Cherries
A sweet summer fruit. Take out every pit, then quarter, top to bottom.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat cherries from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve cherries by age
6 months+
Pitted, quartered lengthwise and flattened, or mashed
Choose ripe, soft cherries. Take off the stem, remove the pit, and cut each cherry lengthwise into quarters, then press each quarter flat with your finger. Peeling the quarters makes them easier to swallow for young babies. Or mash them and stir into a food your baby already eats, like iron-fortified cereal or oatmeal.
- Size
- Each pitted cherry cut lengthwise (top to bottom) into quarters (4 small pieces), then pressed flat. Or mashed and stirred into a soft food.
- Check before serving
- Check the plate before serving: no pits, no stems, and no round pieces left. Squash a piece between your thumb and finger: it should flatten easily.
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+
Pitted and quartered lengthwise
Offer pitted, quartered cherries for pincer-grasp practice. Peeling is optional, but it can make the pieces easier to manage.
- Size
- Each pitted cherry cut lengthwise (top to bottom) into quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less. Cut large cherries smaller.
- Check before serving
- Check the plate before serving: every cherry pitted and in quarters, with no round pieces left.
12 months+
Pitted and quartered lengthwise
Keep pitting every cherry and cutting it lengthwise into quarters. Halves are still too big and round. Stay with your toddler while they eat.
- Size
- Lengthwise quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less. Cut large cherries smaller.
- Check before serving
- Check the plate before serving: no pits, quarters only, with no halves or round pieces left.
18 months+
Pitted and quartered, or in dishes
Serve pitted, quartered cherries on the side, or stir them into yogurt or oatmeal. Keep pitting and quartering them at home, in lunch boxes and at picnics, and ask grandparents and sitters to do the same. Make sure your toddler sits down to eat, and stay with them.
- Size
- Lengthwise quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less. Cut large cherries smaller.
- Check before serving
- Check the plate before serving: no pits, quarters only, with no halves or round pieces left.
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 cherries
- 1
Rinse the cherries under running water, gently rubbing them, then pat them dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.
- 2
Pull off the stems. Cut each cherry in half from top to bottom and take out the pit. Check every cherry, even ones sold as pitted.
- 3
Cut each half from top to bottom again, to make 4 long quarters.
- 4
For young babies, press each quarter flat or mash them. Check the plate for any pits or round pieces you missed.
How much to offer
Start with a few cherries, pitted, quartered and flattened. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of squashing and dropping is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Serving cherries whole
A whole cherry is round and has a hard pit, both choking hazards. Always take out the pit and cut the cherry lengthwise into quarters.
Missing a pit
Pits are easy to miss, even in cherries sold as pitted. Cut every cherry open and check before serving.
Cutting them in half
Halves are still large and round. Cut each cherry into 4 long quarters.
Using maraschino or cherries in syrup
These have added sugar, which babies don't need. Use fresh or frozen cherries (thawed), or canned cherries in juice, pitted and quartered.
Where US and UK guidance differ on cherries
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
For babies under 1, the AAP says that apart from mashed banana, most fruits should be cooked until soft. If you follow US advice, simmer pitted cherries until soft, then mash them or quarter and flatten them.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says to cut small round fruits like cherries into quarters, always remove stones, and try removing the skin for very young children. Use only ripe cherries that pass the squash test.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can cherries be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole cherries are a choking hazard for young children: the CDC lists uncut cherries as foods to avoid. A cherry is round and firm, and the pit is hard. Always take out the stem and pit, cut each cherry lengthwise into quarters, check the plate for any round pieces, make sure your child sits down to eat, and stay with them.
Can babies be allergic to cherries?
Cherries are not a common allergen.
Are cherries healthy for babies?
Sweet cherries give some potassium, vitamin C and fiber: about 222 mg of potassium, 7 mg of vitamin C and 2 g of fiber per 100 g. They have little iron.
How should I cut cherries for a baby?
Take off the stem, cut the cherry in half from top to bottom, and remove the pit. Then cut each half from top to bottom again, to make 4 long quarters. For young babies, press the quarters flat or mash them.
Can babies eat frozen cherries?
Thaw them first. Frozen pieces are hard. Once thawed, frozen cherries are soft and easy to pit and quarter.
Can babies eat dried cherries?
Not as they come. Dried fruit is small, sticky and chewy: the CDC lists uncooked dried fruit as a choking hazard, and the NHS says not to give whole dried fruit to babies under 1. Soak them until soft, then chop them finely or blend them into a soft food.
If your baby refuses cherries
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- If the skin bothers your baby, peel the quarters, or mash the cherries into oatmeal or yogurt.
- 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 cherries
- Keep fresh cherries in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C), and rinse them just before using.
- Pitted, cut cherries keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Don't give frozen cherries to babies or toddlers straight from the freezer: thaw them first.
- 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.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- NHS: Preparing food safely for babies
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
- USDA FoodData Central: Cherries, sweet, raw
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
More first foods
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