Bananas are the perfect first finger food — soft, sweet, naturally portion-controlled, and loved by almost every baby. These 8 recipes use banana across different meal types from 6 months.
Why Banana Is an Ideal Baby Food
Bananas are: soft enough to be completely safe from 6 months without cooking, high in potassium and vitamin B6, a natural prebiotic supporting gut microbiome development, available everywhere year-round, and a built-in natural sweetener that reduces the need to add sugar to other foods.
8 Banana Recipes
1. Mashed Banana (6+ Months)
Half a ripe banana, mashed with a fork. The simplest first food. Can be thinned with breast milk or formula. Serve on a spoon or spread on toast.
2. Banana and Avocado Mash
Half banana + half avocado, mashed together. Rich in potassium, healthy fats, and natural sweetness. Beautiful pale green colour.
3. Banana Porridge
Stir half a mashed banana into warm oat porridge. Natural sweetener — no sugar needed. Add a pinch of cinnamon.
4. Banana Oat Pancakes (7+ Months)
1 ripe banana mashed + 1 egg + 4 tbsp oats blended. Fry in butter 2 minutes per side. Makes 6 small pancakes. Can add a tiny pinch of cinnamon or blueberries.
5. Banana and Peanut Butter Toast (7+ Months)
Thin spread of smooth peanut butter on soft toast, topped with sliced banana. Introduces peanut allergen alongside familiar banana. Excellent protein and energy combination.
8. Banana Nice Cream (10+ Months)
Blend 2 frozen bananas until smooth — it becomes a creamy, ice cream-like texture. No added sugar, no dairy (unless added). Mix in peanut butter, cocoa powder, or berries. Suitable for summer heat or as a birthday treat.
7. Banana and Berry Smoothie Pouch
Blend 1 banana with 100g frozen berries and 2 tbsp Greek yogurt until smooth. Pour into reusable food pouches. Excellent on the go — though at home, a bowl and spoon develops better feeding skills than pouch feeding.
6. Banana Muffins (9+ Months)
3 mashed ripe bananas + 2 eggs + 1 cup oat flour + 1 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp cinnamon. Bake in mini muffin cases at 175°C for 15 minutes. No added sugar. Freeze and defrost individually.
Banana in baby-led weaning vs purée weaning
Banana works across both approaches and all ages from 6 months. For purée weaning: mash thoroughly for first tastes at 6 months, leaving progressively lumpier texture as the month progresses. For baby-led weaning: a finger of banana with the peel left on the bottom third gives the baby grip without the banana slipping — a technique that works well from 6–9 months before pincer grasp is established. From 9 months: quartered rounds or chunks the baby can pick up independently.
Banana ripeness matters for digestibility. Ripe bananas (yellow with brown spots) are easier to digest than under-ripe green-tipped bananas — the starch has converted to simpler sugars. Very ripe bananas are sweeter and softer, which suits younger babies. The constipation concern associated with bananas is largely overstated — it applies more to under-ripe bananas (higher resistant starch) than ripe ones, and the fibre in ripe banana is generally gut-healthy. Pair with water alongside solid food introduction to support normal bowel function.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can banana cause constipation?
Ripe bananas are often accused of causing constipation — this is partly true for unripe (green) bananas, which contain resistant starch. Ripe, spotted bananas have converted most of this to sugars and are less likely to cause constipation. If baby is prone to constipation, offer ripe bananas and balance with pear and prune purée.
How should I store bananas for baby use?
Freeze ripe bananas (peeled, in a bag) for future use in porridge, smoothies, and nice cream. Fresh ripe bananas are best used immediately. Once mashed, banana discolours within 30 minutes — add a squeeze of lemon to delay this if needed.
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Related Reading
- First baby purees: 15 easy recipes for 6 month olds
- 6 month old baby: starting solids – a complete first-foods guide
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