When our baby first started showing interest in feeding herself, I assumed soft foods would be the easiest place to start. Surprisingly, the foods that seemed to build her confidence the fastest were light, crunchy snacks that dissolved easily and were simple for little hands to hold. These are the snacks we bought again and again, plus a few we’re planning to try next.
Before We Talk About Snacks…
I think it’s important to say this upfront because I know I would’ve needed to hear it.
These snacks weren’t meals in our house, and they certainly weren’t a replacement for fruits, vegetables, proteins, or other whole foods. We used them as a way to help our baby practice picking food up, bringing it to her mouth, and experiencing different textures without a lot of pressure.
For us, they filled the gap between smooth purées and more challenging finger foods. They made self-feeding feel fun, and once our baby became more confident with these kinds of textures, she seemed much more willing to experiment with other foods too.
Every baby is different, but these were the products that made the biggest difference for us.
1. Little Spoon Kale Apple Curls ★ Our Favorite
If I could only recommend one snack from this entire stage, it would be these.
I honestly didn’t expect them to become such a staple, but they quickly turned into the snack I reached for most often. They’re light, airy, and easy for babies to pick up, which made them feel much less intimidating than larger pieces of fruit or vegetables.
One thing I especially liked is that they gave our baby an opportunity to practice feeding herself without me worrying as much about whether she’d actually eat a full meal. Some days she ate several, and other days she mostly explored them with her hands, but both felt like progress.
Even now, they’re still something we keep stocked in the pantry.
What I love
- Easy to hold
- Light, dissolvable texture
- Great first crunchy snack
- Still a favorite as a toddler
Things to know
- They’re definitely a snack rather than a meal.
- They disappear quickly because they’re so light.
Little Spoon Kale Apple Meltable Baby Puffs
- Organic corn quinoa sorghum
- No added sugar
- No rice
- Meltable texture
Pros: Light, easy to hold, meltable - one of the first crunchy foods our baby consistently picked up. Cons: Small bags go fast when they're a fan. Best for: Babies making the leap from purées to finger foods.
2. Little Spoon Banana Rings
These became another regular purchase because they introduced a slightly different shape and flavor while still being easy for little hands to grab.
One thing I noticed during this stage is that variety seemed to keep our baby interested. Some days she’d ignore one snack but happily eat another, even though they were fairly similar. Having a few different options meant I wasn’t tempted to assume she’d suddenly stopped liking crunchy foods altogether.
What I love
- Easy to grab
- Mild flavor
- Great for practicing self-feeding
Little Spoon Banana Pitaya Meltable Baby Puffs
- Organic corn quinoa sorghum
- No added sugar
- No rice
- Meltable texture
Pros: Different shape and flavor from the kale curls, keeps baby interested in variety. Cons: Small bags. Best for: Adding variety to the self-feeding snack rotation.
3. Little Spoon Blueberry Carrot Wheels
These probably spent more time in our daycare bag than any other snack.
When our baby was younger, her teachers would break them into smaller pieces if needed, and as she became more confident, they were just as easy to serve whole. I loved that they offered another flavor and texture without requiring any preparation before we walked out the door in the morning.
Little Spoon Blueberry Carrot Meltable Baby Wheels
- Organic corn quinoa sorghum
- No added sugar
- Wheel shape easy to hold
- Meltable
Pros: Easy to break up if needed, great for daycare, no prep required. Cons: Small bags. Best for: On-the-go snacking and daycare lunches.
4. Once Upon a Farm Yogurt Melts
These somehow ended up everywhere.
There’s almost always a bag in the diaper bag, another in my purse, and at least one open container in the pantry.
They’re one of those snacks I buy because I know they’ll actually get eaten, and they’re perfect for errands, travel, or tossing into a daycare lunch when I need one more thing to round it out.
I don’t think we’ve ever regretted having extras on hand.
What I love
- No prep
- Easy to travel with
- Great for daycare
- One of our baby’s favorites
Once Upon a Farm Organic Coconut Melts
- Organic
- Dairy free
- 1oz portable bags
- No mess
Pros: Truly portable, no mess, easy to keep stashed everywhere. Cons: Goes quickly when they love them. Best for: On-the-go snacking and reliable daycare bag backup.
5. Happy Baby Organic Teethers
We also used Happy Baby Organics Teether Variety Pack quite a bit during this stage.
I know these have generated a lot of discussion online over the years, so I’d encourage every family to make the decision they’re most comfortable with. For us, they were a helpful transitional snack because they dissolved easily and were widely available whenever I needed to grab something quickly at the grocery store.
As our baby became more confident with eating, we naturally started relying on them less and introducing more whole foods instead.
Happy Baby Organics Teether Variety Pack
- Dissolves easily
- Organic
- 3 flavor variety pack
- Widely available
Pros: Dissolves safely, easy stepping stone from purées to crunchier textures, found at most grocery stores. Cons: More of an early stage snack you'll graduate from. Best for: The earliest stages of finger food practice.
The Snacks We Want to Try Next
One promise I want to make on Nesting Book is that I’ll always be clear about the difference between products we’ve actually used and products we’re interested in.
These are on our list to try, but I can’t recommend them yet because we haven’t personally tested them.
- Serenity Kids Puffs
- Amara Smoothie Melts
- Cerebelly Smart Bars (when age appropriate)
- Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels
I’ll update this article after we’ve had a chance to use them ourselves.
How We Actually Used These Snacks
Most days, these snacks weren’t served on their own. I’d pair one with foods I already knew our baby liked, whether that was yogurt, fruit, scrambled eggs, or leftovers from dinner the night before.
That combination worked well because there was always something familiar on the plate alongside something that encouraged a little more practice. It kept meals feeling balanced without putting pressure on either of us.
I also packed many of these in our daycare lunches because they traveled well, didn’t require refrigeration, and gave our baby another opportunity to practice self-feeding while she watched the other kids eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are crunchy snacks safe for babies?
As long as they’re age-appropriate, dissolve easily, and your baby is developmentally ready for them, they can be a great way to practice self-feeding. Always follow the manufacturer’s age recommendations and talk with your pediatrician if you’re unsure.
Do these replace meals?
No. We always used them as snacks or as part of a meal alongside other foods.
Which snack would you buy first?
Without hesitation: Little Spoon Kale Apple Meltable Baby Puffs . If we were starting over tomorrow, they’d be the first thing I’d add to our cart.
Looking Back…
When I first started shopping for baby snacks, I assumed I’d need a pantry full of options to figure out what our baby liked. The reality was much simpler. We found a handful of products that consistently worked for us, bought them on repeat, and focused our energy on introducing new whole foods instead of constantly chasing the newest snack.
That’s probably the biggest lesson I took away from this stage. The goal wasn’t to find the perfect snack—it was to find a few reliable ones that made practicing self-feeding easier. Once we had those, everything else felt a little less overwhelming.
Crunchy Snacks That Made Self-Feeding Click
Little Spoon Kale Apple Meltable Baby Puffs
Light airy easy to hold first crunchy snack
Little Spoon Banana Pitaya Meltable Baby Puffs
Different shape and flavor for variety
Little Spoon Blueberry Carrot Meltable Baby Wheels
Great for daycare and on the go
Once Upon a Farm Organic Coconut Melts
Truly portable no mess goes everywhere
Happy Baby Organics Teether Variety Pack
Dissolves easily widely available