Congee
Silky rice porridge, simmered soft and unsalted. Gentle, mild and easy to share.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat congee from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve congee by age
6 months+
Smooth congee on a spoon
Simmer rice in plenty of water until the grains break down into a soft porridge, with no salt or stock. Blend or mash it smooth, loosening it with a little water, breast milk or formula, and let it cool. Load a spoon and hand it to your baby. If rice is new, offer it plain and earlier in the day: see when to call the doctor.
- Size
- A pre-loaded spoon of smooth, thick congee, blended or mashed with no firm grains.
- Check before serving
- Squash a little between your thumb and finger. It should mash flat, with no firm grains.
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+
Thicker congee with soft toppings
Serve it thicker and unblended, with soft toppings your baby already eats, such as mashed sweet potato, flaked fish or egg stirred in and cooked until firm. Let your baby practice with a spoon.
- Size
- Soft congee, unblended, with any toppings in pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each grain and topping should squash flat between your thumb and finger.
12 months+
Congee from the family pot
Serve congee from the family pot before any seasoning goes in, topped with soft foods such as finely shredded cooked chicken, flaked cooked fish or soft-cooked greens. Leave out salty toppings like soy sauce and century, salted or pickled eggs.
- Size
- Soft congee, with toppings cut to about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check toppings are soft and small, and that fish has no bones.
18 months+
Family congee with toppings
Offer congee the way your family eats it, with soft toppings cut small. Fried dough sticks and crispy toppings are hard and crunchy, so skip them or soak them soft in the congee first. Keep rotating rice with other grains through the week.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) for anything on top.
- Check before serving
- Check for bones in fish, hard crispy bits and anything round or firm.
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 congee
- 1
Put 1 part rice in a large pan with about 10 to 12 parts water. Don't add salt, stock cubes or ready-made stock.
- 2
Bring it to a boil, then simmer very gently for about an hour, stirring often near the end, until the grains break down into a thick, silky porridge. Add boiling water if it gets too thick. Our rice congee recipe has the full method.
- 3
For toppings, cook them fully: stir beaten egg into simmering congee until it sets into firm strands with no runny egg, and cook fish until it flakes easily. Offer egg or fish only once your baby has had each on its own.
- 4
Spread your baby's portion in a shallow bowl, stir, and let it cool: congee holds heat. Cool leftovers quickly, ideally within 1 hour, then refrigerate.
- 5
First time? Offer plain congee earlier in the day, so you can watch your baby for a few hours afterward. Rice can cause a delayed reaction: see when to call the doctor.
How much to offer
Start with a few teaspoons. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Congee is mostly water, so add soft toppings such as fish, egg or vegetables as your baby grows, and rotate rice with other grains, such as oats, barley and quinoa.
Common mistakes
Adding salt, stock or salty toppings
Babies shouldn't have salt, and the NHS says not to use stock cubes or gravy in their food. Skip century, salted or pickled eggs: they're very salty. Keep soy sauce and salty toppings for adults' bowls.
Keeping leftover congee for days
Cooked rice needs extra care. Cool it within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat it only once (NHS).
Serving rice every day
Rice takes up more arsenic than other grains. Congee keeps its cooking water, so draining doesn't lower arsenic here. Rotate congee with porridges and dishes made from oats, barley, quinoa or couscous.
Undercooked egg or fish on top
Cook egg stirred into congee until it sets into firm strands, and cook fish until it flakes. The CDC lists runny eggs and undercooked fish as riskier choices for children under 5.
Where US and UK guidance differ on congee
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
USDA FSIS gives 3 to 4 days in the fridge for cooked leftovers in general. For rice, we follow the stricter UK rule for everyone. FDA research found that cooking rice in plenty of water and draining it lowers arsenic, but congee keeps its cooking water, so that doesn't apply here. The AAP suggests switching up grains, such as oats, barley and quinoa, so make rice one of several grains your baby eats.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says to cool rice within 1 hour, eat it within 24 hours and never reheat it more than once. It says not to add salt, stock cubes or gravy to your baby's food, and notes the UK sets maximum arsenic levels for rice products, with stricter limits for foods for young children.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can congee be a choking hazard for babies?
Smooth congee is a low choking risk. Loose, firm rice grains, fish bones and crunchy toppings like fried dough sticks are harder to manage. The CDC lists whole kernels of cooked grains as a choking risk for young children, so blend or mash congee at first, check fish for bones, and skip hard, crispy toppings. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to congee?
Plain rice congee contains none of the common food allergens. Rice is, though, one of the most common grain triggers of FPIES, a delayed reaction that causes repeated vomiting a few hours after eating: see when to call the doctor. Toppings can add allergens, such as egg, fish, shellfish, sesame oil or soy sauce, so introduce each on its own first.
Is congee healthy for babies?
Congee is mostly water and rice starch: FoodData Central's congee has about 39 calories, 0.8 g of protein and 0.4 mg of iron per 100 g. Its recipe includes salt, giving about 234 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 0.6 g of salt); homemade congee for babies has no salt added. Toppings such as egg or fish add protein.
Can babies eat congee at 6 months?
Yes. Plain congee, simmered until very soft and blended or mashed smooth, with no salt or stock, can be offered from around 6 months on a pre-loaded spoon. If rice is new, offer it on its own first, earlier in the day.
Is congee safe, given the arsenic in rice?
Yes, as part of a varied diet. Rice takes up more arsenic than other grains, and the AAP and FDA advise feeding a variety of grains. FDA research found cooking rice in plenty of water and draining it lowers arsenic, but congee keeps its water, so make it one of several grains your baby eats rather than an everyday food.
How long does congee keep in the fridge?
No more than 1 day. The NHS says to cool rice within 1 hour, eat it within 24 hours and never reheat it more than once. This is stricter than the 3 to 4 days given for most cooked leftovers.
Can babies have century egg in congee?
It's best to leave it out. Century eggs, salted duck eggs and pickled eggs are very salty, and the NHS says babies shouldn't eat salty foods. For an egg topping, stir a beaten hen's egg into the congee and cook it until firm.
If your baby refuses congee
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Stir in a food your baby already likes, such as mashed sweet potato or pumpkin.
- Try a different texture: smoother, or a little thicker.
- 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 congee
- Cool cooked congee quickly, ideally within 1 hour: spread it in shallow containers, then refrigerate. Eat it within 1 day, and reheat it only once.
- Or cool it quickly (within 1 hour) and freeze small portions the same day, for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, eat them within 24 hours of thawing and reheat them only once, until steaming hot.
- Congee thickens as it cools: stir in a little water, then reheat it only once, to a rolling boil or 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, and let it 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 vomits a few hours after eating congee. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy, and rice is one of the most common grain triggers. 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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Recipes with congee
Helpful guides
Sources
- FDA: What you can do to limit exposure to arsenic
- AAP: Heavy metals in baby food
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Congee
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- USDA FSIS: Freezing and food safety
More first foods
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