6 months Your baby
Cut a ripe avocado into long wedges, roughly the size of two adult fingers. Leave a little skin on one end as a handle, or roll the wedge in ground oats for grip. Let your baby bring it to their own mouth.
Avocado for babies
- Low choking risk
- fat
Yes — from 6 months
Yes, babies can eat avocado from around 6 months, as soon as they are ready for solids. It is one of the easiest first foods: soft, easy to grip when cut into a wedge, and rich in the fat a growing brain needs. Serve it ripe enough to squash between your finger and thumb.
How to serve avocado
9 months Your baby
Once a pincer grasp is developing, offer bite-sized pieces about the width of your little fingernail. Mashed avocado on a pre-loaded spoon works well too.
12 months and up Your baby
Serve it however the family eats it — diced in a salad, smashed on toast, or blended into a dip with plain yogurt.
Choking risk
Ripe avocado is soft and gives way easily, so the choking risk is low. The real problem is grip — it is slippery. Leave a strip of skin on as a handle for a 6 month old, or roll the wedge in ground oats or fine breadcrumbs so small hands can hold it.
Why it is worth offering
- Rich in unsaturated fat, which babies need in far higher proportion than adults do
- Provides folate, potassium and vitamin E
- Bland and soft, so it mixes with almost anything your baby is slow to accept
Avocado is on almost every first-food list for a reason: it needs no cooking, it is soft enough for a baby with no teeth, and its fat content suits a stage when babies need a lot of energy in small volumes.
Expect mess. Most of the first few avocado wedges end up squashed into the high chair rather than eaten, and that is exactly how babies learn to handle food.
Recipes with avocado
- Avocado toast fingers
The five-minute breakfast for a new eater: soft avocado on toast, cut into strips a baby can actually hold.
Avocado questions parents ask
Can a 6 month old eat avocado every day?
Yes. There is no reason to limit it, and the fat content is useful at this age. Offer other foods alongside it so your baby meets a range of flavours and textures.
Is avocado a common allergen?
No. Avocado allergy is rare. There is a known link with latex allergy, so mention it to your pediatrician if latex allergy runs in your family.
How do I stop avocado being so slippery?
Roll the wedge in ground oats, crushed unsweetened cereal or fine breadcrumbs, or leave a strip of the skin on as a handle.
Can I give my baby unripe avocado?
No. Firm avocado does not squash easily and is harder to manage. Wait until it yields to gentle pressure.
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Medically reviewed by Melissa A Barry, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD, RDN) — last reviewed . See our editorial and review policy. Verify this credential