When can babies eat celeriac?

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

Celeriac

Knobbly outside, mild and creamy inside. Cook it soft and it mashes beautifully.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat celeriac 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 celeriac by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked sticks or mashed celeriac

Peel the celeriac thickly, cut it into finger-sized sticks, and steam or boil until very soft. Or mash cooked celeriac, on its own or with potato, and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon. Never offer raw celeriac.

Size: Sticks 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 stick 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 celeriac

1
Scrub the celeriac under running water with a clean vegetable brush to remove soil from the knobbly root end.
2
Cut off the top and bottom, then peel it thickly with a knife, cutting away the rough skin and any brown or woody patches. Cut it into finger-sized sticks (6 months), or chunks if you'll mash it.
3
Steam or boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance. Don't add salt to the cooking water.
4
Do the squash test, then mash or chop as needed and let it cool before serving.
5
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 first taste, offer a small amount: a stick or a spoonful of mash mixed into a food your baby already knows. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.

Common mistakes

Offering raw celeriac

Raw celeriac is hard, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard. For babies, always cook it until it squashes between your fingers.

Peeling it too thinly

The rough skin and the layer just under it stay tough. Peel celeriac thickly with a knife, down to the smooth, pale flesh.

Cooking it just tender

The texture adults like is too firm for babies. Cook it longer, until it passes the squash test.

Forgetting it counts as celery

Celeriac is a type of celery, and UK allergen labelling treats celery root as celery. If your child has reacted to celery, talk to your pediatrician before offering celeriac.

Where US and UK guidance differ on celeriac

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Celery, including celeriac, is not one of the 9 major food allergens under US law. Keep serving celeriac cooked soft: the CDC lists hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard, and the AAP advises holding back raw vegetables until about 4 years, depending on the child.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

Celery is one of the 14 allergens UK food law requires businesses to declare, and Food Standards Agency labelling guidance says this includes celeriac. For very young children, the NHS suggests grating, mashing, steaming or simmering firm vegetables. From 12 months, its snack list includes cooked or raw vegetables. If you offer raw celeriac to a toddler, grate it finely, and stay with them.

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

Questions parents ask

Can celeriac be a choking hazard for babies?

Raw celeriac is hard: the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children, and the NHS says to avoid hard foods like raw carrot for babies. Serve celeriac cooked until very soft, in finger-sized sticks or mashed, then in small soft pieces once your baby can pick them up. Trim crisp edges from roasted pieces. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to celeriac?

Celeriac is a form of celery. Celery is not one of the top 9 allergens in the US, but it is one of the 14 allergens that UK food law requires businesses to declare, and the Food Standards Agency's labelling guidance says the celery allergen covers celery root, also known as celeriac. The NHS lists celery among foods that can trigger an allergic reaction, to introduce from around 6 months like other foods, one at a time. Offer a small amount the first time and watch for signs of a reaction. If your baby has already reacted to celery, or has a food allergy or eczema, talk to your pediatrician first.

Is celeriac healthy for babies?

Cooked celeriac is mostly water (about 92%) and has some potassium (about 173 mg per 100 g) and fiber (about 1.2 g per 100 g). It has little vitamin C (about 4 mg per 100 g) and is not a major source of iron (about 0.4 mg per 100 g).

Can babies eat celeriac?

Yes, from around 6 months, peeled thickly and cooked until it squashes easily between your fingers. Soft-cooked sticks or mashed celeriac are both good first forms.

Is celeriac the same as celery for allergies?

For allergy purposes, yes. The Food Standards Agency's labelling guidance says the celery allergen covers any part of the celery plant, including stick celery, the leaves, the seeds and celery root, also known as celeriac, so in the UK it's labeled as celery. If your child is allergic to celery, don't offer celeriac without talking to your pediatrician.

Can I mash celeriac with potato?

Yes. Mixing it with a food your baby already likes is a good way to offer a new flavor. Don't add salt to the mash, and keep the texture lumpier as your baby gets used to it.

When can toddlers eat raw celeriac?

Not under 1 year. The AAP advises holding back raw vegetables until about 4 years, depending on the child. The NHS lists raw vegetables among snacks from 12 months, but suggests grating firm vegetables for very young children, so grate raw celeriac finely if you offer it. See the US vs. UK note.

If your baby refuses celeriac

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 sticks, lumpy mash, or mashed with potato.
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 celeriac

Keep raw celeriac in the fridge.
Cooked celeriac 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.
Cooked celeriac sticks or mash can be frozen and used within 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, use them within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat them 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 child has reacted to celery before, or gets an itchy mouth or hives after eating celeriac. Celeriac counts as celery under UK allergen rules, so ask before offering it again. If there's swelling of the lips, face or tongue, breathing trouble or repeated vomiting, call your emergency number instead (see below).
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 celeriac?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

Helpful guides

Sources

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