5 5 Published Feb 12, 2022, Updated Jun 12, 2023
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Peas are naturally sweet, healthy and a great option for introducing your baby to solids! It’s smooth, creamy and a beautiful green color sure to entice and excite your baby. Peas are a great source of protein, fiber and vitamins.
Pea Nutrition for Infants
Peas are an excellent legume to feed your baby! Yep, you read correctly… despite what most people think, peas are actually a legume and not a vegetable. They fall into the same category as lentils, chickpeas and even peanuts! However, most often peas are categorized as a starchy vegetable, similar to corn and potatoes. When starting your baby on solids, peas are a great first choice. They’re naturally sweet and pack a punch with nutrition, containing a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Peas also have a higher protein content at 4 grams per half cup serving. Plus, you’ll find vitamins A, K and C, thiamine, folate, manganese, iron and phosphorus in peas! (source) These are all crucial in helping baby grow and develop. And fiber is great for their little digestive systems.
How to Make a Puree
Making pea puree is super simple! I like using frozen peas, but fresh peas work as well. Either way, you’ll want to steam them first. To steam the peas, fill a pot with about 1 inch of water and add a steamer basket to the pot. Then add 2 cups of peas. Bring the water to a low boil, cover with a lid and steam the peas for about 3-6 minutes. You’ll know the peas are done when they are bright green and tender. Remove from heat and let peas cool. Once cooled, place the peas in a high powered blender or food processor and blend into a puree. You can add breast milk, formula or water as needed to get the desired consistency.
Baby Food Combinations with Peas
For early stage 1 eaters, pea puree served plain with a spoon is perfect. You want to make sure it’s very thin with no lumps, so thin it out with water, formula or breast milk if necessary. When baby starts moving into stage 2 and 3 foods you can make fun combination purees (see ideas below) or add pea puree to different foods like yogurt, smoothies and oatmeal for babies.
Foods That Pair Well With Pea Puree
Green veggies – kale, spinach, avocado, zucchini Orange veggies – sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot White veggies – cauliflower Other fruit – banana, strawberries, peaches, apples, kiwis, pears, mangos Dairy – yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese Grains – quinoa, oats Legumes – chickpeas, lentils Seasonings and spices – curry, ginger, mint, nutmeg, cinnamon
Pea Baby Food Combo Ideas
Peas and carrots are probably the most common baby food combination you’ll find in stores, but there are a ton a different baby food combinations with peas.
Carrots and peas Peas and mint Zucchini, peas and lentils Pear and peas Mango, pear and peas Apple, spinach and peas Yogurt, peas and apples Carrot, peas and quinoa Banana and peas Peas, green beans and asparagus
Feel free to get creative, the options are really limitless! For more stage 2+ ideas, check out these 6 baby food combinations.
How to Store
Storing pea puree is a breeze! You can either store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you want to freeze, I recommended using silicone ice cube trays or small freezer-safe jars so you can easily thaw small amounts when you want to use them!
How to Reheat or Thaw Frozen Pea Puree
I recommend thawing frozen puree in the fridge the night before you want to use it, but you can also thaw it quickly with a warm water bath. It thaws quickly if you’re defrosting a small amount to serve to a baby.
Other Ways to Use Pea Puree
Pea puree is great for babies, but there are so many other ways for older kids and adults to enjoy it too. Here are some ideas:
As a dip or spread – chefs often add ingredients like garlic, mint, butter, chicken broth and/or lemon juice to pea puree for extra flavor and use the puree to decorate a plate and add an extra layer of flavor to a dish. I could see a pea puree of this nature being great as a dip or side dish as well. This minted pea puree looks lovely. Make a smoothie – peas can add a boost of protein, sweetness and creamy texture to smoothies. You can add the puree straight into a smoothie, but frozen pea puree give smoothies a great texture No need to thaw, just pop a couple cubes of pea puree into your blender with the rest of your smoothie ingredients. Try it in my green protein smoothie.
More Baby Food Purees
Sweet Potato Puree Butternut Squash Puree Peach Puree Carrot Puree Banana Puree Mango Puree Pumpkin Puree Applesauce Strawberry Puree Blueberry Puree
More Recipes and Resources
Healthy Smash Cake Baby French Toast Banana Pancakes For Babies Baby Yogurt Melts
Check out my guide to introducing solids for more ideas and information on feeding little ones and all of my baby food recipes as well.
