Sweet Potato Baby Food (for 6mth+) Nourish your little one with this tasty and simple Purple Hawaiian sweet potato mash with coconut milk
Cool purple mash!
My mum got us hooked on purple sweet potatoes when were kids. She boiled them in a large saucepan with a little salt and gave them to us as an easy and healthy snack.
They were my favourite variety of sweet potatoes, and I would always choose them over orange sweet potatoes. I loved they had a firmer texture and didn’t taste as mushy.
For a long time, I didn’t know what purple potatoes were called because they were hard to find in our local area. Back then, my parents had to drive an hour away to the markets so they could pick up a box of them.
I only recently discovered they were called Hawaiian sweet potatoes here. Well, at least that’s what the Costco packet said they were! They were $10 a bag, which is a quite expensive, but I still bought them out of excitement.
When my toddler, Kai, was a baby, I made him baby food using orange and purple sweet potatoes. He loved them both, and would always devour them happily, but that’s the past. Kai is no longer a fan of either variety, and he would only accept them if they’re fried!
However, I’m not too worried because he changes his mind all the time. I still offer him vegetables on a regular basis, and if it’s a good day, he’ll eat them.
Sweet Purple power!
I find it amusing that we consider sweet potatoes healthier than regular ones because they’re SWEET. Yes, I’m very simple at the best of times.
Why are sweet potatoes healthier than regular potatoes?
Sweet potatoes have lower GI (glycemic index) and slightly fewer calories than regular potatoes. They also have more fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Hawiian sweet potatoes have more antioxidents than blueberries!
What are Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes?
Hawaiian sweet potatoes (Okinawan) have a beige skin with a purple-blue flesh. They’re starchy with a firmer drier texture, and mildly sweet.
For this recipe, you could swap Hawaiian sweet potatoes for any variety of sweet potatoes. You just need to adjust the amount of liquid (coconut milk, water or breast milk) with the potatoes to get the right consistency for your little one.
More healthy recipes for your little one:
Banana Porridge
Banana Oat Pancakes
Pasta Veggie Soup
Polenta Puree for Baby
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Baby Food
Hawaiian sweet potatoes (Okinawan) have a beige skin with a purple-blue flesh. They’re starchy with a firmer drier texture, and mildly sweet. For this recipe, you could swap Hawaiian sweet potatoes for any variety of sweet potatoes. You just need to adjust the amount of liquid (coconut milk, water or breast milk) with the potatoes to get the right consistency for your little one.
Coconut milk is rich in magnesium and potassium, which is suitable for babies over 6 months old. If preferred, you could swap coconut milk with water or breast milk.
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How to make Sweet Potato Baby Food
Step-by-step guide with photos
Fill in a medium saucepan (that has a steamer attachment) with water approximately 1/3 full. Place the saucepan without the steamer over high heat and bring the water to a rapid boil.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes using a sharp knife as the skin of purple potatoes is thick. Chop the potatoes roughly into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes in the steamer attachment, then decrease the heat to medium. Cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer glides through effortlessly through the potato.
Transfer the potatoes into a separate saucepan, then use a potato masher to break up the potatoes. Place the saucepan over low heat and pour in the coconut milk a bit at a time whilst stirring. You may need more or less liquid (coconut milk, water or breast milk) depending on the sweet potato. If the mash is too thick, add more liquid to loosen it up. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat. Serve this Sweet Potato Baby Food warm or at room temperature.
Storage – Allow the puree to cool completely, then spoon them into baby food safe containers. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. See how I store and organise my homemade baby food
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Sweet Potato Baby Food
Ingredients
- 500 gm Hawaiian sweet potatoes (or 450gm/16oz peeled) (NOTE 1)
- ¾ to 1 cup coconut milk (swap with water or breast milk) (NOTE 2)
Instructions
- Fill in a medium saucepan (that has a steamer attachment) with water approximately 1/3 full. Place the saucepan without the steamer over high heat and bring the water to a rapid boil.Meanwhile, peel the potatoes using a sharp knife as the skin of purple potatoes is thick. Chop the potatoes roughly into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes in the steamer attachment, then decrease the heat to medium. Cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer glides through effortlessly through the potato.
- Transfer the potatoes into a separate saucepan, then use a potato masher to break up the potatoes. Place the saucepan over low heat and pour in the coconut milk a bit at a time whilst stirring. You may need more or less liquid (coconut milk, water or breast milk) depending on the sweet potato. If the mash is too thick, add more liquid to loosen it up. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat. Serve this Sweet Potato Baby Food warm or at room temperature.
