When can babies eat guava?

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

Guava

Fragrant and tropical. Scoop out the seeds and cook it soft for babies.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat guava 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 guava by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked strips, seeds removed, or mashed

Peel a ripe guava, cut it in half and scoop out the seedy center with a spoon. Cut the flesh into wide strips and steam or simmer them until soft. A very ripe raw strip is fine only if it passes the squash test. Or mash cooked guava and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon.

Size: Peeled 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 it feels firm or gritty, cook it longer, and check that no seeds are 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 guava

1
Choose a guava that smells fragrant and gives a little when you press it gently.
2
Rinse it under running water, gently rubbing the skin, and dry it before cutting.
3
Peel it, cut it in half, and scoop out the center with all the hard seeds.
4
Cut the flesh into strips (6 months) or small pieces (9 months+). For babies under 12 months, steam or simmer them until soft (unless the guava is very ripe and passes the squash test), let them cool, and do the squash test. Don't add sugar.

How much to offer

Start with one or two soft 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 dropping is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Leaving the seeds in

Guava seeds are small and hard. Scoop out the whole seedy center: the NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit.

Serving firm, under-ripe guava raw

Hard raw fruit is a choking hazard for babies. Cook guava until it squashes easily. Raw guava only works if it's very ripe and passes the squash test.

Leaving the skin on for babies

Removing the skin makes fruit easier to swallow for young babies. Peel guava before serving.

Choosing guava paste, jam or nectar

These usually have added sugar, which isn't recommended for babies and young children. Guava paste is also sticky. Use fresh guava instead.

Where US and UK guidance differ on guava

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

For babies under 1, the AAP says that apart from mashed banana, most fruits should be cooked until soft, and it lists fruit chunks among foods to avoid under 1. If you follow US advice, cook guava until soft or cook and mash it, and skip the very ripe raw option until 12 months.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS lists slices of soft fruit as finger foods from around 6 months, and suggests cooking harder fruits. Guava is often firm, so cook it unless it's very ripe and passes the squash test, and always remove the seeds.

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

Questions parents ask

Can guava be a choking hazard for babies?

Guava can be firm when under-ripe, and the center is full of small, hard seeds. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw fruit as a choking hazard for young children and says to avoid small, hard foods, and the NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit. Peel it, scoop out the seeds, cook it soft for babies (raw only if it's very ripe and passes the squash test), and stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to guava?

Guava is not a common allergen.

Is guava healthy for babies?

Very rich in vitamin C (about 228 mg per 100 g) and a source of fiber (about 5.4 g per 100 g) and folate. Vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron in plant foods, such as beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal.

Can babies eat guava seeds?

No. Guava seeds are small and hard. Scoop out the whole seedy center before serving: the NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit, and the CDC says to avoid small, hard foods for young children.

Can babies eat guava skin?

Peel it for babies. The NHS says removing the skin makes fruit easier to swallow, especially for very young children.

Can babies drink guava juice?

Not before 12 months. The AAP says babies under 1 shouldn't have juice. Guava nectar and drinks often have added sugar too. Offer the fruit instead.

If your baby refuses guava

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try a different form: mash instead of strips, or guava stirred into oatmeal or yogurt.
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 guava

Ripen a firm guava at room temperature. Once ripe, keep it in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
Cooked or cut guava keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Cooked guava mash can be frozen and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and use it within 24 hours of thawing. Don't give frozen pieces to a baby: they're hard.
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 guava?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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