Quick answer
Babies can eat dates from around 6 months, once they show signs of readiness for solids such as sitting up with support, good head and neck control, and showing interest in food. Dates are not a common allergen, so there is no need to delay them, and because they are so naturally sweet they can flavor porridge, yogurt, and baked goods without any added sugar, honey, or syrup.
When can babies eat dates?
Babies can eat dates from around 6 months, once they show signs of readiness for solids such as sitting up with support, good head and neck control, and showing interest in food. Dates are not a common allergen, so there is no need to delay them, and because they are so naturally sweet they can flavor porridge, yogurt, and baked goods without any added sugar, honey, or syrup.
Always remove the pit before serving and check each date carefully, since some are sold with the pit left in. The main concern with dates is texture rather than allergy: they are firm, chewy, and sticky, so how you prepare them matters more than when you start. Serve dates as a small part of a varied diet rather than a daily standalone snack, start with a tiny taste, and watch how your baby handles the sticky texture before offering more.
See our first foods for baby guide for more ideas.
Safety Tips
- ✓Always remove the pit completely and check every date; the hard pit is a serious choking hazard, and so are whole dates or large firm pieces.
- ✓Reduce stickiness by mashing, blending, or soaking dates and mixing them into other foods so they cannot clump together in the mouth.
- ✓Cut dates lengthwise into thin strips or pea-sized soft pieces, never round coins or whole, and offer only one small piece at a time.
- ✓Dates are very sweet, so keep portions small and treat them as one of many fruits rather than a daily snack.
- ✓Always supervise your baby while eating, keep them seated upright, and never offer dates while they are reclined, crawling, or distracted.
Select Baby's Age
How to cut dates for a 6 month old
At 6 months, do not offer dates as pieces at all. Remove the pit, soak the date in warm water until it is plump and soft, then mash it into a smooth paste and stir it into oatmeal, plain yogurt, or a fruit puree. Mixing the mash into other foods thins out the stickiness so it cannot clump together in your baby's mouth. You can also blend a few pitted, soaked dates with a little warm water into a thin date puree and offer it on a preloaded spoon. Never give a whole date or a large sticky chunk at this stage, because sticky pieces can lump together and block the airway. Keep the amount small, since dates are very sweet, and always supervise with your baby seated upright.
6 month baby feeding schedule for more tips.
Date recipe ideas for babies
Once your baby is comfortable with mashed dates, try these simple, no-added-sugar ways to serve them. See our baby recipes.
- ★Date and oat porridge with mashed soaked dates stirred through until smooth.
- ★Plain whole-milk yogurt swirled with a spoonful of thin date puree.
- ★Banana and date mash for a naturally sweet, spoonable snack.
- ★Homemade oat bars or muffins sweetened with finely chopped soft dates instead of sugar.
Explore our baby-led weaning food list and first foods for baby for more inspiration.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can babies eat dates?
Most babies can eat dates from around 6 months when starting solids. Always serve it in a safe size and texture appropriate for your baby's age and development.
How do you cut dates for baby led weaning?
For babies around 6 months, dates should be cut into large pieces that are easy to grasp with their hands. As babies develop their chewing skills, the pieces can gradually become smaller.
How to serve dates baby led weaning?
For BLW, cut dates into strips or wedges that babies can hold. The texture should be soft enough to mash easily with gentle pressure.
Can babies choke on dates?
dates can become a choking hazard if served in small round or hard pieces. Cutting it into larger soft pieces appropriate for baby-led weaning helps reduce choking risk.
How should dates be served to a 6 month old?
At around 6 months, dates should be served in large soft pieces that babies can hold with their hands. See our full ingredient guide.
Is dates safe for baby led weaning?
dates can be included in baby-led weaning when cut into safe shapes and soft textures that babies can hold and gum.
How small should dates be cut for older babies?
From around 9 months, babies typically use a pincer grasp, so dates can be cut into smaller pea-sized pieces. Continue ensuring pieces are soft enough to mash and watch for any choking risk shapes.
Should dates be cooked or raw for babies?
Cook dates until easily mashable when raw textures are too firm for babies to gum. Soft ripe fruits are often offered raw, while firmer foods are typically steamed, roasted, or boiled until tender.
Can dates be served as a finger food at 6 months?
Yes, dates can be a 6-month finger food when cut into long graspable strips and softened to a mashable texture. Always supervise meals and adjust shape as your baby's chewing skills develop.
How to cut dates for a 7 month old?
At 7 months babies still use a palmar (whole-hand) grasp. Cut dates into long strips about 2-3 inches long and finger-width thick, with part sticking out of the fist for chewing. Soft enough to mash between two fingers.
How to cut dates for an 8 month old?
At 8 months babies are refining grasp and may begin pincering. Continue offering dates in 2-inch strips alongside a few small pea-sized pieces to practice the pincer grasp. Cooked until easily mashable.
How to cut dates for a 9 month old?
At 9 months most babies have developed the pincer grasp. Cut dates into pea-sized pieces (about ½ inch / 1.5 cm) for self-feeding practice. Continue avoiding round, hard, or sticky shapes; soft enough to mash with mild pressure.
How to cut dates for a 10 month old?
At 10 months babies eat a wider variety of textures. Offer dates in pea-sized pieces or small bite-sized cubes (½ inch / 1.5 cm). They can manage slightly firmer textures, but pieces should still mash easily.
How to cut dates for a 12 month old?
From 12 months babies eat in pieces about ½ inch (1.5 cm). Round foods (grapes, cherry tomatoes) must still be quartered until age 4 due to choking risk. Soft enough to chew without much molar work.
Can babies eat dates for breakfast?
Yes - dates can be part of a balanced baby breakfast when prepared in baby-safe shapes. Pair with a protein, healthy fat, or whole grain (eggs, yogurt, oats, nut butter on toast) for a complete morning meal.
verifiedSources & References
This guide is informed by current guidelines from leading health organizations:
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