Scrambled eggs
Soft, quick and easy to share. A simple way to keep egg in your baby's week.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat scrambled eggs from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve scrambled eggs by age
6 months+
Soft scrambled strips or large clumps
Cook the egg in a thin, flat layer, stirring gently, until no liquid egg is left, then cut it into finger-length strips. Or offer large soft clumps your baby can grab, or soft scrambled egg on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Size
- Strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or large soft clumps.
- Check before serving
- Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily, with no wet or runny egg.
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 curds
Offer small, moist curds of fully cooked scrambled egg for pincer-grasp practice, or stir them into soft vegetables or pasta.
- 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. Check there's no runny egg in the pan or on the plate.
12 months+
Scrambled egg in meals
Serve soft scrambled egg on its own, on lightly toasted bread strips, or mixed with soft-cooked vegetables. From 12 months you can whisk in a splash of cow's milk. Leave salt out of your toddler's portion.
- Size
- Small curds about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or on toast strips.
- Check before serving
- Still check that the curds are soft and moist, not dry or rubbery.
18 months+
Family scrambled eggs
Offer scrambled eggs the way your family eats them: with toast strips, in a soft wrap cut into strips, or with chopped soft vegetables. Take your child's portion out before adding salt or hot sauce. See the guidance note below on soft eggs.
- Size
- 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 scrambled eggs
- 1
Whisk 1 egg with a splash of breast milk, formula or water, or cow's milk once dairy has been introduced (see the US vs. UK note on milk under 12 months). Don't add salt. Wash utensils and work surfaces with hot, soapy water after contact with raw egg.
- 2
Cook in a lightly oiled pan over medium-low heat (or in butter, once dairy has been introduced on its own), stirring gently, until no liquid egg is left. The curds can stay soft and moist, but not runny.
- 3
Let it cool a little, then cut it into strips or break it into pieces for your baby's stage.
- 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 teaspoon or two of scrambled egg, or one soft 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. Once egg is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly.
Common mistakes
Serving it runny
In the US, cook scrambled eggs until no liquid egg is left: USDA FSIS says scrambled eggs should not be runny. In the UK, a softer scramble is fine only with British Lion eggs, and only once your baby has had well-cooked egg without a reaction: see the guidance note below.
Making it the first taste of milk too
Butter, milk and cheese all contain milk. For the first tries, cook the egg in oil and whisk it with breast milk, formula or water, so you know what caused any reaction.
Adding salt or a lot of cheese
Babies shouldn't have added salt. Leave it out of your baby's portion, and once dairy has been introduced, add only a pinch of grated cheese, since cheese is salty too.
Serving it straight from the pan
Hot egg can burn a baby's mouth. Let it cool and check the temperature before serving.
Where US and UK guidance differ on scrambled eggs
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
Cook scrambled eggs until no liquid egg is left: USDA FSIS says scrambled eggs should not be runny, and egg dishes should reach 160°F (71°C). The CDC lists runny eggs as a riskier choice for children under 5. The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months. If you follow US advice, use breast milk, formula or water in the eggs instead.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
Hens' eggs with the British Lion stamp (a red lion) can be served lightly cooked, so a softer scramble is fine once your baby has had well-cooked egg without a reaction. For the first tastes, cook it until no wet egg is left. Other hens' eggs, and duck, goose and quail eggs, should be cooked until the white and yolk are solid. The NHS says cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months, but shouldn't be given as a main drink until 1 year.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can scrambled eggs be a choking hazard for babies?
Soft scrambled egg is a low choking risk. Very dry, crumbly egg is harder to manage, so keep the curds soft and moist, and stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to scrambled eggs?
Egg is one of the most common food allergens. Eggs can be introduced from around 6 months, one new allergen at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction. Once your baby has had egg without a reaction, keep it in their usual diet: the NHS says delaying hens' egg beyond 6 to 12 months may increase the risk of allergy. For the first tastes, the AAP suggests well-cooked egg, such as scrambled egg cooked until no wet egg is left. If your baby has severe, persistent eczema or has had an immediate allergic reaction to a food, talk to your pediatrician about introducing egg promptly, not about putting it off. In the UK, the NHS asks you to talk to your GP or health visitor first if your baby has any eczema or a food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever. Egg can also trigger FPIES, a delayed reaction. Egg is a less common trigger in most countries, though it's the third most common in Australia: see when to call the doctor. Scrambled eggs made with milk, butter or cheese also contain milk.
Are scrambled eggs healthy for babies?
Scrambled egg is a source of protein, choline and vitamin B12: about 10 g of protein, 221 mg of choline and 0.8 mcg of vitamin B12 per 100 g. It has some iron (about 1.3 mg per 100 g), but not enough to count as an iron-rich food.
Can babies eat scrambled eggs at 6 months?
Yes. Well-cooked scrambled egg, cooked until no liquid egg is left, can be one of your baby's first ways to try egg. Large soft clumps or strips are easiest to hold at first. In the UK, a softer scramble with British Lion eggs is fine once egg has gone well.
Can I add milk or cheese to my baby's scrambled eggs?
Once dairy has been introduced on its own, you can whisk in a little milk and add a pinch of grated pasteurized cheese; keep the cheese small, since it's salty. The NHS says cows' milk can be used in cooking from around 6 months. The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months, so if you follow US advice, whisk the egg with breast milk, formula or water until then.
How soon would an egg reaction show?
Allergic reactions usually start within a few minutes of eating, but can take up to 2 hours. See the signs to look for, and when to get help, on our allergens page.
If your baby refuses scrambled eggs
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try another form: soft strips, small curds, or egg mashed on a spoon.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- If your baby keeps refusing scrambled egg, offer egg another way, such as omelet strips or mashed hard-boiled egg.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing scrambled eggs
- Keep eggs in the fridge.
- Scrambled egg is best made fresh, one portion at a time. Leftovers 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 baby has severe, persistent eczema or has had an immediate allergic reaction to a food. Ask about introducing egg promptly, not about putting it off. In the UK, also talk to your GP or health visitor first if your baby has any eczema or a food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever.
- Your baby has had any reaction to egg, even a mild one. Stop offering it until you've talked to your pediatrician.
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating egg. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy. Egg is a less common trigger in most countries, though it's the third most common in Australia. 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 scrambled eggs?
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Recipes with scrambled eggs
Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
- USDA FSIS: Shell eggs from farm to table
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- USDA FoodData Central: Egg, whole, cooked, scrambled
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- AAP: When to introduce egg, peanut butter and other common food allergens to your baby
- CDC: Cow's milk and milk alternatives
- NHS: Drinks and cups for babies and young children
- World Allergy Organization Journal: FPIES, a review of the new guidelines (2018)
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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