Ice cream is a fun food that everyone enjoys. Why should babies be deprived of them? However, giving them store-bought ice creams only does more harm than good. Loaded with sugar and artificial preservatives, they can be unhealthy for your baby. Being primarily a dairy product, regular ice creams can also be difficult for babies to digest.
Does all this mean that you cannot give your little ones this delicious sweet treat? Not at all! Who says you have to depend on traditional ice creams? You can easily make ice cream at home without any fancy equipment.
Keep reading to discover some great, healthy, yet absolutely delicious ice cream recipes for babies.
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Single Ingredient Ice Creams for Babies
Single-ingredient ice creams, made primarily from frozen fruit, are the healthiest for babies. Here are some recipes to try out.
1. Banana Ice Cream
To make banana ice cream, all you need are two ripe, peeled, and sliced bananas. You can add 2 tablespoon of breastmilk or formula. But this is optional. Follow these recipe instructions.
- Freeze banana slices overnight.
- The next day, take out the frozen pieces and blend them in a food processor. Keep blending till they become smooth and creamy.
- Take out the mixture in a bowl and serve.
2. Avocado Ice Cream
Grab a ripe avocado and remove its pit and skin. Now follow the instructions below.
- Scoop out the avocado meat in a plastic freezer bag.
- Freeze it overnight. It should turn firm.
- Blend it the next day till it achieves a smooth consistency.
- Enjoy it with your baby.
Fruit and Vegetable Ice Creams for Babies
Once your baby’s body becomes familiar with the single-ingredient ice creams above, you can experiment a bit more. Here are some great ice cream recipes to try out.
3. Carrot and Orange Ice Cream
All you need are five large carrots and the juice of three oranges. Then follow these instructions.
- Grate the carrots. Then, place them into a clean tea towel.
- Fold the towel. Press the carrots to extract the juice.
- Remove the pulp and collect the juice in a jug.
- Add the juice of oranges to this pulp.
- Transfer this juice mix into ice cream molds and freeze them overnight.
4. Mix Fruit Ice Cream
This ice cream contains the goodness of bananas, avocado, and strawberries. Follow these recipe instructions.
- Place 2 ripe, peeled, and cut bananas, ½ pitted and cut hass avocado, 5 ripe strawberries (hulled and halved), 1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut milk, and 2 teaspoons coconut oil into a food processor.
- Blend until the mixture becomes smooth.
- Now, place it in your freezer and cover it.
- Take it out after an hour.
- Stir it and then transfer it again to the freezer.
- Repeat stirring and freezing every hour for a few hours. The mixture should become firm.
- It will achieve an ice cream-like consistency after about 6 hours. Now it is ready to be served.
5. Rainbow Popsicles
Rainbow popsicles are made out of a delicious fruit mix. They not only look stunning but also taste amazing. Your baby will enjoy seeing them as much as they like their taste!
Gather black and green grapes, blueberries, strawberries, tinned peach slices, and sugar-free lemonade to make this frozen treat. Now, follow the directions below.
- Cut all the fruits above into small pieces.
- Now, arrange them into ice lolly molds however you want. Just ensure to fill the fruits closely so they don’t move.
- Next, fill the molds with lemonade. Tap the molds gently. This will release trapped air bubbles.
- Put a lolly stick into every mold filled with fruit and lemonade. Then transfer it into the freezer for 2 hours.
6. Fruit and Veggie Popsicles
This fruit and veggie popsicle is a great way to add some veggies to the diet of your toddler. These delicious and healthy treats are extremely easy to make, and the only equipment you need is a blender. This ice cream recipe is for babies who already consume dairy milk in some way.
To make these popsicles, gather 1 cup of mango chunks, 1 banana, 1 grated carrot, and half a cup of milk. Now, follow the instructions below.
In a blender, add all these ingredients. Blend till they acquire a smooth consistency.
- Pour the mixture from the blender into the popsicle mold. Alternatively, you can pour the mix into ice cube trays, provided it is large.
- Add a popsicle stick to every popsicle.
- Freeze the mixture for two hours.
- Take it out and serve it to your little one.
Tips to Make Ice Cream for Babies
If you are introducing ice cream to your baby for the first time, it’s essential to keep certain things in mind. These include the following.
- Begin with single-ingredient ice creams. The ingredient can be either a fruit or vegetable. Some fruit options are bananas and avocados, while carrots are a good vegetable option.
- Ensure that the fruit or vegetable is fully pureed. They should not contain any chunks, as that might choke your baby.
- Check the temperature of the ice cream. Do not serve it right after taking it out from the freezer. Baby’s mouth and gums are sensitive, so it’s best to wait for some time and then serve.
- Look for signs of allergic reaction. Some signs to watch out for include vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, and swelling around the eyes or lips.
When Can You Introduce Ice Cream to a Baby?
You can introduce ice cream to your baby when they turn one. However, introduce it in the form of small bites. If you are feeding them store-bought ice creams, ensure that you buy from a good brand. Otherwise, feeding them non-dairy, homemade ice creams till they are old enough is a good option.
If you offer your tiny tot readymade ice cream, loom out for the two ingredients below.
- Honey: Babies younger than 12 months shouldn’t be given ice creams with honey as an ingredient. This is because they are at a higher risk of contracting botulism, a kind of food poisoning.
- Added sugar: Babies till two years of age already eat very small quantities of food. Ice creams with added sugar supply them with empty nutrition, thus making their diet nutritionally deficient.
Final Words
Babies can be served ice creams and a variety of them. While it’s best to avoid store-bought ice creams, giving them once in a while is fine. Ensure that your little one does not have an allergic reaction to any ingredient. Otherwise, it’s always fun to make frozen sweet treats at home and enjoy with your tiny tot!
