In this guide, learn how to serve beets to your baby – for baby-led weaning or as a smooth puree. Beets are a great source of fiber, folate and other essential nutrients, making them a great first food for babies 6 months and up. Serve them as a baby food puree, as a solid for the finger food stage, or for baby-led weaning.
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Beet Baby Food Video
Whether you prefer red, golden, white or even a pink and white candy-striped variety, beets are a very nutritious veggie. Beets are a great source of fiber, antioxidants, and other important vitamins and minerals, including folate, potassium and iron.
Sounds like something that would be good for your growing baby, right?
But how exactly do you serve these mighty little root vegetables to your baby? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to safely serve beets to baby for baby led weaning or traditional (spoon) feeding. You’ll learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools and expert feeding tips.
First time making homemade baby food? Then, make sure to start by reading our very in-depth guides – Guide on how to Make Homemade Baby Food and/or Complete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning. And be sure to check out my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodie: Baby Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste, for even more information and recipes!
How to Prepare Beets
First, clean any dirt off your beets with gentle scrubbing under running water. Second, it’s best to cook beets with the skin on and even some of the stem and root attached. This will help minimize staining from the beets on your hands. Use gloves or a paper towel to help protect your fingers from staining and simply peel off the skin after cooking.
Roasted
Place whole beets in a single layer in a parchment-lined or greased casserole dish and cover with a lid. You can also brush the beets with olive oil and wrap each beet loosely in foil. Roast beets at 400°F for 45-50 minutes. Beets should be tender and able to cut through easily with a knife. Allow to cool and peel skin.
Steamed
Place a steamer basket into a large pot filled with water to just below the steamer basket. Bring water to a boil and then add whole beets to the pot and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender. Small to medium-sized beets will need about 30 minutes to cook, while larger beets will typically need about 40 minutes. Remove beets from the steamer and allow to cool. Peel skin.
Beet Puree
Beet puree is incredibly easy to make. Simply steam whole beets until tender. Then peel beets, add a touch of cinnamon, and puree in your blender.
Beets for Baby-Led Weaning
Beets are a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.
Halves or quarters (cooked) – 6+ months: great for babies 6+ months or just starting on solid foods. Make sure to cook beets until easily pierced with a fork or mashable with your fingers. It’s best to start your baby with a bigger piece of cooked beets so your baby can chew, gnaw, and take bites without them being a choking hazard. Remove the skin before serving to your baby.
Bite-sized pieces (cooked) – 9+ months: Bite-sized beets will allow your baby to practice using their pincer grasp, which is developing at this age. Continue to cook beets until they are soft and remove the skin before serving to baby.
More Beet Recipes
Sweet Potato, Beets + White Beans Baby Food Puree
Banana, Cherry + Beet Baby Food Puree
Sweet Beet Popsicles (plus, 5 fun flavors to try!)
Perfect Fluffy Pink Beet Pancakes (made with yogurt!)
Beet Hummus for Baby, Toddler & Kids
Oatmeal with Beets + Carrots
Roasted Root Veggies + Thyme Baby Food
Expert Feeding Tips
- Beets are known to cause baby’s poop to be red, so do not be alarmed if this happens after your baby eats beets.
- You can grate raw beets if you are short on time or do not feel like cooking.
- Beets are super messy and stain just about everything they touch so make sure to have a good bib or strip baby down before serving beets.
- Pre-cooked, canned, or pre-packaged beets are a great option when fresh or frozen are not available. Choose low-sodium brands with no added sugar.
- Beets can be slippery and firm, which can increase their choking risk. To minimize choking hazards, cook beets thoroughly until soft and serve in age-appropriate sizes.
- Choose beets that are small to medium in size, as these will be sweeter and more tender.
Beet & Cinnamon Baby Food (puree & baby-led weaning)
Ingredients
Baby Food Puree
- 3 medium beets
- 1/3 cup liquid, (reserved water, fresh water, fresh breast milk, or formula)
- pinch cinnamon (optional)
Baby-Led Weaning
- 1 medium beet
- pinch cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: scrub off any dirt on the beets, leaving the skin and stem attached.
- Steam: In a medium saucepan, bring 2″ of water to a boil over medium heat. Place the whole beets into a steamer basket, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork. Reserve steamer water. Let cool slightly and then peel the skin and stem.
Baby Food Puree
- Transfer: Place the cooked beets into a blender or food processor and add a pinch of cinnamon as well as 1/3 cup of reserved steamer water, fresh breast milk, formula or water.
- Puree: turn on the blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes on medium. If the puree is too thick, add in 1/4 cup of liquid at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Eat: Serve and enjoy, or freeze some for later.
![Purple and gray baby bowl filled with a bright dark red beet puree with a wood and blue spoon resting inside.]()
Baby-Led Weaning
- Slice or chop the beets to be age-appropriate for your baby. Add on a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve and enjoy.
![Graphic for post - beet for baby-led weaning. Shows a purple kids plate with different ways to cut and serve beets to your baby.]()
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
You can introduce beets to your baby whenever your baby is ready to start solids, usually around 6 months of age.
Yes, beets are a choking hazard due to their firm texture. Make sure to cook beets until soft and easily mushable with your fingers, and cut into age-appropriate sizes.
No, beets are not one of the top food allergens, however when introducing beets, as with any new food, be aware of any signs of an allergy.
No, beets do not cause constipation. In fact, due to their high fiber content, they can help alleviate constipation.
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