Portable, squeezable and with lots of flavor options, homemade baby food pouches are easy to make and a great way to serve healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your little ones!
I made ALL of the baby food for both of my little ones. Which was no small feat because they were very hearty eaters. A good thing, but whew, kept me busy in the kitchen!
I always made big batches of purees, to knock out a bunch at a time, and inevitably, I’d be left with extras when they were moving onto finger foods and self-feeding.
So I started turning those purees into homemade baby food pouches.
(I also have tons of other ideas of ways to use leftover baby food - I didn't want to waste a bit!)
You can of course buy squeeze pouches in the store.
They have lots of different kinds of applesauce mixes, yogurt squeezies, and fruit and veggie combinations.
But you can make your own so quickly, easily and for much less money. Plus, you can customize them to your little one’s liking and feel good that you’re controlling the ingredients.
My kids are older now - M is 5 next week (yikes!) and J is coming up on 3 - but they still love these squeezies. M says she has lots of friends who bring them for lunch, so she’s always asking for me to send them to school.
And I'm happy to.
I love that it’s an easy way to ensure they are eating their veggies. They will take down one of these pouches in a matter of minutes but they don’t always dig into a big bowl of peas or a plate full of broccoli. #yet #Iwontgiveup
So today I’m giving you the run-down on what I use, how it works and five easy homemade squeezie combinations to get you started. (Check out these 5 additional homemade baby food pouches for more ideas!)
Equipment for baby food pouches
I have the Infantino Squeeze Station and it's been great. It's the only specific baby food equipment I've bought and was definitely worth it.
You’ll also need to buy refill pouches (they come in batches of 50 and you will go through them!)
They have other accessories, but I’ve stuck to these basics so far.
You’ll also need an immersion/hand blender or regular blender to make the purees to put into the squeeze pouches.
How to make baby food squeeze pouches
You set up the squeeze station by inserting three pouches into the bottom (they fit through some grooves and sort of snap in.) Then you put the empty containers on top and screw them onto the bags.
Note: Be sure to write the contents and date on your bags before you start to fill them. Much easier than after they’re done.
Next, you spoon your puree mix into each container, filling it almost to the top. You use the press tool and push the puree down into the pouch. It’s a weirdly gratifying feeling.
If the mixture gets stuck or won’t push, you probably have a small chunk in your puree that got caught in the hole. Just unscrew your tube, dump the contents back into your blender and reblend (or pick out the offending piece if you see it).
After the bags are filled, unscrew the tubes and carefully pull the bags out. Twist on the orange top and voila!
You can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days or pop them straight into the freezer to have on hand later.
It’s really easy and actually, really fun!
Notes about baby food pouch combinations:
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to all of these to help preserve them. The only exception is the pineapple-broccoli mixture. The citrus from the pineapple is enough on its own.
- You can keep the peels on the pears and apples, just be sure to puree them very well so pieces don’t get stuck and prevent the mixture from going into the squeezie bags.
- The vegetables and grains need to be cooked and soft, so plan ahead. Or use leftovers. These can be a great way to use up scraps and reduce food waste.
- If any of your mixtures seem too thick (because the water content of fruits and veggies can vary), just add a bit of applesauce or a splash of water to the blender until its thin enough.
- Each pouch holds about 4 ounces. Most of these batches for me make about 3 squeezies worth. You can of course always double up if you want to knock out a bunch. They freeze great, so you might as well!
Check out the recipes below and get to making some baby food pouches. I hope your little one enjoys!
(And let me know if you want to see another round-up like this - we have lots of other flavor combinations we’ve made over the years that I can share!)
XO,
Kathryn
Homemade baby food pouches
Portable, squeezable and with lots of flavor options, homemade baby food pouches are a great way to serve healthy fruits, vegetables and grains to your little ones!
Ingredients
For the apple-brown rice-spinach pouches:
- 1 apple, core removed and roughly chopped
- ½ cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves (raw)
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the pineapple-broccoli pouches:
- 1 cup cut pineapple (thawed if frozen)
- ⅔ cup cooked broccoli florets
For the mango-sweet potato-quinoa pouches:
- 1 ripe mango, peeled, seed removed and roughly chopped
- ½ cup cooked sweet potato
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the banana-barley-zucchini pouches:
- 1 ripe banana
- ½ cup cooked barley
- ½ cooked chopped zucchini
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the pear-peas-spinach pouches:
- 1 ripe pear
- ½ cup cooked peas
- 1 cup raw spinach
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Make sure all of your grains and veggies are cooked, if indicated.
- Combine all ingredients for each pouch combination in a blender or immersion blender and blend until it’s a smooth, pourable consistency. (See notes.)
- Label your bags, set up your station and add the mixture to the squeeze station containers, filled to the indicated line. Push down with the press tool and fill each bag. Remove the bags from the station and twist on the tops.
- Store pouches in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, simply move the pouch to the refrigerator - it thaws in less than a day.
Notes
Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to all of these to help preserve them. The only exception is the pineapple-broccoli mixture. The citrus from the pineapple is enough on its own.
You can keep the peels on the pears and apples, just be sure to puree them very well so pieces don’t get stuck and prevent the mixture from going into the squeezie bags.
The vegetables and grains need to be cooked and soft, so plan ahead. Or use leftovers. These can be a great way to use up scraps and reduce food waste.
If any of your mixtures seem too thick (because the water content of fruits and veggies can vary), just add a bit of applesauce or a splash of water to the blender until it's thin enough.
Each pouch holds about 4 ounces. Most of these batches for me make about 3 squeezies worth. You can of course always double up if you want to knock out a bunch. They freeze great, so you might as well!
Here are 5 more homemade baby food pouches if you want more flavor/combination ideas!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1 pouchAmount Per Serving: Calories: 50
The different varieties will yield different nutrition information.
Kristina
Looking forward to making these soon. Wondering what sized zucchini you used since it just says 1/2 chopped and cooked. All the ones at Kroger are rather small (maybe 6 inches long) and want to make sure that size would be enough.
Thanks,
Kathryn
Hi Kristina! If you found one of those real small zucchinis, you can probably use the whole thing. (Or you can cook and puree it and if it seems like too much, keep some separate on its own to use for baby food or to mix with something else.) It's pretty forgiving. Hope that helps!
Ling
love them !
Thank you for sharing and I have few questions: 1. How long does it last? 2. Can I put them in the freezer? 3. Can a 4 months old have these?
Kathryn
Hi, you can store pouches in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, simply move the pouch to the refrigerator - it thaws in less than a day. You'll need to talk with your doctor about when to introduce solid food (usually 4-6 months is the recommendation). But I don't think such a young baby could hold and eat these, so you may want to wait a little while before introducing squeeze pouches.
Sara
I have read a lot that if you take a pouch out of the freezer and let it thaw...that you need to reheat it before you serve it. Do you do this?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Sara, no, I didn't reheat these. I'm not sure all pouches are even able to be heated and I never served them warm. Just let them thaw and then served them from the fridge. Hope that helps!
McKenzie Stewart
Just made these today! I made a few modifications as I went to use some stuff I had extra of. I ended up with 38 pouches! This will be so nice for on the go for the next 3 months!
Kathryn
I'm so happy this was helpful! And nice work - you've got a ton ready to go!! 🙌
Malinda
I heard that you have to reheat frozen/thawed baby food until it’s steaming before feeding it to baby. Is that true? If so, you can’t boil the pouches so freezing the pouches isn’t an option because you would have to squeeze the purée out to heat it up. Thus defeating the purpose. Can you help?
Kathryn
Hi Malinda! You should definitely not feed steaming hot food to a baby but if you mean that it should be basically boiled to kill bacteria, that is also inaccurate. If you safely prepare, store and defrost the food, there is no need to bring it to a high temperature, as it won't have grown any dangerous bacteria. (You cannot keep baby food that the baby has partially eaten or if the spoon used to feed the baby has contaminated the remaining food or the container.) So any of these unused pouches can be frozen and then thawed overnight in the fridge and fed to baby cold from the refrigerator. You can read more about baby food storage in this post: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/homemade-baby-food/ And as always, if you have questions and concerns about baby food and feeding your baby, you should always consult your pediatrician or health care providers. I hope that helps!
Kathryn
Oh, and there's lots more information about baby food storage and handling leftovers in this post too: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/ways-to-use-leftover-baby-food/
Jessica
I have this same feeding system and my baby is 2 months but I want to get a head start on making food before I go back to work. Can I put these in the freezer and I know I read it’s safe in freezer for up to 3 months on cubes but what about in these pouches? I appreciate your help!
Kathryn
Hi Jessica! Way to go, getting ahead on some baby food and pouches for your little one! 👏 Yes, you can put these pouches in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can set them in the fridge to thaw overnight (though they don't even take that long) and have them ready to go. Hope that helps!
Rachel
You can also buy reusable/washable pouches. Thanks for the recipes!
Kathryn Doherty
Yes, another good option! I never found any that I loved and were easy to clean - do you have any recommendations?
Dot
Kathryn, these are amazing! Can I freeze them?
Kathryn Doherty
Yay, so glad you found this to be helpful! And yes, these freeze great! I have frozen all kinds of different combos for up to 3-4 months and they all did well. You can defrost in the refrigerator (overnight or 8+ hours) and then they are ready to serve. Hope that helps!
Sue Howat
Just a suggestion - with the toxins in plastic, plus ease of cleaning, I would like to suggest using mason jars instead. Very easy to clean, they seal AND (bonus!) they're made in the US!!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Sue! I love using mason jars for salad dressing and overnight oatmeal jars; they are so handy! However, this post is about baby food pouches that are intended to let babies and toddlers feed themselves a puree mix by squeezing it into their mouths, so I don't think a mason jar would be a good substitute.
Sadie
Although pricy, they make baby squeeze pouches out of food grade silicone as well! If you're worried about the chemicals in plastics. Although most of those chemicals are a result of heating plastic, so as long as you don't heat these pouches or leave in direct sunlight, you should avoid the problem by large. Personally I do not throw them in the dishwasher for this reason.
Kathryn Doherty
That's great info - thanks so much for sharing!
Stephanie Toering
Thank you for these recipes- do you think I could sub frozen spinach for the fresh? Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Stephanie! So, frozen spinach is cooked and that will greatly affect the taste of any of the pouches you make with it. Fresh spinach, on the other hand, blends right in and doesn't change the flavor at all. I hope that helps!
Stephanie Toering
Okay thanks!
Caitlyn
What is the freezer life on these?
Kathryn Doherty
You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Hope that helps!
Sandy B
Thank you so much for sharing! I just bought the pouches and the squeeze machine from the link. You are awesome to share these and I can't wait to start. I have a glass all in one steamer blender so will see how that will work with these 🙂
Kathryn Doherty
So happy this is helpful for you Sandy! I bet that steamer blender will make even quicker work of the prep. Good luck!!
Angela
Do you have any recipes with avocado or peanut butter? TIA!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Angela! Are you looking for baby food pouch recipes with avocado or peanut butter specifically? If so, I don't have any of those up right now. And actually, I don't think I used avocado or PB in any pouches for my kiddos. But I did make them smoothies with both - and you could always put that in a pouch if your little one isn't ready for a straw. Here's one recipe I have on the blog: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/peanut-butter-banana-smoothie-spinach/ Hope that helps!
Joy
About to start making my own baby food. Just wondering if they need to be heated or microwaved before eating once they have been thawed in the refrigerator? I plan to make big batches in the freezer.
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Joy! No, you can feed these pouches to your baby straight from the refrigerator once they are thawed. Hope that helps and good luck!!
Jess
How long are these pouches good for if you freeze them?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Jess! I have frozen all kinds of different combos for up to 3-4 months and they all did well. You can defrost in the refrigerator (overnight or 8+ hours) and then they are ready to serve. Hope that helps!
Lisa
This was very helpful! Thank you!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear that Lisa! 😊
Bethany
Love your combinations! What size are the pouches you use? I have different reusable ones so I'll have to adjust the recipes, if necessary, based on the size and amount that I have. Thank you!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad this is helpful! My pouches hold about 4 ounces. Hope that helps!
Kirsten Jeschke
Hi! Do you ever cook the apples before putting them in the pouches? Is it ok to use raw apples?
Kathryn Doherty
Yes, it is OK to use raw apples; that's what I did for these. I also sometimes use applesauce and other fruits to make different flavored applesauce (like here: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/homemade-applesauce-5-fruit-flavors/) and put that into pouches. Hope that helps!
Maisy
How long will they last out of the fridge?
Maisy
How long will they last out of the fridge? Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Maisy! I would plan to use them within an hour to be on the safe side. If you're traveling with pouches for longer than that, I'd pop them in a cooler to keep them chilled. Hope that helps!
Perla
How do you clean the pouches that come with the Infantino Station? Would any pouch type from Amazon work on the Infantino station?
Kathryn Doherty
The pouches I get are not re-useable. So I don't clean them; just use them and then toss them. I'm not sure other pouches would work with the Infantino Station; I'm guessing they need to be the right fit and another brand might not line up correctly.