When can babies eat apple?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Apple

A family favorite that needs a little help: cook it soft or grate it finely.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat apple from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsHigh choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve apple by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked wedges or mash

Peel and core the apple, then steam or simmer thick wedges until very soft. Offer them as finger food, or mash them with a fork. You can also finely grate peeled raw apple and stir it into a food your baby already eats. Never give raw apple in slices or chunks at this age.

Size: Peeled wedges about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or mashed.
Check before serving: Squash a wedge between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily. If you have to press hard, cook it longer.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare apple

1
Rinse the apple under running water, gently rubbing the skin, before you peel it.
2
Peel it, cut it into quarters, and cut out the core and all the seeds.
3
Cut each quarter into thick wedges (6 months) and steam or simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Don't add sugar.
4
Do the squash test, then let it cool before serving. For grated apple, use the fine side of the grater just before serving.

How much to offer

Start with one or two soft wedges, or a teaspoon or two of mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of squashing and dropping is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Giving raw apple slices or chunks

Raw apple is hard and a known choking hazard for babies. Cook it until it squashes easily, or grate it finely.

Leaving the peel on

Peel apple for babies and young toddlers. Taking the skin off makes it easier to swallow.

Adding sugar or using sweetened applesauce

Babies don't need added sugar. Cook apple plain, and check applesauce labels for no added sugars.

Offering apple juice instead

Babies under 12 months shouldn't have juice. Whole fruit is the better choice at every age.

Where US and UK guidance differ on apple

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Keep serving apple cooked soft or finely grated. For babies under 1, the AAP says that apart from mashed banana, most fruits should be cooked until soft. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw fruit, such as apples, as a choking hazard for young children, and the AAP advises holding back raw fruit chunks like apple pieces until about 4 years, depending on the child.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

Cook or finely grate peeled apple for babies. From 12 months, the NHS snack list includes slices of apple. NHS advice is to cut apples into slices rather than small chunks, to remove the skin for very young children, and to steam or simmer firm fruit until soft. If you offer raw slices, stay with your child.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can apple be a choking hazard for babies?

Raw apple is hard and one of the foods most often listed as a choking hazard for young children. In the first year, cook it until it squashes easily between your fingers, or grate it finely. For toddlers, US and UK advice differs on raw apple slices: see the guidance note below. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to apple?

Apple is not a common allergen. Some older children and adults with hay fever, especially to birch pollen, get an itchy mouth or throat from raw apple (pollen food allergy syndrome). It isn't usual in young children, and cooked apple is usually fine. People with a latex allergy can also react to some foods, and ACAAI lists apple among them. If your child has a latex allergy, ask your pediatrician before offering it.

Is apple healthy for babies?

Mostly water and natural sugars, with a little fiber (about 1.3 g per 100 g of peeled raw apple). It is not a major source of iron or vitamin C.

Can babies eat raw apple?

Not in slices or chunks. Raw apple is hard and a choking hazard. Finely grated raw apple is fine; otherwise cook it until it squashes easily between your fingers.

Can babies have applesauce?

Yes, if it's unsweetened. Check the label for no added sugars, or make your own by simmering peeled apple in a little water and mashing it.

Can babies have apple juice?

Not under 12 months. From 1 to 3 years, the AAP says to give only 100% juice, no more than 4 ounces (120 ml) a day, and only in a cup. Whole fruit is still the better choice. The NHS goes further: its foods-to-avoid page suggests avoiding sugary drinks, including fruit juice, for children aged 4 and under. If you do give juice, the NHS says to dilute it (1 part juice to 10 parts water) and serve it with meals; undiluted juice is for children aged 5 and over.

If your baby refuses apple

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: soft wedges, mash, or grated apple stirred into porridge.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing apple

Keep whole apples in the fridge. Grated raw apple turns brown quickly, so grate it just before serving.
Cooked apple keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Stewed or mashed apple can be frozen and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat it only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your child gets an itchy mouth or throat every time they eat raw apple. Ask about pollen food allergy syndrome.
You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered apple?

Add it to your first 100 foods.