When can babies eat garlic?

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

Garlic

A little cooked garlic brings family flavor to your baby's plate, no salt needed.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsMedium choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve garlic by age

6 months+

Cooked garlic mashed or blended into food

Cook finely minced garlic gently in a little oil until soft, or roast whole cloves until they're soft enough to squeeze out of the skin, then mash. Stir a small amount into foods your baby already eats. No garlic salt, stock cubes or seasoning mixes.

Size: Finely minced and cooked, or soft roasted cloves mashed into soft foods, such as lentils, potato or pasta sauce.
Check before serving: Squash any garlic you can see between your thumb and finger. It should be a soft paste, with no firm bits.

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 garlic

1
Separate the cloves and peel off the papery skin. Trim the hard root end.
2
Mince the cloves finely, or leave them whole in their skins if you're roasting them.
3
Cook minced garlic gently in a little oil for a minute or two, stirring, until soft but not brown, before adding the rest of the dish. Roast whole cloves until very soft, then squeeze them out and mash. Don't add salt.
4
Make sure there are no whole cloves or firm pieces in your baby's portion, and let the food cool before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a small amount of cooked garlic in a food your baby already knows, as you would in a family dish. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Garlic is a flavor, so there's no amount to aim for.

Common mistakes

Using garlic salt or seasoning mixes

Garlic salt and many seasoning blends contain salt. Babies shouldn't have added salt. Use fresh garlic, or check the label on garlic powder.

Leaving whole cloves in the dish

A whole clove is small and firm unless it's roasted very soft. Take cloves out of your baby's portion, or mash them.

Storing homemade garlic oil at room temperature

The CDC lists chopped garlic in oil as a source of botulism. Keep homemade garlic oil in the fridge and throw it away after 4 days.

Seasoning the family pot first

Take your baby's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or gravy to the family meal.

Where US and UK guidance differ on garlic

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning. It doesn't mention garlic, and no AAP page gives an age for it. If you'd rather follow that line closely, leave garlic out until 12 months, or ask your pediatrician.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says not to add salt or sugar, including stock cubes and gravy, to your baby's food or cooking water. It doesn't list garlic among foods to avoid, and its general salt advice suggests garlic, herbs and spices to add flavor instead of salt. If you use garlic, keep it cooked, mild and unsalted.

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

Questions parents ask

Can garlic be a choking hazard for babies?

Raw garlic cloves are small and firm, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children. Serve garlic minced and cooked into food, or roasted until very soft and mashed. Don't give whole cloves, raw or cooked, or crunchy fried garlic. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to garlic?

Garlic is not a common allergen.

Is garlic healthy for babies?

Garlic is used in such small amounts that it adds flavor rather than nutrients. It is not a source of iron to count on.

Can babies eat garlic?

Yes, from around 6 months, cooked into food. A little cooked garlic is an easy way to give your baby the flavors of family meals without adding salt. US and UK advice is worded differently: see the guidance note below.

Can babies have garlic powder?

Fresh cooked garlic is the simplest choice. If you use garlic powder, check the label: garlic salt and many seasoning mixes contain salt, and babies shouldn't have salt added to their food.

Does garlic change the taste of breast milk?

It can. In a small study, milk smelled more strongly of garlic for a few hours after mothers ate garlic, and babies stayed on the breast longer, not less.

Can I make garlic oil for my baby's food?

Yes, but store it safely. The CDC lists chopped garlic in oil as a source of botulism. Keep homemade garlic oil in the fridge and throw it away after 4 days, and don't keep it at room temperature.

If your baby refuses garlic

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Use less garlic, cooked longer, so the flavor is milder, and mix it into a food your baby already enjoys.
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 garlic

Store whole garlic bulbs somewhere cool and dry. Keep peeled or chopped garlic in the fridge.
Keep homemade garlic oil in the fridge and throw it away after 4 days.
Cooked dishes with garlic keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. 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. 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:

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 garlic?

Add it to your first 100 foods.