Pineapple
Sweet and tangy. Take out the tough core and keep the pieces soft.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat pineapple from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve pineapple by age
6 months+
Soft-cooked spears, core removed, or mashed
Choose very ripe pineapple. Cut off the skin, the brown 'eyes' and the hard core, then cut long spears and steam or bake them until soft. A very ripe raw spear is fine only if it passes the squash test with no stringy fibers. Or mash cooked pineapple and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Size
- 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 it feels firm or stringy, cook it longer. Chopping firm pineapple finely doesn't make it safe.
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+
Small soft pieces
Cut soft-cooked pineapple into small pieces for pincer-grasp practice, or stir finely chopped cooked pineapple into foods your baby already eats. Very ripe raw pineapple is fine only if each piece passes the squash test.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger.
12 months+
Small pieces or in dishes
Offer small pieces of ripe pineapple, core removed, on their own or in fruit salad. Canned pineapple in its own juice (not syrup) works too: drain it and cut it into small pieces, just like fresh.
- Size
- Pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Pineapple can be stringy. Squash a piece to check it breaks down easily.
18 months+
Bite-sized pieces or in family meals
Offer pineapple as a snack, in fruit salad, or cooked into family dishes. Keep removing the core. Make sure your toddler sits down to eat, and stay with them.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or thin strips.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test, especially with firmer fruit.
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 pineapple
- 1
Rinse the whole pineapple under running water and dry it before cutting, so germs on the skin aren't carried onto the fruit.
- 2
Cut off the top and base, then slice away the skin and cut out the brown 'eyes'.
- 3
Cut the fruit away from the hard, fibrous core, and throw the core away.
- 4
Cut spears (6 months) or small pieces (9 months+). For babies under 12 months, steam or bake them until soft, let them cool, and do the squash test.
How much to offer
Start with one or two spears. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of sucking, squashing and dropping is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Leaving the core in
The core is tough and fibrous. Cut it out completely.
Serving firm, under-ripe pineapple
Hard raw fruit is a choking hazard for babies. For babies, cook pineapple until it squashes easily. Raw pineapple only works if it's very ripe and passes the squash test.
Choosing pineapple canned in syrup
Syrup is added sugar, which babies don't need. Pick pineapple canned in its own juice, and drain it.
Serving whole canned rings or chunks
The CDC lists whole pieces of canned fruit as a choking hazard. Cut canned pineapple to the right size for your baby's stage.
Where US and UK guidance differ on pineapple
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. Soft-cooked pineapple follows this advice.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS suggests slices of soft fruit as finger foods from around 6 months, and cooking harder fruits such as apple and pear. Pineapple is firm and fibrous, so cook it unless it's very ripe and passes the squash test.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can pineapple be a choking hazard for babies?
Pineapple can be firm and stringy, and the core is tough and fibrous. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw fruit and whole pieces of canned fruit as choking hazards for young children. Remove the core, cook it soft for babies (raw only if it's very ripe and passes the squash test), cut it to the size for your baby's stage, and stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to pineapple?
Pineapple is not a common allergen. Its juice can leave some redness around the mouth. A mild rash only around the mouth, with no other signs, is not usually an allergic reaction.
Is pineapple healthy for babies?
A source of vitamin C: 100 g of raw pineapple has about 48 mg. Vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron in plant foods, such as beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal.
Can babies eat canned pineapple?
Yes. Choose pineapple canned in juice, not syrup, and drain it. Cut rings and chunks into pieces the right size for your baby's stage: whole pieces of canned fruit are a choking hazard.
Why does my baby get a red rash around the mouth after pineapple?
A mild red rash only around the mouth, during or just after eating, with no other signs, is not usually an allergic reaction, and you can offer pineapple again. Wipe your baby's face after eating. Swelling of the lips or face, hives elsewhere on the body, or vomiting are different: treat them as a possible reaction.
Can babies drink pineapple juice?
Not before 12 months. The AAP advises no juice for babies under 1 year. Offer the fruit instead.
Can babies eat pineapple every day?
Yes, as part of a varied diet. Rotate in other fruits and vegetables, and iron-rich foods like meat, fish, beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal.
If your baby refuses pineapple
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Pineapple is tangy. Try it soft-cooked, or in small pieces next to a fruit your baby already likes.
- 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 pineapple
- Keep cut pineapple in a covered container in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Once opened, move canned pineapple into a covered container and keep it 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:
- 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.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- ASCIA: How to introduce solid foods to babies for allergy prevention
- FDA: Selecting and serving produce safely
- USDA FoodData Central: Pineapple, raw, all varieties
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
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