Finger Foods for Baby -
Recipes From Our Readers

Need ideas for finger foods for baby? Check out these original and tasty recipes sent in by other parents!

Please note: The comments that accompany these recipes - including the suggested age of introduction - are from the parents who sent them in. Please discuss the introduction of any new foods with your child's doctor.

Finger Foods For Baby - Avocado Houmous

From Maria in UAE

1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 avocado
1 clove of garlic
juice of half a lemon (optional)

Easy peasy - just blend all the ingredients together in a food processor. My baby loves this with pieces of warm pita (so do I!).

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Finger Foods For Baby - Apricot and Raisin Flapjacks

From Carmen in the Republic of Ireland

8oz (1 cup) porridge oats (oatmeal)
4oz (1/2 cup) butter
2oz (1/4 cup) rice flour
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) rice syrup
10oz (1 1/4 cups) dried apricots
2oz (1/4 cup) raisins

1. About one hour before you start, soak the dried apricots in warm water to soften them.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
3. Over a low heat, melt the butter. Then stir in the rice syrup and mix well.
3. Next, stir in the oats, rice flour, and raisins. Mix together thoroughly. The mixture should be moist enough to 'clump' together, but should not be runny at all. If it is, just add more oats, a little at a time.
5. Chop the pre-soaked apricots.
6. Press half the oat mixture into a greased baking pan, then top with the chopped apricots.
7. Put the rest of the oats on top and flatten thoroughly with the palms of your hands.
8. Bake for 25 mins, until firm and golden.
9. Slice into fingers when still hot, but don't take the flapjacks out of the pan until they've cooled down.

My son is 14 months and he loves these! I wouldn't recommend them for very young babies because they do need to be able to bite and chew well. These are nice for the grown-ups, too!

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Finger Foods for Baby - Applesauce and Yogurt Dippers for Two

From Nancy in the United States

1 cup (8oz) cinnamon applesauce, either home-made or purchased
1 cup (8oz) plain or vanilla yogurt, either home-made or purchased
2 sheets of cinnamon or regular graham crackers, cut into thin sticks

1. Combine applesauce and yogurt in a 3 cup size bowl and mix well.
2. Put portions for you and your toddler in two small bowls.
3. Serve graham crackers cut into thin sticks along with the applesauce.

Enjoy this treat with your toddler by dipping the graham cracker into the applesauce yogurt mixture and then eating it. Cover and refrigerate any extra portions. You'll enjoy this slightly sweet and nutritious snack along with your toddler. The cinnamon yogurt dip would also be delicious with other breads of your choice used as dippers.

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Winning recipe - August 2007


Finger Foods for Baby - Baby Pizza

From Rosann in Canada

1 flour tortilla
ground meat (chicken, beef, etc.)
green pepper
red pepper
yellow or orange pepper
mushrooms
pizza sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Pre-cook ground meat either by frying, slow cooker or baking (this recipe is great for leftover ground meat). Ensure that the meat is in small pieces.
2. Chop peppers and mushrooms into small pieces and lightly fry in butter until tender but not burnt. If the ground meat was previously cooked and is cool you can add it to the pan to heat it up.
3. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on the tortilla and add the ground meat and pepper/mushroom mixture. Don't add too much or the pizza will be difficult to cut.
4. Top with shredded cheese.
5. Place in the oven under the broiler (grill) and broil until the cheese melts.
6. Take out of oven and let cool either on the counter or in the freezer for a few minutes.
7. Slice into bite size pieces with a pizza cutter. Great finger food - be prepared for the mess!

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For details of how to send in YOUR baby's photograph - and to see our favourite entries from last month...

Visit our Baby of the Month page

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From Rachita in the United Kingdom

10-15 leaves of spinach
1 carrot (finely chopped)
2 florets cauliflower/broccoli (finely chopped)
1 tbsp cabbage (finely chopped)
1/2 potato (boiled and mashed)
4 tsps semolina
2-3 tsps curd/yogurt
1/2 tsp butter

NOTE: Other vegetables can be added as per their availability and your baby's preferences.

1. Pour all the vegetables into boiling water and let them boil for 5-10 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the hob, remove all the vegetables to a processor and blend them to form a fine puree.
3. Once this is done, take a bowl and add the semolina, mashed/pureed vegetables and the curd/yogurt and mix all the ingredients firmly to form a thick paste (it is important that the paste remain thick).
4. Now heat a pan on high flame and put the butter into the pan followed by the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and cover.
5. After 1 minute, remove the lid and turn the burger. Cook it until it turns light golden brown in colour.
6. Once done, remove the burger from the pan and cool to a safe serving temperature. It can be served plain or with yogurt.

NOTE: Do try this recipe as I am 100% sure that your baby will love it! It looks good and it tastes excellent. Above all, it provides all the nutritious things that your baby requires!

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Finger Foods for Baby - Baby's Vegetable Muffins

8oz (1 cup) zucchini (courgette), grated
8oz (1 cup) carrot, peeled and grated
6oz (3/4 cup) whole wheat flour
3tsp baking powder
8oz (1 cup) Cheddar cheese, grated
4oz (1/2 cup) applesauce
2fl oz (1/4 cup) olive oil
4 fl oz (1/2 cup) milk

1. Preheat your oven to 360 deg F, 180 deg C.
2. Grease a muffin pan (this recipe makes 12 vegetable muffins).
3. Mix the flour, baking powder and grated vegetables with 6oz of the cheese.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce and milk.
5. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it is mixed together.
6. Using a spoon, drop the mixture into the muffin pan and top each muffin with a little of the remaining cheese.
7. Bake for 20-25 mins.

Our daughter will happily eat these with her fingers - but she doesn't like eating vegetables when she can see them. So I recommend this recipe to parents struggling to get their kids to eat veggies!

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From Nisha in Singapore

Please note: In this recipe, Nisha has included salt, although we wouldn't recommend adding any salt to the food of a baby under one year of age and very little after that.

1 medium size potato
3/4 cup (around 6oz) green peas
1 cup (around 4oz) rice flour
1 tbsp cheese
1/4 cup (2oz) raisins
salt as per taste

1. Pressure cook the green peas and potato.
2. Now make a green peas and potato paste in a grinder with the raisins (do not add water).
3. Add cheese and salt and mix well.
4. For making rice balls, mix the rice flour with a pinch of salt.
5. Take hot water and mix the dough into a thick form to make balls.
6. Add water slowly and stop adding water when it reaches the desired consistency.
7. Allow the rice flour to cool.
8. Now take small balls of rice flour and flatten them using the hands. Add the potato/peas mixture in the middle and shape into balls.
9. Steam for about 7 minutes.
10. The tasty and healthy peas 'n potato balls are ready to be served.

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