How to Make Avocado Baby Food

Homemade Avocado Baby Food Recipe

Jennifer White

Reviewed by

Willow Jarosh, MS, RD

Updated on May 05, 2021

(398 ratings)

Total Time: 2 min

Prep Time: 2 min

Cook Time: 0 min

Servings: 5

The nutritional value of avocados, along with their mild flavor and creamy texture, makes these fruits—yes, avocado is a fruit—a great first food for babies. You can offer babies avocado as soon as they are developmentally ready to start solid foods (typically around 6 months old). It's also a good first finger food if you're using baby-led feeding or puree.

This simple avocado baby food recipe doesn't require any cooking at all. It's fast, easy to make, and your baby will love it. You can prepare avocado baby food right before feeding time so it is fresh, or you can make it in advance and freeze it, so it is available whenever you want it.

Nutritional Benefits

Avocados offer many nutrients. They are loaded with fiber while also supplying your baby with other vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid, zinc, niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin.

Avocados contain potassium while also being lower in sodium. They offer more other nutrients (such as vitamin B1 and B2) per gram than many of the fruits and vegetables typically recommended for babies to eat.

Avocados are also high in monounsaturated fat (71%) with smaller amounts of polyunsaturated fat (13%) and saturated fat (16%), making them supportive for the heart and helping little bodies absorb the fat-soluble vitamins they consume.

In addition, avocados are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote brain development, making them an excellent choice for a growing baby. So, don't let the fat in avocados deter you from feeding them to your little one.

How to Pick Ripe Avocados

How can you tell if an avocado is ripe enough to be used in baby food? If you want avocados that will mash more easily, look for ones that are dark green and have bumpy skin. Squeeze the avocado. It should feel firm with just a bit of give.

A rock-hard avocado isn't ripe enough to be used in baby food and one that feels soft and somewhat squishy is too ripe.

Make sure you always have ripe avocados on hand by buying some ripe and some almost ripe. Store them outside of the fridge unless they're already ripe. You can also keep avocados handy by cutting up a ripe fruit and freezing the slices. When you're ready to use them, thaw a few and start mashing.

Avocado Baby Food Recipe

You can make avocado baby food in just a couple of minutes by following this recipe. Add breast milk or formula if you want to make it thinner in consistency or to boost its nutritional value even more. It makes five servings, giving your baby more nutritious and healthy meals and snacks.

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
Optional: Breast milk, formula, or water

Preparation

Use a sharp knife to cut the avocado in half.
Score the pit with the knife and twist the knife to pull out the pit.
Scoop the avocado meat out of its skin with a spoon and put it in a dish.
Use a fork to mash the avocado into a chunky puree or use a blender or food processor to reach your desired consistency.
Optional: If you want to achieve a thinner consistency, add breast milk, formula, or water until it is as thin as you'd like.

How to Keep Avocado Baby Food Fresh

Because this recipe makes around five servings, you're likely going to have some left over. You can store your batch of avocado baby food in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.

Another option is to freeze your leftover avocado baby food. Scoop individual serving sizes into an an ice cube tray. Once they're frozen, move them into a plastic container or freezer bag.

The flesh of the avocado tends to brown when it is kept in the fridge and freezer, but it doesn't affect its nutritional value or flavor.

Of course, avocados aren't just good for babies; they are good for you, too. So, instead of keeping leftovers in the fridge or freezer, eat the rest yourself.

Make avocado and egg toast or dark chocolate avocado mousse and enjoy the many health benefits of this fruit right along with your baby.