When can babies eat rosemary?

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

Rosemary

A big, piney flavor. Chop fresh needles very finely, or cook a sprig in and take it out.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat rosemary 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 rosemary by age

6 months+

Cooked in and removed, finely chopped, or ground

The easiest way: cook a whole rinsed sprig in a stew or soup for flavor, then lift it out, check that no loose needles are left, and mash or blend your baby's portion. Or strip fresh needles off the stem, chop them very finely and cook them into the dish. Using dried rosemary? Use ground rosemary, or grind dried needles to a fine powder first (a spice grinder or pestle and mortar works), or cook a whole dried sprig in and lift it out. Never use crushed, crumbled or chopped dried needles, and never give a whole sprig or loose whole needles.

Size: A whole sprig simmered in a soft dish and taken out before serving, fresh needles chopped very finely, or dried rosemary ground to a fine powder, cooked into mashed or soft foods, such as potato, squash or a stew.
Check before serving: Look through your baby's portion. There should be no sprigs, stems, whole needles or hard pieces of dried needle.

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 rosemary

1
Rinse fresh rosemary under plain running water and pat it dry with a clean towel. There's no need for soap or produce wash.
2
For fresh rosemary, either keep the sprig whole to cook in the dish and take out later, or strip the needles off the woody stem and chop them very finely. For dried rosemary, use ground rosemary or grind the needles to a fine powder, or cook a whole dried sprig in and take it out.
3
Cook it into the dish. If you used a whole sprig, lift it out and check for loose needles before you serve your baby's portion. Don't add salt.
4
Mash or blend your baby's portion to a texture they can manage, and let it cool before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a very small amount, or one sprig cooked in a whole family dish and taken out. Rosemary has a strong flavor, so a little goes a long way. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Rosemary is a flavor, so there's no amount to aim for.

Common mistakes

Serving a whole sprig or loose needles

Rosemary needles are tough and sharp-tipped, and the stems are woody. The CDC advises avoiding hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow. Chop fresh needles very finely, or cook a sprig in and take it out.

Using dried rosemary straight from the jar

Dried rosemary needles are hard and sharp, even after cooking, and crushing, crumbling or chopping them still leaves hard pieces. Use ground rosemary, or grind the needles to a fine powder before cooking them in, or cook a whole sprig in and lift it out before serving.

Using herb salt or seasoning mixes

Some herb blends and seasoning mixes contain salt, and babies shouldn't have salt added to their food. Use plain rosemary, or check the label.

Seasoning the family pot first

Take your baby's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or gravy to the family meal.

Where US and UK guidance differ on rosemary

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning. It doesn't mention rosemary or other herbs, and no AAP page gives an age for them. If you'd rather follow that line closely, leave rosemary out until 12 months, or ask your pediatrician.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says not to add salt or sugar, including stock cubes and gravy, to your baby's food or cooking water. Its crustless mini quiche recipe, for babies from 6 months, uses dried mixed herbs, and its general salt advice suggests herbs and spices to add flavor instead of salt. If you use rosemary, chop fresh needles very finely, grind dried rosemary to a fine powder, or take the sprig out, and keep the dish unsalted.

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

Questions parents ask

Can rosemary be a choking hazard for babies?

Rosemary is a medium choking risk, so it needs more care than soft herbs like basil. The needles are tough and sharp-tipped and the stems are woody, and the CDC advises avoiding hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow. Chop fresh needles very finely and cook them in, grind dried rosemary to a fine powder, or cook a whole sprig in the dish and take it out before serving. Never give your child a whole sprig, and check for loose needles. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to rosemary?

Rosemary is not a common allergen. The AAAAI says true allergy to spices is very rare. Herb and spice mixtures can contain sesame, a top allergen, so check the label on blends.

Is rosemary healthy for babies?

FoodData Central lists 6.7 mg of iron per 100 g of fresh rosemary, but a teaspoon of chopped rosemary weighs about 0.7 g and has under 0.05 mg. Rosemary adds flavor rather than nutrients.

Can babies have rosemary?

Yes, from around 6 months: fresh needles chopped very finely and cooked in, dried rosemary ground to a fine powder and cooked in, or a whole sprig cooked in the dish and taken out before serving. The NHS doesn't name rosemary in its baby recipes, but its crustless mini quiche recipe, for babies from 6 months, uses dried mixed herbs, and its general salt advice suggests herbs to add flavor instead of salt. On this site, the Shepherd's pie recipe can use a pinch of dried rosemary, ground to a fine powder, or a whole sprig cooked in and lifted out. US and UK advice is worded differently: see the guidance note below.

Can I leave a rosemary sprig in my baby's food?

No. Cook it in for flavor, then take it out before you serve your baby's portion. Check for loose needles that have fallen off, since they're tough and sharp-tipped. If you can't be sure you've found them all, chop fresh rosemary very finely or use ground rosemary instead.

Can babies have rosemary potatoes?

Yes, once the potatoes are soft enough to squash between your thumb and finger. Use very finely chopped fresh rosemary or ground rosemary, or brush off any loose needles, and skip the salt. See our potato page for safe shapes by age.

If your baby refuses rosemary

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Use less rosemary, or cook one sprig in and take it out, so the flavor is milder, and mix it into a food your baby already enjoys.
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 rosemary

Keep fresh rosemary in the fridge, and rinse it just before you use it. Keep dried rosemary in a closed jar somewhere cool and dry.
Cooked dishes with rosemary keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Freezer times depend on the dish, so follow the food page or recipe for what you cooked. Reheat cooked dishes only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving. Cooked rice has stricter rules: cool it within 1 hour, eat it within 1 day and reheat it only once. See the rice page.
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.

Offered rosemary?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

Recipes with rosemary

Shepherd's pie

From 6 months · 75 min

Helpful guides

Sources

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