Nutritional Information

From applesauce to apple butter and apple jelly, apples are such a versatile fruit and jam-packed with nutrients that are beneficial to your baby.

• Good source of fiber, which benefits heart health and digestion. The pectin in apples is a 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.

How to Serve Apples

Apples are a great first food for babies and a healthy snack for toddlers, as long as you prepare or cut the apple in an age-appropriate way. Always make sure the seeds are removed and for younger babies, serve soft cooked or pureed apples to minimize choking risks.

6+ Months

See below for these recipes. 

Apple Puree

• Apple Puree

Self-Feeding: Baby-Led Weaning

• Apple for Baby-Led Weaning: Cooked halves or whole (without skin), or as a puree

7+ Months 

Stage Two Purees

• Apple, Carrot & Sweet Potato Puree

9+ Months

Stage Three Purees

• Apple Oatmeal with Almond Butter

Self-Feeding: Finger Foods

• Apple for Self Feeding: Cooked halves or whole (without skin), grated or thin slices (with or without skin), as a puree
   
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12-36 Months

Toddler Recipes

• Applesauce Mini Muffins

Apples for Self Feeding

Apples are a good food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

Cooked Halves or Whole (6+ months): It’s best to start your baby with a either a half or whole apple, without the skin - peeled, that has been steamed until tender. You can also serve your baby a puree on a self-feeding spoon. 

Grated or Thin Slices (9+ months): when your baby’s pincer grasp has developed, you can serve thin slices or grated apple, with or without the skin on, to your baby.

Whole apple or Thick Slices (18+ months): as your baby’s eating skills advance you can serve them a whole apple or thick slices of apple with the skin on.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1-2 servings
Age: 6+ months 

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• pinch cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep: Peel, cut in half, and remove the seeds of the apple. In a medium saucepan, bring 2" of water to a boil over high heat. 
2. Cook: Add a steamer basket and add the apple halves to the basket in a single layer. Sprinkle on the cinnamon. Cover and cook for 3-6 minutes or until very tender when pricked with a fork. Remove from heat, and place the apple halves on a paper towel or clean dish towel to cool.

Notes

Age: 6 months and up

Yield: 1 serving 

Additional Spices: Feel free to add in a pinch of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, or ground coriander to the apples while they are cooking.

Microwave: you can also cook the apples in the microwave by placing the peeled and cored apple half to a small microwave-safe bowl with 1 tablespoon of water and a sprinkle of water. Cook for 60 seconds on high, then check to make sure the apple is very tender when pricked with a fork. If not, cook in 15 second incremints until tender. Let cool and serve. 

Apples: you can use any sweet apple in this recipe – Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, McIntosh, etc.

Puree for Self-Feeding: Yes, it can be done! You can offer purees and still allow your baby to lead the way with self-feeding.

• Place a few spoonfuls of purees directly on the tray or in a bowl for your baby to dip fingers into. Model how to dip your fingers into the puree and bring them to your mouth, to taste some.
• Offer your baby a pre-loaded self-feeding utensil and hold it out for them to grasp or set on their tray. 
• Use a solid food as a dipper. You can also offer a soft stick-shaped piece of food, such as a soft roasted carrot or bread lightly toasted and cut into strips to dip into the puree. 

Video

More Apple Recipes

How to Pick & Store Apples

How to Pick Apples 

• Take a whiff:  A ripe apple should have a light, pleasant smell. Some varieties of apples will have a stronger fragrance than others.
• Visually inspect for any bad spots:  Pick up the apple and look for any soft spots, bruises, wrinkled skin, or deeper cuts, as these signal an apple that’s gone bad.  
• Feel for firmness: Gently press a small area of the apple’s skin to see if it’s firm to the touch. Apples that feel soft, mushy, or indent easily after you press on them are likely past their prime.
• Check color:  Look for apples with a full, even color (either red, orange or green) as they have absorbed a lot of sunlight and tend to have more flavor. 

How to Store Apples

• The best place to store your apples is in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Store apples unwashed and in whole form to keep them fresh and crisp. This will keep your apples fresh for up to 4-6 weeks. 
• If you don’t have enough space in your fridge, apples will last about 1-2 weeks at room temperature before they start to lose their freshness.
• If you want to store cut apples, transfer them to the fridge in an airtight container. You can prevent the apples from browning by submerging them in water and adding one teaspoon of lemon juice per one cup of water. The acid in the lemon juice helps slow down the oxidation process that causes browning. 
• Keep apples separate if possible from other produce. Apples release a gas that quickly ripens other produce. 

Seasonings that Pair Well with Apple: 

• Cinnamon
• Cardamon
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Mint
• Sage
• Anise
• Rosemary