When can babies eat bell pepper?

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

Bell pepper

Sweet, colorful strips. Roast them soft and slip off the skin.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsMedium choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve bell pepper by age

6 months+

Soft roasted strips, skin removed

Roast or steam pepper strips until very soft, then peel off the thin skin. Offer the soft strips whole, or mash them into a soft food your baby already eats.

Size: Strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Squash a strip 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 bell pepper

1
Rinse the pepper under running water, rubbing the skin gently.
2
Cut it in half, remove the stem, seeds and white ribs, and slice it into finger-sized strips (6 months).
3
Roast at 200°C (390°F) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or steam, until very soft. Let the strips cool, then peel off the skin.
4
Do the squash test before serving. Chop into small pieces from 9 months. Don't add salt.

How much to offer

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

Common mistakes

Serving it raw or crisp

Raw pepper is firm and crunchy. For babies, cook it until it squashes easily between your fingers.

Leaving the skin on

Pepper skin can stay tough even when the flesh is soft. Peel it off: the NHS says removing skins makes vegetables easier to swallow.

Cutting it into small raw chunks

The CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard. Cook pepper soft, and avoid raw chunks.

Stopping after a few refusals

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it.

Where US and UK guidance differ on bell pepper

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Keep serving pepper cooked soft. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard, and the AAP advises holding back or changing raw vegetables until about 4 years, depending on the child.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS advises grating, mashing, steaming or simmering firm vegetables for very young children. It also advises cutting vegetables like peppers into narrow batons. If you offer raw pepper to a toddler, cut it into narrow batons, not chunks, and 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 bell pepper be a choking hazard for babies?

Raw bell pepper is firm, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard. In the first year, cook it until very soft and remove the skin. For toddlers, US and UK advice differs on raw pepper: see the guidance note below. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to bell pepper?

Bell pepper is not a common allergen.

Is bell pepper healthy for babies?

Red bell pepper is rich in vitamin C: about 128 mg per 100 g raw, and cooking lowers it somewhat. NIH recommends 50 mg a day for babies 7–12 months (from food and milk together) and 15 mg a day for children 1–3 years. Vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron in plant foods, such as beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal.

Can babies eat raw bell pepper?

Not under 1 year. Raw pepper is firm, and the AAP lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid under 1 year. Roast or steam it until soft, and peel off the skin. For toddlers, US and UK advice differs on raw pepper: see the guidance note below.

Do I need to peel peppers for my baby?

Yes, for babies and young toddlers. The skin stays tough even when the flesh is soft. After roasting, let the strips cool and the skin slips off easily.

Which color of bell pepper is best?

Any color is fine. Red, yellow, orange and green peppers can all be cooked soft. The vitamin C numbers on this page are for red pepper.

Is bell pepper a good source of iron?

Not a major one. But its vitamin C helps your baby absorb the iron in plant foods eaten at the same meal, like beans, lentils or iron-fortified cereal.

If your baby refuses bell pepper

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try it blended into a pasta sauce, or chopped into rice or beans.
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 bell pepper

Keep raw peppers in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C).
Cooked pepper keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Roasted, peeled strips can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the fridge and use them within 24 hours of thawing. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them 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:

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 bell pepper?

Add it to your first 100 foods.