Make snack time easier with this master list of Baby Snacks. You’ll find the best easy and healthy finger foods for babies and one year olds that are simple to prepare and serve—and also super yummy!

baby-snacks-on-countertop

Once your sweet baby has started solids, generally has the hang of things, and you’re ready to add in some snacks…it can be hard to know what to offer. This post is here to help! You will find easy baby snacks organized by food group, the best homemade recipes to try, and tips for serving food to this age group to ensure snacks are yummy and easy to eat.

Depending on the baby, how much they are nursing or drinking from bottles, and the schedule of your day, you may or may not have time to add in snacks. You can start them around 9 months or at 12 months—whatever works best for your family and the appetite of your child.

(You may also like Baby Lunch Boxes, Baby Breakfast Ideas, Baby Cookies, and baby-led weaning recipes.)

Table of Contents

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Snacks for 9 Month Old Babies

At about 9 months, babies develop the pincer grasp, or the ability to pick up small (think the size of a pea) pieces of food. This usually opens up a whole wide range of foods, including baby snacks, that babies can feed themselves. Those are primarily the types of foods you’ll find in this post, along with some pureed options to round things out.

TIP: Find my Master List of Early Finger Foods to refresh your memory on all of the many food options you can serve at any meal to babies starting around 9 months.

baby-mufifn-and-raspberries-on-blue-plate
Sugar-Free Banana Muffin with Raspberries

Snacks for One Year Olds

Many one year olds from ages 12 months through 16-18 months are in this same category of eating small pieces of finger foods, so any of these foods are appropriate for them, too. (Actually, they are appropriate for any age, though kids past that 18 month mark are better able to take bites from larger pieces of food.)

TIP: Find my One Year Old Feeding Schedule, too.

Cheerios-and-fruit-pouch-on-counter
Cheerios with Carrot Puree Pouch

Baby Snacks: Fruits and Veggies

These produce-based snacks are great options to have in the mix. I like to pair them with another food group if possible—though baby won’t always eat perfectly balanced snacks and that’s okay!)

peanut-puffs-and-blueberries
Baby peanut puffs with halved blueberries

Carbohydrate Snacks for Baby

Babies (and kids!) need carbohydrates in their diets, and we need to serve them often. Look for whole grains when possible to incorporate fiber and B vitamins. Combine with produce or protein at snack time.

grapes-and-shredded-cheese-for-baby
Quartered grapes with shredded cheese

Protein Snacks for Baby

Incorporating protein and healthy fat foods into baby’s food is a great way to help them find their food filling and satisfying until the next eating opportunity. Look for full-fat dairy to ensure baby gets the fats they need for brain development. Combine with another food group at snack time.

squeasy-gear-and-banana
Yogurt in reusable pouch with banana

Snacks to Serve Baby in a Pouch

Reusable pouches are super handy for babies and one year olds—and older toddlers too! We love the 3.5 ounce Squeasy Gear silicone pouch since it’s virtually spill-proof. I started using it around 7 months with my kids to offer foods including yogurt, simple smoothies, warm (not hot) pureed soups, overnight oats, and all sorts of Homemade Baby Food Pouches.

The WeeSprout BPA-free pouches are also great and are very easy to wash.

peas-and-scrambled-egg-in-baby-containers
Peas and scrambled eggs

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the right portion for my baby?

There’s no “right” portion size, so my advice is to start with a very small amount to avoid food waste and offer more according to baby’s hunger—which may be more or less than you expect. Follow their lead as they are very in tune with their own hunger and fullness cues.

When should I feed baby snacks?

Typically, babies eat every 2-3 hours, so you will want to work the meals in between nursing or bottle sessions and naps. This can be hard to do until baby is closer to the 12 month mark, just logistically speaking, so don’t feel like you must do snacks if you can’t find the time and baby is getting plenty of calories from milk feedings and other meals.

What are the best foods for baby snacks?

I like to think of snacks as mini meals and serve all sorts of foods. This can help ensure that the littles are being introduced to all sorts of foods throughout the day and makes it easier to use up leftovers!

baby-snacks-from-the-store

Best Store-Bought Snacks for Littles

In addition to the single ingredient foods you can buy at the store, these packaged snacks are convenient ones to have on hand for snack time.

TIP: The Amara Smoothie Melts are a brand new snack option. They’re made with fruits and veggies and have a melt-in-the-mouth texture. My kids love them! (sponsored link)

Yogurt pouches on countertop.

Best Recipes for Healthy Baby Snacks

If you want to make some snacks at home that are a little more than just single ingredient foods, here are my top picks.

TIP: My favorite storage containers for kids snacks include the WeeSprout glass containers (shown below on the left with the colorful lids), the Beaba Clip Containers, and the Wean Green Storage Cubes.

baby-snacks-in-storage-containers

Best Tips for Baby Snacks

  • Aim to offer two foods (or more) from different food groups at each snack so baby has the opportunity to have a mix of nutrients.
  • Aim for at least one of the foods to have fat and/or protein to help baby feel satisfied.
  • If a food seems too slippery for baby to pick up or they’re otherwise having trouble, put the food onto a utensil, cut it differently, or otherwise help them eat the food.
  • Try to avoid serving meals or snacks when baby is tired or is specifically hungry for their milk feedings—it takes them a while to connect solid food as a way to satisfy hunger, so be patient with that process of learning.
  • Start with small portions to avoid food waste and offer more according to baby’s unique hunger.
  • It can take kids time to learn to like a wide range of foods, so offer a range of foods throughout the week—and offer foods they didn’t eat (making sure it’s easy to eat and tastes good) so they have the chance to learn to like them.
  • Keep meals free from pressure and fun without forcing baby to eat a certain amount of food.
  • Sit with baby as you can and model eating so they have someone to copy—they are new to this and the more information they have (visual, verbal, etc.), the better they can learn!

If you have any questions about feeding your baby or one year old, or any of these food suggestions, comment below and I will do my best to help!

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baby-snacks-on-countertop

Master List of Baby Snacks

Aim to include two foods (or more) from different groups below at snack time so baby has a mix of nutrients on offer. (If the food you're offering is something that already has more than one ingredient in it, like a pancake or a smoothie, you don't need to offer additional items—the goal is simply exposure to a range of nutrients over the course of the day.) Nutrition info will vary.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
5 from 9 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Author Amy Palanjian
Cuisine American
Course Baby Food
Calories 85kcal
Servings 1

Ingredients

Fruit and Veggie Snacks (start with 1-2 tbsp and offer more according to hunger)

  • 1-2 tablespoons Avocado, diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)
  • 1-2 tablespoons Banana, broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way as opposed to slices)
  • 1-3 ounces Baby Food Pouches
  • 1-2 tablespoons Blueberries, cut in half or quarters
  • 1 Clementine, chopped into small pieces
  • 1-2 tablespoons Mango, chopped into small pieces
  • 1-2 tablespoons Mashed roasted sweet potato
  • 1-2 tablespoons Peas
  • 1-2 tablespoons Raspberries, broken into small pieces
  • 1-2 tablespoons Roasted Zucchini, diced
  • 1-2 tablespoons Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash, diced

Carbohydrate Snacks (start with 1-2 tablespoons and offer more following baby's lead)

  • 1 Baby Banana Muffin
  • 1-2 tablespoons Baby Puffs
  • 1-2 tablespoons Baked Oatmeal, diced
  • 1-2 tablespoons Chex cereal soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed
  • 1-2 tablespoons Leftover pasta rice, or oatmeal
  • 1-2 tablespoons O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
  • 1-2 tablespoons Peanut Butter Puffs
  • 1 Spinach Pancakes, diced (these are great to freeze and pull out of the freezer to warm one at a time)
  • 1/4 slice whole-grain bread, diced, with applesauce, fruit puree, or mashed avocado

Protein Snacks (start with 1-2 tablespoons and offer more following baby’s lead)

  • 1-2 tablespoons Beans, lightly mashed
  • 1-2 tablespoons Cheese, shredded (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up, mozzarella tends to be softest)
  • 1-2 tablespoons Cottage cheese
  • 1 Egg Muffins, diced
  • 1-2 tablespoons Goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1-2 tablespoons Ground beef, turkey, or chicken, cooked and broken into smaller pieces
  • 1-2 tablespoons Hummus
  • 1 Meatball, lightly mashed or diced
  • 1-2 tablespoons Peas
  • 1 Scrambled egg, broken up into small pieces
  • 1-3 ounces Simple Smoothie made with plain nondairy milk or yogurt
  • 1-2 tablespoons Shredded chicken, cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
  • 1-2 tablespoons Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
  • 1-2 tablespoons Yogurt (plain whole milk)
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Instructions

  • Choose two single ingredient foods (or more) or one food that is made from a mix of foods (like a pancake or egg muffin).
  • Cut up food into small pieces or mash lightly.
  • Serve to baby, offering preloaded spoons as needed to help them eat. (It's okay if baby gets messy as they learn to eat—that's part of the process!)
  • Start with a small portion and serve more according to baby’s hunger—it’s okay if they eat more or less than you expect!
  • Offer water with snacks (and meals).
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Equipment

Notes

  • Aim to offer two foods (or more) for each snack so baby has the opportunity to have a mix of nutrients.
  • Aim for at least one of the foods to have fat and/or protein to help baby feel satisfied.
  • If a food seems too slippery for baby to pick up or they’re otherwise having trouble, put the food onto a utensil, cut it differently, or otherwise help them eat the food.
  • Try to avoid serving meals or snacks when baby is tired or is specifically hungry for their milk feedings—it takes them a while to connect solid food as a way to satisfy hunger, so be patient with that process of learning.
  • It can take kids time to learn to like a wide range of foods, so offer a range of foods throughout the week—and offer foods they didn’t eat (making sure it’s easy to eat and tastes good) so they have the chance to learn to like them.
  • Keep meals free from pressure and fun without forcing baby to eat a certain amount of food.
  • Sit with baby as you can and model eating so they have someone to copy—they are new to this and the more information they have (visual, verbal, etc.), the better they can learn!

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 94mg, Potassium: 90mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 173IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 110mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

This post was first published December 2020.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’m trying to get my baby used to high chair. He’s 13 m.o. How do i start? How do i get him to eat foods like rice by himself?

    Reply

    1. Feel free to use a different O cereal if you prefer! (Which is why I used that term instead of a brand–there are a lot of options. The ones from Trader Joe’s soften really nicely too.)

      Reply