Herbs & spices

Garlic for babies

Garlic is one of the most common 'can my baby have this' questions and one of the simplest answers: yes, cooked, from 6 months.

Age suggestion 6 months+ Choking risk Low Iron-rich No Common allergen No

When can babies have garlic?

From around 6 months, cooked. Raw garlic is very sharp and better left until later.

How do you serve garlic to a baby?

The shape is what makes a food safe, and it changes as your baby’s grip and chewing change. Find your baby’s age band.

6–8 months

Finely chopped or crushed and softened in oil as the base of a sauce, dal, soup or stew.
9–11 months

In cooking. Roasted whole garlic is soft and sweet and can be mashed into food.
12–18 months

As the family uses it.
18–24 months

As the family uses it, including small amounts raw in dips.

Prep tip

Roasted garlic is sweet and spreadable — squeeze a roasted clove into mashed potato or vegetables and it disappears while making everything taste better.

Storage

Store bulbs somewhere cool, dry and dark, not the fridge. Never store garlic in oil at room temperature — it is a botulism risk.

Is garlic a choking hazard for babies?

Choking risk Low

Cooked crushed or finely chopped garlic poses no risk. Whole raw cloves are firm and should never be given to a baby.

Whatever you serve, stay within arm’s reach, keep your baby upright in a supportive seat, and never let them eat in a moving car, buggy or carrier. Gagging is loud and normal. Choking is silent.

Is garlic a common allergen?

Common allergen No

Garlic is not one of the nine most common food allergens. Any food can trigger a reaction, though, so offer it on its own the first time and watch for hives, vomiting, swelling or a change in breathing over the next two hours.

Is garlic healthy for babies?

Cooked garlic carries prebiotic fibres that feed gut bacteria, along with sulphur compounds studied for various effects. In infant feeding its main value is culinary — it is the base of most family cooking, and being able to cook one meal for everyone is what makes family eating work.

What garlic brings
Allicin	Present
Manganese	Good source
Vitamin B6	Some
Prebiotic fibre	Good source
Iron per serving	~0.1 mg

Common questions about garlic

Will garlic upset my baby's stomach?

Occasionally — it is high in fructans, which some babies find gassy. Reduce the amount rather than removing it.

Does garlic change the taste of breast milk?

Yes, and that appears to be a good thing. Babies exposed to a range of flavours through breast milk tend to accept those flavours more readily in solid food.

Reference material

Guidance on this page follows the sources listed below.

Foods parents look at next

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6 months+ Choking risk Moderate

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Warm rather than hot — a good early spice that is milder cooked than raw.

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Fresh herbs are the best way to make food taste of something without salt.

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