When can babies eat tamarind?

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

Tamarind

Tangy and sticky. Sieve the pulp smooth and stir a little into food.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat tamarind from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsHigh choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve tamarind by age

6 months+

Smooth sieved paste, cooked into a soft food

Soak plain tamarind pulp in just-boiled water until soft, then press it through a fine sieve so every seed, string and bit of shell stays behind. Stir a little of the smooth paste into a dish while it simmers for a few minutes, such as mashed lentils or a soft vegetable stew, then let it cool. Serve it on a pre-loaded spoon or as part of a soft finger food. Never give pods, seeds or lumps of pulp.

Size: Half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of smooth, sieved paste, stirred into a portion of mashed or blended food.
Check before serving: Rub a little paste between your fingers before cooking: it should be smooth, with no seeds, strings or bits of shell.

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 tamarind

1
Choose plain tamarind: whole pods, or a block of pulp with no added sugar or salt. If you use a jar of paste or concentrate, check the label for added sugar and salt. Rinse pods under running water before you crack them.
2
Crack off the brittle shell and pull away the strings. Put the pulp in a bowl, cover it with just-boiled water and let it soak until soft.
3
Mash it with a spoon, then press it through a fine sieve. Throw away the seeds, strings and any shell left in the sieve, and check the paste.
4
Stir a little paste into a dish while it simmers for a few minutes, then let it cool before serving. Don't add sugar.

How much to offer

Start with half a teaspoon of sieved paste stirred into a portion of food your baby already eats. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Tamarind is sour, so a little goes a long way.

Common mistakes

Leaving the seeds in

Tamarind seeds are hard and shiny, and seeds are on the CDC's choking hazard list. A pediatric surgery team in India reported five children, with a median age of 10, who had breathed tamarind seeds into their airways and needed them removed with a bronchoscope. Sieve the pulp so every seed stays behind.

Giving pods or lumps of pulp

Tamarind pulp is sticky and stringy, and the CDC says to avoid small, sticky or hard foods for young children. Sieve it smooth and mix a little into a moist food.

Offering tamarind candy

Tamarind candy is a separate product, not fruit: the FoodData Central entry is mostly sugar and very salty. It isn't a food for babies or toddlers. See the FAQ below, including the CDC's lead warning.

Using sweetened tamarind sauces or drinks

Tamarind chutneys, sauces and drinks can contain added sugar and salt. Check the label, use plain tamarind for your baby, and keep sweetened versions for the adults.

Where US and UK guidance differ on tamarind

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

For babies under 1, the AAP says that apart from mashed banana, most fruits should be cooked until soft, so this page simmers tamarind paste into food. The AAP says no juice before 12 months, and no more than 4 ounces (120 ml) of 100% juice a day from 1 to 3 years.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit, and to avoid food and drink with sugar or sweeteners, including fruit juice, for children aged 4 and under. Sieve out every seed, and keep tamarind candy and sweetened tamarind drinks off the menu.

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

Questions parents ask

Can tamarind be a choking hazard for babies?

Tamarind pulp is sticky and stringy, and each pod has several hard, shiny seeds inside a brittle shell. The CDC says to avoid small, sticky or hard foods for young children and lists whole or chopped seeds as a choking hazard, and the NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit. Sieve out every seed, string and bit of shell, mix a little smooth paste into a moist food, and stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to tamarind?

Tamarind is not a common allergen.

Is tamarind healthy for babies?

Raw tamarind pulp has about 39 g of natural sugar, 5 g of fiber and 2.8 mg of iron per 100 g. Babies have only a little, stirred into food, so it isn't an iron source for them.

Can babies eat tamarind candy?

No. Tamarind candy is a sweet, not fruit. FoodData Central lists tamarind candy at about 79 g of sugar and 1,640 mg of sodium (about 4.1 g of salt) per 100 g. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g, so 25 g of tamarind candy alone has about 1 g of salt. The NHS advises avoiding food with sugar for children aged 4 and under, and the CDC lists hard and gummy candy as choking hazards. The CDC also says lead has been found in some candies, that candy ingredients such as chili powder and tamarind may be a source of lead exposure, and that lead can't be detected by looking at or tasting the candy. If you think your child has eaten candy that may contain lead, the CDC says to contact your child's health care provider, who can help decide whether a blood lead test is needed.

Can babies eat tamarind seeds?

No. The seeds are hard, and seeds are on the CDC's choking hazard list. A pediatric surgery team in India reported five children, with a median age of 10, who had breathed tamarind seeds into their airways: every seed had to be removed in hospital with a bronchoscope, and in some the seed had swollen, which made removal harder. Press the pulp through a fine sieve and throw the seeds away.

Can babies have tamarind drinks?

Not before 12 months. The AAP says babies under 1 shouldn't have juice, and the NHS advises avoiding fruit juice and drinks with sugar for children aged 4 and under. Stir a little plain paste into food instead.

If your baby refuses tamarind

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Tamarind is sour. Start with a very small amount in a food your baby already likes, such as lentils or sweet potato.
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 tamarind

Keep tamarind pods and blocks of pulp in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard or in the fridge. Once opened, keep jars of paste in the fridge and follow the label.
Homemade tamarind paste and cooked dishes with tamarind keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Homemade paste can be frozen in an ice cube tray and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and use it within 24 hours of thawing. Reheat cooked dishes 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:

You think your child has eaten tamarind candy or other candy that may contain lead. The CDC says to contact your child's health care provider, who can help decide whether a blood lead test is needed.
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 tamarind?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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