Baby and toddler recipes
🎃 Roasted butternut squash fingers for baby
Butternut squash cut into strips and roasted until soft and lightly caramelised. An easy hold-and-munch first food that is full of vitamin A and loved for its sweet flavour.
Makes about 12 fingers
Ingredients
- the neck of a small squash (about 300g) Butternut squash (peeled)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- a pinch Cinnamon
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan).
- Use the solid neck of the squash and cut it into strips about the size of an adult finger.
- Toss with oil and cinnamon and spread on a lined tray.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until soft right through.
- Cool to warm. Test a piece before serving: it should squash easily between your thumb and finger.
Serving it to your baby
Larger strips suit 6 to 8 months; from 9 months cut into small cubes. Save the round seeded end for purées or soup. Always stay with baby while they eat and keep them sitting upright.
For the rest of the family
Toss the grown-ups' squash with chilli flakes, crumbled feta and toasted seeds.
Storing and reheating
Cool, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze on a lined tray, then bag up, for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven until hot through, then cool before serving. Never reheat more than once.
Weaning with OBubba
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Questions parents ask
Should I peel butternut squash for babies?
Yes. The skin stays tough after roasting, which makes it hard for babies to manage.
Can I use frozen squash for finger food?
Frozen chunks work, though they tend to be softer and smaller. Roast from frozen and choose the larger pieces for baby to hold.
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).