Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

This Apple Baby Puree recipe is a wonderful first food for your baby! A delicious, nutrient-dense puree that your baby will go gaga over! Great baby food for 6 months and up – stage 1 baby food.

Pink baby plate with gray baby bowl restaurant tub filled with a creamy apple purée.

Apple Puree Video

Homemade Apple Puree for Baby

Looking for the most ridiculously good apple puree for your baby?

Then, I’ve got you!

Ever since I published this recipe in 2013, readers (and babies) have fallen in love with this smooth apple puree. It has hundreds of 5-star reviews and thousands of views a month!

This was the first puree that I served to both of my kids, and both times, they gobbled it up with huge smiles on their faces. This puree has been a hit from day one! Score!

The key to making this swoon-worthy puree is to gently simmer the apples until tender, along with a little water and a dash of cinnamon. It’s definitely the cinnamon-infused apples that make this puree so delish!

Here are three reasons I love this puree:

✔️ delicious – seriously better than any homemade brand
✔️ freezer-friendly – make a double batch and freeze a bunch for later meals
✔️ easy to make – done in less than 20 minutes

It is an amazing pick for your baby’s first bite of food! It can also be spooned into a reusable pouch for your toddler, served as chunky applesauce to older kids, or eaten by the spoonful over the counter while waiting for it to cool down to serve to your little ones.

4.82 stars (77 ratings)
“This is one of my daughter’s all time favorites. Highly recommend with a pinch of cinnamon!” -Holly F.
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Hand holding apple.

Heath Benefits of Apples

  • Good source of fiber, which benefits heart health and digestion. The pectin in apples is prebiotic, which is the food probiotics, or good bacteria in the gut, feed on. The soluble fiber apples contain helps with cholesterol levels. 
  • Helps with hydration due to their high water content.
  • Good source of vitamin C, which helps with immunity.
  • The antioxidants in apples help with cancer prevention.
Wooden cutting board with six apples and a small white bowl of cinnamon.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

  • Apples: You will need six apples for this recipe. Look for apples that are firm, ripe and don’t have any open blemishes or bruises.
  • Cinnamon: Adding in a pinch of cinnamon will make this puree even more swoon-worthy! But adding in spices to your baby’s puree is totally up to you. You can opt to leave them out if you prefer.

Best Apples to Use

I prefer to use a sweeter apple such a Pink Lady or McIntosh, but really can you use any apple you prefer or have on hand.

Here are some great apple options:

  • Pink Lady
  • Gala
  • Honeycrisp
  • Fuji
  • McIntosh
  • Jazz
  • Golden Delicious

Let’s Get Cooking

Wood cutting board with six apples on top one peeled.
Peel the apples.
Wooden cutting board with chopped and peeled apples in a small bowl of cinnamon.
Roughly chop the apples.
Silver sauce pan with chopped apples.
Add the apples to a saucepan.
Silver sauce pan with chopped apples and hands reaching over with a pinch of cinnamon.
Sprinkle in the cinnamon.
Silver sauce pan on a white background with raw chopped apples and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Add in the water and cook until the apples are tender.
Silver sauce pan on a white background with cooked tender chunks of apples.
Let cool slightly.
And holding a clear blender with cooked chopped chunks of apples.
Place all of the ingredients into a blender.
Clear blender on a white background with puréed apples.
Puree until smooth.
Gray baby bowl with. Apples.
Serve or freeze for later.

Peeling Tip: you can peel or not peel apples for this puree. If this is your first time serving apples to your baby, I would recommend peeling the apples as they contain a good deal of fiber, which might be a little too much for babies belly. Once your baby gets used to the apples and their fiber content, peeling is completely up to you.

pink high chair for baby.

Tools Needed

These tools will make it a lot easier for you to make this healthy Apple Baby Food Puree. For more of my favorite baby food-making tools, be sure to check out my online shop.

Spread of Beaba babycook and a cutting board with raw apples in chunks with a small bowl of cinnamon.
BEABA babycook with chunks of cooked apple inside the glass container.
Beaba babycook with steamed and pureed apples.

Other Cooking Methods

While I love the crisp flavor of simmered apples, there are several different ways you can cook apples for baby food. 

BEABA Babycook

Nothing is better than homemade apple puree! And now that delight got even easier with the BEABA Babycook Neo. With a touch of a button, you will have homemade apple puree for your baby (and you) in a matter of minutes. To make, place 3 peeled, cored and chopped apples into the stainless steel steamer basket, and place the basket into the glass container, closing the lid. Fill the reservoir tank to a level 3, close and lock the lid. Hit the steam button and let the machine get to work. Once steamed, transfer the apples into the glass container, leaving the water, and add a pinch of cinnamon. Close the lid, and hit the blend button for 1 minute or until the puree is smooth. You may need to add more water to the puree if needed in 2 tablespoon increments.

Steaming

Peel and roughly chop apples before placing them into a steamer basket over 2 inches of boiling water for 8-10, or tender when pricked with a fork. Puree in a blender as directed below. 

Boiling

Place peeled and roughly chopped apples into a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover the apples and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or when tender with pricked with a fork. Puree in a blender as directed below. Just FYI, boiling tends to leave foods less nutritious than other methods of cooking because many of the nutrients are leached into the water while boiling, and then the water is thrown out. 

Pink baby plate with gray baby bowl restaurant tub filled with a creamy apple purée.

How to Store Apple Baby Food

Refrigerator

You can store this apple puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

  • Spoon puree into a freezer storage container – do not overfill. 
  • Place the lid on the storage container or cover with a piece of saran wrap and label with date and recipe name. 
  • Place the tray into the freezer and let freeze completely – preferably overnight. 
  • Pop out the baby food cubes and place in a zip-lock baggie or stasher bag – don’t forget to re-label the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.
Pink baby food storage container with puréed apples and hands holding it.

Puree Feeding Tips

  • Follow your baby’s lead – when feeding purees from a spoon, sometimes there’s a tendency to keep offering bites past the point of your baby being full. Always follow baby’s cues for when they are done eating. Turning away from the spoon, closing her mouth, or pushing food away are all signs that baby is finished with the meal.
  • Place a small amount of puree on the tray during spoon feeding, so that your baby can dip their fingers or hands in the puree. Allowing baby to explore foods in this way helps them learn to self-feed and can help them be more willing to try new textures and foods in the future.
  • Purees are great to keep in your baby’s regular rotation of foods – but if you start feeding with traditional weaning using purees, make sure to progress beyond eating ONLY purees. Once baby can safely and comfortably swallow purees (usually by 7 or 8 months) it’s time to introduce other textures, such as teething biscuits and soft cooked finger foods. Moving onto additional textures in a timely manner may help prevent feeding difficulties at a later age.
Pink baby play with a gray baby bowl on top with puréed apples and a gray spoon resting on the plate.

Apple Combination Purees

While this apple puree is delicious on it’s own, it will also be amazing mixed with these purees for a fun and tasty combination puree.

Apples for Baby-Led Weaning: Apples are also a great food to serve to your baby whole for baby-led weaning (6+ months) or as a finger food (9+ months). You can always serve baby a combination of purees and finger foods right from the start.

Get the recipe: Ridiculously Good Apple Baby Food Puree

4.8 stars (77 ratings)
This Apple Baby Puree recipe is a wonderful first food for baby! A delicious nutrient-dense puree that baby will go gaga over!
Yield: 20 ounces
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Baby Food
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 6 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions 

  • Add: In a medium saucepan, place the apples, water and cinnamon.
    Silver sauce pan on a white background with raw chopped apples and sprinkled with cinnamon.
  • Cook: Cover and heat on medium-low for 10-15 minutes or until apples are tender. Let cool slightly.
    Silver sauce pan on a white background with cooked tender chunks of apples.
  • Transfer: Transfer all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor.
    And holding a clear blender with cooked chopped chunks of apples.
  • Puree: blend on medium for 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth. For a chunky puree, quickly pulse the ingredients 10-15 times or until you receive your desired consistency.
    Clear blender on a white background with puréed apples.
  • Eat: Serve to your baby or freeze for later.
    Pink baby play with a gray baby bowl on top with puréed apples and a gray spoon resting on the plate.

Notes

Age: 4-6+ months and up
Yield: roughly 20 ounces
Additional Spices: Feel free to sub in these spices instead of the cinnamon for this recipe – pinch of cloves, nutmeg, ginger powder, coriander or 1-2 leaves of fresh mint, 1-2 leaves of fresh basil, a pinch of freshly grated ginger. 
Apples: you can use any sweet apple in this recipe – Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, McIntosh, etc.
 

Equipment

Blender
Freezer Tray
Tripp Trapp High Chair
Saucepan
Bumkins Baby Bowl
Serving: 1ounce, Calories: 35kcal, Carbohydrates: 9.3g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 72mg, Fiber: 1.6g, Sugar: 7g, Calcium: 1mg

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Frequently Asked Questions

When can baby eat apples?

Baby can eat apples as one of their first foods. When a baby can start on solids is determined by their own rate of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of age. Some of the developmental milestones babies need to reach in order to start solids include: if your baby has solid control of their head and neck, if your baby has doubled in weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat (see my guide here). Before you start your baby on purees, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally ready for purees.

Are apples a common allergen for baby?

No, apples are not a common allergen, however, as with any food, start with a small portion and be aware of any signs that might be an allergic reaction after introducing it.

Do apples cause constipation for babies?

Applesauce may cause constipation in babies, however raw apples and apple juice may actually help alleviate constipation. 

What spices can you add to this apple puree?

While the most popular option is adding cinnamon to apple baby food, you can also add in cloves, nutmeg, fresh mint, fresh basil, freshly grated ginger or even coriander.
Tip on Spices: I always add in spices to my baby food purees, but you can add or leave out spices in all of your baby food. You do you! Either way, this puree will taste amazing.