No. 75 · Veggies Passport food
When can babies have onions?
Can babies have onions?
Babies can have onions from about 6 months, as soon as they are ready for solids, as long as the onion is cooked until soft. Cooked onion is mild and sweet and adds flavor without salt, while raw onion is firm and slippery and is best saved for older children.
How to serve onions by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Roast or saute onion until it is very soft and golden, then mash or blend it and stir it into smooth purees, lentils or grains. It adds gentle sweetness to spoon-fed meals.
7–8 months
Finely chop soft cooked onion into lumpier mashes, lentils and sauces. You can also offer large, soft roasted onion layers pulled off the root end, as long as they squash flat easily between your fingers.
9–12 months
Finely chop well-cooked onion and mix it into foods your baby eats with their fingers, such as omelet strips, meatballs, fritters or soft pasta. Avoid serving whole loose layers, which can be slippery.
12 months +
Serve soft cooked onion as part of family meals like stews, curries and stir-fries. Small amounts of very finely chopped raw onion can be mixed into foods like guacamole once your child chews well, but wait on large raw pieces and whole pickled or pearl onions.
Why it’s good
Onions give babies vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate and prebiotic fiber that feeds healthy gut bacteria. They also contain plant compounds such as quercetin. Most of all, onions are a simple way to add rich, savory flavor to baby food without salt, which helps babies learn to enjoy family meals.
Safety notes
- Cook onion until completely soft for babies. Raw onion is crunchy and slippery and can break into pieces that are hard to control.
- Small round onions such as pearl onions and cocktail onions are a choking hazard. Cut them into small pieces and cook until soft, or skip them for young children.
- Avoid onion salt, onion soup mixes, fried onion rings and crispy fried onions for babies. They are high in sodium and fat, and crispy onions are hard to chew.
- Plain onion powder with no salt is fine in small amounts for flavor. Check the label, since many blends contain added salt.
- Seat baby upright and stay within arm's reach while they eat.
A low-allergy food, still worth watching
Onion is not a common allergen. True onion allergy is rare, but watch for hives, rash around the mouth, swelling or vomiting the first few times. Some babies may get a little extra gas, which is not an allergy.
Onions for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about onions for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have onions?
Babies can have onions from about 6 months, once they are ready for solids. Onions should be cooked until soft, either roasted, sauteed or simmered into sauces, before you serve them to a baby.
Can babies have onions?
Yes, babies can eat onions from around 6 months when the onion is well cooked. Cooked onion adds sweetness and savory flavor to baby food and is a healthy alternative to adding salt.
Are onions a choking hazard for babies?
Onions are a high choking risk for babies when raw, because raw onion is firm and slippery, but cooked soft onion is much lower risk. Cook onion until it squashes easily, chop it finely, and avoid whole pearl or pickled onions for young children.
Are onions a common allergen?
No, onions are not one of the Top 9 common food allergens. Onion allergy is uncommon, but watch for hives, swelling, itchy mouth or vomiting when you first serve onion.
How do I serve onion to a 6 month old?
To serve onion to a 6 month old, cook it until very soft and mash or blend it into purees, lentils or grains on a spoon. Finely chopped cooked onion in lumpier mashes, and soft roasted layers that squash easily, can follow at 7–8 months.
Can babies have raw onion?
Raw onion is not recommended for babies because it is firm, slippery and strong-tasting. Toddlers who chew well can try small amounts of very finely chopped raw onion mixed into foods like salsa or guacamole.
Can babies have red onions?
Yes, babies can have red onions from about 6 months, prepared the same way as yellow or white onions. Red onions are slightly sharper when raw, but they turn soft and sweet when cooked.
Can babies have pickled onions?
Pickled onions are best avoided for babies under 12 months because they are often high in salt and sugar and can be firm and round. Older toddlers can have a small amount of homemade, low-salt pickled onion, finely chopped.
Do onions cause gas or colic in babies?
Onions contain fibers called fructans that can cause some extra gas in a baby who eats them, which is normal and passes. There is no good evidence that a breastfeeding parent eating onion causes colic, so there is usually no need to cut onion from your own diet.
Can babies have onion powder?
Babies can have a small amount of plain onion powder from about 6 months to add flavor to their food. Choose onion powder with no added salt, and avoid onion salt and dry onion soup mixes, which are very high in sodium.
The takeaway
- Babies can have onions from about 6 months, as soon as they are ready for solids, as long as the onion is cooked until soft.
- Roast or saute onion until it is very soft and golden, then mash or blend it and stir it into smooth purees, lentils or grains.
- Choking risk is high. Not a Top 9 allergen, but offer a small amount first and watch for any reaction.
Read next
Sources
This guide follows current advice from these organizations.
- Starting Solid Foods American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Choking Hazards Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Choking Prevention American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Updated November 2026. Reviewed by our dietitians. Based on AAP, CDC and NIAID guidance. Written for healthy, full-term babies; not a substitute for your pediatrician. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, feeding difficulties or a known allergy, check with them first (medical disclaimer). Always stay with your baby while they eat.