Yummy Homemade Broccoli Baby Food Recipes

Learn all about Broccoli in Baby Food Recipes

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When can my Baby eat Broccoli?  

Broccoli might not be a good choice for one of Baby’s first vegetables as it may cause gas. Broccoli may also be a bit hard for a young infant to digest. The current suggested age for introducing broccoli to baby is when baby is 8-10 months old. If your baby has had any digestive issues, it would be best to introduce broccoli into the diet later rather than sooner. As always, we recommend that you consult with your baby’s pediatrician on introducing solid foods as generalities may not apply to your infant.

Broccoli makes a great Baby Finger Food too – steam it, chop it and sprinkle it with cheese.

The Goodness of Broccoli for Babies

Broccoli is very high in Vitamin C and is a great source of soluble fiber. This makes broccoli wonderful to add to baby food recipes. Soluble fiber is the fiber that helps loosen up the bowels as it changes its form as it passes through the digestive tract. An overabundance of soluble fiber in a diet may produce diarrhea. Insoluble fiber does not change its form or make up and simply helps to add bulk and too much of it may cause constipation.

BROCCOLI: (1 cup – steamed)

How to select and store broccoli for homemade baby food

 According to the EWG, broccoli is not one of the “dirty dozen” foods that are most highly contaminated with pesticides – purchasing organic is a personal choice.

When shopping for fresh broccoli, purchase broccoli with florets that are uniformly colored. The florets should be a dark green, sage, or purple-green. Be sure to look over the florets as they should not be greyish/moldy looking nor should they be bruised, or have any yellow flowers peeking around.

Always store fresh broccoli in an open plastic bag in your refrigerator crisper/vegetable drawer. Fresh broccoli should store for up to 4 days.

The best way to cook broccoli for homemade baby food

When cooking broccoli you should always steam it or sautee it in olive oil. If sauteeing it for your baby, please be sure that you thoroughly cook it; do not serve it al dente’ if you will be making broccoli finger food. As regards microwaving broccoli, some studies have shown that microwaving broccoli causes it to loose nutrients more so than microwaving any other vegetable. There have been some isues with the validity of these studies however we always prefer to use a cooking method other than microwaving.

Broccoli may also be baked in casseroles and other recipes.

Try these Nutritious Broccoli Recipes: 

Baby’s Broccoli Puree – Basic

• 1 bunch of fresh broccoli

Step 1: Wash broccoli under cool water.

Step 2: Chop stems and florets into small pieces; using just the florets will many times yield a smoother puree. Steam until tender.

Step 3: Place into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.

Step 4: Add water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency

Broccoli Casserole 

• 2 cups minute rice cooked  (I prefer to use Brown Rice – if using brown rice, be sure to first cook the rice. Cook for 30 minutes instead of the regular 45 mins.)
• 2 tablespoons butter (you may use olive oil.)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 pkgs. Frozen broccoli (10 oz. each)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (use 1 cup of 1/2 & 1/2 or 1 cup of yogurt)
• 1 can cream of celery soup (use a low or no sodium vegetable or chicken broth instead or use a homemade stock. you would need 2 cups or 16 oz.)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F degrees

Step 1: Sauté onion, peppers, and celery in butter until tender.

Step 2: Combine rice, broccoli, sautéed vegetables, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, and soups/substitutions. Transfer to a greased casserole dish.

Step 3: Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Step 4: Take off cover, top with remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese, and bake about 5 minutes longer, until top is lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Baby’s Creamy Broccoli Soup

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram or oregano
• Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk

Step 1: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté until tender.

Step 2: Add broccoli, chicken broth, marjoram, and cayenne; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Step 3: Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broccoli is tender.

Step 4: Remove from heat and stir in milk. Purée in batches in a blender. Heat through to serve.

Cheesy Broccoli (or Cauliflower) Rice

• 1 stalk of broccoli
• ½ cup cooked brown rice
• ¼ shredded cheddar cheese

Step 1: Wash broccoli under cool water.

Step 2: Chop stems and florets into small pieces; using just the florets will many times yield a smoother puree. Steam until tender.

Step 3: Mix the rice and broccoli together and return to the stove on low

Step 4: Stir in the cheese until it has melted into the broccoli & rice

Step 5: Puree or mash as needed

Broccoli & Carrots

• 1 stalk of broccoli
• 1 cup peeled and thinly diced carrots

Step 1: Wash broccoli under cool water.

Step 2: Chop broccoli stems and florets into small pieces (using just the florets will many times yield a smoother puree)

Step 3: Add broccoli and carrots to a saucepan (2 inches of water) or steamer and steam until tender.

Step 4: Mash or puree as needed. If the veggies are diced small enough, this will make a wonderful and colorful finger food medley.

Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Nuggets

• 1 16-oz Package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (you could try using baby cereal if you want, we know it works well with “baby meatballs“)
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (please use real cheese and not a “processed cheese food” product. Try tomato & basil cheddar.)
• 3 Large eggs or 5 egg yolks – Most pediatricians say it’s ok to use whole egg in a baked good when baby is over 8-9 months old without allergies. I would recommend that you substitute 5 egg yolks for the whole eggs if serving this to those under 1 yr. Ask YOUR pediatrician.

Step 1: Pre-Heat oven to 375

Step 2: Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.

Step 3: Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.

*Add seasonings if you like – garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example. Add a fruit or veggie puree to substitute for the eggs if desired.

Step 4: Shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares or squigglies etc..and place on baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn nuggets over after 15 minutes.

Step 5: Serve warm – Chop or mash these broccoli nuggets if your baby isn’t able to handle bigger finger foods.

Broccoli Nuggets II

• 16 oz package of frozen broccoli (florets if possible.)
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs (or 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/2 cup baby cereal)
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 5-6 tablespoons of water or milk
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• shakes of spices as you desire,
• 1/4 diced and sauteed onions if you wish

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 F

Step 1: Thaw and drain broccoli (if using fresh, cleanse, cook then drain and chop)

Step 2: Mix together remaining ingredients

Step 3: Shape the mixture into nuggets, rolls or whatever takes your fancy.

Step 4: Bake for 20-25 minutes on a lightly greased/oiled baking sheet.

Step 5: Turn your broccoli-cheesies after 10 minutes of cooking time – these are done when golden and firm.

Serve warm – dip with a cucumber dipping sauce; YUM

Foods Good to Mix With Broccoli for Your Baby

• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Summer Squash
• White Potato
• Sweet Potato
• Brown Rice
• Lentils
• Beef
• Chicken
• Tofu
• Yogurt