As I started weaning from breastfeeding, I was on the hunt for a homemade baby formula recipe that would still give my little guy all the nourishment he needed. I found the perfect recipe and have made a few tweaks to better suit his needs. He’s now older and eating all sorts of solid foods, but I still whip up this homemade formula a few times a week to give him a bottle before naps and bedtime.
The recipe that I use comes from a book called Nourishing Traditions. This book has two different homemade baby formula recipes: one is milk-based, and the other is broth-based. My baby doesn’t do well with dairy, so I’m using the broth-based recipe.
These are the ingredients as listed in the book.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup homemade liquid whey
- 2 ounces organic liver
- 3 3/4 cups homemade beef or chicken broth
- 5 tablespoons lactose
- 1 teaspoon unrefined sunflower oil
- 1/4 teaspoon acerola powder
- 1 teaspoon bifodobacterium infantis
- 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin or 1 teaspoon regular cod liver oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Tweaks I Made to This Homemade Baby Formula Recipe
This recipe is great, but as I mentioned earlier, I’ve made a few tweaks to suit my baby’s needs.
Since my little one doesn’t handle dairy well, I skip the lactose. And instead of the acerola powder, I use an organic Vitamin C powder made from fruits and berries.
The recipe also calls for beef or chicken bone broth, but today I’m using turkey bone broth from our Thanksgiving turkey! As long as it’s a high-quality homemade broth, you’re good to go. Want to know how to make bone broth? Click here for my easy-to-follow instructions and to learn some benefits of bone broth.
You can easily adjust this recipe to fit your baby’s needs, but one thing you definitely don’t want to skip is the coconut oil—it’s this recipe’s only source of those important antimicrobial saturated fatty acids!
Step One: Livers and Bone Broth
Livers are a total SUPERFOOD! They’re packed with nutrients and amazing for both you and your baby. The only downside? You can’t always find them in regular grocery stores. Since they’re a key ingredient in this homemade baby formula recipe, you might need to do a little hunting. I recommend checking out local farms, and Facebook Marketplace is even a great spot to find locally sourced livers, meat, and raw dairy close to home.
Once I pulled some chicken livers from the freezer, I thawed them super fast on my defrosting tray and then measured out 2 ounces on my food scale.
Next up, I’m gently simmering the chicken livers in the bone broth until they’re cooked through. Then I’ll turn off the heat and let everything cool down.
Step Two: Blending It All Together
Take the rest of the ingredients from this homemade baby formula recipe and add them to the blender and mix well.
Then add the cooled bone broth and liver to the blender and puree the mixture completely.
That’s it! This homemade baby formula recipe makes 36 ounces. You can store it in the fridge for a few days—just be sure to use a glass or stainless steel container. The formula will separate in the fridge (just like bone broth does), so give it a good mix and warm it up before serving it to your little one.
My little guy loves this homemade baby formula recipe, and I love knowing that I’m giving him something so nourishing. If you like to follow along with videos, I have the full tutorial in a YouTube video linked here.
Want more recipes to nourish your family? Don’t miss my recipe for healthy ice cream (yes, you read that right!) or my super tasty honey whole wheat bread.
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