Farro
A chewy, nutty wheat grain. Cook it soft and mash it for little ones.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat farro from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve farro by age
6 months+
Smooth farro porridge or soft patties
Cook farro until very soft, then blend it with some of the cooking water, breast milk or formula. For patties, blend or mash it with a soft vegetable your baby already eats so it holds together, shape it into fingers and bake until just set. Don't serve whole cooked kernels.
- Size
- Blended or mashed to a smooth or slightly lumpy porridge on a pre-loaded spoon, or pressed into soft patties about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Rub a little between your thumb and finger. It should feel smooth or softly lumpy, with no whole, chewy kernels. Patties should squash with gentle pressure.
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+
Mashed farro or soft patties
Cook farro until very soft, mash it well with a fork, and stir it into porridge, mashed vegetables or soft stews. Soft patties cut into small pieces work well too.
- Size
- Mashed to a soft, lumpy texture, or patty pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Mash a spoonful with a fork. It should break down easily, with no firm or chewy kernels.
12 months+
Soft farro in soups and stews
Stir very soft-cooked farro into soups and stews, and mash it with the back of a spoon until no whole kernels are left. Whole kernels of cooked wheat are on the CDC's choking hazard list for young children.
- Size
- Very soft grains mashed so no whole, firm kernels are left, in a moist dish, or patty pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Press a few grains between your fingers. They should squash flat easily.
18 months+
Soft farro in family dishes
Offer farro in family soups, stews and risotto-style dishes, cooked until very soft and mashed until no whole kernels are left. Keep it moist: dry, chewy grains are harder for toddlers to manage.
- Size
- Very soft grains mashed so no whole, firm kernels are left, in moist dishes, or bite-sized patty pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: the grains should flatten with gentle pressure.
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 farro
- 1
Rinse farro in a sieve under cold running water.
- 2
Simmer it in plenty of plain water, following the package (cooking times vary by type), then keep cooking until the grains are very soft, adding more water if it dries out. Don't add salt or stock cubes.
- 3
Blend or mash it with a little cooking water, breast milk or formula to suit your baby's age, then let it cool.
- 4
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 of porridge. 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
Serving whole cooked kernels
Cooked farro kernels are firm and chewy, and the CDC lists whole kernels of cooked wheat as a choking hazard for young children. Mash, grind or blend them.
Undercooking it
Farro takes a while to soften. Keep cooking until it squashes easily between your fingers.
Cooking it in stock
Babies shouldn't have added salt, and stock cubes are often high in salt. Cook farro in plain water.
Pairing it with another new allergen
If wheat is new for your baby, offer farro without other new allergens, such as egg or dairy, so you know what caused any reaction.
Questions parents ask
Can farro be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole cooked farro kernels are firm and chewy, and the CDC lists whole kernels of cooked wheat and other grains as a choking hazard for young children. The CDC advises cooking whole-grain kernels and finely grinding or mashing them. Serve farro as smooth porridge, mashed into moist food or in soft patties, and stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to farro?
Farro is a type of wheat, which 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 wheat foods like bread or pasta without a problem, they've had wheat before, but start farro with a small amount too. Gluten is also what triggers celiac disease, a lifelong autoimmune condition that affects at least 1 in 100 people in the UK.
Is farro healthy for babies?
FoodData Central lists only dry, uncooked farro (pearled): per 100 g dry, it has about 12.6 g of protein, 7.3 g of fiber and 3.2 mg of iron. Babies eat only a few spoonfuls of cooked farro, so it isn't counted as an iron-rich food.
Is farro gluten-free?
No. Farro is a variety of wheat, so it contains gluten and isn't suitable for anyone with celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
Can babies eat farro at 6 months?
Yes. Cook it until very soft and serve it blended into a porridge, mashed into a familiar food, or in soft patties, with no whole kernels. It's a wheat food, so start with a small amount.
Is farro the same as spelt?
Not quite, but both are types of wheat. The Celiac Disease Foundation lists farro, spelt, emmer and einkorn among the varieties of wheat, so all of them contain gluten.
Can babies eat farro every day?
Yes, as part of a varied diet. The AAP suggests switching up your baby's grains, and names farro alongside oats, barley, couscous, quinoa and bulgur.
If your baby refuses farro
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Mix it into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed sweet potato or a favorite stew.
- Try another form: smooth porridge, soft patties, or mashed into soup.
- 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 farro
- Cool cooked farro quickly and refrigerate it within 1 hour. Spores of some food poisoning bacteria can survive cooking grains, and reheating won't remove the toxins they make.
- Cooked farro 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 farro can be frozen in small portions for 3 to 4 months. Reheat 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 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, especially if a parent, brother or sister has celiac disease. Ask your doctor whether testing is needed.
- 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.
Last offered today. Once farro is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: When, what, and how to introduce solid foods
- AAP: Heavy metals in baby food
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Coeliac disease
- Celiac Disease Foundation: Sources of gluten
- NHS: Starchy foods and carbohydrates
- Castoria et al. (2005): Occurrence of mycotoxin in farro samples from southern Italy (Journal of Food Protection)
- USDA FoodData Central: Farro, pearled, dry, raw
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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