When can babies eat cheddar?

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

Cheddar

The family favorite. Grated, melted or sliced thin, with mild cheddar to start.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsMedium choking risk as servedAllergen: Milk

How to serve cheddar by age

6 months+

Grated and melted into food

Stir finely grated, pasteurized mild cheddar into warm mashed potato, vegetables or pasta until it melts, or, once your baby has had wheat, melt a very thin layer onto toast fingers. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. Use only a little. Never serve cubes, chunks or thick slices.

Size: Finely grated cheese melted into a dish, or melted onto soft toast fingers about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Check the cheese has melted completely, with no firm lumps or rubbery strings, and let it cool before serving.

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 cheddar

1
Check the label: choose cheddar made from pasteurized milk, especially from markets, delis and farm shops.
2
Cut off any hard rind or wax. Grate it finely, or cut it into very thin slices.
3
Melt it into warm food, or onto toast fingers once wheat has been introduced on its own, and let it cool. Or cut thin slices into pieces that suit your baby's age.
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

Start with a small amount: a pinch of grated cheese melted into food. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Cheddar contains salt, so keep portions small and don't add salt to the rest of the meal. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.

Common mistakes

Serving cubes or chunks

Large chunks of cheese are on the CDC choking hazard list. Grate it, slice it thin, or melt it.

Using a lot

Cheddar has about 653 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1.6 g of salt). Babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g (NHS), so a little for flavor is enough.

Not checking it's pasteurized

Some cheeses are made from raw milk. The NHS says it's better to avoid unpasteurised cheese for babies because of the risk of listeria, though it can be used in a cooked recipe. Check the label says pasteurized.

Serving it hot from the oven

Melted cheese can burn a baby's mouth. Let it cool and test it before serving.

Where US and UK guidance differ on cheddar

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC lists hard cheese, such as cheddar, among safer choices for children under 5, and dairy products made from raw milk as riskier. The CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says babies can have pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months, including mild cheddar, choosing lower-salt options. It says many cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk and it's better to avoid these because of listeria, though they can be used in a cooked recipe. The NHS suggests sticks of hard cheese as a finger food; we suggest grated, melted or very thin slices instead. We follow the pasteurized-only advice for everyone.

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

Questions parents ask

Can cheddar be a choking hazard for babies?

Large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, are on the CDC's choking hazard list. Grate cheddar, cut it into very thin slices, or melt it into food. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to cheddar?

Cheddar is made from cow's milk, 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 cheddar 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 cheddar healthy for babies?

Rich in calcium and protein: 100 g of cheddar has about 710 mg of calcium and 23 g of protein. It contains salt, with about 653 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1.6 g of salt), so 10 g of cheddar has about 0.16 g of salt. It is not a source of iron.

Can babies eat cheddar?

Yes, from around 6 months, if it's made from pasteurized milk and served in a safe form: finely grated and melted, or very thin slices cut to size. The NHS names mild cheddar as a cheese babies can have from 6 months.

Is cheddar too salty for babies?

It has some salt: about 653 mg of sodium (about 1.6 g of salt) per 100 g. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and 1 to 3 year olds no more than 2 g. A pinch melted into food fits, and the NHS suggests choosing lower-salt cheese, so compare labels.

Mild or mature cheddar for babies?

Either is fine if it's pasteurized. Mild cheddar is softer and melts smoothly, so it's an easy first choice. Mature cheddar has a stronger taste and is crumblier, so grate it finely.

Can babies eat cheddar every day?

Yes, in small amounts as part of a varied diet. Because it's salty, keep portions small and offer other dairy foods, like plain yogurt, too.

If your baby refuses cheddar

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: grated into pasta, melted onto toast, or in an omelet.
Try a different mild cheese. Flavors and textures vary a lot.
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 cheddar

Keep cheddar in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below. Hard cheese such as cheddar keeps for 6 months unopened and 3 to 4 weeks after opening. It can be frozen for 6 months.
Cooked dishes with cheddar, such as pasta bakes, keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
They can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. 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 baby has had any reaction to dairy, even a mild one. Stop offering it 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.

Offered cheddar?

Add it to your first 100 foods.