Pumpkin dishes for children's menu

How long does it take to cook pumpkin?

First of all, it should be noted that the time to cook pumpkin in any way depends on the amount of product and the size of the pieces. Think about what will cook faster:

100 g chopped pumpkin;

3 kg pumpkin, cut into 5-6 cm pieces.

Of course, less time will be needed to cook the first option. Cooking the pumpkin should continue until the pieces become soft - this is a sign that they are completely cooked. Therefore, to the question “How long to cook the pumpkin until tender?” there is no clear answer.

Creamy pumpkin soup

from 2 years

Source: instagram @recepti_detyam

Ingredients:

Pumpkin 100 g.
Milk 350 g.
Semolina 1 tbsp. l.
Butter 10 g.
Water 100 g.

Preparation:

Peel the pumpkin, cut into small pieces and simmer with water over low heat until tender, then grind through a fine sieve along with the liquid.
Bring the milk to a boil, add the semolina in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Add the prepared semolina to the pumpkin puree, stir, serve with butter.

Benefits of pumpkin for children

Pumpkin is a safe and healthy product for children. Pediatricians agree that this is one of the best products for first complementary foods. In the autumn-winter season, when due to a shortage of seasonal products in the diet the amount of vitamins is reduced, pumpkin comes to the rescue. What is included in this valuable culture:

vitamin A;
ascorbic acid;
vitamin E;
B vitamins;
vitamin PP;
magnesium;
iron;
calcium;
phosphorus;
alimentary fiber;
cellulose;
fatty acids (in seeds);
amino acids;
flavonoids.

Regular consumption of pumpkin improves appetite. This product stimulates the production of gastric juice and other enzymes. Pumpkin in the diet has a good effect on the digestion process, eliminates constipation and flatulence. Timely and correct introduction of pumpkin puree into the diet eliminates colic. The main property of any pumpkin dish for children and adults is strengthening the immune system and preventing colds.

Pumpkin recipes for children

Our recipes will range from pumpkin dishes for the little ones to culinary recipes for older children. So, what to cook from pumpkin for a very young child.

Pumpkin puree

Pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods for babies based on pumpkin pulp after six months of life . As a rule, this is the most common puree, prepared in this way:

The ingredients required are 100 g of fresh pumpkin and a quarter glass of clean water.
The pumpkin is cleared of seeds, cut into small pieces and, covered with water, boiled in a small saucepan under a lid over low heat.
After 15-20 minutes, the boiled pumpkin pieces are rubbed through a sieve - this way, even large fibers will be crushed, and the puree will acquire a uniform consistency, which is especially important for babies accustomed to liquid food.
The taste of the puree will be improved by expressed breast milk or formula - it is important to mix the puree well and ensure its homogeneity: there should be no lumps or unpounded pieces!

Pumpkin soup with vegetables

A baby 8-9 months and older, already familiar with many tastes, will undoubtedly like puree soup, which is easy and quick to prepare, is easily digestible and is beneficial for a growing body:

Ingredients for one serving of puree soup: 50 g pumpkin, 30 g each of potatoes, carrots, broccoli and zucchini, a quarter glass of clean water and a little refined vegetable oil.
Peeled vegetables are cut into small pieces and boiled in water in a small saucepan until soft. You don’t have to drain the water at the end of the stewing: if necessary, you can dilute the finished puree soup with this broth.
There is no need to grind the vegetables through a sieve, as in the previous recipe: the child has already grown up and he is not afraid of small pieces in the finished dish. Place the boiled vegetables in a blender.
Oil and, if necessary, the broth remaining after the vegetables are added to the chopped vegetables.

Bon appetit, kids!

Pumpkin soup

Millet porridge with pumpkin

Children's pumpkin dishes recommended for feeding children over one and a half to two years old are perfectly complemented by this porridge. the classic recipe for millet porridge with pumpkin - such a dish cannot be given to a baby, but older children will like its sweet taste and nutritional value. Porridge for several servings (for the whole family!) is prepared in this way:

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. millet, 400 g of peeled and cut into pieces pumpkin, 700 g of milk and water, salt and sugar to taste. For serving – butter.
The pumpkin is stewed for 20 minutes in a small saucepan with a lid over low heat in a small amount of water. When ready, the pieces are kneaded, but there is no requirement for homogeneity of the mass.
The heated milk and the remaining water are poured into the saucepan with the pumpkin and the millet grains, thoroughly washed in several waters, are poured out.
After boiling, the porridge is cooked over low heat under the lid for 25-30 minutes, shortly before the end of cooking, salt and sugar are added to taste.
Millet porridge is good steamed, so if time allows, let it stand under a towel for 10-15 minutes.

When serving, it is recommended to add a piece of butter: the porridge will become softer and tastier!

Pumpkin pancakes

From 3.5 years

Source: instagram @maxayx

Ingredients:

Pumpkin 200 g
Cottage cheese 50 g
Oatmeal 5 tbsp. l.
Raisin
Egg 1 pc.
Soda ¼ tsp
A pinch of salt
sugar 0.5 tbsp. spoons

Preparation:

Pour hot water over the raisins and let stand for 20 minutes.
Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and bake in the oven until done. About 30 minutes. Puree the cooled pumpkin using a blender.
Grind oatmeal in a coffee grinder.
Mix cottage cheese, egg, soda and salt. Grind well.
Add pumpkin puree, oatmeal, raisins and sugar to the curd mass, mix.
Fry in a heated frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Puree soup with vegetables

An eight-month-old baby can be offered real vegetable soup, pureed to a puree. The pumpkin will be accompanied by potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli. If you don’t have a vegetable, it doesn’t matter, you can do without it.

Ingredients:

• fifty grams of fresh pumpkin;

• thirty grams of potatoes, carrots, zucchini and broccoli;

• a quarter glass of water;

• half a teaspoon of vegetable oil.

Cooking method:

Wash the vegetables thoroughly and peel them.

Cut the vegetables into small cubes and place in a saucepan;

Pour in water and simmer over low heat until completely softened.

When all the vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork, stop stewing.

Do not pour out the remaining water; it is needed for a liquid consistency.

If the water has all boiled away, you will have to add a few tablespoons of boiling water.

Place the vegetables in a blender, add a drop of vegetable oil and blend everything.

What and how can pumpkin harm you?

All children love this sweet, tasty, aromatic vegetable, but it should not be abused. Pumpkin contains the same amount of carotene as carrots. Excess carotene leads to allergic reactions. It is also dangerous for diabetics because it is rich in carbohydrates and sugars. The red fat one is also excluded from the diet of people suffering from stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Children are not recommended to eat sweet treats raw. It is not known how it was grown, so there is a risk that the vegetable contains chemicals that are harmful to the baby’s body. Give pumpkin to your child 2-3 times a week, no more.

An excess portion will “delight” you with the yellow color of your baby’s skin. Frightened, you imagine that the baby has contracted hepatitis and will experience serious anxiety before you find out about the culprit.

How to choose and preserve a pumpkin

Not all types of pumpkin are equally good for preparing culinary masterpieces. For example, it is better not to buy large-fruited fodder pumpkin at all. This species has poor taste. For culinary purposes, it is better to choose certain varieties of pumpkin, which are described below.

Butternut squash is oblong, orange with a bluish tinge. Contains few light-colored seeds. The pulp is sweet, with a spicy nutmeg aroma and flavor.
Honey pumpkin is round, juicy orange in color. The pulp is sweet, boils well and quickly.
Winter sweet squash – covered with greenish-olive skin. Inside there is juicy, dense pulp. It takes a long time to boil, but is great for casseroles. The longer it is stored, the sweeter it becomes.
Titan is a large-fruited bright orange table pumpkin. Sweet, boils well. There are a lot of large seeds inside.
Miracle is one of the varieties of nutmeg pumpkin, gray-orange in color and heart-shaped.

There are many other varieties, among which the most popular are those described below. If you grow pumpkin yourself, there will definitely not be a problem with choosing. But, if you have to buy this product, listen to the following tips.

Don't buy sliced pumpkin. It is unknown how long it is stored, and oxidation processes occur very quickly.
Choose ripe fruits with a dried tail.
Do not buy a pumpkin if it is damaged in any way. Such fruit may be rotten.
A good pumpkin smells, even when uncut. Rub your skin and you will feel the aroma. If there is no aroma, it may be a forage pumpkin hybrid.
Don't buy a pumpkin without a tail. In this case, it is impossible to determine whether the fruit is ripe.
The pumpkin skin should be dense, without stains or damage.
Do not buy pumpkin with woody skin - it is not sweet and cooks very poorly. This option is not suitable for a children's diet.

Don't be afraid to buy a big pumpkin. Immediately cut it into portions and wrap them with cling film. You can store the pieces in vacuum bags. You will quickly use the purchased product with our recipes!

Baked pumpkin

This is perhaps the simplest recipe that even a child can handle. • Place the pumpkin pulp cut into large squares on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake in the oven until the pumpkin is soft. • Then sprinkle with cinnamon and pour over liquid floral honey. A healthy dessert is ready. By the way, pumpkin tastes great with blue cheeses. If you sprinkle dorblu cheese on the pumpkin instead of honey, you will get a savory, but no less tasty dish - though, more likely for an adult menu.

Is it possible to give raw pumpkin?

The red fruit has a large list of useful substances. Raw pumpkin, in contrast to the finished dish, differs in the composition of vitamins and minerals. This is due to the fact that when exposed to temperatures, beneficial substances evaporate.

You should not give the raw ingredient to your child. Fibers stimulate indigestion: pumpkin weakens, severe pain, bloating, increased flatulence, and profuse vomiting are detected.

You should not experiment and give food that is difficult to chew when raw. Without heat treatment, the fruit is allowed for children reaching 3 years of age.

Pumpkin pancakes

If you like zucchini or potato pancakes, why not add pumpkin to them? • Grate first the zucchini, then the pumpkin, add salt and mix, and then carefully squeeze out the excess juice. • Depending on the amount of the resulting mass, add 1 or 2 chicken eggs, a little flour, stir and fry in a frying pan like regular pancakes. • Serve with sour cream.

Pumpkin chips

• Cut the pumpkin, peeled from the hard skin, into thin slices, brush with olive oil, salt, sprinkle with sesame seeds and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. • Bake at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes. • Be careful not to burn the pumpkin as baking time may vary depending on the type of pumpkin and the thickness of the slices. • You will get an unusual snack that can replace store-bought potato chips, cookies and other foods that are not the healthiest for your child.

Pumpkin semolina muffins

An excellent version of a pumpkin dish for children is a delicious sweet casserole, decorated in the form of muffins. It will appeal to children of any age and parents. You can prepare this casserole for your family and for little guests with a sweet tooth. It will turn out both tasty and healthy.

Ingredients:

• four hundred grams of fresh pumpkin;

• eighty grams of semolina;

• one chicken egg;

• three teaspoons of powdered sugar;

• a tablespoon of finely chopped steamed dried apricots or seedless raisins.

Cooking method:

Prepare pumpkin puree according to the first recipe. Instead of rubbing the boiled vegetable through a sieve, you can puree it with a blender.

Press powdered sugar and egg into pumpkin puree and mix thoroughly.

Add semolina in small portions and stir immediately. It is very important that no lumps form.

Pour dried apricots or raisins (or both ingredients, taking half the amount of each) into a homogeneous mass.

Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees.

Place the mixture into muffin tins greased with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Depending on the size of the tins, the muffins may cook faster or longer.

Recipe for pumpkin puree with meat

Give vegetable puree with minced meat to your child at an older age, when he has already tried meat and meat broths - by 2.5-3 years. You can grind any meat yourself into minced meat. Pork, beef, veal, chicken, turkey, goat or duck are suitable. If desired, you can use several types of meat. In this matter, be guided solely by the preferences of the baby.

What products are needed:

minced meat – 100 g;
pumpkin – 200 g;
onions – 40-50 g;
carrots – 50 g;
salt - to taste;
oil (vegetable or butter) – 2-3 tbsp. l.

How to cook:

Carry out initial processing of vegetables - peel them and rinse under running water. Then cut into smaller pieces. Place in a saucepan and add water until the food is slightly covered with liquid. Send it to the fire.
When it boils, skim off the foam and add the minced meat to the pan. After boiling again, remove the foam again. Cook the dish at a low simmer with the lid almost closed.
The food has become soft - it’s time to take to the masher or blender. Make the mass fluffy and homogeneous. Add oil and salt, stir well.
Serve the dish warm, but not hot. You can prepare puree not only on the stove, but also in the oven or slow cooker.

To add variety to this recipe, use any vegetables in addition to the pumpkin. Suitable:
root or stem celery;
Bell pepper;
garlic;
turnip;
potato;
cabbage;
tomatoes or something else.

A simple pumpkin dish - quick and tasty

When creating a menu for a child under 3 years old, it is very important to try new foods in small portions. For example, if you made pumpkin puree for the first time and want to introduce it into your baby’s diet, give him 1 teaspoon of the food to try.

Then observe the baby for 6-10 hours. If there are no negative consequences (nausea, rash, constipation or diarrhea), feel free to include the product in your diet. And simple pumpkin recipes will help you, because healthy food contains a lot of nutrients that are useful and important for a child’s growth.

Ingredients:

pumpkin – 300 g;
zucchini – 50 g;
milk (or mixture) – 2-3 tbsp. l.;
sugar - to taste;
salt - to taste.

Preparation:

Peel the pumpkin and zucchini and rinse under running water. Finely chop and place in a saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover the pieces. Place on high heat.
After boiling, remove the foam and cook the pumpkin for about 25 minutes over low heat. It is recommended to keep the lid closed. This way the dish will retain the maximum amount of useful and nutritious ingredients.
After a while, add milk, salt and sugar to the pan. Bring to a boil and puree. To do this, you can use a blender (immersion) or a regular masher to create a puree.
Heat the mixture again and the puree is ready - this is how to quickly prepare pumpkin puree. The recipes are so simple and don't require any culinary experience.

How long does it take to cook pumpkin for a child? 20-30 minutes is enough for the vegetable to be completely ready for consumption.

pumpkin juice

It is recommended to give the juice as complementary food to the child along with the crushed mass. Initially, it is administered in 2-3 drops, increasing as necessary.

The juice is prepared from the raw product. The pumpkin is cut into small pieces, pre-washed. The ingredient passed through the juicer is diluted with boiled warm water at the outlet in a 1:1 ratio.

It is recommended to give juice to your baby no more than 2 times every 7 days. It is important that the product is prepared immediately before use. You can’t let the finished liquid sit, it loses not only its color, but also its beneficial qualities.

Candied pumpkin

• Cut the pumpkin into small pieces, place in a layer in a large saucepan and sprinkle generously with sugar, and top with sliced lemon. • Then layer pumpkin-sugar-lemon again and again until there is no more room in the pan. • Place the pan over medium heat, bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes and let cool for 3-4 hours. • Repeat the procedure one or two more times. The main thing is that the pumpkin is soaked in syrup, but at the same time the pieces retain their shape and do not turn into puree. • When the pumpkin has cooled for the last time, drain the syrup and place the candied fruit in the oven to dry. This will require about 4 hours at a temperature of 100 degrees. • When the candied fruits have hardened, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. • Store candied fruits in a closed jar.

Olga Vykhodchenko Journalist

Dishes for children made from pumpkin (what to cook from pumpkin)

These pumpkin dishes can be prepared for older children. We are sure that pumpkin prepared according to these recipes will also appeal to adults.

Pumpkin stew with apple and banana

Ingredients:

Pumpkin – 500 gr.
banana – 1 pc.
sweet apple – 2 pcs. medium size
sugar – 2 tbsp. spoons
vanilla sugar - a pinch
water – ½ cup

How to cook stewed pumpkin with apples:

Wash the pumpkin pieces.
Peel the banana and cut into 1 cm thick slices.
Peel the apple and cut into pieces.
Place ingredients in a saucepan.
Add a little water and simmer for 20-15 minutes. To make the dish caramel-sweet, you can add a little sugar.

Read also: 5 warming autumn soups for children

Ingredients:

bacon – 4 slices
potatoes – 4 pcs.
pumpkin – 200 g
chicken – ½
carrots – 1 pc.
olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.
onion – 1 pc.
caraway
salt
pepper
italian herbs
Bay leaf.

How to make pumpkin soup:

Cook chicken broth, adding peppercorns, bay leaves, carrots.
Cut the pumpkin and potatoes into cubes, add Italian herbs, cumin, olive oil, ground pepper and cook in a small amount of salted water until tender.
Fry bacon and onions.
Cut the meat from the broth into pieces, grind the pumpkin, potatoes and carrots in a blender, diluting with broth.
Pour the puree soup into bowls, add meat and bacon. You can sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Ingredients:

millet cereal – 1/2 cup
pumpkin, peeled and seeds – 100 g
milk – 100 ml
water – 250 ml
dried apricots – 100 g
honey
butter

We suggest you read How to prepare a salad with pancakes

How to cook millet porridge with pumpkin:

Rinse the dried apricots and place them on the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle millet on top and place diced pumpkin, add water.
Cook covered over low heat until the water has completely boiled away.
Add butter, honey. Let it brew for 15-20 minutes.

Read also: Autumn diet for a child: 20 essential products

Pumpkin steaks

Ingredients:

6 pieces of pumpkin 1.5 cm thick
flour – 100 g
ground paprika chili powder
salt
vegetable oil.

For the sauce: processed cheese – 200 g, cream 20% fat – 100 ml, green onion – 1 bunch, garlic – 1 clove, salt.

How to cook pumpkin steaks:

Mix flour and spices in one bowl.
Place pumpkin pieces there.
Stir and leave for 10 minutes. To prepare the sauce, melt the cheese in a saucepan, pour in the cream and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Add chopped onion, garlic, salt to taste.
Remove from heat and leave in a warm place.
Fry the pumpkin steaks in vegetable oil for 2 minutes on each side. Serve with sauce.

Read also: Recipe. Organic Honey Pumpkin

Ingredients:

pumpkin – 300 g
starch - 3 tbsp. l
zest of 1 lemon
cinnamon – 2 sticks
sugar – 100 g
rhubarb – 300 g.

How to make pumpkin jelly:

Peel and coarsely chop the pumpkin, cut the rhubarb stems into thin pieces, and zest the lemon. Pour 5 cups of water into a saucepan, add sugar, cinnamon sticks, and lemon zest. Boil for 5-6 minutes.
Place the chopped rhubarb in the syrup, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and cook for 7 minutes.
Pour the starch into a bowl, pour 125 ml of cold water over it and stir thoroughly.
Place the finished pumpkin and rhubarb in a blender bowl, pour in a small amount of syrup and grind.
Then rub through a sieve, return to the pan, and bring to a boil. Pour in the diluted starch in a thin stream, stir thoroughly and cook until thickened.
Serve the jelly when it has cooled.

Pumpkin makes great dessert dishes. Other fruits will help diversify the flavors. Offers delicious and healthy recipes for sweet pumpkin dishes.

pumpkin – 350-400 g
egg (yolk) – 1 pc.
honey (maple syrup, jam or marmalade)
flour - 2 tbsp.
corn starch – 1 tbsp.
vanilla sugar – 1 tsp.
salt
butter for lubrication
powdered sugar – 2 tsp.

How to cook:

Cut the pumpkin pulp into large pieces.
Place pumpkin pieces in a steamer and cook until soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
Place in a blender and puree until smooth.
Mix flour with starch, add 1.5 tbsp. l. cold water, beat with a fork.
Add salt, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, yolk and a mixture of flour and starch to the blender bowl with pumpkin puree.
Beat until smooth.
Pour the resulting mass into a pre-greased steamer bowl and cook for 7–10 minutes.
Cool the pumpkin mixture and cut into diamonds or triangles.
Glue them together two at a time, brush them with honey, syrup or jam and serve.

Pumpkin cupcake

Ingredients:

flour – 1 cup
baking powder – 1 tsp.
vegetable oil – 6 tbsp. l.
hazelnuts – 100 g
sour cream – 6 tbsp. l.
sugar – 150 g
chicken egg – 2 pcs.
pumpkin – 200 g

How to make pumpkin cupcake:

Mix flour, baking powder and sugar separately, and then sour cream, vegetable oil and egg.
Combine the sour cream mixture with the flour mixture.
Grind the nuts in a blender, grate the pumpkin on a coarse grater.
Add nuts and pumpkin to the dough. Grease the mold with oil and lay out the dough.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 25-30 minutes.

To prepare a pumpkin for a children's table, you need to thoroughly wash and cut it. Only the pulp is eaten, so the skin is cut off and the seeds are removed.

Pumpkin slices for soups and purees are boiled in a small amount of water or mixed with water and milk (depending on the age of the child). Then the boiled vegetable is kneaded with a masher or pureed with a blender. In some cases, the pumpkin will need to be chopped raw in order to prepare a main dish from minced vegetables.

Pumpkin dishes for children can be sweet or salted. Almost all other vegetables, many fruits, as well as cereals, meat, and dairy products go well with orange vegetables.

In order for children to like the consistency of the dishes, it is necessary to rub the vegetable through a sieve for the first complementary foods. A blender will not work in this case, as the consistency will be coarse and fibrous.

The piece of raw vegetable left over after preparing some pumpkin dish for children should be stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. If you wrap pumpkin slices in foil, the storage process increases to a week. As a last resort, you can simply freeze the pumpkin.

Semolina casserole can be prepared in a regular form, monitoring the cooking time (from 20 to 40 minutes). If you have a multicooker in your kitchen, you can cook the casserole in it. Place the mixture in a bowl and turn on the appropriate mode for 20-30 minutes (depending on the power of the device).

You can serve pumpkin casserole with a milkshake or ice cream. Decorate the manna pieces with powdered sugar.

To make pumpkin cookies even more beautiful, you can brush them with beaten egg yolk before baking.

Due to its low calorie content, rich in vitamins and minerals, high fiber and pectin content, pumpkin is essential for babies. It will not only help cope with constipation, which often plagues children, but will also calm hyperactive toddlers. Your child will certainly love the sweetish taste of the orange dessert. And mom will be pleased with simple recipes for preparing pumpkin dishes that will help diversify the baby’s diet.