Around 4 months of age you can offer breastmilk (or formula) popsicles to your baby. At 6 months you can offer a variety of foods in your popsicles, including potentially allergenic foods. Here are some recipe tips and inspiration for including popsicles in your baby’s daily diet!
Popsicle Recipes for Breakfast: Popsicles for breakfast are a great idea, especially when you are in a pinch first thing in the morning. Freeze them the night before so you are ready to go when baby wakes up. Here are a few breakfast ideas:
- Breast Milk or Formula Popsicle: In my baby-led weaning courses I teach families to drop their morning bottle so that baby will be hungry when offering solid foods (including popsicles). Breakfast popsicles are cold and refreshing, and therefore can provide sensory awareness + a happy and alert baby! All you need to do is pour a ½ oz of breast milk or formula into the ezpz Tiny Pops and freeze.
- Buckwheat or Spelt Porridge Popsicle: Make porridge using the directions on the package. Then mix a few spoonfuls of porridge with breast milk or formula and place into the popsicle mold. Blending breast milk with the porridge will keep the taste and smell of this popsicle more familiar. This will help them overcome the slightly gritty consistency of the porridge and encourage them to try a new breakfast texture!
Rainbow Popsicle Recipes: Offering your baby a variety of colors is key to decrease picky eating tendencies. Here are some fruits and vegetables combinations that will provide a pop of color and a wide range of new tastes. For the below recipes pour the mixture into the Tiny Pop popsicle mold and freeze for 4+ hours.
- Red Popsicle: Beet + Strawberry + Breast Milk. To prep this popsicle in under 5 minutes, I use canned sliced beets and frozen strawberries. I place one beet slice, 3 strawberries, and some breast milk (or formula) into a blender.
- Orange Popsicle: Carrot + Cantaloupe + Breast Milk. I steam a few baby carrots and then pour them into the blender with breast milk. I add two cubes of cantaloupe and blend in the blender until it is a thin puree.
- Yellow Popsicle: Squash + Pineapple + Breast Milk. Steam a few cubes of squash and add to the blender. Mix in breast milk and one canned pineapple ring and pulse until smooth.
- Green Popsicle: Spinach + Kiwi + Breast Milk. I use raw spinach, but you can steam it too. Add a few leaves of spinach with a half of a kiwi. Pour in breast milk and blend.
- Blue Popsicle: Purple Carrot + Blueberries + Breast Milk. Purple carrots are now easier to find in produce delivery boxes, farmers markets and grocery stores. Steam the purple carrots, add frozen (or fresh) blueberries, pour in breast milk and mix in the blender.
- White Popsicle: Cauliflower + Banana + Breast Milk. You can steam cauliflower or use a bag of cauliflower rice. Mix a handful of cauliflower with ½ a small banana, and breast milk. Pulse in the blender until smooth.
Popsicle Recipes for Potentially Allergenic Foods: Did you know that it is important to introduce potentially allergenic foods early and often to your baby? Change it up by offering some of the most common allergenic foods in a fun popsicle shape! For the below recipes pour the mixture into the popsicle mold and freeze for 4+ hours.
Milk: Yogurt + Breast Milk. Stir a scoop of whole fat yogurt with some breast milk in a bowl.
Soy: Tofu + Breast Milk. I prefer to use soft tofu in popsicles, but you can use firm tofu as well. Cut tofu into a few cubes, add breast milk and blend in a blender.
Peanuts: Peanut Butter + Breast Milk. I mix a spoonful of peanut butter with breast milk or formula. If it’s not blending well, add a dollop of yogurt to smooth it out. *Be sure you have already introduced yogurt previously and your baby did not have a reaction to the milk protein.
Wheat: Wheat Baby Cereal + Breast Milk. Cook a few scoops of wheat cereal then add breast milk to thin it out.
Tree Nuts: Cashew or Almond Butter + Breast Milk. I use a spoonful of cashew or almond butter with breast milk or formula. Again, if it’s not blending well, add a dollop of yogurt to smooth it out. Be sure to offer other types of tree nuts too!
I hope these tips will help you and baby learn to enjoy homemade popsicles! Which recipe are you planning on serving to your baby? Tag us in your pictures of your baby enjoying popsicles from our Tiny Pops at @ezpzfun!
