Fun fact: Bone marrow has iron in it. Which means this whipped bone marrow recipe is one more way to bring #meatyminerals into your baby’s diet.
Bone marrow is also fatty.
And as an iron-rich fat, you can use it in sweet and savory dishes alike, making it a wonderful source of heme iron for babies who’d rather eat a sweet potato mash over liver pate or a lamb chop.
What a win-win.
Why bone marrow rules my world: Benefits of bone marrow for babies
There are some foods for baby that I literally obsess over. These foods are largely underused and yet packed with many of the nutrients that babies need.
Liver is one. And bone marrow is another.
Bone marrow is found inside of bones. And it’s a production powerhouse, full of life-giving stem cells – pumping out red blood cells, white blood cells, bone cells, and fat cells.
Bone marrow also has vasculature moving blood to and fro. And where you find blood, you find iron.
This is one of the main benefits of bone marrow for babies.
Iron is a big deal for babies. It’s a meaty mineral that I love to love. You can find hints of my obsession all over the place – on Instagram, in blog posts, and in this online class for beginning solids.
Chances are, your pediatrician is also interested in your baby’s iron levels.
But why?
- Iron is brain food. For example, research reveals that babies who are anemic before the age of two have lower scores in school achievement and cognition from 4 – 19 years of age.
- Iron supports myelination. It turns out you can find quite a bit of iron in the brain cells that produce myelin. Myelin-making brain cells = white matter in the brain…and white matter = intelligence.
- Iron deficiency cannot be undone. Even when corrected, low levels of iron during babyhood – or iron deficiency anemia – has been found to impact language development, motor development, and emotional development.
As with most things, there’s a balance to how much iron you give your baby.
Food naturally rich in heme iron (such as liver, cuts of beef and lamb, the dark meat of chicken, shellfish, and bone marrow) positively supports your baby’s iron levels. Even when eaten in small amounts, as babies do.
Bone marrow has roughly 2.7 mg of iron for every four tablespoons – which is equivalent to what you find in one tablespoon of liver. This is more iron than you’d find in pork, poultry, lamb, and some cuts of beef.
Beyond iron, Chinese medicine claims that bone marrow has some serious restorative mojo.
According to TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) bone marrow:
- Deeply fortifies the body
- Nourishes energy and blood
- With the brain, makes up the “sea of marrow”
If your baby shows signs of “failure to thrive,” such as slow weight gain or not reaching developmental milestones, offer your baby bone marrow more frequently and in the place of fats like butter and ghee.
How to pick + handle marrow bones
When roasted, bone marrow is a jiggly white and pinkish blob with brown ends.
This is why we whip it.
While you can find plenty of marrow within the center of the bone, there are all sorts of nooks and crannies around the ends of the bone where marrow can get stuck.
You can get around those nooks and crannies (and the most bang for your buck) by asking for a long cut.
Ask for canoe cut or the mid-portion of the bone that visibly has marrow packed in the center.
Also important: Avoid ends or knuckles when buying marrow bones, which are mostly made of hard red marrow. Choose cuts from the center of the bone.
How to prepare bone marrow for babies
This sometimes comes up: Should you soak your bones before roasting?
In Odd Bits, chef and author Jennifer McLagan suggests soaking bones in salted ice water to remove blood.
But blood contains iron.
And since we’re celebrating this unctuous meat butter because it’s a fairly good source of iron, I suggest that you skip the soak when preparing bone marrow for babies.
Whipped bone marrow recipe
Cara Nicoletti – sausage maker extraordinaire – makes bone marrow look beautiful and presentable by WHIPPING it. With a whisk attachment. In a bowl. How easy is that?
And the results are worth it.
If you follow the principles of baby-led weaning, use this bone marrow baby food recipe like you would butter or any other fat – for example, mashed into a starchy veggie, like sweet potato or squash.
If you are working with purees, add whipped bone marrow to your puree.
Ingredients for whipped bone marrow recipe
- 2 – 3 lbs of beef femur bones from the midsection of the bone, click here to shop for marrow bones
Instructions on how to prepare bone marrow for babies
- Heat oven to 425 F. Place marrow bones, marrow side-up, on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes or until much of the fat has rendered out and marrow is pulling away from the sides.
- Remove from oven. After the bones have cooled enough to touch, scoop the marrow out and into a bowl. Also, pour all fat from your baking sheet and into the bowl. Place it in the refrigerator.
- Once the marrow is cold (the fat should firm up), use a mixer with a whisk attachment to whip until the bone marrow is white and fluffy.
- Whipped marrow lasts 3 weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
Mallory says
Hi Megan! We are about to try bone marrow for the first time and will be using this recipe! I am curious if the bones can be used to make broth after the marrow is used, or, if there really wouldn’t be anything left for the bones to give after being roasted and de-marrowed?
Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Mallory,
The bones make an AMAZING stock – very gelatinous. When roasting, you’re really just going after the fatty marrow. So all the tough collagen on the side of the bones and the bone itself breaks down in the stock.
xxo!!
Jessica Curtis says
Hi Megan! Can you feed the marrow whip straight up to your baby? Or is it typically just used to mix in with dishes? Thx 🙂
Megan Garcia says
Hey Jessica,
Both work great. You can also freeze in a silicone tray – the kind with small shapes – and then once frozen, give to baby in a silicone feeder xxo!!
Ben says
Hi,
What is a good serving size of whipped marrow per meal for an 8month old? And how often would you recommend feeding them bone marrow?
Thx,
Ben
Megan Garcia says
Hey Ben,
You could start with a tsp to a tbsp daily. The easiest way to do this is to freeze it in tablespoon size portions. It can be given directly to baby or mixed into food – like mashes and purees.
xxo
jennifer says
Hi there! Question: All marrow bones I’ve seen are round, not halved. When you say to lay the bones marrow-side up for roasting, how do you cut the bones in half? Will it work with whole bones not halved? Thanks so much!!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Jennifer!
Definitely works without halved bones.
If you get them from a butcher shop, they can cut them. Otherwise, you can also place the bones marrow up (rather than on their side) it helps keep all the fat in one place as it renders.
The bones from US Wellness work too. Just make sure that when you get them, it’s the mid portion aka the long bone – that’s where the softy fatty marrow is at! Rather than the ends or knuckles, which has hard red marrow xxo
Amy says
Whole Foods butcher said he couldn’t canoe cut them. So if you have a marrow bone whole, not halved, are you saying you bake it vertically instead of laying down on its side? I would think the marrow would pour out the bottom while baking? Could you please clarify your response above for me?
Megan Garcia says
Yes! Exactly. Some of it will render out and there will also be soft marrow that you can scrap from the inside of the bone. You just want to make sure you have middle cuts, meaning *not* the end pieces with hard, red marrow.
These marrow bones from White Oak give a good visual of what you’re looking for.
Also, be sure to collect fat and scraped out marrow when adding to bowl and chilling. Hope this helps xxo!!
Priscila Westerhof says
Hi Megan!
I’m working with frozen bone marrow, the organic butcher near my house doesn’t have the fresh one. How do you recommend I defrost it?
Big thanks!!!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Priscila!
I usually get frozen too. You can defrost them overnight in the fridge.
xxo!!
Lia kkeinishvili says
Hello Megan, I need help. My baby just turned 7 month. I tried to give her egg, chicken but she doesn’t like it. I don’t know where to get grass fed bone marrow or liver pate. If anyone knows where to buy can you please let me know. Thanks , lia
Megan Garcia says
Hey Lia,
Definitely keep exposing her to a variety of foods, especially those that are full of #meatyminerals. Repeat exposure helps with acceptance, especially when baby just begins solids. For bone marrow and liver, are you able to purchase these from US Wellness Meats?
xxo!!
Olive says
Hi I plan to feed this to my 6 month old. How often and how much would you recommend since his formula is already iron fortified and we will be doing a mix of purees and milk feedings
Megan Garcia says
Hey Olive,
In general, I would let him decide how much. This follows responsive feeding principles. And YES. Both iron and zinc are at risk of excess when using formula, so good call there. With formula, nutrient deficiencies tend to be:
So something like sardines (so far, I really like Vital Choice) or wild salmon would be a GREAT first food to focus on. Hope this helps!
Nadia Earnest says
Hey there what if we put the bone marrow in the fridge
Before we whipped it 🤦🏻♀️ Are we still able to whip it somehow and what’s the best way to use this. For some reason I thought this was one of the ingredients for
Liver Pate but i guess not. Now I’m
Not sure what to use it for
Megan Garcia says
Hey Nadia!
You can probably still whip it – I would soften it at room temp but make sure it’s still slightly chilled before whipping. When the fat hardens, that helps to create that whipped texture. Once it’s whipped, I would portion it into 1 tablespoon sized spoonfuls and freeze in a baby food tray, ice cube tray or even sheet pan. Once frozen, store in a freezer bag and use as needed.
It’s great to mix into food, especially mashed veggies or fruit that wouldn’t otherwise have iron. Folks love mixing it into applesauce and sweet potatoes. I have a recipe for bone marrow fritters here (3 ingredients mashed with a fork!) and babies love it: https://megangarcia.com/banana-fritters-recipe-for-baby-6-months/
I also throw marrow cubes into chili, pasta sauce, and curry. It’s super yummy.
xxo!!
Lindsey Goode says
Hey Megan!
Will whipped bone marrow cause constipation? How often would you suggest feeding it to babies daily/weekly? Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Lindsey,
Iron supplements will cause constipation but bone marrow contains very easy-to-absorb heme iron and doesn’t have this effect.
I like to make a batch and store portions in the freezer. Depending on the rest of baby’s diet, you can give daily or a couple times a week. Just be sure to include plenty of foods with those #meatyminerals
xxo!!
Danielle Herlihy says
Ahhh Megan, I read somewhere (maybe first foods and beyond on FB) that I could roast my bones from frozen state. They were frozen and put in oven @ 425 for 25 minutes. I’m letting them cool now but since I’m a first timer idk if they are fully cooked? I should just be scooping out the middle, correct? Or since I did not thaw prior to roasting are they no longer good? Thanks!!!!
Megan Garcia says
YES! I often roast when frozen. Just make sure the marrow is pulling away from the sides of the bone and you’ve got plenty of rendered marrow fat. Then scoop out the marrow and collect the fat in a bowl to chill just a bit before whipping.
xxo!!
Keri Hanson says
Any advice for the smoke? Had to open up all the doors and windows because the fat in the bones was setting off smoke alarms 🙈
Megan Garcia says
Hey Keri,
I haven’t had this problem! Maybe it was splattering or dripping? Smoke happens when there’s fat directly on the heat source. Maybe try covering it next time and see if that helps.
Let me how it goes xxo!!
Katie says
Hello! If baby seems ready to try food before 6 months, is there any reason not to offer this in particular? Checking since this is indicated as 6+ months. Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey mama,
If babe is ready before 6 months, go ahead and offer. Current WHO guidelines are *around* 6 months, it really depends on baby. Marrow is wonderful first food!
bobby t. says
after whipping it, do you leave it on the counter to serve during dinner later or back in the fridge?
Thanks.
Bobby
Megan Garcia says
Hey Bobby,
I would store in the fridge. It does harden when cold, so I would bring it out 30 minutes or so before dinner.
Natzieli Alvarez Acosta says
My mother purchased beef bones for my little man right after I showed her your article. She’s so happy to be a part of our son’s healthy development. I have a question for you, after receiving our bones we noticed that there are those short cut ones in the mix. I roasted half of our order with some of the short ones. My question is, should I avoid giving my son the marrow from those specific bones?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Natzieli,
As long as they have the fatty “yellow” marrow, you’re good! The bones that don’t work for this recipe are knuckle bones that have hard, red marrow. Those are great for stock, but not so much for bone marrow butter.
xxo!!
Gina p says
1) after roasting bones I usually put straight into an instant pot to make broth. Instead, shall I remove the middle portion of the marrow bones to ship and then throw the bones in to pressure cook for broth ? Or by doing this am I removing what makes broth gelatinous.
Megan Garcia says
Hey Gina,
I do the same! The middle portion is largely fat and the gelatin comes from the connective tissue around the bone.
So yes, you would scoop the marrow and then use the bones for a bone broth. Just make sure you’ve got mid bone cuts where there’s “yellow” marrow (it actually looks pink) as opposed to the ends, which have hard red marrow.
Hope this helps, xxo!!
Camille says
I noticed a lot of the recipes say 6+ months. My baby is almost 5 months old and I am thinking of trying foods with him soon. I’d like to start with meat, our pediatrician suggested cereal. Is it safe to introduce meat before 6 months?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Camille,
Six months is roughly when baby may be ready for solids, according to the World Health Organization. Whether you start at 5 months or 6 months, it is recommended to begin with meat or an iron-rich food. Cereal is fortified with different forms of iron so that it’s iron-rich but the heme iron in meat is better absorbed and used by baby. I have a whole class that walks you through this here: https://megangarcia.com/first-foods-and-beyond/
xxo!!
Amy says
Hi Megan!
I found this recipe just after I made bone marrow broth! I’ll definitely do this before I make the broth next time. The bones have been simmering for 2 days and the marrow is still inside and a gluggy brown. Is this still nutritious enough to eat/feed baby or has it all gone into the broth and I should discard?
Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Amy!
It’s all in the broth xxo!!
Sarah van Uden says
Hi Megan,
When scooping out the bone marrow I did get a bit of hard red marrow from an end piece (saw your note to avoid this part after I started). I removed it from my bowl however it did go in the bowl with the rest of the marrow. Do you think this will still be safe for baby or should I make a new batch? Or if I cook the bone marrow with puree would that help?
Thanks,
Sarah
Megan Garcia says
Hey Sarah,
That’s totally okay as long as no hard pieces got into the marrow, sounds like you pulled it out.
The reason why I say to avoid the end bones with red marrow is because they don’t yield much (if any!) fatty bone marrow.
Great Q xxo!!
Alice says
Is a tablespoon a good serving size for a baby just starting solids? I’ll eventually mix it with other foods, but wondering if it can be fed on its own just starting out and if so how much?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Alice,
It can be fed on its own. I would start with a teaspoon-sized amount xxo!!
Valerie Warfel says
Hi! Can’t wait to try this for my baby. If I don’t have a mixer for whisking can I blend it in my vitamix blender ? Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Valerie,
I would use a whisk and whip it by hand if you have the patience! I’m not sure the Vitamix will give you the air you need. If you end up using a blender, let me know how it goes xxo!!
Pavitra says
Hi. Thanks for this great recipe! Love it 😊Does it have to be beef bone marrow? Can I use lamb or goat bone marrow instead for my 7 month old? Thanks
Megan Garcia says
You can! Just be sure to use the midsection of the bone that contains fatty marrow xxo!!
Mandi says
Holy Moly. Think I missed a trick here, whipping this stuff is like whipping gravel. I also had a lot of bone/hard gristle in mine so I had to push it through a potato ricer. Maybe I tried whipping it at the wrong temp? Maybe I didn’t have enough of it for my kitchenAid whisk to really get it. I’ll try again
Megan Garcia says
Hey! If it’s too hard and chilled it won’t whip up. And YES! You definitely don’t want bits of bone in there xxo!!
Linda says
Hi! My little one has been refusing solids ever since a severe allergic reaction to egg at 6.5 months. Now at 8 months, found your site and tried bone marrow, the baby ate it!!! I’m so happy! Wondering how much bone marrow and how often can I give a breastfed 8 month old?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Linda,
That’s so great to hear!! Many babies eat bone marrow daily. At 8 months, I would offer about a tablespoon and see how it goes. Ultimately, I like to follow baby’s lead. I typically see a big interest in bone marrow when beginning solids and then into toddlerhood, interest tends to taper off or slow down. So definitely feel it out!
Maria says
Hi Megan! Can I make this in an instant pot? What do you suggest? Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey! I haven’t made the bone marrow in a Instant Pot. Since it requires water to build pressure, I’m not sure the results would be the same – we’re basically extracting the fat and whipping it.
You can definitely pop the marrow bones in the Instant Pot after roasting for an incredible bone broth!!
Olivia says
Hi Megan,
I got some beef bones yesterday
After reading through the questions and your replies, I’m not sure if these bones will work (or if they’re ideal)
Is there an email address I could send you a picture to see what you think?
Thank you
Megan Garcia says
Hi Olivia,
You can email me hello@megangarcia.com
Evelyn says
How much time after done is good to use it (refrigerated or frozen) ?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Evelyn,
I would store frozen and use within 3 months.
xxo!!
Leigh says
Hi! Can you make this with the medallion cut sections of the bone? Thank you!
Megan Garcia says
YES!!
xxo
Hannah Olowokere says
Hi Megan!
Super grateful for all of the info you give! We live your course. Is there anywhere besides online I can get femur bones? My local Whole Foods doesn’t have them and our local butcher shop doesn’t either. Just curious if I’m missing it somewhere. I’m in Dallas, TX.
Megan Garcia says
Hey Hannah,
The other place to check would be your local farmer’s market. Sometimes you can find both seafood and fresh/frozen cuts of meat. If they don’t have bones, it may be because demand is low and you can ask if they’ll bring for you the following week. I’ve done this! Folks are super friendly.
xxo
Alyssa says
Hi Megan! Is there anyway you could post a picture of what the good bone marrow bones look like as opposed to the knuckle bones you shouldn’t use? Thanks so much!!
Lisa says
Hi Megan!
Should bones be rinsed before baking? I purchased fresh bones and wasn’t sure. I’m wondering if any impurities will cook off during the baking process? Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Lisa,
I don’t think there’s any harm in giving them a lil rinse (:
xxo
Richelle says
Hi Megan,
Thanks for the recipe. Just made it but did not rinse the bones before popping them in the oven. Do you think the dish is still good for baby?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Richelle,
This can help remove “impurities” from the surface. I think as long the bones are coming from a known, trusted source – it’s okay.
In general, a good rule of thumb that I try and follow is rinse all animal sourced foods. Unless working with ground meat 😆 I would keep and use. Hope this helps xxo!!
Jaques Baylac says
Bone marrow is also high in calcium, another tid-bit of info. Bone marrow is often found on menus in bistos here in France, usually served with a light sprinkling of ‘fleur de sel’ and spread on toast. I’ve tried the whipped version and add it to room temperature eggs before beating it and making an omlette. Delicious!
Megan Garcia says
Love this!!
Serena Llamas says
Can I make the whipped bone marrow with chicken bones?
Megan Garcia says
Hi Serena,
Great question! Chicken bone are very narrow and a lot of the marrow is hard, red marrow. Great for bone broth and stock, but difficult to use for whipped marrow.
We want the fatty, yellow marrow that’s in the central portion of long bones.
xxo!!
Fransisca says
Hi, I found this recipe and am very excited to try this for my baby! Thank you for this lovely recipe. I want to ask, is it possible to use air fryer instead of oven?
Megan Garcia says
Hi Fransisca!
I think that would work. Just be sure to collect all the rendered fat. I’m not sure about cook time, maybe something I need to tinker with. Thanks for the great question!!
Kaylie says
Do the bones need to be thawed first or can we do them from frozen?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Kaylie!
I usually use thawed (in the fridge overnight) but you can probably use frozen too. I would extend the cook time and look for plenty of rendered fat from the marrow bones with some crispy bits.
The marrow itself is sort of a gray pinkish color when scraped from the bone xxo!!
Antonella says
Hi there, love this recipe!!! Thanks for the post! I am looking for ideas on what to pair whipped bone marrow with for my 6 month old. Are there any fruits or veggies you would recommend serving it with in a purée? Thank you:)
Megan Garcia says
Hi Antonella!
Applesauce or stewed pears is a really easy match.
Bone marrow fritters are also usually a hit!
xxo!!
Jen says
Hi Megan,
I’m a bit intimidated by having to make it but my 14 month old is very low in iron and struggles with eczema and allergies to food(tree nuts). This seems awesome! I wish I could buy it already whipped lol
Any tips on how much to give a one year old to help with low iron 🙁
Megan Garcia says
Hi Jen,
14 months is around that age when selective eating habits pick up. Whipped marrow easier to make than it sounds! BUT if you want to boost iron and this sounds like a lot, I would try bringing in a desiccated spleen supplement and mix it with a whole food vitamin C.
And probably deliver it something to make it yummy – a fruit puree or applesauce would pair well with the vitamin C and meaty flavors tend to do well with fruit too (ie bone marrow fritters!)
Hope this helps xxo!!
Lindsay says
I just made some bone broth last night as I’m preparing for the arrival of baby #1 🙂 My question is:
– Can I use the marrow from the bone broth I made to make this and use postpartum (such as spread on toast or frozen in little ice cube trays)? Wanting to keep my iron up once baby arrives any day.
I did roast the bones prior to preparing the bone broth. Just looking to see if I can go for a double-whammy usage of the soup bones I have!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Lindsay!
Yes 💯
You would want to make sure you’re using bones with soft, fatty marrow. Hard red marrow from end bones isn’t extractable.
And also, you would roast and remove marrow *before* making the bone broth.
xxo!!
Chelsey Holmquist says
Hi Megan! Thanks for the recipe. Will beef oxtail bones work for this?
Megan Garcia says
Hi! Unfortunately not. But they are fall apart *delicious* 🥰
Joey says
Hi Megan!
Thank you for this lovely recipe! May I check if the 2.7mg iron mentioned comes from the bone marrow only or from both the bone marrow and fat as indicated in your recipe? Thank you!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Joey,
Thanks for reaching out! The bone marrow *is* fat. It’s fat with heme iron. And because it’s partially saturated fat in bone marrow, it’s firm when chilled and this is how it holds a fluffy texture when we whip it.
Hope this helps xxo!!
Julie says
Was there meant to be any red / bloody bits when you scoop out of the bone? I followed the recipe but mine had a lot of blood still on the bone that came off when I scooped it out. Thank you!!
Megan Garcia says
Hey Julie,
The color can range from brown to gray with pink. The pink bloody bits = heme iron, so I would definitely expect to see that. As long as it’s roasted until the fat renders out and you’ve got some crunchy bits on the side of the bones, I think we’re in a good place. It looks a lot more appetizing once whipped 🙂 Hope this helps!!
Gabrielle says
I agree with this completely and know bone marrow is extremely healthy I’m just hesitant to give a baby fat. Did a doctor recommend this?
Megan Garcia says
Hey Gabrielle,
Fat is critical for baby brain development. And the quality of fat also matters. I have a class on this (with plenty of references) here: https://megangarcia.com/first-foods-and-beyond/
xxo!!
Krista says
Hello! Is it ok if the finished product is a bit pink after whipping, or is it not cooked enough? I followed the recipe for temp and time. Thanks!
Megan Garcia says
Hey! This should be okay. Feel free to send photo hello@megangarcia.com
Xxo!!
Cymoni says
I whipped the bone marrow after baking and it is not white, it is more a light brown with bits of darker brown. Is that okay?
Megan Garcia says
Hey! The trick to getting a lot of fluff is making sure it’s chilled enough so that the fat can hold air.
To answer your question – YES, totally okay!!