When can babies eat pear?

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

Pear

Sweet, juicy and gentle. Very ripe or cooked soft, it melts in little mouths.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat pear 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 pear by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked peeled spears or mash

Peel and core the pear, then steam or simmer thick spears until soft. A very ripe raw spear is fine only if it squashes easily all the way through, including near the core. Or mash cooked pear and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon.

Size: Peeled spears 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 spear between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily. If you have to press hard, cook it longer.

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 pear

1
Choose a pear that gives a little when you press gently near the stem.
2
Rinse it under running water, gently rubbing the skin, before you peel it.
3
Peel it, cut it into quarters, and cut out the core and all the seeds.
4
Cut it into spears (6 months) or small pieces (9 months+). For babies under 12 months, steam it for a few minutes until soft, unless it's very ripe and passes the squash test, then let it cool. Don't add sugar.

How much to offer

Start with one or two soft spears, 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

Serving firm, crisp pear raw

A firm pear is hard to gum and can break off in chunks. For babies, cook pear until it squashes easily. Raw pear only works if it's very ripe and passes the squash test.

Leaving the skin on

Peel pear for babies and young toddlers. Taking the skin off makes it easier to swallow.

Choosing canned pears in syrup

Pick canned pears with no added sugars, drain them, and cut the halves into spears or small pieces.

Only offering sweet foods

Pear is easy to love. Also offer vegetables that aren't sweet, like broccoli and spinach, from the start.

Where US and UK guidance differ on pear

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The AAP advises cooking most fruit until soft before 12 months, except mashed banana, and lists fruit chunks among foods to avoid under 1. Cook or mash pear if you follow US advice.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS groups pear with apple as a harder fruit to cook for first finger foods. From 12 months, its snack list includes small pieces of soft, ripe, peeled pear. Stay with your child while they eat.

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

Questions parents ask

Can pear be a choking hazard for babies?

Firm, raw pear is hard and can be a choking hazard. For babies, cook it until it squashes easily between your fingers (raw only if it's very ripe and passes the squash test). Peel it and remove the core and seeds. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to pear?

Pear is not a common allergen. Some older children and adults with hay fever, especially to birch pollen, get an itchy mouth or throat from raw pear (pollen food allergy syndrome). It isn't usual in young children, and cooked pear is usually fine.

Is pear healthy for babies?

A source of fiber, about 3.1 g per 100 g of raw pear. It has small amounts of vitamin C and potassium, and is not a major source of iron.

Do I need to cook pear for my baby?

Usually, yes, before 12 months. The NHS suggests cooked pear for first finger foods, and the AAP advises cooking most fruit until soft. A very ripe, peeled pear that squashes easily all the way through can be served raw. From 12 months, the NHS suggests small pieces of soft, ripe, peeled pear as a snack.

Can pear help with constipation?

It may. Pear has fiber, and once babies are eating solids the AAP suggests fruits and vegetables for constipation. If it doesn't help, or your baby seems in pain, talk to your pediatrician.

Can babies eat canned pears?

Yes. Choose pears with no added sugars, drain them, and cut the halves into spears or small pieces. Whole pieces of canned fruit are on the CDC's choking hazard list.

If your baby refuses pear

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
If slippery spears keep escaping, try mash on a pre-loaded spoon, or roll pieces in finely ground oats (once oats have been introduced on their own).
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 pear

Ripen firm pears at room temperature. Once ripe, keep them in the fridge, and refrigerate any cut pear.
Cooked pear keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Mashed or stewed pear can be frozen and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat it 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 unusually hard poops, blood in their poop from passing hard stools, or strains for more than 10 minutes without success, and fruit and vegetables aren't helping.
Your child gets an itchy mouth or throat every time they eat raw pear. Ask about pollen food allergy syndrome.
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 pear?

Add it to your first 100 foods.