High-Calorie Formula Recipes for Baby Weight Gain

A high-calorie formula is a formula that has more than 20 calories per ounce (30 ml).

Most standard formulas, according to Children’s Minnesota’s formula adjustment guidelines, have 20 calories per ounce (30 ml). Yet, the guidelines claim that some babies need more than 20 calories/oz to grow.^[1]

Did you know? High-calorie formulas are the only beverages tailored for infants in the list of the best high-calorie drinks.

If babies are breastfeeding, they can get more calories by having bottle feedings made of breast milk and powdered formula. The bottle feedings can replace breastfeeding sessions or be used as additional feedings between breast sittings.

Breast milk, according to clinical dietitian Lori S. Brizee from Seattle's Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, may be concentrated with a powdered formula to 24 calories per ounce (30 ml).^[2]

Yet, the Children’s Minnesota’s fortified breast milk guidelines offer instructions for concentrating breast milk up to 28 calories per ounce (30 ml).^[3]

No matter how many calories your baby needs, we have you covered.

After simplifying and improving Children’s Minnesota’s instructions for making high-calorie fortified breast milk, we made an easy-to-follow recipe for enhancing breast milk that you can find below.^[3]

Since you don’t want to feed your baby any harmful substances, you should always make sure you prepare fortified breast milk in a clean way.

Here are actions you can take to prevent feeding contamination:

• Wash hands with soap and water;
• Clean the top of the formula container before opening;
• Wash any tools used in the preparation, like the scoop or breast pump parts.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) point out the importance of washing all infant feeding items, such as bottles and nipples, meticulously. Moreover, you should consider sanitizing feeding items, such as bottles, pump parts, and nipples, for:

• Infants younger than 3 months of age;
• Premature infants;
• Infants with a weakened immune system.^[4]

The best way to find out how many calories per ounce (30 ml) should your fortified breast milk have is to ask your baby’s dietitian.

If your baby needs a higher caloric intake, then you will be advised to make fortified breast milk that has one of the following caloric intakes, depending on your baby’s needs:

• 22 calories per ounce (30 ml) of fortified breast milk;
• 24 calories per ounce (30 ml) of fortified breast milk;
• 26 calories per ounce (30 ml) of fortified breast milk;
• 28 calories per ounce (30 ml) of fortified breast milk.

Once you know how many calories should the fortified breast milk have, you can go on and set how much breast milk and formula powder you need to make it.

To measure breast milk, use a liquid measuring cup. To ration powder, use standard measuring spoons or the scoop provided with the formula can.

See below how much breast milk and 20-calorie formula powder you need to make different types of high-calorie fortified breast milk.

• 3 oz (90 ml) breast milk for ½ teaspoon formula powder
• 4 oz (120 ml or ½ cup) breast milk for ¾ teaspoon formula powder
• 6 oz (180 ml or ¾ cup) breast milk for 1 teaspoon formula powder
• 8 oz (240 ml or 1 cup) breast milk for 1 ½ teaspoon formula powder
• 16 oz (480 ml or 2 cups) breast milk for 1 tablespoon (3 tsp) formula powder
• 18 oz (540 ml or 2 ¼ cups) breast milk for 1 scoop formula powder

• 2 oz (60 ml or ¼ cup) breast milk for ¾ teaspoon formula powder
• 5 oz (150 ml) breast milk for 2 teaspoons formula powder
• 8 oz (1 cup) breast milk for 1 tablespoon (3 tsp) formula powder
• 10 oz (1 ¼ cups) breast milk for 1 scoop formula powder
• 12 oz (1 ½ cups) breast milk for 1 tbsp and 2 tsp formula powder
• 20 oz (2 ½ cups) breast milk for 2 scoops formula powder

• 50 ml breast milk for 1 teaspoon formula powder
• 2 oz (60 ml or ¼ cup) for 1 ¼ teaspoons formula powder
• 3 oz (90 ml) for 2 teaspoons formula powder
• 5 oz (150 ml) for 1 tablespoon formula powder
• 6 oz (180 ml or ¾ cup) for 1 scoop formula powder
• 9 oz (270 ml) for 2 tablespoons formula powder

• 50 ml breast milk for 1 ½ teaspoons formula powder
• 100 ml breast milk for 1 tablespoon formula powder
• 5 oz breast milk for 1 scoop formula powder
• 7 oz breast milk for 2 tablespoons formula powder
• 12 oz breast milk for 3 ½ tablespoons formula powder

Note: you can use either regular or premature formula to make high-calorie fortified breast milk.

To avoid clumping the formula powder, warm breast milk at room temperature or slightly above before mixing it with the powder.

To warm breast milk, put it in a bottle and place it in warm water.

The last step you need to follow before finishing the fortified breast milk is to mix the ingredients.

Put the formula powder in the bottle containing the warmed breast milk. Then, shake the bottle well until there is no visible powder left.

To increase the calories of infant formula, you need to rise its caloric density by using a higher percentage of formula powder compared to water in the preparation phase.

Starting from CDC’s advice on how to prepare powdered infant formula (PDF), we put together a recipe for making a high-calorie formula using powdered formula.^[5]

To make sure you can safely use the formula powder, check the expiration date on the can, and inspect the condition of the can. Usually, according to CDC, it’s not a good sign if the formula powder container has dents, puffy ends, or rust spots.

To keep your infant safe and healthy, always make formula in a clean environment.

Here are some precautions to take to avoid contamination:

• Wipe the countertops;
• Clean the top of the formula can, the bottle, and all the tools, like the scoop or measuring utensils;
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Besides, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you should consider sanitizing feeding items, such as bottles, pump parts, and nipples, for the following types of infants:

• Infants younger than 3 months of age;
• Premature infants;
• Infants with a compromised immune system.^[4]

The best way to find out how many calories per ounce should your formula have is to ask your baby’s dietitian.

If your baby needs a higher caloric intake, then you will be advised to make a formula that has more than 20 calories per ounce (30 ml).

As a general rule backed up by CDC, when you prepare formula, you should use the specific amount of water and formula powder listed on the infant formula can.

In the case of preparing high-calorie formulas, however, you will rarely get instructions on the can.

Therefore, don’t try to adjust an infant formula on your own. Always get the baby’s dietitian’s approval beforehand because he is the most suitable person for giving ingredient ratio instructions regarding higher caloric intake.

Also, if you have children that are less than 1 year old, don’t add sugar, honey, or any other sweetener to breast milk or formula. Honey, according to the DGA, is especially harmful to babies under 1 year of age because it can cause botulism.^[4]

Below are the ratios of water and formula powder needed for different types of high-calorie formulas, as recommended in Children’s Minnesota’s powdered formula recipe chart (PDF).^[1]

• 4 oz formula: 3 ½ oz (105 ml) water and 2 scoops formula powder
• 6 oz formula: 5 ½ oz (165 ml) water and 3 scoops formula powder
• 8 oz formula: 7 oz (210 ml) water and 4 scoops formula powder
• 10 oz formula: 9 oz (270 ml) water and 5 scoops formula powder
• 18 oz formula: 16 oz (480 ml) water and 9 scoops formula powder
• 24 oz formula: 21 oz (630 ml) water and 12 scoops formula powder

• 2 oz formula: 50 ml water and 1 scoop formula powder
• 5 ½ oz formula: 5 oz (150 ml) water and 3 scoops formula powder
• 9 oz formula: 8 oz (240 ml) water and 5 scoops formula powder
• 15 oz formula: 13 oz (390 ml) water and 8 scoops formula powder
• 20 ½ oz formula: 18 oz (540 ml) water and 11 scoops formula powder
• 24 oz formula: 21 oz (630 ml) water and 13 scoops formula powder

• 3 ½ oz formula: 3 oz (90 ml) water and 2 scoops formula powder
• 10 ½ oz formula: 9 oz (270 ml) water and 6 scoops formula powder
• 17 oz formula: 15 oz (450 ml) water and 10 scoops formula powder
• 24 oz formula: 21 oz (630 ml) water and 14 scoops formula powder
• 27 ½ oz formula: 24 oz (720 ml) water and 16 scoops formula powder

• 4 ½ oz formula: 4 oz (120 ml) water and 3 scoops formula powder
• 8 oz formula: 200 ml water and 5 scoops formula powder
• 14 oz formula: 12 oz (360 ml) water and 9 scoops formula powder
• 15 ½ oz formula: 400 ml water and 10 scoops formula powder
• 18 ½ oz formula: 16 oz (480 ml) water and 12 scoops formula powder

After you added the right ingredient ratio to a feeding bottle, you need to mix the water and the formula powder by shaking it, and not stirring it.

Shake until lumps are gone.

The next logical step after preparing the formula is feeding it to your baby.

You don’t need, according to CDC, to warm the bottle before feeding. Nevertheless, if you decide to do so, you can place the bottle under running warm water or into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

Keep in mind that the formula mustn’t be hot when you feed your infant. CDC recommends the wrist test to make sure of this: put a few drops on the inside of your wrist.

Warning: do not warm the formula in the microwave because it creates hot spots, which can be harmful for your baby’s mouth.

You can also make high-calorie formulas by combining water with liquid concentrate formulas.

Formulas made from liquid concentrate formulas, according to registered dietitians from Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Washington, are the preferred choice if you need to be very precise with measurements.^[2]

Below is a recipe, adapted from Children’s Minnesota’s formula adjustment guidelines, for preparing high-calorie formulas from liquid concentrate.^[1]

It can be easy to confound liquid concentrate formulas with ready-to-use formulas because they are both liquids.

Therefore, always make sure to check the formula label for the word “concentrate” and the absence of the phrase “ready to use”.

To keep your infant safe and healthy, always make formula in a clean environment.

Here are some precautions to take to avoid contamination:

• Wipe the countertops;
• Clean the top of the formula can, the bottle, and all the tools, like the scoop or measuring utensils;
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Besides, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you should consider sanitizing feeding items, such as bottles, pump parts, and nipples, for the following types of infants:

• Infants younger than 3 months of age;
• Premature infants;
• Infants with a compromised immune system.^[4]

The best way to find out how many calories per ounce should your formula have is to ask your baby’s dietitian.

If your baby needs a higher caloric intake, then you will be advised to make a formula that has more than 20 calories per ounce (30 ml).

In the case of preparing high-calorie formulas, you will rarely get instructions on the can. 

Therefore, don’t try to adjust an infant formula on your own. Always get the baby’s dietitian’s approval beforehand because he is the most suitable person for giving ingredient ratio instructions regarding higher caloric intake.

Also, if you have children that are less than 1 year old, don’t add sugar, honey, or any other sweetener to breast milk or formula. Honey, according to the DGA, is especially harmful to babies under 1 year of age because it can cause botulism.^[4]

Below are the ratios of water and liquid concentrate needed for different types of high-calorie formulas, as recommended in Children’s Minnesota’s liquid concentrate recipe chart (PDF).^[1]

• 24 oz formula: 11 oz (330 ml) water and 13 oz (1 can or 390 ml) liquid concentrate

• 22 oz formula: 9 oz (270 ml) water and 13 oz (1 can or 390 ml) liquid concentrate

• 20 oz formula: 7 oz (210 ml) water and 13 oz (1 can or 390 ml) liquid concentrate

• 19 oz formula: 6 oz (180 ml or ¾ cup) water and 13 oz (1 can or 390 ml) liquid concentrate

After shaking the liquid concentrate, open and pour it into a feeding bottle. Afterward, add the water in the liquid measuring cup over the concentrate.

After you added the right ingredient ratio to the feeding bottle, you need to mix the water and the liquid concentrate.

If you don’t have a large enough bottle to mix the ingredients in, you can use another type of clean container.

The next logical step after preparing the formula is feeding it to your baby.

You don’t need, according to CDC, to warm the bottle before feeding. Nevertheless, if you decide to do so, you can place the bottle under running warm water or into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

Keep in mind that the formula mustn’t be hot when you feed your infant. CDC recommends the wrist test to make sure of this: put a few drops on the inside of your wrist.

Warning: do not warm the formula in the microwave because it creates hot spots, which can be harmful for your baby’s mouth.

Process of selecting the formula brands

We selected the formulas after checking official medical recommendations, the lists of best-rated formulas on Amazon and Walmart, and the most searched formulas online.

The formulas were chosen objectively. Unfold Today does not receive any commission if you buy any of the formulas listed in this article.

Process of choosing the formula brands

We selected the formulas after checking official medical recommendations, the lists of best-rated formulas on Amazon and Walmart, and the most searched formulas online.

The formulas were chosen objectively. Unfold Today does not receive any commission if you buy any of the formulas listed in this article.

Replacing human milk with formula is a common practice in the USA.

Only 1 in 4 American babies, according to CDC’s 2022 Breastfeeding Report, were fed only human milk until age 6 months. Therefore, 75% of Americans give their babies formula, standard or high-calorie.^[20]

If you are looking to make a high-calorie formula with 22, 24, or more calories per ounce (30 ml) using a specific brand, like Enfamil, Similac, or Nutramigen, you should follow the recipes officially recommended for the kind of formula you want to use (powder or liquid concentrate), or pick a ready-to-feed formula.

No matter what brand you pick, you should, however, get approval and potential additional instructions from your baby’s doctor before feeding the formula.

Since a formula with 30 calories per ounce (30 ml) is one of the formulas with the most calories, it doesn’t have an easily reachable recipe. Yet, if you found out your baby needs a formula with so many nutrients, you should ask your baby’s dietitian for instructions on how to prepare it.

Alternatively, you can get a ready-to-feed 30-calorie formula and skip the hassle of preparing it.