When can babies eat basil?

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

Basil

Fresh and fragrant, and easy to stir into sauces once it's finely chopped.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve basil by age

6 months+

Finely chopped and cooked or blended into food

Rinse the leaves, pick them off the stems, and chop them very finely or blend them into a sauce. Stir them into hot tomato sauce, mashed potato or lentils for a minute or two so they soften. Don't give whole leaves.

Size: Leaves finely chopped or blended, then mixed into soft foods, such as tomato sauce, mashed vegetables or lentils.
Check before serving: Look through your baby's portion. There should be no whole leaves or large pieces of leaf.

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 basil

1
Rinse the leaves under running water and pat them dry with a clean towel.
2
Pick the leaves off the stems, and throw away any slimy or damaged ones.
3
Chop the leaves very finely, or blend them into a sauce. For babies under 1, stir them into hot food and cook for a minute or two so they soften. Don't add salt.
4
Let the food cool before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a small amount of finely chopped basil in a food your baby already knows, as you would in a family dish. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Basil is a flavor, so there's no amount to aim for.

Common mistakes

Serving whole leaves

The AAP says foods for babies should be soft or puréed to prevent choking, and lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid under 1. Chop basil finely and cook or blend it into food.

Using store-bought pesto

Pesto usually contains cheese and often nuts, and it can be salty. Check the label, or make your own without salt, once your baby has tried dairy (such as plain yogurt or cheese) and any nuts in it (finely ground) one at a time.

Skipping the rinse

Rinse fresh herbs under running water, as the FDA advises for all fresh produce. There's no need for soap or produce wash.

Seasoning the family pot first

Take your baby's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or gravy to the family meal.

Where US and UK guidance differ on basil

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning. It doesn't mention basil or other herbs, and no AAP page gives an age for them. If you'd rather follow that line closely, leave basil out until 12 months, or ask your pediatrician.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says not to add salt or sugar, including stock cubes and gravy, to your baby's food or cooking water. Its weaning recipes for babies 7 to 9 months use chopped fresh basil or dried mixed herbs in tomato sauce, and its general salt advice suggests herbs and spices to add flavor instead of salt. If you use basil, keep it finely chopped and unsalted.

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

Questions parents ask

Can basil be a choking hazard for babies?

Whole basil leaves can be hard for young babies to manage, and the AAP lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid under 1. Chop basil finely and cook or blend it into food, and don't give whole leaves. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to basil?

Basil is not a common allergen. Pesto usually contains cheese (milk) and often pine nuts or other nuts: offer it only after your baby has tried dairy and any nuts in it (finely ground or as smooth nut butter) one at a time without a reaction, as the NHS advises introducing allergens one at a time.

Is basil healthy for babies?

A tablespoon of chopped fresh basil weighs under 3 g, so in your baby's portion it adds flavor rather than nutrients. It is not a source of iron to count on.

Can babies have basil?

Yes, from around 6 months, finely chopped and cooked or blended into food. The NHS uses chopped fresh basil in a tomato sauce in a recipe for babies 7 to 9 months. US and UK advice is worded differently: see the guidance note below.

Can babies have pesto?

Homemade pesto can work once your baby has tried dairy and any nuts in it one at a time, with the nuts finely ground and no salt added. Traditional pesto also has raw garlic and a salty hard cheese such as parmesan. Garlic for babies is best cooked into food (see our garlic page), and the NHS lists cheese among salty foods to eat in small amounts, so for babies under 1 it's simpler to stir finely chopped basil into a cooked tomato sauce. Store-bought pesto usually contains cheese and often nuts, and can be salty, so check the label and use a small amount.

Can I use dried basil?

Yes. A pinch of dried basil stirred into a sauce while it cooks works well. The NHS uses a pinch of dried mixed herbs in a pasta sauce for babies 7 to 9 months. Check that dried herb mixes don't contain salt.

If your baby refuses basil

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Use less basil, cooked into a sauce so the flavor is milder, and mix it into a food your baby already enjoys.
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 basil

Keep fresh basil loosely wrapped in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use it within a few days.
Cooked dishes and homemade sauces with basil keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Freezer times depend on the dish, so follow the food page or recipe for what you cooked. Reheat cooked dishes only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving. Cooked rice has stricter rules: cool it within 1 hour, eat it within 1 day and reheat it only once. See the rice page.
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:

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 basil?

Add it to your first 100 foods.