Sorghum
A mild, chewy grain that's naturally gluten-free. Cook it soft and mash it.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat sorghum from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve sorghum by age
6 months+
Smooth sorghum porridge or soft patties
Cook whole sorghum until very soft and blend it with some of the cooking water, breast milk or formula, or cook sorghum flour with water into a smooth porridge. For patties, blend or mash cooked sorghum with a soft vegetable your baby already eats, shape it into fingers and bake until just set. Don't serve whole cooked kernels.
- Size
- Blended or mashed to a smooth or slightly lumpy porridge on a pre-loaded spoon, or pressed into soft patties about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Rub a little between your thumb and finger. It should feel smooth or softly lumpy, with no whole, chewy kernels. Patties should squash with gentle pressure.
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+
Mashed sorghum or soft patties
Cook sorghum until very soft, mash it well with a fork, and stir it into porridge, mashed vegetables or soft stews. Soft patties cut into small pieces work well too.
- Size
- Mashed to a soft, lumpy texture, or patty pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Mash a spoonful with a fork. It should break down easily, with no firm or chewy kernels.
12 months+
Soft sorghum in soups and stews
Stir very soft-cooked sorghum into soups and stews, and mash it with the back of a spoon until no whole kernels are left. Whole kernels of cooked grains are on the CDC's choking hazard list for young children.
- Size
- Very soft grains mashed so no whole, firm kernels are left, in a moist dish, or patty pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Press a few grains between your fingers. They should squash flat easily.
18 months+
Soft sorghum in family dishes
Offer sorghum in family soups, stews and grain bowls, cooked until very soft and mashed until no whole kernels are left. Keep it moist: dry, chewy grains are harder for toddlers to manage.
- Size
- Very soft grains mashed so no whole, firm kernels are left, in moist dishes, or bite-sized patty pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: the grains should flatten with gentle pressure.
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 sorghum
- 1
Rinse whole sorghum in a sieve under cold running water.
- 2
Simmer it in plenty of plain water, following the package, then keep cooking until the grains are very soft, adding more water if it dries out. Whole sorghum takes a long time to soften. Don't add salt or stock cubes.
- 3
Blend or mash it with a little cooking water, breast milk or formula to suit your baby's age, then let it cool.
- 4
For a quicker porridge, whisk sorghum flour into cold water, then simmer, stirring, until thick and smooth, and let it cool.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or two of porridge. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Offer more as your baby shows interest.
Common mistakes
Serving whole cooked kernels
Cooked sorghum kernels are firm and chewy, and the CDC lists whole kernels of cooked grains as a choking hazard for young children. Mash, grind or blend them.
Undercooking it
Whole sorghum takes a long time to soften. Keep cooking until it squashes easily between your fingers.
Sweetening it with sorghum syrup
Sorghum syrup is an added sugar. US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar, including syrup, for children aged 4 and under. Stir in mashed fruit instead.
Assuming every pack is gluten-free
Sorghum is naturally gluten-free, but it can pick up gluten from other grains during harvesting and processing. If your child has celiac disease, choose sorghum labeled gluten-free, and skip bulk bins.
Questions parents ask
Can sorghum be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole cooked sorghum kernels are firm and chewy, and the CDC lists whole kernels of cooked grains as a choking hazard for young children. The CDC advises cooking whole-grain kernels and finely grinding or mashing them. Serve sorghum as smooth porridge, mashed into moist food or in soft patties, and stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to sorghum?
Sorghum is not a common allergen. It is naturally gluten-free, so it can suit children with celiac disease, and sorghum flour is one of the non-wheat flours used for wheat-free baking. If your child must avoid gluten or wheat, choose sorghum labeled gluten-free, because naturally gluten-free grains can pick up gluten from other grains during harvesting and processing. If your child has a wheat allergy, ask their allergist which other grains are safe for them.
Is sorghum healthy for babies?
FoodData Central has no cooked entry for sorghum, so these figures are for the dry grain: per 100 g dry, about 10.6 g of protein, 6.7 g of fiber and 3.4 mg of iron. Babies eat only a few spoonfuls of cooked sorghum, so it isn't counted as an iron-rich food.
Is sorghum gluten-free?
Yes, sorghum is naturally gluten-free. If your child has celiac disease, choose sorghum labeled gluten-free to avoid cross-contact. In the US, foods labeled gluten-free must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.
Can babies eat sorghum at 6 months?
Yes. Cook it until very soft and serve it blended into a porridge, mashed into a familiar food, or in soft patties, with no whole kernels. Sorghum flour porridge is an easy smooth option.
Can babies have sorghum syrup?
Not as a sweetener. It's an added sugar, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar, including syrup and honey, for children aged 4 and under. Sweeten sorghum porridge with mashed fruit instead.
If your baby refuses sorghum
- 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 sweet potato or cooked apple.
- Try another form: smooth porridge, soft patties, or mashed into soup.
- 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 sorghum
- Cool cooked sorghum quickly and refrigerate it within 1 hour. Spores of some food poisoning bacteria can survive cooking grains, and reheating won't remove the toxins they make.
- Cooked sorghum keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Cooked sorghum can be frozen in small portions for 3 to 4 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it 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:
- 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
- CDC: When, what, and how to introduce solid foods
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- Celiac Disease Foundation: Gluten-free foods
- NIDDK: Eating, diet, and nutrition for celiac disease
- ACAAI: Wheat allergy
- NHS: Starchy foods and carbohydrates
- Ciacci et al. (2007): Celiac disease: in vitro and in vivo safety and palatability of wheat-free sorghum food products (Clinical Nutrition)
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- USDA FoodData Central: Sorghum grain
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
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