Pecorino
A sharp sheep's milk cheese. A small pinch, finely grated, goes a long way.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat pecorino from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve pecorino by age
6 months+
A pinch, finely grated into food
Grate pasteurized pecorino very finely and stir a small pinch into warm mashed vegetables or pasta, or, once wheat has been introduced on its own, sprinkle a little over soft toast fingers and warm until melted. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. Pecorino is very salty, so a pinch is enough. Never give chunks, shavings or the rind.
- Size
- A small pinch of finely grated cheese stirred into mashed food, or melted onto soft toast fingers about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Rub the grated cheese between your thumb and finger. It should be fine and powdery, with no hard 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.
9 months+
Finely grated over small pieces
Sprinkle a pinch over well-cooked pasta, soft vegetables or scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced on its own), cut into small pieces. Keep using finely grated pecorino only, never pieces broken off a block.
- Size
- A pinch of finely grated cheese over soft food cut into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check there are no hard flakes or pieces of rind, and squash a piece of the food between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily.
12 months+
Finely grated in family dishes
Add a little finely grated pecorino to pasta, soups or vegetables. Take your child's portion out before adding salt, and keep the cheese to a sprinkle.
- Size
- Finely grated, over bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
18 months+
Finely grated or melted in dishes
Offer pecorino the way your family eats it, finely grated or melted into dishes, still as a sprinkle. Keep avoiding chunks and hard shavings, which are hard to chew: the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard.
- Size
- Finely grated, over bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or as part of a dish.
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 pecorino
- 1
Check the label: choose pecorino that says it's made from pasteurized milk. If the label doesn't say pasteurized, choose a different cheese for your baby.
- 2
Cut off the rind and grate the cheese very finely, using the smallest holes of the grater.
- 3
Stir a small pinch into warm food, and let it cool. Don't add salt.
- 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
Start with a small pinch stirred into food. If there's no reaction, offer it again another day. Pecorino is one of the saltiest cheeses, so keep it to a pinch or a light sprinkle, as an occasional flavor rather than an everyday cheese. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Giving chunks, shavings or the rind
Pecorino is very hard, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Grate it finely, and throw the rind away.
Using a lot
Pecorino has about 1,430 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 3.6 g of salt), and brands vary: more than twice the NHS line for a high-salt food (1.5 g per 100 g). Babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day (NHS). Use a pinch for flavor.
Not checking it's pasteurized
Some cheeses are made from raw milk. The NHS says it's better to avoid unpasteurised cheese for babies because of the risk of listeria, though it can be used in a cooked recipe. Check the pecorino label says pasteurized, and if it doesn't, use a pasteurized hard cheese instead.
Treating it like any other cheese
Pecorino is made from sheep's milk. Children with a cow's milk allergy may also react to sheep's milk, so it isn't a safe swap. If your baby has only had cow's milk dairy so far, offer a small pinch the first time.
Where US and UK guidance differ on pecorino
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC lists hard cheese, such as Asiago, Cheddar, Parmesan or Swiss, among safer choices for children under 5, and dairy products made from raw milk as riskier. It doesn't name pecorino. The FDA counts pasteurized extra hard grating cheeses such as parmesan as low risk, and unpasteurized hard cheeses as high risk, so check the label.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says babies can have pasteurised full-fat cheese, including hard cheese, from 6 months. Pecorino has more than twice the NHS 'high salt' level (more than 1.5 g of salt per 100 g), so if you use it, keep to a pinch and make milder, lower-salt cheeses your everyday ones. The NHS says many cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk and it's better to avoid these because of listeria, though they can be used in a cooked recipe. We follow the pasteurized-only advice for everyone.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can pecorino be a choking hazard for babies?
Pecorino is a very hard cheese. Chunks and shavings are a choking risk, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Grate it finely and stir it into food. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to pecorino?
Pecorino is made from sheep's milk. Milk is one of the most common food allergens, and people with a cow's milk allergy may also be allergic to milk from other animals, including sheep and goats (ACAAI). Milk products like cheese and yogurt can be introduced from around 6 months, a small amount at a time. Once your baby has had them without a reaction, keep them in your baby's usual diet. 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 pecorino 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 pecorino healthy for babies?
Rich in calcium and protein: FoodData Central's romano cheese record has about 1,060 mg of calcium and 32 g of protein per 100 g. It is very salty, with about 1,430 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 3.6 g of salt), and brands vary, so compare labels. A 5 g sprinkle has about 70 mg of sodium (about 0.2 g of salt), a fifth of the NHS limit of less than 1 g of salt a day for babies, so under 1, keep to a small pinch. The NHS counts more than 1.5 g of salt per 100 g as high. It is not a source of iron.
Can babies eat pecorino?
Yes, from around 6 months, finely grated and in small amounts, if it's made from pasteurized milk. Stir a pinch into warm food. Never give chunks or the rind.
Is pecorino too salty for babies?
It's one of the saltiest cheeses: about 3.6 g of salt per 100 g (brands vary), more than twice the NHS high-salt line. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and 1 to 3 year olds no more than 2 g. A pinch for flavor fits now and then, but don't add salt to the rest of the meal, and use milder, lower-salt cheeses for everyday meals.
Is pecorino pasteurized?
Check the label says pasteurized. The NHS says many cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk and it's better to avoid these for babies because of listeria, so choose pecorino labeled pasteurized. If you can't find one, use another pasteurized hard cheese instead. See the US vs. UK note below.
Can a baby with a cow's milk allergy have sheep's milk cheese?
Not without their doctor's advice. People with a cow's milk allergy may also be allergic to sheep's and goats' milk (ACAAI), so pecorino isn't a safe swap.
If your baby refuses pecorino
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try another form: stirred into pasta or mashed vegetables, or melted onto toast.
- Pecorino has a strong, sharp taste. Try a milder cheese first, then come back to it.
- 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 pecorino
- Keep pecorino in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Hard cheese keeps for 6 months unopened and 3 to 4 weeks after opening. It can be frozen for 6 months. For ready-grated pecorino, follow the label.
- Grate only what you need, and throw away any food your baby leaves in the bowl.
- 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 pecorino?
Add it to your first 100 foods.
Pecorino is in your 100 foods
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Last offered today. Once pecorino is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Salt in your diet
- NHS: Food labels
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
- FDA: The dangers of raw milk
- ACAAI: Milk and dairy allergy
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, romano
- USDA FSIS: How long can you keep dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cheese in the refrigerator?
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
More first foods
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