Butternut Squash Apple Mash (Smooth First-Foods Puree)

Roasted squash and sweet apple blended to a silky purple-gold puree — this is a gentle first-foods butternut squash apple mash that leans on natural sweetness instead of anything added. Roasting is the whole trick: it draws the sugars out of the squash so the flavour reads rich to a developing palate.

It’s one of the 20 recipes inside our Baby Food Cookbook, and we’re sharing it in full so you can see the standard before you buy the book. The hands-on work is small — the oven and a quick simmer do most of it.

Why this recipe works

Roasting beats steaming here: the dry heat concentrates the squash’s natural sugars, so no sweetener is needed and the flavour reads richer to developing palates. A strip of lemon peel simmered with the apple keeps the puree bright, and breast milk or formula stirred in at the end lets you dial the texture to exactly what your baby is ready for.

Ingredients

Squash & apple

• 180 g butternut squash, peeled and cubed (2 cm)
• 1 small sweet apple (Fuji or Gala), peeled and cored (about 100 g)
• 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
• 60 ml filtered water

Aromatics & finish

• 1 pinch ground cinnamon (less than ⅛ tsp)
• 1 tiny strip fresh lemon peel (removed after cooking)
• 2 tbsp breast milk or formula, to adjust texture
• ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract (alcohol-free, optional)

Optional garnish

• A dusting of toasted oat flour on the parent’s spoon for nutty aroma

Serves 2 · Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min · 82 kcal per serving

Instructions

1. Roast the squash. Heat the oven to 200°C. Toss the squash cubes with half the melted butter on a parchment-lined tray and roast for 20 minutes until tender and lightly caramelised at the edges.
2. Simmer the apple. Meanwhile, dice the apple into 1 cm pieces and simmer in a small saucepan with the filtered water, lemon peel, and cinnamon for 8–10 minutes until completely soft. Discard the lemon peel.
3. Blend together. Combine the roasted squash, cooked apple with its cooking liquid, remaining butter, and vanilla if using. Blend on high for 90 seconds, scraping once, until glossy and smooth.
4. Loosen and cool. Stir in breast milk or formula, a tablespoon at a time, to reach a soft dropping consistency. Cool to lukewarm (below 40°C) and check for any fibrous threads before serving.

Safety tip

Roasting beats steaming here: the dry heat concentrates the squash’s natural sugars, so no sweetener is needed and the flavour reads richer to developing palates.

Get the full Baby Food Cookbook

Loved this one? It’s a single recipe from a 20-strong collection of gentle, wholesome purees and first foods built the same way — clear ingredients, safe methods, no guesswork. Grab the full Baby Food Cookbook below.