10 Best Baby Food Cookbooks in 2022 (Stephanie Middleberg, Annabel Karmel, and More)

From purées and finger foods to recipes that the whole family will love, this book has it all. It will get your little and not so little ones excited about eating healthy. With over 230 recipes, this book is meant to stay and become a kitchen staple. 

You get 115 purée recipes, over 40 for smoothie and finger foods, and the rest are recipes meant to be enjoyed as a whole family. 

Reviewers noted that there was a lot of repetition of recipes in the book that only differed in one or two ingredients. They noted that those could have been compiled better to make more space for other recipes.

On the other hand, the book is perfect for beginners because it's filled with information and guidance you'll need to ensure a healthy meal for your baby. Reviewers loved the details such as the dietary information of the meal, pairing suggestions, prep approach, and more. 

This book is a must-have for any parent with a baby. Children's nutrition expert Annabel Karmel compiled the top 100 best, easy and healthy recipes to make a baby purée. 

They are so tasty, you might want to get a spoonful for yourself. Here, you will learn how to turn fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, and meat (yes, meat) into purées. Some reviewers felt that the cookbook is not so balanced when it came to the ingredients, and there was too much butter, fruit, or onions and it lacked vegetables. 

But the cookbook gave many parents the confidence to try new recipes on their own based on the insights because it did teach them the fundamentals of puréeing. The icons beside each recipe which show the recommended age, yield, prep time, and suitability for freezing pleased many.

This one's for parents who have children of all ages and have difficulty getting them to eat healthily and with gusto. Imagine recipes that could satiate the whole family, all in one book, with no more fussy infants and whiny grade-schoolers complaining about what's in front of them. 

You get recipes that are creamy, savory, sweet, crunchy - you name it. There's a recipe for every mood such as something tasty, something healthy, or something easy. Plus, mom or dad can have a break from being a short-order cook preparing meals catered to each palette. 

Reviewers noted that some of the recipes were dairy-heavy which would not work out for lactose-intolerant children. It did give them substitutes to certain ingredients, though. 

The inexpensive and easy to find ingredients made everyone in the family happy. Reviewers say many of the recipes are on the author's website, but they enjoy having them written down for easy access.

For over 15 years, the author of this book has been teaching parents how to get things right when it comes to feeding their babies because they only get one chance. 

There's an added "super" factor to the recipes within the book such as using nutritional yeast, tahini, whole grains, and legumes for a nutrition boost. The beauty of this cookbook is it makes science, parenting, and culinary arts easy and approachable.

Reviewers noted that the recipes were long and the book outdated; however, it does cover the fundamentals of baby nutrition. It might also be difficult at first to navigate due to the lack of order. 

The thoroughly-researched approach of the author and the opportunity to modify recipes delighted parents who wanted to give their kids something healthy using what they currently had in the fridge. They learned how to get the most out of natural, organic, and nutritionally-packed ingredients.

Who knew it was possible to skip mashed baby food and purées altogether and teach your infant how to feed themselves at an early age? This book is perfect for parents who just couldn't get their baby to try or enjoy purées. 

What's more is that there are a lot of photos within the book which give you an idea of what you're making. Although primarily recipes, it doesn't skip out on the safety guidelines and proper approach to this technique, either.

Reviewers commented that the book is not too friendly on giving substitutions for many allergens. On the other hand, the book allowed them room to change the ingredients of a recipe with no issues. There's even family meal planning included so you can set your menu tailored for the baby and everyone else. 

Reviewers noted that the book didn't waste time repeating the same thing again and again, nor did it shame you as a parent for the food choices you offer to the kids, making it a more worthwhile read.

This book is all about efficiency and geared towards busy parents who haven't had a full night's sleep in months! The book shows you how to get some me-time while juggling the baby 24/7 through intelligently-designed recipes for parents. 

You get meals that you can eat with one hand, recipes to try while the baby naps and even maximizing your current best friend: the slow cooker. 

This book is lacking in recipes for dietary restrictions, reviewers noted. It's also more gourmet-style with terms that might confuse some and ingredients that may be hard to find. On a positive note, it has tips on how to manage your pantry and organize your routine to make things more streamlined! 

There's no condescending tone in the book, which parents also loved. Best of all, each recipe or meal for you has ways to adapt it for your baby while retaining all nutritional value. It makes a great gift for other parents, too!

You've probably heard that you can freeze baby food such as purées to be consumed in the future. However, without proper guidance, it's easy to botch things up, leading to a pre-prepared meal with minimal nutritional value. 

This book teaches you how to properly cook each ingredient so that you can lock in the nutrients and store them in the freezer for future consumption. It's now possible for busy parents to still have control and influence as to what their baby eats. 

It takes time to go through this book and it definitely doesn't spoon-feed the reader, said reviewers. Busy parents might find it too lengthy. They noted that it was more of a toolkit with all the details needed for food prep and storing.

By the end of the book, parents knew which ingredients complemented each other, which ones should be purchased organic, fresh or even frozen, and how to prepare them. They acquired the essential building blocks to venture off into other awesome recipes.

This book can easily become your best friend and sidekick in the kitchen as you prepare the family's meals. It's broken down into stages and has a specific order, making it easy to follow. 

It will introduce certain ingredients such as grains at the right time and guide you in transitioning to chunkier and age-appropriate meals. It will be close to impossible to go back to processed foods after this. Be prepared to develop a robust palette on your little one. 

Some reviewers mentioned that this book was too basic, especially for those with experience in homemade baby food. If you're a first-time parent or want to try making some purées or a baby-version of mac and cheese, then this cookbook is for you. 

The nice quality photos, easy to follow recipes, a wide variety of recipes, and detailed explanations of each stage or concept were greatly appreciated by many.

This book could be considered a controversial baby food cookbook because it tackles ingredients such as bone broth, raw milk, and eggs, which are rare in the baby food world. However, there's clear evidence and scientific backing to the nutritional density of such foods. 

It also puts a big emphasis on the importance of calcium, iron, and healthy fats for the baby. Because of the uncommon approach, the author advises talking to your pediatrician before introducing some ingredients.

One key note reviewers had on the book was that it is heavily reliant on animal products, unlike the typical focus on fruits and vegetables.

Some readers said some of the views in the book were too extreme for them, but they were still glad for the different perspectives. And they loved the clear, down-to-earth approach of the book.

This cookbook is for the parent who wants to raise a gourmand at a very early age. It shows you how to transform boring ingredients into culinary masterpieces oozing with flavor for your little one. 

You get over 100 recipes such as Apple and Mint Ricotta Purée and Sausage over Creamy Polenta. Just the name is enough to get even adults salivating. The book warns parents that your child's first words might be "More, please."

According to reviewers, some of the recipes were a hit and miss, where they were left with a mess instead of a masterpiece. There were items in the ingredient list that were missing in the procedure. They advise taking the instructions with a grain of salt. 

Fortunately, the meals were scrumptious, making the pickiest eaters asking for seconds. The impressive recipes and use of spices and seasonings pleased parents who adore added kick in their meals.