Essential Kitchen Tools: Cooking for Babies and Toddlers

Essential kitchen tools…what are yours?  I have many go-to tools that I use regularly in my kitchen…tools for prep work, tools to use while cooking, tools for baking, and these… Essential Kitchen Tools for Cooking for Babies and Toddlers.

As I’ve always loved to cook, I couldn’t wait until Miss Em was 6 months old so I could start making her food.  I started slow with simple puréed vegetables and fruits, working my way through all of the recommended foods that babies should try.  I thought about purchasing an all-in-one baby food maker, but when it came down to it, I realized I already had a lot of the tools I needed to make her food and snacks.  And those tools could be used for other things besides just making baby food.  With a few additional purchases to help me efficiently freeze, store and serve what I made, I was in business.  Here are my Essential Kitchen Tools for Cooking for Babies and Toddlers…

Disclaimer: Please note that the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I use all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are products I love! Please let me know if you have questions about any information you see here.

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Cuisinart DLC-4CHB Mini-Prep Plus 4-Cup Food Processor

I toggled back and forth between trying “baby-led weaning” or going the traditional puréed baby food route.  I settled on a combination of the two, giving Em both purée and at least one finger food with every meal starting at six months old.  For her puréed food, this Cuisinart Mini-Prep was a MUST.  I used it nearly every day to purée everything from peas to pears to beef stew. And since I was making such small amounts of food, the mini-prep size was perfect. I still find myself pulling out my mini-prep more often than my larger food processor for most jobs.  These days, as Em is now 2 ½ (how did that happen?!), I use my mini-prep to purée thawed frozen fruit to mix with plain yogurt (or to make Frozen Yogurt Drops), and to make snacks like homemade Larabars, pea pesto or hummus.

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BEABA Silicone Multiportions Container

Okay, we’ve puréed our baby food.  Now what?  I LOVE these reusable BEABA Silicone Multiportions Containers for freezing and storage.  When Em was a baby, I would spoon my puréed fruits and vegetables into these little cups to freeze individual two-ounce portions of homemade baby food.  When frozen, pop them out and store in a large freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer.  When baby is ready to eat, just thaw and serve! These storage containers hold the perfect size portions for little tummies AND release their contents very easily as they’re made of a flexible silicone.  Now that Em’s a toddler, I still use them regularly to freeze everything from homemade applesauce to leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce to tomato sauce for homemade pizza. These trays are essential, and not just for baby food…and they’re dishwasher safe (yes!).

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OXO Tot Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers (Green)

Let me just say that we have a dozen of these little guys floating around our cabinets.  We use them everyday….EVERY. DAY.  For babies, each container nicely holds one of those 2 ounce portions of baby food from the Beaba, so you can thaw, serve and store leftovers all in one container.  They can also go in the freezer if you wanted to portion out baby food in these as well. For toddlers, these are great containers for holding snacks or lunch items when you’re out and about.  They’re the perfect size for toddler hands to hold and the tops are pretty easy for little ones to open by themselves. I have at least 1 or 2 in my diaper bag every day packed with dried fruit, olives, nuts, or other snacks. Bonus: they’re also dishwasher safe!

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Wilton Recipe Right 24 Cup Mini Muffin Pan

We love muffins…and for little hands, we need little muffins.  They’re a great option for a quick toddler breakfast or snack.  With Em’s egg allergy, I like to keep several kinds of egg-free muffins in the freezer.  Make a batch of Carrot Cake Muffins or Sugar-Top Cinnamon Vanilla Muffins, let them cool, and pop them into a freezer-safe container or bag.  Just thaw a few in the microwave or on your counter and they’re ready to eat.  And of course, one mini muffin fits perfectly into an Oxo Tot Block for an on-the-go snack…see how it’s all connecting?!

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Skip Hop Grab and Go Double Bottle Bag

These next two products go hand-in-hand for safely storing your baby’s or toddler’s food when you’re on-the-go.  This adorable bottle bag is intended for storing baby bottles, and even comes with it’s own ice pack. But don’t put it away when your little one stops taking a bottle…use it for storing water bottles, snacks or food for meals-on-the-go for your toddler.  It’ll hold quite a bit, yet it’s small enough to toss in your bag, or clip onto your stroller.  For kiddos with food allergies, especially, it’s often necessary to bring food for meals with you, since it’s not always safe for them to eat in restaurants.  Any small cooler bag will do, but this one is cute to boot!

Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Slim Lunch Ice Packs

I always throw an extra ice pack or two in our cooler bag, just to be sure that everything stays nice and cold. I like these ones because they’re small enough to fit in a small cooler bag, and thin enough so there’s still room for the containers I’m packing.

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These are the products I’ve come to rely on for the last few years for feeding my little one as a baby, and now as a toddler.

What are your favorite products for feeding your little ones?

Disclaimer: As with all of our recipes, my suggestions for how kids can help with a particular recipe are based on what has worked in our kitchen.  Your child may be able to help more or less based on their age and/or ability. As always, make sure you are properly supervising kids in the kitchen.