Yogurt melts are an amazing baby-led weaning food, and a great snack for babies and toddlers. Luckily, yogurt melts are very easy to make at home, and homemade yogurt melts are much healthier, fresher tasting, and more budget-friendly than store-bought freeze-dried yogurt melts.
Healthy yogurt melts
This yogurt melts recipe has no preservatives, no added sugar, no colors or dyes. Just Greek yogurt, banana, and any other fruit or berry of your choice, such as blueberries, strawberries, mango, raspberries, or pineapple.
Greek yogurt has probiotics which are good for baby's digestion, and contains lots of protein, which is great if you have a picky eater who doesn't eat meat. Fresh fruit has vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.
For a dairy-free yogurt melt, use Greek-style coconut yogurt or almond milk yogurt. If you can't find thicker Greek-style plant-based yogurt, you can drain some in a colander lined with paper towels to thicken it.
Simply blend the yogurt, banana, and fruit together, pipe onto parchment paper, and freeze. 5 minutes of your time, and several portions of snacks for your kiddo.
As always, speak with a pediatrician about when it's appropriate to introduce yogurt to your child, and discuss any allergy concerns before introducing new fruits or foods.
Strawberry yogurt melts
First foods for babies
In the Table Foods School Workshop we took, we learned that the best first foods for babies are ones that melt on their own even if a baby doesn't know how to chew yet. An example of such foods are puffs and yogurt melts (NOT Cheerios! Those require chewing).
Store-bought yogurt melts are expensive (several bucks for a handful of tiny snacks?!) and have a chalky texture because they are freeze-dried.
This recipe is MUCH more budget-friendly and has a much nicer texture - who doesn't love little frozen yogurt melts?! They're like dippin' dots ice cream, but healthier, and perfect for little fingers to pick up with their hands.
And speaking of picking up foods with fingers... these yogurt melts are a great sensory activity for kids as they pick up cold yogurt melts.
Related recipe: High Calorie Baby Food
Introducing flavors to your baby
These yogurt melts can be made with almost any fruit or berry you like - mango, pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, or you can use a combination of fruits for different flavors. Heck, you can even blend in a few spinach leaves in there to serve green dipping dots so your kids can get used to the idea of eating green foods.
These yogurt melts are a great way to introduce your kids to new flavors and different color foods while still serving up a familiar shape that your kids like. This is a great technique recommended in feeding therapy for picky eating, and can be used as part of food chaining to introduce your kids to new foods.
The fact that these yogurt melts come out all slightly different shapes is also a GOOD THING! This is because many babies and toddlers end up preferring packages snacks due to their uniform texture - they never have to be surprised by the shape, texture, or flavor of a packaged snack. So introducing them to slightly different shaped foods that they love, such as homemade yogurt melts, is important to teach babies and picky toddlers that different food is okay to eat!
Blueberry yogurt melts
Related recipe: Baby Food with Spinach
Ready to make yogurt melts?
Ingredients
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt (use full-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt, depending on your baby's nutritional needs and your pediatrician's recommendation)
- ½ Banana
- ½ cup favorite fruit or berry, such as blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, raspberries, or pineapple (feel free to use frozen berries or frozen mango pulp)
You'll also need:
- A blender
- A baking sheet that fits in your freezer, or you can use a large cutting board, a large plate, or several smaller baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Ziplock bag
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Step 2: Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Step 3: Transfer mixture to a ziploc bag, or whatever you prefer to pipe with. If mixture is runny, place in freezer for 15 minutes (set a timer and don't forget about it!).
Step 4: Cut a very small tip off and pipe dots onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Or spread mixture onto parchment paper if you prefer not to pipe
Step 5: Freeze until set, about two hours. Remove dots from parchment paper. Or, remove mixture from parchment paper and break into desired size. Transfer to freezer safe bag or container.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Yogurt Melts
Homemade yogurt melts take just 5 minutes of prep time and are much healthier and more pleasant to eat than store-bought yogurt melts, not to mention a much cheaper option!
Ingredients
- ½ cup fat-free greek yogurt
- ½ banana
- ½ cup blueberries
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a ziploc bag, or whatever you prefer to pipe with. If mixture is runny, place in freezer for 15 minutes (set a timer and don't forget about it!).
- Cut a very small tip off and pipe dots onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Or spread mixture onto parchment paper if you prefer not to pipe
- Freeze until set, about two hours. Remove dots from parchment paper. Or, remove mixture from parchment paper and break into desired size. Transfer to freezer safe bag or container.
Notes
- Make sure your baking sheet fits in your freezer, or you can use a large cutting board, a large plate, or several smaller baking sheets.
- Use frozen fruit or a frozen ½ banana for a thicker yogurt melt mixture that's easier to control while piping. But it's OK if the yogurt melts are not perfect circles!
- The nutrition facts will vary depending on what fruit you use, and what type of Greek yogurt you use.
- For dairy-free yogurt melts for babies who can't have dairy, use Greek-style coconut yogurt or almond yogurt. If you can't find thick Greek-style plant yogurt, get plant yogurt and strain it in a colander lined with a paper towel to thicken it.
- As always, speak with a pediatrician about when it's appropriate to introduce yogurt to your child, and discuss any allergy concerns before introducing new fruits or foods.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 47Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g
The nutritional information provided is just an estimate and will vary based on the actual ingredients you use. If you are tracking nutrition for yourself or your child, check with a nutritionist, dietitian, or pediatrician about whether this recipe is right for you or your child.