Burrata
Soft mozzarella with a creamy center. Pasteurized, and torn small or spread thin.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat burrata from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve burrata by age
6 months+
Creamy center spread on finger foods
Cut the burrata open and spread a thin layer of the soft, creamy center on soft-cooked vegetable fingers or, once your baby has had wheat, lightly toasted bread strips. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. Slice the outer shell into thin, flat strips, or chop it finely and stir it into the cream. Never serve chunks or a whole small ball.
- Size
- A thin layer on soft-cooked vegetable fingers or toast strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or thin, flat strips of the outer shell the same size.
- Check before serving
- Press a strip of the outer shell between your thumb and finger. It should squash flat easily. If it springs back or feels rubbery, chop it finely and mix it into the cream instead.
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+
Small torn pieces, or stirred into warm food
Tear the outer shell into small pieces for pincer-grasp practice, or stir the creamy center into warm pasta or mashed vegetables. Keep the amount small.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily.
12 months+
Torn small over family food
Tear burrata into small pieces over pasta or soft roasted vegetables, or spread it on toast. If you serve it with cherry tomatoes, quarter them lengthwise.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or spread thinly.
18 months+
With family meals
Offer burrata the way your family eats it, torn into small pieces. Keep quartering cherry tomatoes lengthwise, and cut mini burrata balls into small pieces rather than serving them whole.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or as part of a dish.
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 burrata
- 1
Check the label: choose burrata made from pasteurized milk and cream, especially for imported, deli or market cheese.
- 2
Keep it cold until you use it. Drain it, cut it open, and spoon out the creamy center.
- 3
Spread the cream thinly, and slice the outer shell into thin strips or tear it into small pieces for your baby's age. Don't add salt.
- 4
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.
How much to offer
For the very first taste, offer a small amount: a thin layer on one finger food or a strip of the shell. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Burrata is rich and high in fat and contains some salt, so a small amount alongside other foods is plenty. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Not checking it's pasteurized
The CDC says soft cheeses, which are high in moisture, are more likely to be contaminated with Listeria than hard cheeses, and that cheese made with raw milk is more likely to carry it. For children under 5, it lists soft cheese as a safer choice only when it's clearly labeled made from pasteurized milk.
Serving chunks or whole mini balls
The CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Spread the cream thinly, and cut the shell into thin strips or small pieces.
Leaving it out on the table
Burrata is often served at room temperature for adults. Take your baby's portion straight from the fridge, and don't serve burrata that has been out for more than 2 hours (1 hour on a hot day).
Forgetting the tomatoes
Burrata is often served with cherry tomatoes, and the CDC lists uncut cherry or grape tomatoes as a choking hazard. Quarter them lengthwise.
Where US and UK guidance differ on burrata
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
For children under 5, the CDC lists soft cheese as a safer choice only when it's clearly labeled made from pasteurized milk, and soft cheese made from raw milk as a riskier one. Burrata is a soft cheese, so check the label.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says babies can have pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months, choosing lower-salt options, and advises avoiding unpasteurised cheese because of listeria. Its pregnancy page lists pasteurised burrata among soft cheeses that are safe to eat.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can burrata be a choking hazard for babies?
The creamy center of burrata is soft and easy to manage, but the outer shell is like fresh mozzarella, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Spread the cream thinly and serve the shell in thin strips or small pieces. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to burrata?
Burrata is made from milk and cream, and cow's milk is one of the most common food allergens. Milk products like cheese and yogurt can be introduced from around 6 months, a small amount at a time. Once your baby has had them without a reaction, keep them in your baby's usual diet. Most reactions start within minutes to 2 hours, but with cow's milk allergy, symptoms can take up to 3 days to appear. If your baby has a diagnosed milk allergy, don't offer burrata unless their doctor says it's OK. If your baby has eczema or another food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever, the NHS says to talk to your GP or health visitor first.
Is burrata healthy for babies?
A source of protein and calcium, and high in fat. Figures vary between brands: one brand's burrata in FoodData Central has about 18 g of protein, 536 mg of calcium, 25 g of fat and 304 mg of sodium (about 0.8 g of salt) per 100 g. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g. It is not a source of iron.
Can babies eat burrata?
Yes, from around 6 months, if it's made from pasteurized milk and served in a safe form: the creamy center spread thinly, and the outer shell in thin strips or small pieces.
Is burrata safe for babies, or is there a listeria risk?
Pasteurized burrata is a safer choice. The CDC says soft, moist cheeses are more likely to carry Listeria than hard cheeses, and that cheese made with raw milk is more likely to carry it too, so check the label every time. The NHS pregnancy page lists pasteurised burrata among the soft cheeses that are safe to eat.
Is burrata the same as mozzarella?
It's a ball of fresh mozzarella with a soft, creamy filling. Treat the outer shell like fresh mozzarella (thin strips, never chunks) and the center like a soft spread. See our mozzarella page for more serving ideas.
Can babies eat burrata every day?
It's rich and contains some salt, so we suggest offering it now and then rather than daily, alongside milder everyday cheeses and foods from the other food groups.
If your baby refuses burrata
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try another form: the cream spread on soft toast strips, stirred into warm pasta, or the shell in thin strips.
- 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 burrata
- Keep burrata in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use it by the date on the pack. Once opened, follow the label's advice on how long it keeps.
- Pasta and other cooked dishes with burrata stirred in keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. 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:
- Your baby has had any reaction to milk products, even a mild one. Stop offering them until you've talked to your pediatrician.
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating dairy. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that milk can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
- 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: Safer food choices for children under 5
- CDC: How Listeria spread: soft cheeses and raw milk
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- NHS: Salt in your diet
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Burrata (branded)
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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