Skip to main content

How to make mango baby food in 5 minutes

Mangoes are delicious, but they can be a bit more intimidating than other fruits to know how to cut, store and prepare. They make excellent additions to a baby’s diet because they are packed with fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, folate, and iron.

For instructions on how to make mango baby food, read up on every step from the grocery store to your baby’s tummy.

Liudmyla Yaremenko/Shutterstock

1. Get the mango

You can buy mangoes fresh or frozen. Which you choose depends on what type of food you’re making, though either one will work for most recipes.

When shopping for fresh mango, note if it feels hard (underripe) or soft (ripe). If you buy overly soft, it can become a mushy mess when trying to cut it. Mangoes that are too hard won’t work for baby food. Air on the softer, riper side for making a mango puree.

You can also freeze your own fresh mango to make it last longer. To do this, cut the mango into cubes (see below) and freeze the cubes instead of sticking a whole mango into the freezer. Don’t put a container of cubes right into the freezer either. Freeze the pieces on a piece of parchment paper on a tray so they freeze separately instead of as a blob. Once frozen, you can then combine the frozen pieces off of the tray and into a container in the freezer.

To serve mango pieces on their own to gum or chew, you can use either fresh or frozen. For a teething baby, a frozen mango cube could be excellent natural relief. If serving fresh raw mango cubes, consider “breading” the cubes by putting crumbled baby wafers on the outside so it isn’t so slippery to hold.

Frozen mango is already pre-cubed, so taking just one out is easy. Frozen mango also works well for making a smoothie.

faithie/Shutterstock

2. Cut the mango

Mangoes have a pit in the middle, and you want to cut down on either side of the pit to create two almost-halves and a third piece that has the pit in it.

Hold the mango with the stem facing straight up or down and cut with a sharp knife down one side of the pit, then the other side of the pit. Take each almost-half (called “cheeks”) with the peel side down and make cuts in it in one direction and then the other to make squares without cutting into the peel. The cut segments should then look like the center mango piece in the image above.

You can remove the cubes from the peel by plucking with your fingers, scooping them out with a spoon, or by scraping them off with a knife along the peel. You can then cut a few more pieces from the middle piece with the pit.

If you’re not using the entire mango immediately, the pieces can last in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

3. Puree the mango

If using frozen mango, first thaw out the pieces you’ll use for your puree before blending (unless making a smoothie). You can pop the pieces into the microwave very briefly, or you can let the frozen pieces thaw in the fridge or counter. Don’t worry about any water collecting in the container, as the frozen mango thaws; you can use that in the puree, too.

Add diced mango with a liquid (either water, breastmilk, or formula – water from thawed frozen mango counts!) into a blender and blend until smooth. For one cup of diced mango, use between two tablespoons and a quarter cup of liquid.

You can serve immediately or freeze the puree in an ice cube tray and pop out a cube of frozen puree to thaw whenever you want it. A serving for a baby 6-12 months is likely between half an ice cube and two ice cubes.

Serve mango puree on its own like applesauce or mix it with yogurt, baby oatmeal, or cottage cheese. Let your baby try feeding themselves with the spoon once they are 10 to 12 months old.

Mangoes are sweet but low in calories, so it’s wise to mix this puree with something with some protein to be more filling. You can also combine with other flavors of fruits and vegetables in a combination puree or smoothie. No matter how you use the puree, your baby is sure to enjoy it.

Editors' Recommendations

Sarah Prager
Sarah is a writer and mom who lives in Massachusetts. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, National…
Easy Easter desserts kids will hop over
Whip up these easy Easter desserts in no time
Table full of Easter desserts

The Easter Bunny will soon be hopping down the bunny trail with treats in tow. Sure, those Easter baskets will be filled with chocolates, but it's Easter desserts that the kiddos get hopping over. Let's face it. It's not just the kids who love the Easter dessert table. Whether you're hosting or attending an Easter gathering, bringing a deliciously adorable dessert is always a win.

Now you don't have to be Martha Stewart to make an Easter dessert that hops. There are plenty of easy Easter desserts that don't take a lot of time to make. Let these ideas inspire you.
Easter dessert ideas
You won't spend a lot of time in the kitchen whipping up these simple-to-make Easter desserts. The results will still be cute, and of course, yummy.
Peep cupcakes
Many people have a love-hate relationship with marshmallow Peeps. The truth is; those sticky sweet Peeps make for an extremely simple Easter dessert. All you need is your favorite boxed cake mix and icing along with a package of Peeps. Dress up your cupcakes by using Easter-inspired wrappers. To make, just follow the package directions for two dozen cupcakes. Icing can be chocolate, but an Easter pastel, like yellow, is always a nice touch. With a container of vanilla icing and food coloring, you can make yellow, orange, or green icing. Apply a healthy coating of icing and top with a Peep.
Peep cake
Another super simple Easter dessert is a Peep-inspired cake. Using a boxed cake mix, make a round or a rectangle cake. Once it cools, apply a liberal amount of icing. Easter colors make for a fun seasonal icing and all you need is food coloring to create a bright color. Along the sides of the cake, place Peeps to make a border. Be sure the Peep is facing outward. Then top off the cake with a layer of rainbow sprinkles.
Easter Bunny cupcakes
If you're looking to make an easy Easter dessert from scratch, try this tasty recipe from Desserts on a Dime. These Easter Bunny cupcakes are super cute and are stress-free to make.
Carrot cake mix cookies
Carrot cake is an Easter staple, but if you don't have time to make one, try these carrot cake mix cookies from Desserts on a Dime. All you need is a box of carrot cake mix and a few other simple ingredients. The cream cheese icing really makes this delish Easter dessert a must-make treat.
No-bake mini egg Easter nests
Rice Krispies Treats are always a hit with kids. If you're looking for a no-bake Easter dessert, these no-bake mini egg Easter nests from Sugar Spice and Glitter are a perfect pick. The mini nest Rice Krispies Treats need to sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Bunny tails
For a fun recipe you and the kiddos can make for Easter, try these coconut chocolate bunny tails from Kids Activities. Leave the nuts out of the recipe if there are any allergies.

Read more
Tasty Easter side dishes to bring to the table that will get the kids excited
Dish out these delish Easter sides this spring! Even the kids will like them
Table set with side dishes for Easter

Not everyone is a fan of ham, which is what makes Easter side dishes a big part of any holiday dinner this spring. Like Thanksgiving, Easter sides are usually the most sought-after dishes on the table. Unlike Turkey Day though, side dishes for Easter Sunday aren't always traditional like cranberry stuffing or a green bean casserole.

It's spring, which means Easter sides can go in a lot of different directions. It's also important to have some Easter sides the kiddos won't turn their nose up at. So, what side dishes do you need to have on your table this Easter? Let's hop into the kitchen.

Read more
Save money and avoid food waste: This site finds family dinner ideas using what you already have
This website helps eliminate food waste by creating meals from ingredients your kids love
Family cooking together

Nothing is more frustrating than throwing away food because you didn't prepare it before it expired. With the increased cost of groceries, not only is this wasteful but it can get expensive, too. According to Feeding America, approximately 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the U.S. each year, with 39% of that total coming from homes across the country.

Not everyone has the ability to plan their meals and shop for specific groceries every week, which often leads to food waste, especially if your schedule only allows for one big grocery order every week or two. A new website is offering some hope for families that struggle with finding recipes and family dinner ideas that not only will their kids love, but this site also helps combat food waste.

Read more