When can babies eat ricotta?

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

Ricotta

Soft, mild and spoonable, with a texture babies can manage from the start.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat ricotta 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 ricotta by age

6 months+

On a spoon, or spread on toast strips

Offer plain whole-milk ricotta on a pre-loaded spoon for your baby to grab, stir it into mashed fruit or vegetables, or, once your baby has had wheat, spread a thin layer on lightly toasted bread strips.

Size: A pre-loaded spoonful, or toast strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Squash a toast strip 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 ricotta

1
Check the label: choose plain whole-milk ricotta made from pasteurized milk.
2
Stir it well. If it's thick or dry, loosen it with a little breast milk or formula.
3
Load a baby spoon and hand it to your baby, or, if your baby already eats wheat, spread a thin layer on toast strips. Don't add salt or sugar.
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 pre-loaded spoon or one 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. Lots of smearing and licking is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Not checking it's pasteurized

Soft cheeses made from raw milk carry a higher risk of harmful bacteria. Check the label says made from pasteurized milk, especially at markets and farm shops.

Sweetening it

Babies don't need added sugar. Mix plain ricotta with mashed fruit instead. Never add honey before 12 months.

Choosing part-skim ricotta

The NHS advises full-fat dairy for babies and children under 2. Whole-milk ricotta is the better pick.

Introducing dairy and another allergen on the same day

Offer milk products on their own first, so you know what caused any reaction.

Where US and UK guidance differ on ricotta

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC advises choosing soft cheese only when it's clearly labeled made from pasteurized milk, and avoiding unpasteurized dairy for children under 5.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says babies can have pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months. It advises avoiding unpasteurised cheese because of listeria. If it goes into a cooked dish, cook it until steaming hot all the way through.

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

Questions parents ask

Can ricotta be a choking hazard for babies?

Ricotta is soft and a low choking risk. Serve it smooth, on a spoon or spread on soft toast, and stay with your baby during meals.

Can babies be allergic to ricotta?

Ricotta is a milk product, and cow's milk is one of the most common food allergens. 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 ricotta 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 ricotta healthy for babies?

A source of calcium and protein, with some vitamin B12. It contains less sodium than mozzarella: about 110 mg per 100 g, compared with 486 mg in whole-milk mozzarella.

Can babies eat ricotta?

Yes, from around 6 months, if it's plain, whole-milk and made from pasteurized milk. Offer it on a pre-loaded spoon or spread on toast strips once wheat has been introduced on its own.

Is ricotta safe for babies, or is there a listeria risk?

Ricotta made from pasteurized milk is a safer choice. Soft cheeses made from raw milk are more likely to carry harmful bacteria, so check the label every time.

Can babies eat ricotta every day?

Yes, as part of a varied diet. Once dairy is in your baby's diet without a reaction, keep offering it alongside foods from the other food groups.

If your baby refuses ricotta

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Mix it into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed banana, pear or sweet potato.
Try it baked into soft pancakes, which are easier to hold.
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 ricotta

Keep ricotta sealed in the fridge and use it by the date on the pack. Once opened, follow the label's advice on how many days it keeps.
Ricotta pancakes and pasta bakes keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
They can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Reheat 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 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, and don't offer dairy again until you've talked to them. 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 ricotta?

Add it to your first 100 foods.