Best Baby Porridge Recipes For Little Tums

Call off the search – we've found the best baby porridge recipes to keep your baby happy.

All of the recipes we've found can be easily adapted – just add your baby's favourite fruit, such as banana, berries or grated pear. You can even add savoury ingredients like carrot, avocado or sweet potato making these dishes even healthier and a great way to encourage good eating habits.

Baby porridge is the perfect weaning food; soft and creamy with a smooth texture it's just right for your baby to get their first taste of real food. Plus it's easy to mix in some of your breastmilk or baby formula to the blend to deliver a taste that is already familiar to them. But even beyond weaning, a bowl full of steaming porridge for baby will set them up for the day. Oats contain dietary fibre, making them an excellent choice for babies as this form of fibre is easily digested. They're also packed with nutrients, including iron, calcium and potassium, making them a great powerhouse breakfast option. 
 

Most 6 months old babies won't have the teeth required to chew through regular-sized porridge oats and although you can find baby porridge oats in the shops it's also easy to make your own out of your usual rolled porridge oats. Do make sure to search for varieties that have no added salt or sugar though. All you need is a food processor and you can blitz the porridge oats until you're left with a finer texture – the older the baby, the more texture they can manage.  Store the oats in glass jars or plastic containers and they'll keep for several months. If your baby doesn't like the taste or texture of porridge oats why not try replacing them with Ready Brek? Baby weaning can be a matter of trial and error so don't give up and keep up the search for the winning recipe.

It takes minutes to prepare a batch of your own porridge and it's cheap too. Plus if you make your own then you have a great breakfast that the whole family can share. So here we share a selection of great baby porridge recipes that can be made in no time.

Image: © My Fussy Eater

Try this tasty dairy-free porridge for babies who can't tolerate milk. By soaking your oats overnight you can still achieve a creamy texture. This recipe uses an apple to add that sweet touch that babies like, but you could also blend a banana to get a banana cream to use instead.

30g of porridge oats

Two tablespoons of unsweetened apple sauce

Pinch of cinnamon

1: Place your oats in a mason jar, add water to cover and place them in the fridge overnight.

2: In the morning, give your oats a rinse.

3: Stir through with the apple sauce and add the cinnamon. Warm through on the hob until the oats have softened.

Because who doesn't love cake for breakfast?! Only give your baby peanut butter if they are over 6 months old and there is no history of nut allergies in the family. This recipe is great served with slices of banana.

30-60g of porridge oats

Half a grated carrot

80mls of full-fat milk

One teaspoon of smooth peanut butter

Pinch of cinnamon

1: Lightly cook your carrots in a saucepan so they start to soften. Add the oats and milk to your pan and heat through slowly for around three minutes.

2: Stir in the peanut butter and add the cinnamon. Keep it on a low heat stirring it well.

3: Once the porridge has thickened to the texture you want it's ready to serve. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Image: © BBC Good Food

If you have a little time this baked recipe makes a great warming breakfast, or it can be used as a tasty pudding to share.

One banana cut in chunks

40g of porridge oats

Pinch of cinnamon

50ml of full-fat milk

1: Preheat the oven to 190 c (170 c fan/ gas mark 5).

2: Mash up half of your banana and add the porridge oats and cinnamon to it. Stir in your milk and give it all a good mix.

3: Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and add the remaining banana chunks to the top.

4: Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the oats are creamy and have absorbed the liquid. Allow cooling before serving.

This porridge recipe can be made in advance and stored in the fridge to make breakfast time a breeze. It's usually served cold, but if your baby prefers you can warm it up in the morning in no time.

Two tablespoons of full-fat plain yoghurt

Two tablespoons of full-fat milk

Two tablespoons of porridge oats

Handful of blueberries

1: Stir together the yoghurt, milk and add the porridge oats, stirring until blended.

2: Add the blueberries and place into an airtight container.

3: Store in the fridge for up to three days until ready to eat.

Image: © Start 4 Life

This lovely fruity baby porridge can be made using any type of berries – blueberries and blackberries work particularly well.

Two tablespoons of porridge oats

120ml full-fat milk

10g frozen berries

One teaspoon plain full-fat yoghurt

1: Place the oats and the milk into a pan and heat through. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer.

2: Add the frozen fruit and stir into the porridge and keep stirring on a low heat until the porridge is cooked through.

3: Pour into a bowl and add the yoghurt, stirring through before serving.

In line with NHS guidelines, cows' milk should not be given as a drink until your baby is over the age of one. Cows' milk can be used when cooking for your baby or for mixing into foods from around 6 months old.

From the age of 6 months, you can give your baby full-fat dairy products like plain yoghurt or fromage frais and pasteurised cheese. Choose products with no added sugar. Remember babies do not need salt or sugar to be added to any of their meals, nor should it be added to the cooking water when making meals.