Dates for Baby
Last updated October 2026
Dates are sweet dried fruit that may be incorporated into meals after a baby starts solids, usually around 6 months, but only in a texture the baby can manage. Whole dates and chewy pieces can be choking hazards, and every hard pit must be removed completely.
Quick answer
A baby who is ready for complementary food can be offered a small taste of smooth date puree. Whole dried dates are unsuitable for new eaters because of their hard pit, chewy skin and sticky flesh. The NHS specifically advises against whole dried fruit under age one.
How to prepare date puree for baby
Choose plain dates, open every fruit and inspect for the hard stone or fragments, including when a pack says pitted. Soften firm dates with warm water if necessary, then blend with enough suitable liquid for a loose spoonable puree. Inspect the final mixture for dense sticky strands or hard pieces; if it cannot be made smooth, choose another soft fruit instead.
Stir a small amount of fully smooth puree into plain porridge, a tolerated unsweetened yogurt or soft fruit mash. Examine the final mixture for thick, sticky clumps. If it becomes gummy on a spoon, thin further.
Do not offer a whole, halved or simply chopped dried date as a baby-led-weaning finger food, and do not give balls made from dense date paste to a new eater. Cutting sticky fruit into tiny pieces does not guarantee it will be easy to swallow.
For older children, continue adapting texture to their real chewing skills and serve concentrated dried fruit with meals rather than frequent grazing.
The right shape and size depend on your baby's eating skills, not on age alone. Step-by-step preparation: How to prepare sticky fruits for BLW
Also check how to cut food for baby-led weaning for general BLW cutting tips.
When may a baby have dates?
Check the packet and each fruit for a pit or pit fragment, even when the label says pitted. Dried dates may be much firmer than they appear; softness after soaking is not sufficient without removing every dense fragment.
If the question is using dates as a laxative or an iron supplement, use other appropriate foods and ask a healthcare professional about persistent constipation or possible iron deficiency. Dates are not an established infant dose or treatment.
For a beginner, use a little fully pitted date blended into a smooth, loose puree and stirred into an already suitable food such as porridge. Do not rely on a pea-size chopping rule: sticky dried fruit can form dense clumps.
Date puree still contains concentrated natural sugars. It is an occasional flavoring in a varied meal, not a necessary 'first food', a substitute for iron-rich foods or a nutritional requirement for newborns.
See our first foods for baby guide for more ideas.
Date pits, dried-fruit choking and oral health
Remove all hard pits and inspect every date for fragments, even if it was purchased pitted.
Whole dried dates and dense sticky chunks are choking hazards for babies; make a smooth, loose puree instead.
No fixed ten-minute soak or pea-size cut ensures an appropriate texture. Blend and check the final food.
Date puree is still concentrated in sugars. Keep it occasional and with meals; avoid habitual sweetening.
Do not give sticky date-paste balls or whole dates to a baby because they are small enough to grip.
Offer complementary foods with the baby upright and fully supervised, and keep iron-rich foods in the diet.
Date recipes for babies
View all recipes
See all dates recipes for babies. Explore baby breakfast recipes, baby-led weaning recipes and first foods for baby for more ideas.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What if date puree stays sticky even after soaking?
Soaking alone is not a texture test. Blend with more suitable liquid and inspect for chewy or hard fragments. If the mixture remains dense or gummy, do not offer it as a baby finger food or spoonful; use a different soft preparation.
Sources & References
This guide is informed by current guidelines from leading health organizations:
- ●NHS - Your Baby's First Solid Foods NHS
- ●AAP - Starting Solid Foods AAP
- ●AAP - Choking Prevention AAP
- ●NHS - Preparing Food Safely for Babies NHS
- ●CDC — Choking Hazards (reviewed March 2026) CDC
- ●NHS — Looking After Your Baby's Teeth NHS
