When can babies eat egg?

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

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Egg

A top allergen worth introducing early, and a source of protein and choline.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedAllergen: Egg

How to serve egg by age

6 months+

Omelet strips or mashed egg

Cook an omelet until firm and cut it into finger-length strips, or mash a hard-boiled egg with breast milk or formula and serve on a pre-loaded spoon. Wait to mix in yogurt until dairy has been introduced on its own.

Size: Omelet strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Cut into the thickest part of the omelet. No wet or runny egg should be left.

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 egg

1
Whisk 1 egg with a splash of breast milk, formula or water. Don't add salt.
2
Cook in a lightly oiled pan over medium-low heat, flipping once, until it's set all the way through.
3
Let it cool a little, then cut it into finger-length strips.
4
For the very first taste, mash a little hard-boiled egg and stir about a quarter of a teaspoon into a food your baby already eats (ASCIA). The omelet strips come once egg has gone down well.
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 small amount, such as a quarter of a teaspoon of mashed hard-boiled egg mixed into a food your baby already eats (ASCIA). If there's no reaction, offer more next time, including omelet strips. After that, the goal is to keep egg in your baby's diet regularly, not to finish a portion.

Common mistakes

Putting egg off out of fear of allergy

Waiting doesn't prevent allergy. Guidance is to introduce well-cooked egg around 6 months, and not before 4 months.

Offering it once and stopping

Once egg is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly. Use the tracker below to see when you last offered it.

Introducing egg and dairy at the same time

Offer egg on its own first, so you know what caused any reaction.

Round slices of hard-boiled egg

Mash it for young babies, or chop it into pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) once they can pick up small pieces.

Where US and UK guidance differ on egg

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Cook eggs until the white and yolk are firm. Egg dishes such as omelets, frittatas and egg muffins should reach 160°F (71°C). Avoid raw or undercooked egg, including raw batter and homemade mayonnaise.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

Hens' eggs with the British Lion stamp can be served soft-cooked or runny. Other hens' eggs, and all duck, goose and quail eggs, should be cooked until the white and yolk are solid.

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

Questions parents ask

Can egg be a choking hazard for babies?

Well-cooked egg is a low choking risk. Avoid serving hard-boiled egg in round slices to young babies. Mash it, or chop it into small pieces instead.

Can babies be allergic to egg?

Egg is one of the most common food allergens. Current guidance is to introduce well-cooked egg around 6 months (not before 4 months) and keep offering it regularly. Start with a small amount when your baby is well and watch for signs of a reaction. Allergy testing is not required before trying egg. If your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy, talk to your pediatrician about introducing allergens promptly, not about putting egg off. Duck, goose and quail eggs count as eggs too: the ACAAI says people allergic to chicken eggs may also be allergic to other eggs, so offer them the same careful way. Egg can also trigger FPIES, a delayed reaction. Egg is a less common trigger in most countries, though it's the third most common in Australia: see when to call the doctor.

Is egg healthy for babies?

A source of protein, choline and vitamin B12. It also provides some iron and vitamin D, but not enough on its own to cover a baby's needs.

How often should my baby eat egg?

Once your baby has had egg without a reaction, keep offering it regularly. Expert guidance stresses regular eating over a one-time taste, but doesn't set an exact number, so follow your pediatrician's advice if they give one.

Can babies eat scrambled eggs?

Yes, from around 6 months, cooked until no runny parts remain. Large soft clumps are easier to pick up at first; move to smaller pieces as the pincer grasp develops.

How soon would an egg reaction show?

Reactions usually start within minutes of eating, but can take up to 2 hours. See the signs to look for, and when to get help, on our allergens page.

If your baby refuses egg

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: strips, mashed, scrambled, or baked into pancakes.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
If your baby keeps refusing egg and you're relying on it as an early allergen, mention it to your pediatrician.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing egg

Keep eggs in the fridge.
Cooked egg dishes keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once. Hard-boiled eggs keep for up to 1 week; refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking.
Omelet strips and egg muffins can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them 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 severe eczema or another food allergy. Ask about introducing egg promptly, not about putting it off.
Your baby has had any reaction to egg, even a mild one. Stop offering it until you've talked to your pediatrician.
Your baby vomits a few hours after eating egg. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy. Egg is a less common trigger in most countries, though it's the third most common in Australia. 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.

Offered egg?

Add it to your first 100 foods.