Easy to make apple, pear and banana baby food recipe. This is my 6 month old’s favorite Stage 2 puree!  This homemade recipe made with fresh fruit makes 64 ounces of baby food for only $10! Includes directions on how to freeze.

Apple and Banana Baby Food Recipe

I absolutely love making homemade baby food, especially when some of the ingredients come straight from our garden. There’s nothing sweeter than watching a messy baby happily slurp up a pouch of apple pear banana baby food with carrots smeared across her face—knowing I grew those carrots myself! Making your own baby food puree gives you full control over the ingredients, and it feels incredibly rewarding to feed your baby something fresh, wholesome, and made with love.

On top of that, making DIY baby food pouches is unbelievably economical. Let’s do some quick math: store-bought organic baby food pouches usually cost $2–$3 for just 4 ounces. The ingredients for this recipe cost me about $10 and make a whopping 64 ounces of baby food. If I bought that much in jars or pouches, it would easily be over $72—meaning homemade baby food saves you a lot of money. Once you see how simple and budget-friendly it is, you’ll never go back to store-bought!

What is the best baby food to start with?

When you’re introducing solids, I’ve found that starting with naturally sweet fruits makes the transition much easier for babies. Some of the best first baby foods are simple stage 1 purees like apples, pears, and bananas. These fruits blend into a smooth, gentle baby food puree that most little ones love right away.

On the vegetable side, our daughters have always enjoyed beginner-friendly veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash baby food, and pureed green peas. These mild, soft starter baby foods are perfect for helping babies learn new flavors and textures as they begin their solids journey.

Stage 2 Baby Food: A Great Puree for 6-Month-Olds

Around 6–7 months, we started introducing Stage 2 baby food purees, and this Apple, Pear, Banana puree quickly became a favorite. It’s a perfect starter combo when you’re figuring out what to feed a 6-month-old, and it’s smooth enough for beginners while still offering new flavors to explore.

And honestly… what’s not to love? It tastes like a little tropical fruit smoothie made just for babies! I’ll admit it—I love this homemade baby food puree so much that I sometimes sneak a bite when she’s not looking. If you want an easy, naturally sweet fruit puree for babies, this one’s a winner.

What is the difference between Stage 1 and Stage 2 baby food?

Stage 1 baby foods are made with a single ingredient while Stage 2 baby foods are blended with a combination of ingredients together.

Ingredients for homemade apple pear banana baby food

1. Apples – I recommend using a sweet apple, such as Gala, Fuji or Honerycrisp.
2. Pears – Go with a sweet bartlett or a bosc pear.
3. Bananas – The taste of banana goes far in puree, so you only need 2 bananas for this recipe.  Make sure they are ripe!

How to Make Baby Food

Peel your apples and pears, remove the cores and cut them into 1 inch pieces.

In a large pot with a steamer basket add the fruit and a little bit of water, bringing it to a boil. If you don’t have a steamer basket, just add a small amount of water to a pot until you cover the fruit and boil it.   I do this in a large pot to save time, but you might have to do it in 2 batches depending on pot size.

Boil the apples and pears for about 10-15 minutes, or until a fork easily slides in, drain.

Once the fruits are done, add them to your food processor or blender with the bananas. I do this in 2 batches.

Add a few tablespoons of water to the food processor to make the blades run smooth as it’s really important to make sure there’s no chunks in the food!

And just like that you made homemade baby food. Wasn’t that SO easy?

How to Freeze Baby Food

This recipe makes 64 ounces of baby food which is enough that you can stock up! Baby food is so simple to freeze, and is going to help you save time and money.

1. Add your baby food puree to freezer safe containers.  I like freezing our baby food in these silicone freezer trays, or these 2 ounce cubes.

You can can also use ice cube trays, but make sure to cover them in the freezer to prevent them getting contaminated.  I recommend these ice cube trays with a lid. 

Then place them in your freezer to freeze overnight.  After they’re frozen, I pop them out of the trays and put them in freezer bags.  Now I have individual servings ready to go!

How to Thaw Baby Food

I recommend thawing baby food in the refrigerator overnight.   I take the cubes out of the freezer and place them in a glass container in the refrigerator. I try to estimate the amount I need, not keeping it in the refrigerator for more than 48 hours.

When the morning rolls around the cubes are defrosted (or close to it) so I can just pack them up in small glass containers with her bottles for daycare and we’re all set.  High 5 on anything that makes the mornings easier! 

If you’re in a pinch for time you can defrost the food in the microwave. Just make sure to stir, allow to cool completely and test before serving to baby.

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