This post was updated on January 3, 2023.
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This recipe is for oat baby cereal. It’s a stage 1 baby food, perfect for your 4 month+ baby.
Oat baby cereal is one of the first foods parents feed their babies because it is an easy consistency for babies to adjust to. While instant oat baby cereal can be purchased from the store, I prefer to make my own. You can prepare and store it in a handy baby food pouch for on-the-go goodness!
Can I add herbs and spices to baby’s first foods?
Seasoning baby food with herbs and spices from the beginning is so important! It introduces your baby’s palate to a variety of flavors and promotes adventurous eating in the future.
With both my son and daughter, I added herbs and spices to their food from their first bite and I had no problems.
The reason foods are first introduced to babies one at a time is to be able to easily identify if your baby has food allergies and what specifically he is reacting to. Allergic reactions to herbs and spices are rare, so it’s generally safe to add them to baby’s first foods.
If you are not comfortable with this, you can introduce the main ingredient first, in this case oats. Once you know there is no reaction to that (wait a few days to see if you notice any symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or rash) you can begin to pair the oats with an herb or spice.
How long will homemade baby food last?
Fresh, homemade baby food will last in the refrigerator for 3 days. Once the 3 days have passed, the remaining food should be disposed of for safety reasons.
If you make this or any other baby food recipes in bulk, it can be stored it the freezer for up to 3 months. Click here for more information, tips and tricks on storing homemade baby food.
By the way, these baby food freezer storage trays are PERFECT for freezing baby food. They come with snug fit lids that prevent spills and freezer burns, and they stack so easily.
How do you make homemade oat baby cereal?
Oat baby cereal is very simple to make and just takes a few minutes: you just cook the oats in a pot, then throw them in a blender. Can it get any easier?
You will need:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of instant oats
- 1 cup of water for cooking
- 1/4 cup water, baby formula or breast milk (plus more if needed)
- 1 pinch of various spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc. (optional)
Equipment:
Step 1
Put the oats in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the oats are thick and creamy. Make sure to stir the oats occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 2
Put the cooked oats, along with 1/4 cup of water, into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add additional water, breast milk or formula to reach your desired consistency.
Step 3
Mix spices of your choice into the oat baby cereal. I would suggest dividing the batch up and trying a couple of different spices such as cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and pumpkin spice.
Note: Keep in mind that a blender will give you a smoother puree than a food processor.
If you’re looking for a super smooth puree, you will need a high-powered blender.
Although I am using a high-powered blender to showcase this recipe, I made a lot of baby food for my kids in a food processor. I liked to give my babies lots of different textures because I didn’t want them to get accustomed to super smooth purees all the time.
In fact, this KitchenAid food processor is what I used. I LOVE it because it is very compact (I have a small kitchen) but it’s still powerful.
But, the tool you choose to puree your baby food in is totally up to you! It’s just a matter of personal preference.
Try these other yummy stage 2 oat baby cereals!
Peanut Butter + Banana Oatmeal Baby Cereal
Blueberry + Almond Butter Oatmeal Baby Cereal
Mango + Coconut Rice Baby Cereal
Raisin + Cinnamon Rice Baby Cereal
Peach + Coconut Quinoa Baby Cereal
Oat Baby Cereal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup instant oats
- 1 cup water for cooking
- 1/4 cup water, breast milk or baby formula plus more, if needed
- 1 pinch various spices cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Put the oats in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until the the water is absorbed and the oats are thick and creamy. Make sure to stir the oats occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Put the cooked oats, along with 1/4 cup of water, into a Baby Bullet, food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add additional water, breast milk or formula to reach your desired consistency.
- Divide the batch into different portions and add a pinch of different spices to each portion (optional).
Is it normal for it to be stringy/pasty when reheated? Reminds me of cheese
Hi Alina,
Oats can become extra thick as they cool. Just add extra liquid when reheating them. I hope this helps! 🙂
Hi! How would you recommend reheating? Do you just reheat in the microwave?
Hi CiCi,
Yes, I just zap it in the microwave and add a little liquid if needed. 🙂
Do you feed to your baby warm?
Room temperature, or slightly warm is best. Spoons like these are helpful, because they turn white if the food is too hot for your baby.
Hi! How do you recommend storing batches of this? Planning on using formula in it.
Hi Marissa!
I would freeze them in ice cube trays. Once they’re frozen, you can store them in a freezer bag or air tight container. When you’re ready to serve them, zap a couple of cubes in the microwave. You may have to add more formula to thin it out. I hope this helps!