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When can babies eat pizza?
Can babies eat pizza?
Babies can have pizza from about 7–8 months as a soft, thin strip of homemade or lower-sodium cheese pizza; at 6 months stick to smooth foods like tomato sauce or ricotta stirred into purees. Pizza contains wheat and dairy, both common allergens, and stretchy melted cheese and toppings can be a choking risk. Most takeout pizza is high in salt, so keep it occasional.
How to serve pizza by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Pizza is best saved for 7–8 months, when your baby can hold soft foods. At 6 months, offer its simple parts instead: unsalted tomato sauce or ricotta stirred into a smooth vegetable puree or soft pasta blended smooth, on a spoon.
7–8 months
Offer a strip of soft-crust cheese pizza about the size of two adult fingers, with the cheese spread thin and cooled and no firm toppings. Homemade pizza lets you skip added salt, and a thin layer of tomato sauce is fine.
9–12 months
Cut pizza into small, bite-size squares and remove any firm toppings like pepperoni, olives or chunks of sausage. Soft toppings like spinach or finely chopped mushrooms can stay.
12 months +
Toddlers can eat pizza cut into strips or small squares, with toppings chopped small. Keep takeout pizza for once in a while, and pair it with fruit or vegetables.
Why it’s good
Pizza can provide carbohydrates, protein and calcium from cheese, and vitamin C and lycopene from tomato sauce. Vegetable toppings add more nutrients. Most store-bought and restaurant pizza is high in sodium and saturated fat.
Safety notes
- Melted cheese can form stretchy strings and sticky globs. Cool pizza, spread the cheese thin and cut it into strips or small pieces.
- Firm or round toppings such as pepperoni, sausage chunks, whole olives and cherry tomatoes are choking hazards. Remove them or chop them finely.
- Takeout and frozen pizza are often very high in sodium. Homemade pizza with low-sodium cheese and unsalted sauce is a better choice for babies.
- Crispy, hard crusts can break into dry pieces. Choose soft crusts for younger babies.
- Pizza fresh from the oven holds a lot of heat. Let it cool and test the cheese before serving.
Introduce pizza on its own, then keep it in
Pizza contains wheat in the crust and dairy in the cheese, both Top 9 allergens, and some crusts and toppings include egg, soy or sesame. Introduce wheat and dairy separately before pizza when you can, and watch for hives, vomiting or swelling.
Pizza for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about pizza for babies and toddlers.
When can babies eat pizza?
Babies can have pizza from about 7–8 months as a soft strip of plain cheese pizza, ideally homemade with little salt. Pizza is best offered once wheat and dairy have been introduced separately.
Can babies eat pizza?
Yes, babies can eat pizza if it has a soft crust, a thin layer of cheese and no firm toppings. Takeout pizza is salty, so keep it as an occasional food.
Is pizza a choking hazard for babies?
Pizza can be a choking hazard because of stretchy melted cheese, chewy crust and firm toppings like pepperoni. Cool the pizza, cut it into strips and remove or finely chop toppings.
Is pizza a common allergen?
Yes, pizza contains common allergens. The crust contains wheat and the cheese contains dairy, and some pizzas also contain egg, soy or sesame.
How do I serve pizza to a 6 month old?
Pizza is not a good fit for a 6 month old, since it is a finger food and 6 month olds do best with smooth foods on a spoon. Offer unsalted tomato sauce or ricotta stirred into a smooth puree instead, and try cooled, soft-crust cheese pizza strips about the size of two adult fingers at 7–8 months.
What is the healthiest pizza for babies?
The healthiest pizza for babies is homemade, with a whole-wheat or soft crust, unsalted tomato sauce, a thin layer of mozzarella and soft vegetable toppings. This keeps sodium low and adds nutrients.
Can babies eat frozen pizza?
Babies can eat small amounts of frozen pizza once in a while, but many brands are high in sodium. Compare labels, choose a plain cheese pizza and serve it with fruit or vegetables.
When can toddlers eat pepperoni pizza?
Toddlers can eat pepperoni pizza after 12 months if the pepperoni is chopped into tiny pieces. Pepperoni is salty and chewy, so remove it for babies under 12 months.
How can I make pizza with more vegetables for a picky toddler?
Blend vegetables like spinach, carrot or roasted red pepper into the pizza sauce, or let your toddler add soft toppings themselves. Toddlers are more likely to eat pizza they helped make.
The takeaway
- Babies can have pizza from about 7–8 months as a soft, thin strip of homemade or lower-sodium cheese pizza; at 6 months stick to smooth foods like tomato sauce or ricotta stirred into purees.
- Pizza is best saved for 7–8 months, when your baby can hold soft foods.
- Choking risk is medium. Wheat is one of the Top 9 allergens: offer a small amount first, watch for a reaction, then keep it in the diet regularly.
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
- The Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW; American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2019;143(4):e20190281
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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.