Kefir
Tangy, pourable and plain. A splash in food first, a cup with meals after the first birthday.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat kefir from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve kefir by age
6 months+
Stirred into soft food
Stir a little plain, unsweetened kefir into mashed ripe fruit, mashed vegetables or iron-fortified infant cereal. Like cow's milk, kefir can be used in food from around 6 months, but it isn't a drink for babies under 1. Keep breast milk or formula as the main drink.
- Size
- A teaspoon or two mixed into a mashed food or infant cereal, not as a drink.
- Check before serving
- Read the label: plain, with no added sugar, honey or sweeteners, made from pasteurized milk, and whole milk (full-fat) if you can find it.
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+
Mixed into food, or as a dip
Keep using kefir in food: stirred into oatmeal or mashed fruit, or mixed with plain full-fat yogurt as a dip for soft finger foods. It's still not a drink at this age.
- Size
- Spoonfuls mixed into food. Any fruit stirred in should be soft, in pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Squash each piece of fruit between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily.
12 months+
Small cup with a meal, or in food
From 12 months, your child can drink plain kefir from a cup, alongside food. It's a milk drink, so we suggest counting it toward your child's milk for the day (the AAP suggests about 16 oz, 480 ml, of milk a day from 12 to 24 months), so it doesn't crowd out meals. Water stays the drink between meals.
- Size
- A small amount in an open cup or straw cup, with a meal. Any fruit served with it in pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
18 months+
In a cup, in oatmeal or as a dip
Serve plain kefir with meals, poured over oatmeal, or as a dip. Keep choosing plain, unsweetened kefir and add flavor with fresh fruit on the side. Flavored kefirs usually have added sugar.
- Size
- A small cup with a meal, or spoonfuls in food. Soft fruit or vegetables for dipping cut to about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or soft finger shapes.
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 kefir
- 1
Choose plain, unsweetened kefir made from pasteurized milk. Whole-milk kefir is the best pick for children under 2.
- 2
Shake the bottle, then pour a small amount into a bowl or cup. Don't feed straight from the bottle.
- 3
For babies under 1, stir it into a soft food. To add flavor, use mashed ripe fruit, not sugar or honey. Rinse fresh fruit under running water first.
- 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 first taste, offer a small amount: a teaspoon or two stirred into food. 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. From 12 months, keep cups of kefir small and served with food, so milk drinks don't replace meals.
Common mistakes
Giving it as a drink before 12 months
Kefir is fermented milk. Cow's milk can be used in food from around 6 months, but it shouldn't be a main drink until 12 months, and the same goes for kefir. Keep breast milk or formula as the main drink.
Choosing flavored or sweetened kefir
Many kefirs have added sugar or fruit purée. Your child doesn't need added sugar. Pick plain kefir and add fruit yourself.
Buying raw-milk kefir
Kefir from farms or markets can be made from raw milk. Raw milk from cows, goats and sheep can carry germs that make young children very sick. Check the label says pasteurized.
Choosing low-fat kefir
The NHS advises full-fat dairy for children under 2, who need the extra energy and vitamins. Many kefirs are low-fat, so check the label for whole milk.
Questions parents ask
Can kefir be a choking hazard for babies?
Kefir is a low choking risk. Have your child sit upright to drink, and use an open cup or straw cup. Any fruit you serve with it should be soft and cut to a safe size. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to kefir?
Kefir is made from milk, one of the most common food allergens in young children. If your baby has a diagnosed milk allergy, don't offer kefir unless their doctor says it's OK. Otherwise, dairy can be introduced from around 6 months, one new allergen at a time, and kept in your baby's usual diet once they've had it without a reaction. Most reactions start within minutes to 2 hours, but with cow's milk allergy, symptoms can take up to 3 days to appear. If your baby has eczema or another food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever, the NHS says to talk to your GP or health visitor first. Children with cow's milk allergy may also react to goats' and sheep's milk, so goat's milk kefir isn't a safe swap either. Milk allergy is not the same as lactose intolerance, which is a problem digesting milk sugar.
Is kefir healthy for babies?
A source of protein and calcium: 100 g of plain kefir has about 3.8 g of protein and 130 mg of calcium (the FoodData Central figures are for a low-fat kefir). It has almost no iron.
Can babies have kefir before 12 months?
Yes, in small amounts stirred into food, from around 6 months. Just not as a drink: like cow's milk, kefir shouldn't be a main drink until 12 months.
Can babies have goat's milk kefir?
In food, from around 6 months, if it's pasteurized and plain: the NHS says it's fine to use goats' milk when cooking for your baby, as long as it's pasteurised. As a drink, the NHS says pasteurized goats' milk can be a main drink from 1 year, not before. It's not a safe swap for a child with cow's milk allergy.
Can toddlers drink kefir every day?
Yes, in small amounts as part of a varied diet. Choose plain, unsweetened kefir, serve it with food, and count it alongside the milk your child drinks, so drinks don't crowd out meals.
If your baby refuses kefir
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Kefir is sour. Try stirring it into a food your baby already likes, such as mashed banana or oatmeal, then use less fruit over time.
- Try another form: in oatmeal, mixed with yogurt as a dip, or (from 12 months) in a small cup with a meal.
- Eat or drink 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 kefir
- Keep kefir in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use it by the date on the bottle. Once opened, follow the label's advice on how many days it keeps.
- Pour your child's portion into a bowl or cup rather than feeding from the bottle, and throw away what they leave.
- 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 dairy, even a mild one. Stop offering it until you've talked to your pediatrician.
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating dairy. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that milk can trigger. 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.
Last offered today. Once kefir is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Drinks and cups for babies and young children
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- CDC: Cow's milk and milk alternatives
- AAP: Recommended drinks for children age 5 and younger
- CDC: Raw milk
- ACAAI: Milk and dairy allergy
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Kefir, lowfat, plain
- NHS: Types of formula
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
More first foods
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