It’s no secret that I love pumpkin… So, once I got in the mood to start doing some pumpkin baking, I wanted to make sure that Maddie got to try a few pumpkin treats, as well. I’m not quite ready to just give her a slice of pumpkin pie yet, so I decided to whip up something just for her.
If you have kids, I’d love to know more about your experience with feeding them finger foods. I find that Maddie sometimes gets bored before she’s really full. I try to give her a variety of things to nibble on, focusing on different colors, textures, and tastes. But, no matter how hard I try, there are plenty of days where she just decides that she’s not interested in eating more than a handful or two. She’s still nursing, so I don’t expect her to eat a full meal. However, I do notice that she sleeps a bit better when her tummy is full.
One way I have been trying to make sure her tummy is full after dinner is to offer her some puree for “dessert.” After all, most of the puree packets out there are primarily applesauce with a hint of veggies… They’re pretty sweet. The thing about puree, though, is that it’s not that filling. There are a few brands that make fruit and grain blends, and I’ve tried them, but they’re not very thick. So, I have my doubts as to how much grain is really in them.
For Maddie, I have started making my own “pudding” – a mixture of pureed fruit and grains that is nice and thick (and also fills in the cracks so she has a full tummy at bedtime). So, when I was thinking about what pumpkin treat to make for her, I immediately thought of a pumpkin pudding. She has had her share of butternut squash, so I figured it’d be a hit with her, and it is!
Pumpkin on its own isn’t all that sweet… To make her treat a bit more dessert-like without adding any sweeteners, I decided to use some banana. It turns out that banana and pumpkin play quite nicely together (thanks, Kristen, for the pumpkin shake recipe… it served as my inspiration!). The banana adds just a bit of sweetness to the pudding and it also works well to give the pudding a nice smooth and, well, pudding-y texture.
I thickened the pudding with organic steel cut oats that I had prepared earlier in the day for breakfast. I always make extra oatmeal, rice, or quinoa these days. They make great baby food thickeners! Just throw a little bit into the blender with whatever fruits and veggies you are going to puree.
Since Maddie pretty much refuses to be spoon fed (seriously, she can do it herself), I opted to put the pudding in her Sili Squeeze (I bought mine on Amazon… That’s my affiliate link!)… It’s basically a reusable baby food pouch, and it has made my life a lot easier. Maddie is perfectly happy to eat directly from the packet (don’t judge) when she has the store bought purees. This makes it just as easy to feed her homemade puree… She loves it! And, a happy baby makes a happy mama.
Pumpkin Pudding (Baby Food)
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
- 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
(I personally avoid canned because of the BPA) - 1 ripe banana
- 1 cup prepared steel cut oats
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a few days. Feed with a spoon or a reusable pouch like a Sili Squeeze.
(Feel free to sample a taste for yourself… It’s pretty good!)
Please Note – The links to the Sili Squeeze provided in this post are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase it (or another item) after clicking on my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale price, which helps to keep My Kitchen Addiction up and running. Thanks!
