Butternut Squash Baby Beef Meatballs

An egg free and dairy free beef meatballs that is perfect for baby led weaning or when you’re ready to transition from purees to textured finger foods. 

This post is a collaboration with Beef Loving Texans. Thank you for supporting brands that I believe in and keeps this space running. As always, all opinions are my own!

Meatballs for 6 months and up

Research is clear! Nutrition in the first 1000 days (the period beginning at conception to two years of life) has a profound impact on a child's brain development, lifelong health, and eating habits.

This is why The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Women Infants and Children’s Program and now for the first time ever, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend introducing solid foods, like beef, to infants and toddlers to make every bite count during this critical time of rapid growth and development.

Beef is a wonderful first complementary food for many reasons, one being it's a source of many essential nutrients that babies need to grow optimally, such as high quality protein, iron, zinc, and choline.

Here's a great resource for learning more about beef as a complementary food for babies as well as baby-friendly recipes for the whole family.

And now, let me introduce you to these baby meatballs!

As a fellow busy, tired parent, here's my gift to you ;). They're super EASY to make with just 5 ingredients, nutritious, and safe for babies!  Made with ground beef, butternut squash, and peanut butter, it’s a simple way to again, make every bite count! I can't emphasize this enough.

Ingredients

Ground beef - this is such a convenient and versatile ingredient! Most definitely a freezer staple for us. Nutrients in beef, like iron and zinc, are critical for optimal development as babies grow.

Butternut squash - In addition to it being a good source of vitamins A, C (helps enhance the absorption of iron), and fiber, it provides moisture to these meatballs.

It also helps hold them together without the use of eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, tofu (commonly used in Asian cooking), etc. You can substitute with pumpkin or sweet potato. 

How to cook butternut squash perfectly!

Peanut butter - I know this may sound really strange. But give it a try! I like coming up with unique ways to incorporate this ingredient as research shows that introducing peanuts to your baby early and often can help prevent them from developing a peanut allergy later on.

It also imparts a nutty flavor and creamy texture. If you don’t want these elements, then you can substitute with 1 egg, another top allergen that you want to introduce early.

If there's a peanut allergy or daycare/school has a nut-free policy, swap with seed butter (e.g. sunflower, pumpkin) or tahini.

Related: Peanuts and nuts for babies

Step-by-step Instructions

Mash cooked butternut squash with a fork. I like to roast this incredibly flavorful and versatile vegetable in advance so it's one less thing to do on the day of.

You can also purchase frozen squash for a quick prep option.

Combine mashed butternut squash with smooth peanut butter.

In a large bowl, combine the mixture with ground beef. Mix using your hands (taking care not to overwork the meat!) and shape into 1 ½ inch sized balls.

Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or mat for easy clean up. In a small oven-safe dish, add some water and place in the pan alongside the meatballs. This helps create steam resulting in tender meatballs.

Bake!

How to serve to babies

For babies 6-8 months, you can serve these baby meatballs whole or halved so they can grab easily using their palmer grasp. Once they start developing the pincer grasp (around 8-9 months and will continue to get refined), you can start cutting into bite-sized pieces.

P.S this plate is AMAZING! It's so spacious, allowing plenty of room for small hands to explore, and the suction is so powerful! My baby has not once been able to remove from the table.

Serving Suggestions

For a well-balanced meal, serve them alongside vegetables, fruit, avocado, pasta, yogurt, toast, oatmeal....all easy, nutritious accompaniments.

If you've been spoon-feeding purees and are feeling anxious about transitioning to more textured foods (acknowledge that and go at your comfort level), I suggest serving the meatballs alongside thicker purees or mashes as pictured here. You can also mash the meatball and mix it into purees/mashes.

Try preloading the spoon (we absolutely LOVE these!) and hand it to your baby or place on the table/plate. I know it can feel scary and overwhelming but I highly encourage you to start giving your baby opportunities to self-feed.

Storage Suggestions

• Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
• Freeze for up to 3 months. I personally flash freeze all my baked goods.

To reheat, place in a skillet with a splash of liquid (e.g. water, broth, sauce, etc.). Cover and heat over medium-low heat until warm,  2-3 minutes or so. This is to ensure meatballs don't get dried out.

More ground beef recipes for babies

• Veggie-loaded meat sauce
• Korean beef and broccoli quinoa
• Hamburger helper
• Baked beef and quinoa meatballs