This post was updated on January 3, 2024.
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This recipe is for stage 1 rice baby cereal. It’s a great first food for your 4 month+ baby.
Rice baby cereal is typically one of the first foods people feed their babies because it is very bland and is easy to digest. Instant rice cereal can be purchased from the store, but I prefer to make my own.
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 rice. 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 rice 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 rice baby cereal?
Rice baby cereal is very simple to make: you just cook the rice in a pot, then throw it in a blender. Easy peasy!
You will need:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of medium grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups 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
Rinse the rice a few times until water becomes clear. Then drain the water.
Step 2
Put the rinsed rice in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and most of the water is absorbed. The rice should be soft and “mushy”. Make sure to stir the rice occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 3
Put the rice, along with 1/4 cup of water, into a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional water, breast milk or formula to reach your desired consistency.
Step 4
Mix spices of your choice into the rice 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.
Change it up!
I used a medium grain white rice in this recipe, but you could make it with either short or long grain rice as well. You can also try it with brown rice, which will give the cereal a more “nutty” flavor.” Keep in mind, cooking times may vary when changing the type of rice.
Try these other baby cereals!
Mango + Coconut Rice Baby Cereal
Raisin + Cinnamon Rice Baby Cereal
Rice Baby Cereal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup medium grain white rice other rice can be substituted, but cooking times may vary.
- 2 1/2 cups 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
- Rinse the rice with cold water a few times, until the water turns clear. Drain the water.
- Put the rinsed rice in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and most of the water is absorbed. The rice should be soft and “mushy”. Make sure to stir the rice occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Put the rice, 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.
- Mix spices of your choice into the rice cereal. I would suggest dividing the batch up and trying a couple of different spices such as cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and pumpkin spice.
Video
Notes
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