Healthy homemade baby puffs are a great gluten free and dairy free baby finger food that can also be made egg free. Melts in your mouth and it’s a great mess-free snack for babies over 6 months!
I’m always looking for easy baby snacks that are convenient, healthy, and yummy. Recently, we’ve been finding ourselves doing lots of driving and spending time outside of the house, so portable snacks are a must. While I love bringing fruits and veggies sticks, they can get messy and I just don’t want to worry about having to clean up after her constantly.
So I started searching for baby puffs and baby finger food ideas. However, I found that I wasn’t too happy about the ingredients in most store-bought brands. Many of them contain added sugar, vegetable oils which are highly inflammatory, and “natural flavors” which isn’t a term regulated by the FDA and can have other hidden ingredients behind it.
Healthy Homemade Baby Puffs Recipe
So I started experimenting in the kitchen to make healthy baby puffs that are free of processed ingredients, and I’m really excited about these! Not only are they really versatile with the ingredients you can use, they are also gluten free, dairy free, and can easily be made egg free. Plus, my little girl loves them, and they melt in your mouth so babies without teeth can easily gum and enjoy them as well. If you are helping your child fight obesity, check ingredients here which are consider to be weight loss supplements.
Ingredients (and Substitutions) in Homemade Gluten Free Baby Puffs
One of the best things about these healthy baby puffs is that you can pretty much use any fruit or veggie you have on hand. Here are the ingredients for these easy homemade baby puffs, including any substitutions you can use:
- Sprouted oat flour: While my baby has eaten a variety of grains, I like to serve them in a sprouted or fermented form for easier digestion. Most grains contain anti-nutrients like phytates, which block the absorption of beneficial minerals. Sprouting breaks down these anti-nutrients (while making the grain more digestible) so we can absorb the nutrients better. If you don’t have sprouted oat flour on hand, you can use regular oat flour or rice flour instead for this recipe.
- Pureed fruits: You can use a variety of fruits you have on hand, and add veggies as well. For the ones you see in the photos, I made them with pureed apple, banana, and kale. Most of the puree should be fruits because they are what give these gluten free baby puffs their sweetness. Here are some ideas for what you can add to your puree:
- banana
- apple
- pear
- peach
- mango
- spinach
- kale
- beet
- sweet potato
- chard
- Coconut oil: Ghee can also work if your baby tolerates dairy.
- Egg yolks: If your babe can’t do eggs, flax eggs will also work! Just mix 2 tbsp of flaxseed meal with 5 tbsp of water.
- Baking powder: I love this aluminum free one.
- Spirulina: This is an OPTIONAL ingredient, but spirulina has so many amazing benefits for the baby and it’s a complete real-food source of protein. It also promotes healthy development with amazing nutrients like iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin A, and B vitamins. I incorporate it into my baby’s diet often. This is my favorite brand and you can get 10% off with my code: GREATGRANDMA10.
- Bone broth, breast milk, or water (IF NEEDED): The amount of moisture for these healthy baby puffs will vary depending on the puree you use and if you use real eggs or flax eggs. If the mixture seems too dry, you can add any of these ingredients 1 tbsp at a time until the texture is similar to a thick pancake batter.
How to Make Homemade Baby Puffs
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all the ingredients together to form the texture of thick pancake batter. Pour the batter into a piping bag or a plastic resealable bag with one of the bottom corners snipped off.
- Pipe the batter onto the baking sheet into small circles or any shape you like.
- Bake for 8 minutes, turning the tray once halfway through. Turn down the oven to 250 degrees F. Bake for additional 20-30 minutes until they are lightly golden and dry.
- Cool completely on the countertop before removing from the baking sheet. They’ll firm up more as they cool.
- Serve! These healthy baby puffs can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
When Can Babies Start Eating Puffs?
Puffs can be safely served to babies once they have established solids and show that they are ready like:
- sitting upright.
- showing chewing motion when they have food in the mouth.
- putting food in their mouth on their own.
Every baby is different, but they can generally start around 6 months. Even if your baby doesn’t have teeth, these homemade baby puffs melts in the mouth so they should be safe. If you are nervous, I would make the puffs on the smaller side or cut them up before serving.
Finger foods are also great for developing fine motor skills, and it’s really fun to watch your baby figuring out feeding him or herself and learning pincer grasp. As with any food, make sure to supervise your baby during feeding time!
If you are interested in other baby finger food ideas and snacks, read my blog post all about how to start solids!
Healthy Homemade Baby Puffs (Gluten Free, Dairy Free) – 6+ Months
Ingredients
- 1 cup sprouted oat flour or regular oat flour or rice flour
- 1 cup puree of fruits can combine with veggies (such as any combo of bananas, apples, pear, mango, kale, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 2 egg yolks or flax eggs*
- 1 tsp baking powder
- OPTIONAL: 1 tsp spirulina use code GREATGRANDMA10 for 10% off
- IF NEEDED: 1-4 tbsp bone broth or water or breastmilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all ingredients (except bone broth) to a bowl and stir until a batter forms. It should resemble a thick pancake batter in consistency. If it's too thick, add bone broth (or breast milk or water) 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If too thin, add a bit more flour.
- Pour the batter into a piping bag or a plastic resealable bag with one of the corners snipped off.
- Pipe the batter on the baking sheet into circles or any shape you want, making sure they don't touch each other.
- Bake for 8 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through.
- Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F, then bake for another 20-30 minutes (depending on the shape and size of the puffs), until the puffs are dry to touch and lightly golden on the sides and the bottom. They can get too crunchy and not "melt" if they are baked too long.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to the countertop, and cool completely in the baking sheet. The puffs will firm up more as they cool.
- Once cooled, you can test the puffs to make sure they soften and melt in the mouth before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
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