When can babies eat labneh?

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

Labneh

Thick, tangy strained yogurt that's easy to spread, dip and scoop.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedAllergen: Milk

How to serve labneh by age

6 months+

Pre-loaded spoon, a dip, or thinly spread

Load a baby spoon with plain, full-fat labneh and hand it to your baby, let them dip soft-cooked vegetable sticks into it, or, once your baby has had wheat, spread a thin layer on lightly toasted bread strips. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. If it's very thick, loosen it with a little breast milk or formula.

Size: A teaspoon or so on a pre-loaded spoon, or a dip or thin spread for soft finger foods about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Read the label: plain and full-fat, made from pasteurized milk, with no added sugar. Squash a finger food between your thumb and finger: it should flatten easily.

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 labneh

1
Check the label: choose plain, full-fat labneh made from pasteurized milk. Compare labels for salt.
2
To make it at home, strain plain, full-fat, pasteurized yogurt through a clean cloth in the fridge until thick. Don't add salt.
3
Stir it well, and loosen it with a little breast milk or formula if it's very thick. Serve it with foods your baby already eats.
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 small amount: a spoonful or two, or one thinly spread strip. 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. Shop-bought labneh usually has added salt, so keep portions small and pick a lower-salt one.

Common mistakes

Serving labneh balls whole

Labneh balls are firm and round, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Mash or flatten them and spread them thinly.

Choosing salty labneh

Shop-bought labneh usually has salt added: one plain labneh in FoodData Central has about 300 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 0.75 g of salt), against about 46 mg in plain whole-milk yogurt. Labneh stored in oil can be much saltier: another record has about 1,890 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 4.7 g of salt). Babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day (NHS). Homemade labneh doesn't need salt.

Choosing low-fat labneh

Some labneh is reduced-fat or fat-free: check the label. The NHS says to choose full-fat dairy, as children under 2 need the extra energy and vitamins.

Offering thick spoonfuls on bread

Thick, sticky foods are harder for babies to manage, and the CDC says to avoid small, sticky or hard foods. Spread it thinly, or loosen it for dipping.

Where US and UK guidance differ on labneh

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC says not to give young children unpasteurized milk, yogurt or cheese, and lists dairy products made from pasteurized milk as safer choices for children under 5. The CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says full-fat dairy products such as plain yogurt can be given from around 6 months, and to choose full-fat dairy for children under 2. It advises avoiding unpasteurised cheese because of listeria.

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

Questions parents ask

Can labneh be a choking hazard for babies?

Plain labneh is a low choking risk when it's spread thinly, loosened for dipping or eaten from a spoon. Labneh balls are firm and round, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard, so mash or flatten them. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to labneh?

Labneh is strained yogurt, so it's a milk product, and milk is one of the most common food allergens. It's usually made from cow's milk, but some is made from goats' or sheep's milk: the label says which. People with an allergy to cow's milk may also be allergic to goats' and sheep's milk (ACAAI). Milk products like yogurt can be introduced from around 6 months, a small amount at a time. 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 a diagnosed milk allergy, don't offer labneh unless their doctor says it's OK. 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.

Is labneh healthy for babies?

A plain branded labneh in FoodData Central, made from cultured milk and salt, has about 10 g of protein, 7 g of fat and 100 mg of calcium per 100 g. It has added salt: about 300 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 0.75 g of salt), against about 46 mg in plain whole-milk yogurt. Figures vary between brands. It is not a source of iron.

Can babies eat labneh?

Yes, from around 6 months, if it's plain, full-fat and made from pasteurized milk. Offer it on a pre-loaded spoon, as a dip, or thinly spread on toast strips once your baby has had wheat.

Is labneh the same as yogurt?

Labneh is yogurt that has been strained until thick, so it's the same milk allergen and is introduced the same way as yogurt. It's thicker, and shop-bought labneh usually has salt added, so spread it thinly and compare labels. See our yogurt page for more.

Can babies eat labneh balls?

Not whole. Labneh balls rolled in oil are firm, round pieces, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Mash or flatten them and spread them thinly. They can also be salty, so use a little.

Is homemade labneh safe for babies?

Yes, if you start with plain, full-fat yogurt made from pasteurized milk and strain it in the fridge. The CDC says not to give young children unpasteurized yogurt or cheese, so don't make it from raw milk or raw-milk yogurt.

If your baby refuses labneh

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Labneh is tangy. Try stirring in a little mashed ripe fruit, then use less over time.
Try another form: on a pre-loaded spoon, as a dip, or spread on toast.
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 labneh

Keep labneh in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use it by the date on the pack. Once opened, follow the label's advice on how many days it keeps.
Keep homemade labneh covered in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below. We suggest using it within 3 to 4 days, as for other homemade food, and never after the yogurt label's time for an opened pot or its use-by date. A best-before date is about quality, not safety, so it doesn't tell you how long homemade labneh keeps.
Spoon your child's portion into a bowl rather than serving from the tub, and throw away what they leave. Dishes made with labneh keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
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 milk products, even a mild one. Stop offering them 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.

Offered labneh?

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