• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

About
Free Resources
Contact

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

Thriving Home

Food & Lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Sides & Salads
      • Soups & Chilis
      • Appetizers
      • Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Baked Goods
      • Beverages
      • Condiments
    • Method
      • Freezer Meals
      • Stovetop
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Grill or Smoker
      • 6 Ingredients or Less
    • Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Ingredients
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Pasta & Pizza
    • Holiday
      • Birthday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • All Recipes
  • Freezer Cooking
    • Start Here
    • Freezer Meal Recipes
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Cookbooks
  • Menu Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Shop Our Favorites
    • Gift Guides
Search...
Home Uncategorized

Making Baby Food in Bulk: Save Time & Money

Updated: 1/7/21
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come!Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with Frigidaire Gallery. But the opinions are all ours! Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Read our full disclosure policy here. As a busy mom of 3 under 5, I don’t have much down time. Scratch that–I have NO down time. This stage of life is intense, people. Multitasking has been taken to a new level. Just the other day I found myself playing catch, folding laundry, talking on the phone and entertaining a cooing infant all at the same time. Life right now moves fast and I am in awe that my infant is already eating solids. To save time and money, I prefer to make my own baby food in bulk at home. This may seem like a daunting task for someone who has never cooked this way so I wanted to walk you through what it looks like to cook baby food in bulk and freeze portions for months to come. Before I dive it, it’s worth mentioning the value of having a big secondary freezer for the busy seasons of life like the one I am in. Making food in bulk and freezing it has become a lifestyle and I simply couldn’t do it without a quality secondary freezer like the Frigidaire Gallery® 2-in-1 Freezer/Refrigerator. It’s got the space and flexibility for freezer meals, stocking up on fruits and veggies while they are in season and of course, baby food! Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come!

Cooking Baby Food in Bulk

Tonight’s menu plan for my family calls for Sweet Potato Quick Biscuits. Since I’m already baking sweet potatoes for this recipe, I’m going to throw a few more in the oven for a baby food recipe that I will eventually freeze. I call this one, Sweet Potato Apple Mash. As long as your potatoes are stored correctly (in an airtight container of some type), they should be good for up to 10-12 months.

So, is making your own baby food really worth it?

Costs will differ from recipe to recipe but I ran the numbers on this sweet potato apple mash recipe and compared it to a store bought sweet potato apple squeeze pack. I found that one 4 ounce organic squeeze pack typically costs $1.25. On the flip side, to make 4 ounces of my organic sweet potato apple mash costs around $.50. So basically, you are saving $.75 for every single portion you make!Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come!You can imagine the savings making your own baby food can accrue over time, right? High fives all around! This is just one example of thousands of recipes you can make for your little eater. Simply make it a habit to double up (or triple up) on what you are already making for dinner, blend it up a bit and store  in your freezer. Easy peasy!

How to Make Sweet Potato Apple Mash:

Cook three medium sized sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour (or until softened all the way through). Let them cool and remove the skin.Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come! In either a food processor or blender, combine the cooked sweet potatoes and 1.5 cups of organic apple sauce. Process as little or as much as you want to achieve your desired texture.Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come! If using a blender, you may need to add a little moisture to get it mixing. You can use water, breast milk or formula. Your choice!Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come!Divide the mix into small portions and freeze! This recipe makes about 4 cups of baby food. Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come!

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Sweet Potato Apple Mash

Homemade sweet potato apple mash is baby food at its absolute best.

Yield: 4 cups 1x
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 1 hourTotal: 1 hour 15 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
  • Email
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 3–4 medium sized sweet potatoes
  • 1.5 cups organic apple sauce

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. Wash sweet potatoes well and poke a few holes at the top
  2. Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour or until softened to the touch
  3. Let cool and remove skin
  4. Put cooked sweet potatoes into blender or food processor and add apple sauce
  5. Process until desired consistency
© Author: Thriving Home
Cuisine: American Method: Bake and blend

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

What Should I Freeze Baby Food In?

Here are a few freezing options that I like to use: Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come!
  1. Glass Storage Containers: I like these because they are safe to use and easy to see what is inside. It’s easy to thaw individual portions in the fridge beforehand too.
  2. Silicone Baby Food Storage: These storage containers make it easy to store in bulk and pop out one portion at a time. They also stack nicely in the freezer.
  3. Ice Cube Trays: These are a simple solution if you don’t have other storage containers on hand that will work. Simply freeze food in the trays and then move them to an airtight container of some type. I prefer to use plastic storage bags.
  4. Muffin Pan: You can even use a simple muffin pan to freeze baby food. Similar to the ice cube trays, simply freeze the food and then move the portions to an airtight container of some type.
Thanks to my Frigidaire Freezer, when dinner time hits, I simply pull out a few different portions of frozen baby food, warm them up and serve my infant his dinner along with the rest of us! Save time and money by making your own homemade baby food. Learn how to safely store and freeze portions for months to come!

Hop over to Frigidaire.com to learn more about the different secondary freezers you could have in your home.
18 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

Read more...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. AvatarHaley says

    Posted on 9/15/16 at 11:26 am

    You are ladies after my own heart! I was already in love with your blog, but the baby food post takes the cake! I am beginning that season of motherhood and just do not see the point in buying baby food when I can just modify what I already make for my husband and I. Love these tips!!

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 9/16/16 at 10:34 am

      You’re on the exact right track, Haley. No need to buy the expensive and less nutritive baby food at the store. I didn’t learn that until my 2nd and 3rd kids, unfortunately. But, I usually just added a little filtered water to whatever veggie, fruit, and sometimes meat we were eating at dinner, mashed it up well with a fork, and let them have at it. As they got a little older, I left it chunkier (yet made sure it was very soft) and let them feel the texture more with their hands and mouths. Ironically (or maybe not so ironically), both of my younger kids are much more willing to try new foods than my oldest who only ate yucky store-bought baby food for a long, long time.

      Reply

sidebar

polly and rachel

Welcome

We’re moms, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists. Our mission is to help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time. Let’s make the most of your time in the kitchen! Read more.

Follow Us On Instagram!

freezer cooking

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More

freezer to table

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of our best recipes & pro tips from freezer meal experts.

Reader Favorites

marinades for chicken breasts in freezer bags

7 BEST Chicken Marinades (+ Printable Recipe Cheat Sheet)

freezer meal

The 70+ Best Freezer Meals on the Planet

20 Delicious Crockpot Meals for a Crowd

smoothie packs

7 Frozen Smoothie Packs (+ Printable with Shopping List)

freezer meal update
New to freezer cooking?

Grab Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of recipes & tips from freezer meal experts.

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

About
About Us
Work With Us
Press
Recipes
All Recipes
Freezer Meals
Menu Plans
Shop
Cookbooks
1 Hour Prep Sessions
Gift Guides
Explore
Free Resources
Shop Our Favorites
Facebook Group
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
Contact
© 2022 Thriving Home
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
18 shares