Barley
A mild, nutty grain for porridge and soups. Cook it soft and mash it.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat barley from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve barley by age
6 months+
Smooth barley porridge
Mix barley infant cereal with breast milk or formula, or cook pearl barley until very soft and blend it with some of the cooking water or your baby's usual milk. Don't serve whole cooked kernels.
- Size
- Blended or mashed to a smooth or slightly lumpy porridge, served on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Check before serving
- Rub a little between your thumb and finger. It should feel smooth or softly lumpy, with no whole, chewy kernels.
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.
9 months+
Mashed barley or soft patties
Cook barley until very soft, mash it with a fork, and stir it into porridge, mashed vegetables or soft stews. You can also mix it with mashed vegetables and bake it into soft patties.
- Size
- Mashed to a soft, lumpy texture, or patty pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Mash a spoonful with a fork. It should break down easily, with no firm or chewy kernels.
12 months+
Soft barley in soups and stews
Stir very soft-cooked barley into soups and stews, and mash it with the back of a spoon until no whole kernels are left. Whole cooked kernels are on the CDC's choking hazard list for young children.
- Size
- Very soft grains mashed so no whole, firm kernels are left, in a moist dish, or patty pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Press a few grains between your fingers. They should squash flat easily.
18 months+
Soft barley in family dishes
Offer barley in family soups, stews and risotto-style dishes, cooked until very soft and mashed until no whole kernels are left. Keep it moist: dry, chewy grains are harder for toddlers to manage.
- Size
- Very soft grains mashed so no whole, firm kernels are left, in moist dishes, or bite-sized patty pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: the grains should flatten with gentle pressure.
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 barley
- 1
Rinse pearl barley in a sieve under cold running water.
- 2
Simmer 1 part barley in about 3 parts water for 40 to 50 minutes, until very soft, adding more water if it dries out. Don't add salt or stock cubes.
- 3
Blend or mash it with a little cooking water, breast milk or formula to suit your baby's age, then let it cool.
- 4
First time? Pick a day your baby is well and at home, so you can stay nearby for several hours afterward. Barley can cause a delayed reaction: see when to call the doctor.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or two of porridge. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Offer more as your baby shows interest.
Common mistakes
Serving whole cooked kernels
Cooked barley kernels are firm and chewy, and the CDC lists them as a choking hazard for young children. Mash, grind or blend them.
Undercooking it
Pearl barley takes a long time to soften. Keep cooking until it squashes easily between your fingers.
Cooking it in stock
Babies shouldn't have added salt, and stock cubes are often high in salt. Cook barley in plain water.
Sticking to rice cereal only
The CDC suggests offering a variety of fortified infant cereals, such as oat, barley and multigrain, instead of only rice cereal, which can increase arsenic exposure. Barley is an easy swap.
Questions parents ask
Can barley be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole cooked barley kernels are firm and chewy, and the CDC lists them as a choking hazard for young children. Cook barley until very soft, then mash, grind or blend it. Barley infant cereal and smooth barley porridge are easy ways to start. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to barley?
Barley is not one of the top 9 US allergens, but it contains gluten, like wheat and rye. The NHS lists foods that contain gluten among the foods to introduce from around 6 months, one at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction. Gluten is also what triggers celiac disease, a lifelong autoimmune condition that affects at least 1 in 100 people in the UK. Barley is one of the grains that can trigger FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy.
Is barley healthy for babies?
Cooked pearl barley provides carbohydrate for energy and some fiber (about 3.8 g per 100 g). It has small amounts of iron and zinc.
Can babies eat barley?
Yes, from around 6 months, as barley infant cereal or as cooked barley that's blended or mashed. Don't serve whole cooked kernels to babies or young toddlers.
Is barley gluten-free?
No. Barley contains gluten, so it isn't suitable for anyone with celiac disease. It is a different grain from wheat, but if your child has a wheat allergy, check with their doctor before offering it.
If your baby refuses barley
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Mix it into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed sweet potato or cooked apple.
- Try another form: smooth porridge, soft patties, or mashed into soup.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing barley
- Cool cooked barley quickly and refrigerate it within 1 hour. Spores of some food poisoning bacteria can survive cooking grains.
- Cooked barley keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Cooked barley can be frozen in small portions for 3 to 4 months. Reheat 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 baby vomits a few hours after eating barley. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that grains like barley, rice and oats can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP, and don't offer barley again until you've talked to them. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
- Your child has ongoing diarrhea, tummy pain or bloating, or isn't growing as expected, especially if a parent, brother or sister has celiac disease. Ask your doctor whether testing is needed.
- 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.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: When, what, and how to introduce solid foods
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Coeliac disease
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Barley, pearled, cooked
- NHS: Starchy foods and carbohydrates
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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