When can babies eat cilantro?

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

Cilantro

Also called fresh coriander. A finely chopped pinch brings bright flavor to soft food.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve cilantro by age

6 months+

Finely chopped, cooked into soft food

Rinse fresh cilantro, pick off the leaves and chop them very finely. Stir a small amount into a hot dish such as dhal and let it cook for a minute or two, then mash or blend your baby's portion to a texture they can manage.

Size: Finely chopped leaves, with no whole sprigs or stems, cooked into mashed or soft foods, such as lentils, rice or beans.
Check before serving: Check there are no whole leaves, sprigs or stems in your baby's portion.

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 cilantro

1
Rinse the cilantro under plain running water, then pat it dry with a clean towel. There's no need for soap or produce wash.
2
Pick the leaves off the stems and throw the stems away.
3
Chop the leaves very finely.
4
For babies under 1, stir a small amount into a dish while it cooks and heat it for a minute or two so the cilantro softens. Don't add salt.

How much to offer

Start with a small pinch of chopped cilantro in a food your baby already knows. An NHS dhal recipe for babies uses 2 to 3 sprigs for 8 portions. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Cilantro is a flavor, so there's no amount to aim for.

Common mistakes

Leaving whole sprigs or stems

The AAP says babies shouldn't be given food that needs chewing, and lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid under 1. Pick off the leaves, chop them finely and cook them into food.

Skipping the rinse

Rinse fresh herbs under plain running water and pat them dry with a clean towel, as the FDA advises for all fresh produce.

Using whole coriander seeds

The CDC lists whole or chopped seeds as a choking hazard for young children. Use ground coriander, cooked into the dish.

Seasoning the family pot first

Take your baby's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or chili to the family meal.

Where US and UK guidance differ on cilantro

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning, and that most vegetables should be cooked until soft for babies under 1. It doesn't mention cilantro or other herbs, and no AAP page gives an age for them. If you use cilantro, stir it into the dish while it cooks. If you'd rather follow the seasoning line closely, leave it out until 12 months, or ask your pediatrician.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says not to add salt or sugar, including stock cubes and gravy, to your baby's food or cooking water. Its dhal for babies from 6 months sprinkles chopped fresh coriander over the hot cooked dish and then blends it, and its lamb curry for 7 to 9 months uses ground coriander. Its general salt advice suggests herbs and spices to add flavor instead of salt. If you use cilantro, chop it finely and keep the dish unsalted.

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

Questions parents ask

Can cilantro be a choking hazard for babies?

Finely chopped cilantro cooked into soft food is a low choking risk. Whole sprigs and tough stems are a different matter: the AAP says babies shouldn't be given food that needs chewing, so pick off the leaves and chop them finely. The CDC lists whole or chopped seeds as a choking hazard, so use ground coriander rather than whole coriander seeds. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to cilantro?

Cilantro is not a common allergen. The AAAAI says true allergy to herbs and spices is very rare, though there are rare case reports of severe reactions to coriander. Offer it in a small amount at first, as with any new food.

Is cilantro healthy for babies?

A quarter cup of fresh cilantro leaves weighs only about 4 g (FoodData Central), so the amount in a baby's portion adds flavor rather than nutrients. It is not a source of iron to count on.

Can babies eat cilantro?

Yes, from around 6 months, finely chopped and cooked into food. The NHS includes fresh coriander in a dhal recipe for babies from 6 months. US and UK advice is worded differently: see the guidance note below.

Is cilantro the same as coriander?

Yes, it's the same plant. In the US the leaves are called cilantro; in the UK they're called fresh coriander. Coriander seeds come from the same plant: use them ground and cooked into food, never whole.

Can babies have raw cilantro?

For babies under 1, cook it in. The AAP says most vegetables should be cooked until soft and lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid before age 1, so stir finely chopped cilantro into a hot dish for a minute or two. The NHS dhal recipe for babies from 6 months sprinkles chopped fresh coriander over the hot cooked dhal, then blends or mashes it. From 12 months, when NHS snack ideas include raw vegetables, you can stir finely chopped fresh cilantro into soft food.

If your baby refuses cilantro

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Use less cilantro and mix it into a food your baby already enjoys.
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 cilantro

Keep fresh cilantro in the fridge, and rinse it just before you use it.
Keep ground coriander in a closed container somewhere cool and dry.
Cooked dishes with cilantro keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Freezer times depend on the dish, so follow the food page or recipe for what you cooked. Reheat cooked dishes only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving. Cooked rice has stricter rules: cool it within 1 hour, eat it within 1 day and reheat it only once. See the rice page.
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 cilantro?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

Helpful guides

Sources

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