Dried apricots
Sweet, golden and easy to keep in the cupboard. Stew them soft, then mash or chop.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat dried apricots from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve dried apricots by age
6 months+
Stewed and mashed or blended
Simmer dried apricots in water for about 10 minutes, or soak them in just-boiled water until very soft. Mash or blend with a little of the cooking water, then stir into iron-fortified cereal or oatmeal, or spread thinly on toast fingers once wheat has been introduced on its own. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months.
- Size
- Mashed or blended smooth and stirred into a soft food, or spread thinly on a toast finger about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in). No whole or dry pieces.
- Check before serving
- The mash should be smooth, with no chewy skin pieces. Squash a stewed apricot between your thumb and finger: it should flatten with no effort and not feel leathery.
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+
Stewed and chopped
Chop stewed apricots into small pieces and stir them into oatmeal, plain full-fat yogurt (once dairy has been introduced on its own) or soft rice. Chopped pieces mixed into a moist food are easier to manage than loose, sticky pieces.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), soft and moist.
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger. If it's leathery, stew it longer.
12 months+
Soft chopped pieces or in dishes
Keep stewing or soaking dried apricots and chopping them, or cook them into soft family foods like porridge, stews and tagines. Don't switch to whole dried apricots at 1: the NHS says to always cut dried fruit into small pieces, and the CDC lists uncooked dried fruit as a choking hazard for young children, with no age when it becomes safe.
- Size
- Chopped pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) or smaller, or cooked into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: soft and moist, not leathery.
18 months+
Chopped, stewed or cooked into dishes
Offer chopped, softened apricots in porridge, baking or savory dishes. Offer dried fruit with meals rather than as a snack between meals, to help protect your toddler's teeth. Make sure your toddler sits down to eat, and stay with them.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or cooked into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Check pieces are soft and moist. Dry, leathery apricots are harder to chew.
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 dried apricots
- 1
Choose plain dried apricots with no added sugar. If your child has reacted to sulfites before, pick a pack that doesn't list sulfites or sulfur dioxide. Rinse them in a sieve under running water.
- 2
Put them in a small pan, cover with water and simmer for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Or soak them in just-boiled water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- 3
Let them cool. Mash or blend with a little of the cooking water (6 months), or chop into small pieces (9 months+).
- 4
Stir them into a soft, moist food such as oatmeal or yogurt, so the pieces don't stick together.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or two of mashed apricot stirred into a familiar food. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Dried apricots are sweet and rich in fiber, so a small amount mixed into a meal is plenty.
Common mistakes
Serving dried apricots as they come
Dry apricots are sticky and chewy. The CDC lists uncooked dried fruit as a choking hazard for young children, and the NHS says not to give whole dried fruit to babies under 1 and to always cut it into small pieces. Stew or soak them until soft, then mash or chop them.
Using them as a between-meal snack
The sugar in dried fruit can cause tooth decay. The NHS suggests giving dried fruit with meals rather than as a snack in between.
Skipping the label after a sulfite reaction
Some dried apricots are treated with sulfites (the standard USDA record is for sulfured apricots). If your child has reacted to sulfites before, check the ingredients for sulfites, sulfur dioxide or sodium metabisulfite.
Serving a big pile of loose pieces
Sticky pieces can clump together in the mouth. Mix them into a moist food instead.
Where US and UK guidance differ on dried apricots
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC lists uncooked dried fruit as a choking hazard for young children, without a set age, so keep softening dried apricots and mashing or chopping them through the toddler years. The FDA requires sulfites to be declared on food labels at 10 parts per million or more.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says not to give whole dried fruit to babies under 1, to always cut it into small pieces, and to give dried fruit with meals, not as a snack, to protect teeth. It lists sulfur dioxide, sometimes found in dried fruits, among foods that can trigger a reaction.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can dried apricots be a choking hazard for babies?
Dry apricots are a choking hazard: the CDC lists uncooked dried fruit as a food to avoid for young children, and warns against small, sticky foods. Stew or soak dried apricots until soft, then mash or chop them and mix them into a moist food. Make sure your child sits down to eat, and stay with them.
Can babies be allergic to dried apricots?
Dried apricots are not a common allergen. Some are treated with sulfites (sulfur dioxide): the standard USDA FoodData Central record for dried apricots is for sulfured apricots. The NHS lists sulfur dioxide, sometimes found in dried fruits, among foods that can trigger a reaction, though it says reactions to additives like sulphites are much less common than reactions to ordinary foods. In the US, the FDA requires sulfites to be declared on the label at 10 parts per million or more, because some sensitive people react, for example with asthma. Check the label if your child has reacted to sulfites before.
Are dried apricots healthy for babies?
Dried apricots give fiber, potassium and some iron: about 7.3 g of fiber, 1,160 mg of potassium and 2.7 mg of iron per 100 g. A baby-sized serving is small, so it only adds a little of each. They are high in natural sugar, about 53 g per 100 g.
When can babies eat dried apricots?
From around 6 months, stewed or soaked until soft and mashed or blended into a soft food. The NHS says not to give whole dried fruit to babies under 1, and to always cut it into small pieces.
Do dried apricots contain sulfites?
Some do: the NHS says sulfur dioxide is sometimes found in dried fruits, and the standard USDA record for dried apricots is for sulfured apricots. Check the ingredients for sulfites, sulfur dioxide or sodium metabisulfite. In the US, the FDA requires sulfites to be listed on the label at 10 parts per million or more. The NHS says only a few people react to additives like sulphites, but if your child has reacted to sulfites before or has asthma, choose packs without them and ask your pediatrician.
Can dried apricots help with constipation?
They contain fiber. The NHS lists not eating enough high-fiber foods like fruit and vegetables, and not drinking enough, among causes of constipation in children, and the AAP suggests offering high-fiber foods once your baby is eating solids. If you think your child is constipated, the NHS advises seeing your GP and getting help early, and the AAP says to see your pediatrician if it lasts more than a week or you see blood in the poop.
Are dried apricots bad for teeth?
They can be. The NHS says the sugar in dried fruit can cause tooth decay, so it's best to offer them with meals rather than as a snack between meals.
If your baby refuses dried apricots
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Stir mashed apricot into oatmeal or yogurt instead of offering it on its own.
- 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 dried apricots
- Keep dried apricots in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard.
- Stewed or soaked apricots keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Apricot purée can be frozen in small portions and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and use it within 24 hours of thawing. If you warm it, reheat it only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, 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 child has asthma or has reacted to sulfites before. Ask your pediatrician whether dried fruit treated with sulfites is OK for them.
- Your baby seems constipated and high-fiber foods aren't helping, constipation lasts more than a week, or you see blood in their poop.
- 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
- NHS: Preparing food safely for babies
- NHS: What to feed young children
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- FDA: Food allergies
- NHS: Constipation in children
- AAP: Abdominal pain in infants
- USDA FoodData Central: Apricots, dried, sulfured, uncooked
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- AAP: Is it OK to make my own baby food?
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
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