online or special baby food processors but I don’t think those are necessary. Just use the tools you already have or things. Any blender or food processor should work just fine on pureeing the cooked butternut squash. I regularly used this food processor and small blender, both of which work very well for getting the purees smooth. You could also use a hand mixer to mash the butternut squash similarly to mashed potatoes.

    How to store homemade baby food

    There are many options when it comes to storing homemade baby food purees. I like to use glass containers in the refrigerator. Small glass containers with lids make the best option in my opinion. Homemade baby food purees can last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

    Another option for storage is freezing. You can freeze homemade baby food to use later which is super helpful when making larger batches. I use these food safe silicone trays. Additionally, small ice cube trays are great for baby sized portions.

    More baby food recipes to try:

    • 6 Homemade Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2)
    • 3 Sweet Potato Baby Food Combinations (Stage 2)
    • Kale Baby Food Puree Combinations (Stage 2)
    • How To Make Baby Oatmeal
    • Applesauce Baby Pancakes
    • Toddler Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

    Did you like this recipe? Let me know in the comments below. Also check out my Instagram and Pinterest for more food photography inspiration and recipes!

    If you’d like to stay in the know about all things With Sweet Honey, please consider subscribing to our newsletter!

    This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting With Sweet Honey!

    butternut squash puree in a small silicone bowl with a silicon spoon

    Butternut Squash Baby Food Puree

    This Butternut Squash Baby Food Puree recipe is rich in nutrients and generally great for babies in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of baby food.
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Baby Food
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Baby food, baby food puree, puree
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    56 Katelyn | With Sweet Honey

    Equipment

    • 1 Food Processor or blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium butternut squash

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise.
    • Remove the seeds with a spoon.
    • Place the squash on the baking sheet with the cut side down.
    • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the squash is soft and a fork can easily be inserted.
    • Let the cooked squash cool a bit before scooping the flesh out with a spoon. Place the butternut squash flesh in either a food processor or blender. Blend on high until the puree is smooth.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @withsweethoney on Instagram!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 13288IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz

      May 13, 2022 at 1:14 pm

      These are great baby food recipes! Simple, straight forward combinations that I feel confident in making at home! Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Katelyn | With Sweet Honey

        May 13, 2022 at 2:11 pm

        That is great to hear! Thank you so much for your kind comment:)

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Katelyn! I create gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo recipes that are easy and delicious. Food should make you feel good, and I hope my recipes inspire you to try something new. Happy cooking!

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