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Can babies eat dates?
Dates can be offered once your baby has started solids, prepared to suit their stage.
How to cook dates for a baby
- Method
- Soak and blend
- Ready in
- 10 Min.
- Texture
- Smooth purée or soft paste
How you cut and serve dates changes as your baby grows. That is set out age by age below.
How to prepare dates, age by age
- 6 to 8 months
- Soak in warm water, remove pit, then blend to a smooth paste. Mix into porridge or fruit purées.
- 9 to 11 months
- Softened, pitted dates mashed finely or blended. Can be mixed into yogurt.
- 12 to 17 months
- Soft, pitted date pieces — quarter-sized — as finger food.
- 18 months and over
- Halved or quartered dates, pitted, as a sweet finger food treat.
Choking risk
Always remove the stone/pit completely before serving. For babies under 12 months, dates must be puréed or mashed — their dense, sticky texture is a serious choking hazard whole.
Watch: How to avoid choking
Is dates an allergen?
Dates is not one of the main food allergens. Any new food can cause a reaction the first time it is offered, so give it on its own and stay with your baby while they eat.
Is dates good for babies?
Dates are nature's natural sweetener and an excellent iron-rich food for babies. They provide a concentrated source of energy from natural sugars, making them a nutritious alternative to refined sugar in baby foods. Their fibre content also supports healthy bowel movements.
- Iron
- Potassium
- Fibre
- Natural Sugars
Storing dates
In the fridge
3 Days. Keep date paste sealed in the fridge
In the freezer
3 Months. Freeze date paste in portions — great for sweetening baby foods naturally
Baby recipes with dates
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This page is general information based on NHS weaning guidance, not medical advice. Always stay with your baby while they eat. If you have concerns about allergies, choking or your baby's development, speak to your health visitor or GP.