6 months Your baby
Cut into batons about the size of an adult finger and steam or roast until soft enough to squash. Serve the whole baton so your baby can hold one end.
Carrots for babies
- High choking risk raw
- vegetable
Yes — from 6 months
Yes, babies can eat carrot from around 6 months, but only cooked until soft. Raw carrot is a serious choking hazard for children under four. Steam or roast carrot sticks until they squash easily between your finger and thumb.
Cooked until soft. Never raw, and never in coin shapes.
How to serve carrot
9 months Your baby
Soft-cooked pieces roughly the width of your little fingernail, for pincer practice. Still no raw carrot.
12 months and up Your baby
Cooked carrot in any shape the family eats. Keep raw carrot off the menu until at least age four, and grate it finely if you do offer it.
Choking risk
Raw carrot is one of the highest-risk foods for young children — it is hard, round and snaps into pieces that block an airway. Do not offer raw carrot sticks, coins or grated raw carrot to a baby. Cook carrot until a piece collapses under gentle pressure, and never serve it in coin shapes.
Why it is worth offering
- Rich in beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A
- Naturally sweet, so it is often accepted early
- Holds its shape when cooked, which makes it easy to grip
Carrot is one of the most searched baby foods, and also one of the most misunderstood. Cooked, it is an excellent early food. Raw, it belongs on the same list as whole grapes and nuts.
Carrots questions parents ask
Can babies eat raw carrot?
No. Raw carrot is a choking hazard for children under four. Cook it until soft, and if you offer raw carrot to an older toddler, grate it finely.
Can carrots turn my baby orange?
A yellow-orange tint on the nose, palms and soles is harmless and common when a baby eats a lot of orange vegetables. It fades when intake varies. Mention it to your doctor if the whites of the eyes look yellow, which is different.
Are carrot sticks good for teething?
No. A cold raw carrot given for teething is a choking risk. Use a chilled teether instead.
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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