How to make prune baby food

Prunes may be introduced as soon as your baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Dried fruit is a choking hazard so be sure to rehydrate whole prunes and finely chop or offer prunes in the form of a purée.

Background and origins of prunes

Prunes are simply dried plums—a diverse species of stone fruit that range in color, shape, and taste, from immensely sweet to deeply tart and tangy. While any plum can technically become a prune over time, the dried plum labeled as “prunes” in your local grocery store most likely came from California or France, the world’s leading producers of the “prune plum” variety. Glossy and wrinkled, they taste of caramel and grape, with plump, sticky flesh that exudes concentrated sweetness. They stand in stark contrast to huamei, a salty, tangy dried plum from China; umeboshi, a deeply tart dried plum from Japan; and aloo bukhara, a sweet-and-sour dried plum from the Caspian Sea region. As the range of flavor suggests, dried plums are used worldwide in both sweet and savory dishes—from candy seasoned with a dried plum powder called li hing miu in Hawaii; to the rich and jammy tarte aux pruneaux of France, to sweet-and-sour plum chutneys in India, to khoresh-e aloo esfenaj, the savory Persian lamb and spinach stew.

★Tip: Constipation is a common problem when starting solids but thankfully it can be curbed with fiber-rich foods. Try serving beans, chia seeds, flaxseed oil, or the “P” fruits: peaches, pears, plums, and yes, prunes—and make sure to let your baby’s healthcare provider know about the constipation.

Mila, 6 months, eats porridge with rehydrated, finely chopped prunes.Cooper, 7 months, eats a prune purée on yogurt.Leila, 18 months, eats whole prunes.

Are prunes healthy for babies?

Yes—in moderation. A prune is a nutritional powerhouse that offers lots of protein, fiber, and nutrients, including vitamin B6 to help process protein, potassium to balance fluid levels, vitamin K for healthy blood, and antioxidants that give the fruit its deep purple color. A prune’s beneficial nutrients offer myriad health benefits—from bone health to cell protection to a strong immune system—however, they are very sweet. Naturally-occurring sugars account for nearly 50% of their weight.

On the plus side, prunes contain sorbitol, a naturally occurring sugar-like substance that helps soften stools. The combination of sorbitol and fiber makes prunes work wonders for gut health. So while prunes and other dried fruits should not be served with regularity to children due to the high sugar content, for babies and toddlers who are constipated, a prune can help get the job done!

Prunes are sold with and without their pits—and both are equally delicious. However, what the pitted fruit saves in time, it gives up in flavor and texture. Once the pit is removed, the inner flesh is exposed, and the fruit begins to lose some of its potency. Look for prunes in see-through containers so you can assess the freshness. Fresh prunes are soft and shiny—not hard and dull.

★Tip: Plums (and all stone fruits) are heavily sprayed with fungicides, insecticides, and pesticides so it’s a good fruit to buy organic if you can. Organic prunes not only have less of an environmental impact, but they may contain more beneficial phytonutrients.

Are prunes a common choking hazard for babies?

Yes. Dried fruit is a choking hazard for babies up to 12 months old. Check out our age-appropriate suggestions on how to prepare prunes.

For more information, visit our section on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with common choking hazards.

Is prune a common allergen?

No. However, individuals who are sensitive or allergic to birch trees or who have Oral Allergy Syndrome (also called “pollen-food” allergy syndrome) may be sensitive to plums/prunes.  Oral Allergy Syndrome typically results in short-lived itching in the mouth and is unlikely to result in a dangerous reaction. Individuals who are sensitive to apricots, peaches, and plums may also be sensitive to prunes.

As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity on its own for the first couple of servings. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future meals.

How to cut whole prunes for babies with baby-led weaning?

Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience. Your child is an individual and may have needs or considerations beyond generally accepted practices. In determining the recommendations for size and shape of foods, we use the best available scientific information regarding gross, fine, and oral motor development to minimize choking risk. The preparation suggestions we offer are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for child-specific, one-on-one advice from your pediatric medical or health professional or provider. It is impossible to fully eliminate all risk of a baby or child choking on any liquid, puree, or food. We advise you to follow all safety protocols we suggest to create a safe eating environment and to make educated choices for your child regarding their specific needs. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen here.

6 to 12 months old: A prune pouch or purée is the way to go at this age. If you’d like to work with whole prunes, take care to remove the pits and rehydrate the fruit in hot water for 15 minutes. Once soft, finely chop, mash, or purée and fold into other foods, such as oatmeal or yogurt.

12 to 18 months old: Finely chop cooked or dried prunes (there’s no need to rehydrate them at this age though cooking will reduce any risk further). You can, of course, continue to use prune pouches or jars if you are in need of a constipation fix.

18 to 24 months old: At this age, your toddler may now have the biting, tearing, chewing and swallowing skills needed to eat a whole prune. You can also cut prunes into smaller pieces if you are not confident that your child can bite through and tear the whole prune adequately. Dried fruit is a choking hazard so trust your gut and wait to serve whole prunes until you feel your child is ready. When that time does come, model how to take a bite by showing your teeth as you bite a prune and verbally coaching your child to follow your lead. Note: Prunes are sold with and without the pits. Be sure to remove the pit before serving.

For more information on how to cut food for babies, visit our page on Food Sizes & Shapes.

Yield: 1 child-sized serving
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 prune pouch or 3 fresh prunes
• ¼ cup unsweetened, full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds (ideally pre-hydrated in some warm water)
• 1 pinch ground cardamom, cinnamon, or lemon zest

Directions

1. If you’re starting with fresh prunes, rehydrate in hot water for 15 minutes, then mash with a fork or a small food processor until smooth.
2. Soak the chia seeds in 1 tablespoon of hot water for 15 minutes.
3. Mix the Greek yogurt, prune puree, chia seeds, and seasoning in your baby’s bowl.

Place the bowl in front of your child along with a baby spoon. To encourage self-feeding, pre-load the spoon and either hand it in the air or rest it on the edge of the bowl for your baby to grab.

This recipe contains a common allergen: dairy. Only serve to your child after this individual allergen has been introduced safely.

Flavor Pairings

Prunes are very sweet with flavor notes of caramel, honey, and wine. Offset the sweetness with tangy foods like fresh blueberries, cherries, goat cheese, mascarpone cheese, orange, tomato, or yogurt—or enhance it by pairing with rich meats like bacon, beef, lamb, spare rib, or venison or heart-healthy nuts like almond, hazelnut, or walnut. Prunes taste delicious with spices, so try seasoning your prune dishes with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, or your favorite spice.

J. Truppi, MSN, CNS

V. Kalami, MNSP, RD

K. Grenawitzke, OTD, OTR/L, SCFES, IBCLC, CNT

S. Bajowala, MD, FAAAAI. (allergy section)

R. Ruiz, MD Board-Certified General Pediatrician and Pediatric Gastroenterologist

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Naturally sweet prunes (or dried plums) make a great starter healthy baby food. Prunes are impressively rich in antioxidants, fiber and are fantastic to prevent and alleviate baby constipation. Moreover prunes taste delicious and require little preparation – they are convenient and easy to incorporate into your baby’s diet.

In this article I’m presenting ways to make baby food with prunes for babies 6 months and up. Whether you prefer to serve them on their own, or mix them with other foods, the recipes can be made ahead and stored for a convenient use.

Prunes can be introduced gradually when your baby starts to show interest for solid foods, which is around 6 months of age. You can start with a tablespoon of prunes puree a day. Once the baby is older than six months, the baby can advance to about two or three tablespoons of prune puree per day.

For babies older than 9 months – you can increase the amount to four tablespoons a day. Once the baby is comfortable enough to eat finger foods (like baby led weaning), you can even soften the dried prunes in some hot water for 15-20 minutes and chop them into smaller pieces.

Related: Baby Oat & Prune Porridge (6 Months +, Toddlers)

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Prune baby food is effective for older children as well as babies who are having difficulty with bowel movements. Prunes are well known for relieving constipation and for softening stool consistency [3] because of their laxative effect and ability to stimulate the digestive tract. The effect of prunes has been attributed to the combined effect of dietary fibre, sorbitol content and phenolic compounds [4].

Small amounts of prunes (or prune puree) everyday is ok. Keep an eye on how your baby feels, if the baby starts to have diarrheia or digestive discomfort, gas (due to it’s laxative effect), then reduce the amount and frequency.

Prune Puree Or Prune Juice For Baby?

Prune juice is filtered, so it doesn’t have the high fiber content of dried prunes. Also prunes contain more than double the amount of sorbitol than prune juice, so prune puree may be more effective. Still, both are laxatives and can help with constipation.

Baby Food With Prunes

These are the best prune puree combinations:

• Prune puree – make it plain when using as a remedy for constipation (see recipe below).
• Combine prune pure with other fruit purees, the best combinations are:
  • apple sauce
  • steamed pears
  • peaches
  • avocado
  • banana
  • mango
• Mix With Vegetable Purees (Or Steamed And Mashed)
• Add prune puree (or chopped prunes) to whole grain baby cereal
  • Make a soft prune porridge from oats, rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet etc).
• Mix with yogurt (if your baby is not allergic to dairy) or use dairy free yogurt.

The best prune puree is made at home because you’re in control of the quality of prunes and the preparation method. Buy from an organically-grown source, and avoid those that have unnatural preservatives added (like potassium sorbate or sulfites).

How To Prepare Pureed Prunes

1. Rinse the dried prunes with hot water, discard the water, this might help remove some impurities (if they have any).
2. Then soak the prunes in hot boiling water (at a 2:1 ratio to fruit) for 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the prunes to a blender and use a small amount of soaking water just enough to make a smooth puree.
4. Blend, and add more water if you prefer the puree thinner.

Opt for plump and shiny prunes that seem relatively soft and are free of mold. Buy organic if you can. Plums like other stone fruits are sprayed with pesticides [1,2] and after harvest they are usually treated with preservatives like Sulphur dioxides, sulphites and potassium sorbate in order to keep them soft and increase their shelf life. 

Best Prunes To Buy:

• Family size bulk bag (2.5lb): Sunny Fruit
• Medium pack (1.5 lb): Terrasoul Superfoods
• Mini packs portioned: Bliss Fruit
• Small bag: Newman’s Own 

How To Store The Pureed Prunes

Store leftovers for 3-5 days at room temperature.

Freeze up to 3 months in a silicone ice cube tray. Transfer frozen cubes to a bag and seal, removing as much air as possible.

Thaw – just pop the required amount of frozen cubes out of the freezer and place them in a hot porridge or vegetable puree – the quickest method. Or refrigerate slowly overnight in the fridge.

Don’t have time for making prune puree? Here are the best brands to buy: Plum Organics  and Happy Baby.

Have you tried any of these recipes? Your feedback is really helpful, please rate and leave a comment below recipe card!

Make nutritious baby food with these prune puree recipes. Use combination of other vegetables, fruits or baby cereal or serve on it's own as an effective constipation remedy.

DIETS: Gluten Free, Vegan

• 6 prunes (pitted (about 2 oz)
• water (as required (start with 2-3 tbsp)

• 4 prunes (pitted)
• 2 medium pears (or apples, or peaches (when in season)
• hot water (as needed for blending)

• 1 cup squash (carrots or sweet potato (cubed)
• 3 prunes
• hot water (as needed)

• ¼ cup rolled oats (or choose other grains like rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat or millet )
• 4 prunes
• 1 cup water

• Soak the dried prunes in hot boiling water (at a 2:1 ratio to fruit) for 10-15 minutes or until they are soft enough to blend. Or use a steamer and some of it's water to blend to the desired consistency.

• Core and chop the pears, rinse the prunes and place together in a steamer basket over a little boiling water. Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes until tender.

• Transfer the fruits into a blender or food processor, add steaming water in stages to the desired consistency.

• Peel and chop the squash (choose between butternut, acorn, or even some pumpkin) If you prefer another vegetable, carrots and sweet potatoes are also great with prunes.

• Rinse the prunes and place together with the chopped vegetables in a steamer basket over a little boiling water. Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes until tender.

• Blend with steamer water into a smooth puree.

• Add the rolled oats or any other preferred grain to a food processor and pulse a few time until finely ground.

• Combine the milled grain with water in a pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until thoroughly cooked. If it is too thick, add a little more water.

• Meanwhile make the prune pure. Then combine them together.

Each recipe will yield different amounts. The puree can be served cold or room temperature. Age: The recipes are suitable for babies 6 months and older. Start with a tablespoon of prunes puree a day (or mixed with other purees). Once the baby is older than six months, the baby can advance to about 2-3 tablespoons of prune puree per day. You can also mix prune puree with yogurt (if your baby is not allergic to dairy, or use non dairy yogurt).     Store leftovers for 3-5 days at room temperature. Freeze up to 3 months in a silicone ice cube tray. Transfer frozen cubes to a bag and seal, removing as much air as possible. Thaw the prune pure – just pop the required amount of frozen cubes out of the freezer and place them in a hot porridge or vegetable puree – the quickest method. Or refrigerate slowly overnight in the fridge.     Opt for plump and shiny prunes that seem relatively soft and are free of mold. Buy organic if you can. Conventional plums like other stone fruits are sprayed with pesticides and usually treated with preservatives like Sulphur dioxides, sulphites and potassium sorbate in order to keep them soft and increase their shelf life. 

Your feedback is really helpful, please rate and leave a comment below recipe card!!

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