Eggplant
Soft, silky and soaks up flavor. Peel it, roast it, let them squish it.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat eggplant from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve eggplant by age
6 months+
Peeled roasted strips or mashed
Peel the eggplant, cut it into finger-sized strips, then roast or steam until very soft and creamy all the way through. Or mash the cooked flesh with a fork and serve on a pre-loaded spoon, or spread it 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
- Strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or mashed.
- Check before serving
- Squash a strip between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily. If the middle still feels firm or spongy, cook it longer.
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+
Small soft pieces
Chop peeled, soft-cooked eggplant into small pieces, or stir it into pasta, lentils, rice or couscous. Peeling is still easiest; if you leave the skin on, cook it until tender and chop it small.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger. Check that no tough strips of skin are left.
12 months+
Chopped or in family dishes
Serve soft-cooked eggplant in family meals: ratatouille, curries, pasta sauce or stews. Chop any skin into small pieces, or remove it if your toddler struggles with it.
- Size
- Small soft pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: soft enough to flatten with gentle pressure.
18 months+
Soft-cooked pieces or in dishes
Keep serving eggplant cooked until soft: roasted, in curries, stews, or baked dishes like moussaka. Roasted is fine if it's soft all the way through. Trim crisp or charred edges.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or mixed into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test, especially with roasted or grilled eggplant.
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 eggplant
- 1
Rinse the eggplant under running water, gently rubbing the skin, then trim off the stem.
- 2
Peel it for young babies. The skin can stay chewy even after cooking.
- 3
Cut into finger-sized strips and roast at 200°C (390°F) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or steam for about 10 minutes, until very soft and creamy. Use a little oil and no salt.
- 4
Let it cool, then do the squash test. Mash it, or chop it into small pieces for 9 months+.
How much to offer
Start with one or two strips, or a teaspoon or two of mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of squashing and smearing is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Undercooking it
Firm or spongy eggplant is hard for babies to manage. Cook it until it's soft and creamy all the way through.
Leaving the skin on for young babies
The skin can stay chewy after cooking. Peel it for babies, and chop it small if you leave it on for older babies and toddlers.
Salting it before cooking
Many recipes salt eggplant first. Babies shouldn't have added salt, so skip this step for your baby's portion.
Stopping after a few refusals
Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering a little, alongside foods they already like.
Questions parents ask
Can eggplant be a choking hazard for babies?
Raw eggplant is firm, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children. Cook eggplant until very soft, and peel it for young babies, because the skin can stay chewy. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to eggplant?
Eggplant is not a common allergen. Like tomato, it can cause a red rash around the mouth or on the hands where the food touches the skin. This is a contact reaction, not an allergy, and it fades once the skin is wiped clean. Baba ganoush usually contains tahini, which is made from sesame, a common allergen: offer sesame on its own first.
Is eggplant healthy for babies?
Cooked eggplant is mostly water (about 90%) and provides some fiber, about 2.5 g per 100 g. It isn't a major source of vitamins, minerals or iron, so serve it alongside iron-rich foods such as meat, beans, lentils or iron-fortified cereal.
Should I peel eggplant for my baby?
Yes, for young babies. The skin can stay chewy even when the flesh is soft. Older babies and toddlers can have the skin if it's cooked until tender and chopped small.
Can babies eat baba ganoush?
Yes, homemade without added salt, once your baby has had sesame on its own without a reaction. Baba ganoush usually contains tahini (sesame), and shop-bought versions often have added salt.
Is eggplant a good source of iron?
No. Cooked eggplant has very little iron. It's a good vegetable to serve alongside iron-rich foods, such as meat, beans, lentils or iron-fortified cereal, in a curry or stew.
If your baby refuses eggplant
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try it mashed onto toast fingers, or stirred into pasta or lentils instead of as strips.
- 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 eggplant
- Keep whole eggplant in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C).
- Cooked eggplant keeps 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.
- Cooked eggplant mash or dishes like ratatouille can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, use them within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat them 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:
- 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: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
- USDA FoodData Central: Eggplant, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- FDA: Food allergies
- NHS South West London Healthier Together: Contact reactions to foods in babies and toddlers
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- AAP: Is it OK to make my own baby food?
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- USDA FSIS: Freezing and food safety
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
More first foods
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