Butternut squash purée ideas for baby

Roasting butternut squash brings out the rich natural caramel flavour, intensifying the sweetness that babies just can’t resist. This type of squash has a huge amount of beta carotene, fibre, and vitamins A and E, which help to support your baby’s immune system, skin and bones. Check out these recipes for butternut squash purées, kindly shared by babyfood blogger Michele Olivier, from her book Whole Food Baby.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

Prep time 5 minutes, cook time 1 hour*.

Makes about 700–850 g (25–30 oz).

*While the cook time is 60 minutes, the hands-on time is only 5 minutes, leaving you with 55 minutes to yourself!

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, cut in half and deseeded
2 teaspoons olive oil
240 ml (8 fl oz) low- or no-salt chicken or vegetable stock, water, formula or breast milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F) and line a baking tray with tinfoil, baking parchment or a silicon mat. Place the squash, skin side down, on the baking tray and drizzle with the oil. Bake for 45–60 minutes or until the flesh is tender and can be pricked with a fork. Let cool slightly. Scrape the flesh away from the skin and discard the skin. Transfer the squash and liquid to a liquidiser or food processor, and puree until smooth, adding additional liquid in 60 ml (2 fl oz) increments if needed. Stores for 4 days in fridge or 3 months in freezer.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, YELLOW COURGETTE AND THYME PUREE

Place half a deseeded butternut squash and 3 small, trimmed yellow courgettes cut in half lengthwise on a lined baking tray.

Bake in an oven preheated as in the main recipe (above) for 30 minutes.

After baking, remove the yellow courgette and set aside to cool. Bake the butternut squash for another 15–20 minutes or until the flesh is tender and can be pricked with a fork.

Let cool slightly, then scoop the butternut squash flesh away from the skin and discard.

Place the butternut squash and yellow courgette along with 1∕2 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme and liquid into a liquidiser or food processor, and purée as instructed in the main recipe.

Add 60 g (2 oz) cooked barley to this purée for some additional fibre and magnesium.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SWEET POTATO, PEAR AND SAGE PUREE

Make the puree using the main recipe, but use only half the butternut squash (olive oil is optional) and add 1 sweet potato, pricked with a fork several times, to the lined baking tray.

Bake for 30 minutes, then add 2 cored, peeled and chopped pears to the baking tray and cook for another 15 minutes or until the squash and sweet potato are tender.

Let cool slightly, then peel the squash and sweet potato as instructed in the main recipe.

Add all the ingredients, plus 2 chopped sage leaves and the liquid to the liquidiser or food processor, and purée as instructed in the main recipe.

Give your baby's tastebuds and tummy a treat with these 20 nutritious recipes for delicious purees and finger foods. Babyfood blogger Michele Olivier guides the way with recipes that are packed with whole foods that will stimulate your baby's palate and provide all the essential building blocks for growth.