Cream of wheat
A smooth, warm wheat porridge with added iron. Easy to make thin or thick.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat cream of wheat from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve cream of wheat by age
6 months+
Smooth porridge on a pre-loaded spoon
Cook plain cream of wheat (farina) in water, whisking so it stays smooth, with no salt or sugar. Thin it with breast milk or formula for the first tastes. Load a spoon and hand it to your baby, or let them scoop with their hands. Offer it once your baby has had wheat on its own, or as their first taste of wheat.
- Size
- A pre-loaded spoon of smooth porridge, thin enough to slide slowly off a tipped spoon at first, then thicker.
- Check before serving
- Rub a little between your thumb and finger. It should feel smooth, with no lumps or gritty grains. Stir it and check it's only just warm.
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 porridge with soft fruit
Make it a little thicker, and stir in mashed or chopped soft fruit your baby already eats, such as banana or pear cooked until soft. Let your baby practice with a spoon.
- Size
- Thick porridge, with any soft fruit stirred in as pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Any fruit pieces should squash easily between your thumb and finger.
12 months+
Porridge with soft toppings
Cook it in water or whole milk, and top it with soft fruit cut into small pieces. Quarter or flatten small round fruit such as blueberries. Sweeten with fruit, not sugar, syrup or honey: honey is safe from 12 months as far as botulism goes, but it's an added sugar, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar until after age 4.
- Size
- Soft toppings in pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Stir it well and check the temperature: thick porridge stays hot in the middle.
18 months+
Family breakfast porridge
Share the family pot of plain cream of wheat, with soft fruit on top. Flavored instant packets, such as maple and brown sugar, wait until after age 4 because of their added sugar. Keep rotating grains: oatmeal, other infant cereals and whole grains.
- Size
- Spoonfuls of porridge, with toppings about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
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 cream of wheat
- 1
Choose plain regular or quick cream of wheat (farina), with no added sugar or flavor. Check the label says it's enriched, which means iron has been added.
- 2
Bring water to a boil, or whole milk once your baby has had dairy on its own (see US and UK advice below). Don't add salt.
- 3
Pour in the farina slowly, whisking so it doesn't go lumpy, then simmer it, stirring, until thick and smooth. Follow the package time.
- 4
For young babies, thin it with breast milk or formula. Let it cool, stir well and check the temperature 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 very first taste, offer a teaspoon or two. 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. Once wheat is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly.
Common mistakes
Using flavored instant packets
Flavored packets have added sugar: one brand's maple and brown sugar instant cereal has about 37 g of sugars per 100 g of dry cereal. US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar until after age 4, so use plain cream of wheat and sweeten it with fruit.
Adding sugar, honey or syrup
Babies don't need added sugar, and honey is never safe before 12 months because of the risk of infant botulism. Stir in mashed fruit instead.
Cooking it in milk before dairy has been introduced
Milk is another common allergen. Cook cream of wheat in water at first, so that if there's a reaction, you know whether wheat caused it.
Serving it straight from the pan
Thick porridge holds its heat, especially from the microwave. Stir it well and test the temperature before serving.
Where US and UK guidance differ on cream of wheat
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months. If you follow US advice, cook your baby's cream of wheat in water, or stir in breast milk or formula instead.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months, but shouldn't be given as a main drink until 12 months.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can cream of wheat be a choking hazard for babies?
Smooth cooked cream of wheat is a low choking risk. Whisk it while it cooks so there are no lumps, and stir soft toppings in as small pieces. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to cream of wheat?
Cream of wheat is farina, which is made from wheat, so it can trigger allergic reactions and it contains gluten. Foods with gluten can be introduced from around 6 months, one new allergen at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction. Once wheat is part of your baby's diet and they're fine with it, keep offering it regularly. If your baby already eats bread or pasta without a problem, cream of wheat isn't a new allergen. Check the label on flavored versions for other allergens, and introduce any new ones on their own first. Wheat allergy is different from celiac disease, a digestive condition triggered by gluten.
Is cream of wheat healthy for babies?
Enriched cream of wheat (farina) has added iron: quick-cooking farina cooked in water has about 5.3 mg of iron per 100 g, so 2 tablespoons (about 30 g) give about 1.5 mg. Amounts vary by brand, so check the label. Cooked in water without salt, it has very little sodium (about 18 mg per 100 g).
Can babies eat cream of wheat at 6 months?
Yes. Cook it smooth in water with no salt or sugar, thin it with breast milk or formula, and offer it on a pre-loaded spoon. It's a wheat food, so start with a small amount and watch for a reaction.
Does cream of wheat have iron?
Enriched cream of wheat does, because iron is added: about 1.5 mg in 2 tablespoons of cooked porridge. The NHS suggests foods that contain iron, such as meat, fish, fortified breakfast cereals, dark green vegetables, beans and lentils, so serve it alongside other iron-rich foods too.
Cream of wheat or oatmeal: which is better for babies?
Both are fine. Cream of wheat is made from wheat and usually has added iron; plain oats don't contain wheat. Rotating them, along with other grains, gives your baby a varied diet.
Are instant cream of wheat packets OK for babies?
Plain, unflavored instant cream of wheat is fine: check the label for salt. Flavored packets have added sugar, so they wait until after age 4.
If your baby refuses cream of wheat
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try it thinner or thicker. Some babies prefer one or the other.
- Stir in a fruit your baby already likes, such as mashed banana or pear cooked until soft.
- 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 cream of wheat
- Keep dry cream of wheat in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
- Cooked cream of wheat keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- It can be frozen in small portions for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the fridge and eat it within 24 hours of thawing. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, stir, then 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 has had any reaction to wheat, even a mild one. Stop offering it until you've talked to your pediatrician.
- Your child has ongoing diarrhea, tummy pain or bloating, or isn't growing as expected, while eating foods with gluten. These can be signs of celiac disease.
- 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
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- ACAAI: Wheat allergy
- NHS: Coeliac disease
- CDC: Cow's milk and milk alternatives
- USDA FoodData Central: Cereals, farina, enriched, assorted brands including Cream of Wheat, quick, cooked with water, without salt
- USDA FoodData Central: Instant hot cereal, maple brown sugar (one brand, dry)
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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