Homemade Baby Food Pouches {how-to and 5 recipes} - Family Food on the Table (2024)

Homemade baby food pouches are easy to make, portable, squeezable and there are tons of combination possibilities! A great way to serve healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your little one.

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 ofapplesauce 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 5 easy homemade squeezie combinations to get you started.

You can also check out these 5 additional homemade baby food pouches for more ideas! And you'll be coming up with your own favorite recipe combinations before long.

So, let's dive in.

Oh, and if you want to jump on down to the recipes, just scroll to the bottom of the post. The recipe card is above the comments section.

Equipment:

I have the Infantino Squeeze Stationand it's been great. It's the only specific baby food equipment I've bought and it 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 and been fine.

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:

Step 1. Set up the station. 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 to prepare for filling.

Pro tip: Be sure to write the contents and date on your bags before you start to fill them. Much easier to do it before rather than after they’re filled.

Step 2. Add puree mixes. Next, 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.

Note: 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).

Step 3. Remove the bags. After the bags are filled, unscrew the tubes from the top and carefully pull the bags out, keeping them level so they don't spill. Twist on the orange top and voila!

It’s really easy and actually kinda fun!

Tips and Tricks:

• Lemon: 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.
• Peels: 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.
• Cooking: 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.
• Consistency: 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.
• Size: 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!

Storage Tips:

• Homemade squeeze pouches, once made, should be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure they are labeled and dated. They will keep for up to 2-3 days in the fridge.
• You can also freeze the pouches! Pop them in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before giving to your little one.
• Traveling? You can safely transport these pouches for up to 1-2 hours. If you're going to be out longer than that - or if it's a very hot day - I would recommend packing them in a cooler.

Oh, and these should all be served cold or at room temperature; they aren’t meant to be heated or served warm.

Check out the recipes below and get to making some baby food pouches. I hope your little one enjoys!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. You can find more baby food help, resources and recipes in my cookbook. Healthy, Quick and Easy Baby Food has ALL the info you need to get started plus 100 recipes ranging from single purees to combinations to finger foods and toddler foods.