Sweet Potato Puree with Optional Sumac is a fantastic homemade baby food for when baby starts solid foods. Sumac adds the perfect touch of lemon tang to sweet potatoes, which are packed full of goodness like Vitamin A and and Vitamin C. Not only is it one of the best first foods, this is a delicious side dish that the whole family can enjoy! Serve sweet potato wedges for dinner, and reserve a portion to make baby’s sweet potato puree. For older babies, chop (or not) as necessary. Tasty, simple, family friendly. Winner!
Ingredients in Sweet Potato Puree with Optional Sumac
Just two to three ingredients are needed for this homemade sweet potato baby food:
Sweet potato – I love sweet potatoes. They’re packed with nutrients [1], making them a great first food, and are the main potato variety I cook with. I commonly use gold (you normally see gold variety sweet potato wedges or chips). You can also make this recipe with red or purple sweet potatoes. My family love all varieties, more so than white potatoes, for their lovely sweet taste and creamy texture.
Sumac – I use sumac in this recipe, but it’s optional. Leave it out if you’d like, or replace it with another dried herb or spice of your choosing; mild paprika is another great option.
Olive oil – Just a small amount is needed for roasting the sweet potatoes.
How to make sweet potato baby food
This is an easy homemade sweet potato baby food recipe to make. The first step is to roast the sweet potato to bring out that delicious flavour. Set aside your family portion, and then blend the remainder to a smooth puree for baby. Even if I was only making this sweet potato puree recipe for Baby LJ and not to serve as a side dish, I would still roast the sweet potato first to bring out a richer flavour, before pureeing in my Thermomix. Of course, the easiest way to puree is by using an all-in-one appliance, baby food maker, food processor or hand mixer but you can also get a workout with a potato masher!
See the full recipe card below for ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both thermo cooker and conventional methods.
Serving this puree
This is a great side dish for the whole family, before puréeing for baby. Who doesn’t love sweet potato wedges? Serve them with your favourite protein and greens for dinner, done.
First stage weaning or second stage weaning? This sweet potato baby food recipe is ideal for both Stage 1 (around 6 months of age) and Stage 2 (around 6-9 months) weaning. For first stage/younger babies, try offering this dish for the first time without the sumac and as a very smooth puree by mixing through a little cooled boiled water, formula milk or expressed breast milk immediately before serving. For second stage weaning/older babies, add the sumac or other spice and increase the texture by blending/pureeing for less time. The great thing about homemade baby food is that as baby grows and develops, you can adjust the texture from runny/smooth purees to chunkier mashed foods, to serving appropriately chopped soft foods as you would for the family.
Looking for other sides that you can puree for baby, to not only save yourself time and effort but also get them accustomed to family food? Try out the Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake or Low Sodium Baked Beans and let me know what you think 😊.
Sweet Potato Baby Puree Combinations
Sweet potato is a fantastic vegetable to combine with other first foods, to make your own baby food combinations. Make this puree without the spice, along with other single-ingredient purée recipes like this Pear Puree (with Optional Cinnamon) or Carrot Puree (with Optional Ginger). You can then mix the flavours together to create your own combinations like sweet potato and pear purée or sweet potato and carrot purée. It can be really useful when baby first starts solid foods to freeze purées in ice cube trays, and then when frozen transfer to a labelled freezer bag. You can then mix and match as your growing baby progresses with flavour combinations. It’s a great way to gradually introduce them to new foods alongside their favourite vegetables!
If you try this Sweet Potato Puree with Optional Sumac, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more baby food recipes.
Enjoy!
Chloe x
Sweet Potato Puree with Optional Sumac
Category: PuréeTap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 300 g sweet potato peeled and chopped into fingers/wedges
- 1 tsp sumac
- olive oil for coating
- 1/2 cup water boiled and cooled (Note 1)
Thermo Cooker Instructions
- Lightly coat the sweet potato wedges in a little oil, and sprinkle with sumac if using.
- Roast in oven until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes at 180°C (fan forced).
- Put the sweet potato into the mixing bowl with the cooled boiled water. Chop for 20 seconds, speed 5, MC on, making sure to increase the speed gradually to avoid the sweet potato immediately sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl. Scrape down the mixing bowl and lid, and repeat 2 to 3 times until you reach the desired consistency, adding more liquid if necessary for younger babies (Note 2),
Conventional Instructions
- Lightly coat the sweet potato wedges in a little oil, and sprinkle with sumac if using.
- Roast in oven until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes at 180°C (fan forced).
- Blend sweet potato with the cooled boiled water, using a food processor or electric hand blender, until you reach the desired consistency, adding more liquid if necessary for younger babies (Note 2).
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
[1] Australian Sweet Potatoes, 2016, Horticulture Innovation Australia.
[2] Homemade baby food, 2023, Raising Children Network Australia.
One Response
What a great idea!