When can babies eat pepperoni?

From around 12 months, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Pepperoni

Not yet for babies: very salty and not cooked unless you heat it, so it's best skipped, or heated and finely chopped now and then.

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

Quick answer

Children can have pepperoni from around 12 months. Prepare it as shown below.

From 12 monthsHigh choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve pepperoni by age

12 months+

Best skipped, or a little heated and finely chopped

Not before 12 months: pepperoni is very salty, and it isn't cooked unless you heat it. From 12 months, it's still best skipped. If you do serve it, use just a little: heat it until steaming hot, for example baked on a pizza or simmered in a tomato sauce, let it cool, then chop it finely and mix it into soft food. Never give whole slices, cold slices from the pack or pepperoni sticks. Keep it occasional.

Size: Very small pieces, no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), stirred into a soft, moist food.
Check before serving: Look at every piece before serving: no whole slices or rounds. Press a few pieces between your fingers and leave out any that are hard, crispy or very chewy.

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 pepperoni

1
Pick plain pepperoni, and a reduced-sodium one if you can find it. Skip pepperoni sticks and snack packs for young children.
2
Heat it until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C): baked on a pizza or simmered in a sauce. Pepperoni is air-dried, not cooked, so don't serve it cold from the pack.
3
Let it cool, then chop it finely and throw away any hard, crispy or very chewy pieces.
4
Stir a small amount into a soft, moist food, such as pasta sauce, or scatter it chopped over a homemade pizza with mostly vegetable toppings.

How much to offer

Use pepperoni as an extra, not a main food: a few finely chopped pieces in your toddler's dish are plenty, and not every day. One slice (about 2 g) has about 32 mg of sodium, and 100 g has about 1,580 mg (about 4 g of salt). The NHS suggests no more than 2 g of salt a day for children aged 1 to 3. Your child decides how much to eat from what you offer.

Common mistakes

Serving cold slices from the pack

USDA FSIS says pepperoni is not cooked, only air dried, and that very young children might want to avoid dry sausages, because germs like E. coli can survive the drying process. The CDC names pepperoni among the fermented or dry sausages that can carry listeria, and says people at higher risk of listeria, including newborns, should only eat them reheated to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot. We suggest the same for toddlers: heat it, let it cool, then chop it.

Giving whole slices or pepperoni sticks

Sausages and meat sticks are on the CDC and AAP choking lists. Round slices are chewy and can block a small airway, and crispy baked edges can be hard. Chop heated pepperoni finely and mix it into soft food.

Offering pepperoni to babies

The NHS says babies shouldn't eat salty foods (it names bacon, sausages and chorizo), and pepperoni is very salty too: about 4 g of salt per 100 g. Babies under 1 need less than 1 g of salt a day. Offer fresh meat, such as shredded chicken or minced beef, instead.

Making it the usual pizza topping

Pepperoni is a processed meat, and the NHS says to limit how often children have processed meat, though small amounts are OK. Use vegetable toppings most of the time.

Where US and UK guidance differ on pepperoni

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC names processed meats (lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs and ham) among foods high in salt, and says to avoid foods high in salt for young children. If you follow US advice, skip pepperoni or serve it only now and then. USDA FSIS says very young children might want to avoid dry sausages such as pepperoni because they aren't cooked, and the CDC says people at higher risk of listeria, including newborns, should only eat fermented or dry sausages reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot; heating pepperoni for toddlers is our suggestion.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says babies shouldn't eat salty foods such as bacon, sausages and chorizo, and suggests no more than 2 g of salt a day for children aged 1 to 3. It says to limit how often you give processed meat, though small amounts are OK. Guidance for UK nurseries says not to give children under 5 foods high in salt such as sausages and bacon, says sausages should be avoided because of their high salt content, and says to cook food until steaming hot, then cool it. Pepperoni is a very salty dry sausage, so a little now and then at home is our suggestion, not nursery advice.

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

Questions parents ask

Can pepperoni be a choking hazard for babies?

Sausages and meat sticks are on the CDC choking list, and pepperoni comes as chewy round slices or sticks. Baked pepperoni can also turn crispy and hard at the edges. Skip pepperoni in the first year. For toddlers, heat it, chop it finely and mix a little into soft, moist food, and never give whole slices or sticks. Stay with your child while they eat.

Can babies be allergic to pepperoni?

Pepperoni is not a common allergen. Some brands add other ingredients, so check the label if your child has a food allergy. In the UK, allergens are highlighted in bold in the ingredients list.

Is pepperoni healthy for babies?

A source of protein, but very high in salt and fat. FoodData Central lists about 1,580 mg of sodium (about 4 g of salt) and 46 g of fat per 100 g of sliced pork and beef pepperoni.

Can babies eat pepperoni?

Not yet. Wait until at least 12 months, and even then it's best skipped. It's very salty, about 4 g of salt per 100 g, and the NHS says babies shouldn't eat salty foods because salt isn't good for their kidneys. Pepperoni also isn't cooked unless you heat it. Offer fresh meat, like shredded chicken or minced beef, instead.

Is pepperoni pizza OK for toddlers?

Now and then, from 12 months, in small pieces with the baked pepperoni chopped finely. Pizza is salty too, so keep it occasional, and choose vegetable toppings most of the time. See our pizza page for how to cut it.

How much salt can toddlers have?

The NHS suggests no more than 2 g of salt a day for children aged 1 to 3, and less than 1 g a day for babies under 1. That includes salt already in foods like pepperoni, pizza, bread and cheese.

If your baby refuses pepperoni

There's no need to keep offering pepperoni. It's an occasional extra, and fresh meat, fish, eggs and beans give the same protein with much less salt.
If your toddler wants what the family is eating, stir a few chopped pieces into a food they already like.
Many toddlers prefer softer foods. Shredded chicken or soft meatballs are easy swaps.
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 pepperoni

Keep opened pepperoni in the fridge and use it within 3 weeks, or by the date on the label. Unopened, follow the storage instructions on the pack.
Cooked dishes made with pepperoni keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Reheat leftovers only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them 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 child had a choking episode, even if the food came out and they seem fine. The NHS advises getting medical help, because part of the food could be left behind.
Your child has diarrhea, vomiting or tummy cramps after eating pepperoni that wasn't heated until steaming hot. Call your pediatrician for bloody poop, a fever higher than 102°F (39°C), diarrhea or vomiting lasting more than 2 days, or signs of dehydration such as very dark pee, a dry mouth or crying without tears. Call your emergency number for blood in the pee, very little or no pee, losing the pink color in the cheeks or inside the lower eyelids, unexplained bruising or a rash of tiny red spots, or being very tired, cranky or less alert: these can be signs of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that can damage the kidneys.
Your child has a fever, diarrhea or vomiting, or is feeding less and seems irritable, after eating pepperoni that wasn't heated until steaming hot. The NHS lists cured meats as a cause of listeriosis, so get medical advice the same day: call your pediatrician (in the UK, ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111). If your child has a seizure, is floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, seems suddenly confused, has a stiff neck, or has a rash that doesn't fade when you press it, call your emergency number instead.
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 pepperoni?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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