Carrots For Babies: Ways To Cook, Serve & Recipe Ideas By Age

Carrots for babies make the perfect first solid baby food beginning with 6 months of age, when they show signs of interest for complementary foods.

Learn how to prepare baby’s first carrots whether they’re steamed, puréed, mashed, grated or roasted and serve according to baby’s age. As well as healthy recipes you can make with carrots for your little one.

With a little prep you can make nutritious and convenient carrot baby food particularly when introducing carrots as baby led weaning or first finger food.

Carrots For Babies

Just like sweet potato, carrots have a soft texture (when cooked) with a sweet mild flavor which is quickly accepted by babies. Carrots make a great first vegetable to be introduced to your baby whether you choose to make carrot puree, serve carrot sticks as finger food or when making stage 2 carrot baby food recipes.

Benefits of Eating Carrots For Babies

• Carrots are a top source of beta-carotene (then transformed by the body into vitamin A) and also rich in many natural bioactive compounds responsible for the maintenance of the baby’s normal function of the immune system, skin, mucosal membranes, and normal vision.
• Note: To help the body convert more beta carotene into vitamin A, the carrots should be eaten with a small amount of fat. A healthful source of fat you could use is avocado, nuts, seeds or cold pressed oils.
• Carrots, being rich in fiber can help slow the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream and additionally prevent the baby from getting constipated. 

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Related: First Beetroot For Babies: Ways To Cook, Serve & Recipes

How To Cook Carrots For Babies

Here are some suggestions on how to cook carrots for babies, while retaining their nutrients, taste and texture:

1. Steaming: How To Steam Carrots For Baby Food

1. Peel the carrots. Slice into desired size pieces.
2. Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket and cover with a lid.
3. Steam on medium-low heat for approximately 12-15 minutes (it depends on the size) or until they are soft when pierced with a fork. Then you can cut into smaller pieces if you need to, according to your baby’s age.

Steaming is one of the best ways to prepare carrots for baby led weaning. This method of cooking preserves the most of it vitamins as there is less contact with water and has a short exposure to heat.

2. How To Bake/ Roast Carrots As Baby Finger Food

If you want to bake carrots for your baby, you have two options: cut then bake, or bake first and then once soft, cut into smaller pieces.

1. Peel and chop the carrots into desired size.
2. Drizzle with oil (healthier oil to use is olive oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil) and coat evenly. Season with a touch of pink Himalayan salt (for babies 9 months+), dried herbs like sage, oregano or coriander.
3. Spread in one layer, on a parchment paper lined sheet pan (try not to use aluminum foil, when exposed to high heat, aluminum can leach into food).
4. Roast the carrots at 400F until soft and tender, approximately 25-35 minutes. Usually whole thick carrots will need a little more time.

If you intend to serve with a spoon, mashed or make a carrot puree, then you can bake (or steam) carrots whole.

3. How To Boil Carrots For Baby Food

• Bring a pot with water to a boil.
• Add the chopped carrots (0.5-1 inch thick slices/ sticks) to boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, then drain (timing depends on the thickness of the carrots). For whole carrots – about 10 minutes.
• Season if necessary, then you can cut into desired shapes / mash or make a carrot salad by grating them.

Boiling carrots usually is the least preferred method if you need just plain soft carrots. The most nutrients will leach into the boiling water that you will likely discard.

This method is best when you make soups and purees as you would keep the water with all the leached nutrients.

Boiling carrots will also reduce the vitamin content. Raw or steamed carrots provide the most nutritional value.

How Serve Carrots For Babies (+Recipes) By Age

Keep in mind that all babies develop at their own pace, your baby’s oral-motor skills, chewing and swallowing skills may differ from baby to baby, use your own common sense and logic to decide what your baby can handle.

For 6-month-old babies:

• Finger food (BLW): offer the carrots (steamed and soft) sliced into thick strips or sticks so your baby can hold them in the fist and chew. Check out this carrot baby led weaning guide.

• Carrot puree: after steaming or roasting, mix with water or stock to form a smooth puree or use less liquid if you want it thicker like mashed. At stage 1 serve plain carrot puree then at stage 2 you can mix it with other veggie or fruit purees.

• Make a carrot salad mixed with other veggies like beetroot and with added protein like egg or avocado.

For a 9 month old baby – all of the above plus: 

• Start cutting the carrots up into tiny bite-sized pieces (half-moon slices), grated or shreds (again: steamed and soft) that he/she can easily pick up. That’s usually when the child has developed her pincer grasp.
• Mashed carrots (steamed or roasted) with a fork (minimum or no liquid added).
• Stage 2 (7-9 months): carrot puree combinations, with one or two more types of foods (including meat, grains, fruit and veggies).

• Carrot soup with stock (blended to smooth consistency).

• Carrot juice (cold pressed, freshly made) not store-bought bottled (they’re loaded with sugar and most nutrients are already lost due to processing). You can serve it fresh in a sippy cup.

• Carrot muffins (6-7 months+) for babies accustomed to baby led weaning method they might start earlier at 6 months while other kids might feel comfortable to eat muffins somewhere around 9 months.

• Healthy Oat Carrot Cookies With Applesauce

At 12-18 months (all of the above plus):

• Carrots cooked to a soft consistency served in thin slices, shreds, or diced into small pieces mixed with other foods. Encourage your baby to use utensils, like fork or spoon.

• Raw carrots might be good at 14 months+ (some babies are not ready at this age though and might choke), it depends on the number of teeth and your child’s eating/chewing skills. If you observe that your child is quite skillful with chewing and biting, then there shouldn’t be a problem. Start serving a whole raw carrot then progress to smaller sticks.

The carrot serving suggestions below are for informational purposes only, not medical advice.

FAQ: Babies & Carrots

Carrot Recipes For Babies

• Banana Carrot Muffins
• Creamy Carrot Soup
• Carrot Oatmeal Muffins
• Carrot Pancakes

More Baby Food Preparation Tips

• Sweet Potato For Babies (6 months+): All you Need To Know
• Potatoes For Baby: How To Prepare & Serve
• Cauliflower For Baby Ways To Cook & Serve
• Ways To Prepare Butternut Squash For Baby
• Oatmeal For Babies: When, What, How To Serve
• First Beetroot For Babies: Ways To Cook, Serve & Recipes

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