BabyJoy
Cherries for babies
When and how to serve cherries at every stage of starting solids.
- Introduce from
- 6–9 months
- Safety notes
- Common choking hazard
How to prepare cherries by age
6–9 months
Remove every stone (pit) and stem, then quarter soft ripe cherries or smash them flat. Never serve whole.
9–12 months
Pitted and quartered pieces for pincer practice, or chopped into yogurt.
12 months+
Keep pitting and quartering until at least age 4 — whole cherries and their stones are a choking hazard.
Choking hazard
Cherries can be a choking hazard for babies and young children. Prepare it exactly as described for your baby’s age, seat your baby upright and always supervise meals.
Gagging (loud coughing, watery eyes, a red face) is a normal part of learning to eat. Choking is silent: your baby cannot cough, cry or breathe and needs immediate help. Learn infant CPR and choking rescue.
Nutrition highlights
- Vitamin C
- Antioxidants
- High fiber
- Potassium rich
Serving ideas
- Pitted, quartered cherries
- Mashed into yogurt or porridge
- Stewed cherry compote swirled into porridge
Prepare these as described above for your baby’s age.
Choosing and storing
Ripeness: Ripe cherries are deep in colour, glossy and slightly soft; avoid hard, pale ones.
Storage: Refrigerate unwashed for up to a week; rinse and pit just before serving.
Sources
This guide is based on published guidance from:
