Skyr
Thick, mild and spoonable. Plain and whole milk is the one to pick.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat skyr from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve skyr by age
6 months+
Pre-loaded spoon or a dip
Load a baby spoon with plain skyr, full-fat or whole milk if you can find it, and hand it to your baby, or let them dip soft-cooked vegetable sticks or soft fruit into it. Skyr is thick, so it stays on the spoon well. If it's very thick, loosen it with a little breast milk or formula.
- Size
- A teaspoon or so on a pre-loaded spoon, or a dip for soft finger foods about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Read the label: plain, with no added sugar, honey or sweeteners, made from pasteurized milk, and whole milk (full-fat) where available.
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+
Spoonfuls, plain or with soft fruit
Offer a small bowl and a spoon, or pre-load spoons for your baby to grab. Stir in mashed ripe banana or small pieces of soft fruit for flavor instead of sugar.
- Size
- Spoonfuls. Any fruit stirred in should be soft, in pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Squash each piece of fruit between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily.
12 months+
Bowl of skyr with fruit
Serve plain skyr with soft fruit, as a dip, or stirred into oatmeal. Keep choosing unsweetened skyr and add flavor with fruit.
- Size
- Spoonfuls, with soft fruit in pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
18 months+
Snack, dip or in family dishes
Use skyr as a snack, a dip for soft vegetables, or a cool side with family meals. Whole milk skyr, or plain full-fat yogurt, is still the best choice for children under 2.
- Size
- Spoonfuls or a dip. Cut any fruit or vegetables to about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or soft finger shapes for dipping.
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 skyr
- 1
Choose plain, unsweetened skyr made from pasteurized milk. Many skyrs are made from skimmed or low-fat milk, so choose full-fat or whole milk versions where available.
- 2
Spoon a small amount into a bowl. If it's very thick, stir in a little breast milk or formula to loosen it.
- 3
To add flavor, stir in mashed ripe fruit, not sugar or honey. Rinse fresh fruit under running water first.
- 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 first taste, offer a small amount: a spoonful or two. 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.
Common mistakes
Choosing flavored skyr
Flavored skyrs often have added sugar: one brand's strawberry and rhubarb whole milk skyr in FoodData Central has about 4.8 g of added sugar per 100 g, or about 6 g in a 125 g pot. The CDC says infants and young children should not have added sugars, and names flavored yogurts. Pick plain skyr and add fruit yourself.
Choosing fat-free skyr when there's a choice
The NHS advises full-fat dairy for children under 2, who need the extra energy and vitamins. Choose full-fat or whole milk skyr where available. If you can only find low-fat skyr, plain full-fat yogurt is a good swap.
Stirring in honey
No honey before 12 months, in any form. It can cause infant botulism. After 12 months it's safe as far as botulism goes, but it's still an added sugar, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar, including honey, up to age 4. Mashed fruit sweetens skyr instead.
Introducing skyr and egg at the same time
Offer dairy on its own first, so you know what caused any reaction.
Where US and UK guidance differ on skyr
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC says yogurt without added sugars can be given before 12 months; it's only cow's milk as a drink that waits. The AAP says to talk to your pediatrician first if your baby has severe, persistent eczema or has had an immediate allergic reaction to any food.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says full-fat dairy products such as plain yoghurt can be given from around 6 months, choosing products with no added sugar. Talk to your GP or health visitor first if your baby has eczema or a food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can skyr be a choking hazard for babies?
Skyr is a low choking risk. Any fruit you stir in should be soft and cut to a safe size: quarter small round fruit like blueberries or grapes lengthwise, or flatten them. Stay with your baby while they eat.
Can babies be allergic to skyr?
Skyr is made from milk, one of the most common food allergens in young children, though many children outgrow it. Guidance is to introduce common allergens, including dairy, from around 6 months, one at a time, and keep offering them regularly once your baby has had them without a reaction. Most reactions happen 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 skyr unless their doctor says it's OK. Milk allergy is not the same as lactose intolerance, which is a problem digesting milk sugar.
Is skyr healthy for babies?
A source of protein and calcium. Figures vary between brands: one brand's plain whole milk skyr in FoodData Central has about 10.7 g of protein and 133 mg of calcium per 100 g, with about 33 mg of sodium (about 0.1 g of salt). It is not a source of iron.
Can babies eat skyr?
Yes, from around 6 months, if it's plain, unsweetened and made from pasteurized milk. Pick a full-fat or whole milk skyr where you can. It's thick, so it works well on a pre-loaded spoon.
Is skyr the same as yogurt for babies?
It's treated the same way. Skyr is a thick, strained cultured milk food that's eaten like yogurt. The CDC says yogurt without added sugars can be introduced before 12 months, and the NHS says plain full-fat yoghurt can be given from around 6 months.
What if I can only find low-fat or fat-free skyr?
The NHS advises full-fat dairy for children under 2. If your shop only has low-fat or fat-free skyr, plain full-fat yogurt or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt is the better pick for now.
Can babies eat skyr every day?
Yes, as part of a varied diet. Keep it plain and unsweetened, and offer other foods alongside it, including iron-rich foods.
If your baby refuses skyr
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Plain skyr is a little sour. Try stirring in a little mashed ripe fruit, then use less over time.
- Try another form: as a dip, on a pre-loaded spoon, or mixed into oatmeal.
- 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 skyr
- Keep skyr in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Use it by the date on the pot. Once opened, follow the label's advice on how many days it keeps.
- Spoon your baby's portion into a bowl rather than feeding from the pot, and throw away what they leave.
- 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, a food allergy, or has had an immediate allergic reaction to any food. Ask how to introduce allergens like dairy, rather than putting them off.
- Your baby has had any reaction to dairy, even a mild one. Stop offering it 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. 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.
Last offered today. Once skyr is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly.
Add a note (likes, dislikes, any reaction)
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Helpful guides
Sources
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- AAP: When to introduce egg, peanut butter and other common food allergens
- CDC: When, what, and how to introduce solid foods
- CDC: Foods and drinks to avoid or limit
- ACAAI: Milk and dairy allergy
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Plain whole milk skyr (branded)
- USDA FoodData Central: Strawberry rhubarb whole milk skyr (branded)
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
More first foods
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
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