Carrots overview

How to Prepare Carrots for Baby

Carrots is safe for babies from 6 months old. How you prepare it changes as your baby grows. Here is exactly what to do at each stage.

Choking risk: medium

Medium choking risk. Follow the prep guidance below carefully and stay within arm's reach.

Flavor guide

Raw carrots are crunchy and mildly sweet with a faint bitterness that varies by variety. Roasting concentrates their natural sugars into a rich, caramelized sweetness, while steaming keeps the flavor clean and bright. They pair naturally with butter, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, apple, orange, lentils, and mild soft cheeses.

1

6 to 8 months

Steam or roast whole until very soft (must be fork-tender all the way through - raw or undercooked carrot is a choking hazard). Serve as whole sticks or halved lengthwise.

Serving ideas

  • -Steam until very soft and serve as thick spear-shaped sticks for gripping
  • -Mash with a little butter or olive oil
  • -Blend into a smooth puree with sweet potato
2

9 to 11 months

Dice into small coins or pieces, well-cooked. Can mix into grains or serve as standalone finger food.

Serving ideas

  • -Dice steamed carrots into small, soft pieces
  • -Mix into mashed potato or rice
  • -Roast until caramelized and serve as finger food
3

12+ months

Roasted, steamed, raw grated (in salads), soups, dips. Raw baby carrots are safe now.

Serving ideas

  • -Grate raw carrot finely into pancake batter
  • -Serve roasted carrot sticks with hummus
  • -Add to pasta sauce for natural sweetness

See what's safe for your baby's age

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Freezing Carrots for baby

Peel and cut into coins or sticks. Blanch for 3 minutes, transfer to an ice bath, drain, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before bagging.

Blanch for 3 minutes before freezing. Keeps for up to 12 months.

Batch prep tip

Steam a whole bag of carrots, puree half for younger babies and dice the rest for older ones. Freeze in ice cube trays (puree) or silicone muffin cups (diced). Thaw as needed. Keeps 3 months.

Ginger Carrot Puree

From 6 months

Ingredients

  • -4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • -1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • -1 tsp unsalted butter or olive oil
  • -3 to 5 tbsp water

Steps

  1. Place carrot rounds in a steamer basket over boiling water.
  2. Steam for 15 to 18 minutes until completely tender and easy to squish between two fingers.
  3. Transfer to a blender with ginger, butter, and 3 tablespoons of water.
  4. Blend until very smooth, adding more water one tablespoon at a time to reach a pourable consistency.
  5. For 9 months and older, mash with a fork and serve as soft, self-feeding pieces instead.

Freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. Stir into rice, pasta sauce, or lentil soup.

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Growing Carrots at home?

Enter your baby's birthday and we'll tell you exactly when to plant so the harvest lines up with your baby's readiness.

If your baby was born early, enter their due date instead of their birth date to use adjusted age. How to calculate adjusted age.

We use this to find your local frost dates and improve timing.

Your baby will be ready for these next

Save these for when you need them, or get a personalized list by age.

Cauliflower

Ready at 6 months

Spinach

Ready at 6 months

Kale

Ready at 6 months

Bok Choy

Ready at 6 months

Related

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Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician before introducing new foods.
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