Fruit Food Library
When can babies have plantains?
Can babies have plantains?
Babies can have plantains from about 6 months when they are cooked until soft. Ripe, yellow-black plantains that are steamed, boiled or baked are easy to mash and hold. Fried plantains and tostones are firmer and crispier, which raises the choking risk, and plantains are not a common allergen.
How to serve plantains by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Steam, boil or bake a ripe plantain until very soft, then mash or blend it smooth with a little breast milk, formula or water and offer it on a spoon. Plantains must always be cooked; raw plantain is hard and starchy.
7–8 months
Mash cooked ripe plantain more roughly so it has soft lumps, or offer a spear about the size of an adult finger, cooked until it squashes easily between your thumb and finger.
9–12 months
Cut soft cooked plantain into small, bite-size pieces, or mash it into pancakes or fritters baked in the oven. Green plantain can be boiled and mashed with a little oil.
12 months +
Toddlers can eat cooked plantain pieces, baked plantain chips made soft, and occasional pan-fried sweet plantains cut small. Save crispy tostones and plantain chips for when chewing is strong.
Why it’s good
Plantains give babies energy from carbohydrates, plus potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium and fiber. Green plantains are starchier, while ripe plantains are sweeter and softer.
Safety notes
- Never serve raw plantain. Cook it until it is soft enough to squash between your thumb and finger.
- Fried plantains, tostones and plantain chips are firm, crispy and often salty, which increases choking risk. Save them for older toddlers and cut them small.
- Use little or no salt or sugar when cooking plantains for babies.
- Green plantains are dense and starchy. Mash them well and offer water with the meal.
A low-allergy food, still worth watching
Plantains are not a Top 9 allergen. They are related to bananas, and children with banana or latex allergy, or pollen-related oral allergy syndrome, may react; start with a small amount.
Plantains for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about plantains for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have plantains?
Babies can have plantains from about 6 months, as soon as they start solids. Plantains should always be cooked until soft before serving.
Can babies have plantains?
Yes, babies can eat plantains, and soft ripe plantain is a sweet, easy first food. Steamed, boiled or baked plantain is best for babies.
Are plantains a choking hazard for babies?
Plantains can be a choking hazard when they are undercooked or fried crisp, such as tostones and chips. Soft, well-cooked plantain spears or mashed plantain are much lower risk.
Are plantains a common allergen?
No, plantains are not a common allergen. Children with banana or latex allergies may sometimes react to plantains.
How do I serve plantain to a 6 month old?
To serve plantain to a 6 month old, steam or bake a ripe plantain until very soft, then mash it smooth and offer it on a spoon. Let it cool before serving. Soft finger-length spears to hold can follow at 7–8 months.
Can babies have fried plantains?
Soft, pan-fried sweet plantains can be shared with older babies in small pieces, but tostones and plantain chips are too crispy for young babies. Use little oil and no added salt.
What is the difference between green and ripe plantains for babies?
Green plantains are starchy and less sweet, and they need longer cooking to soften. Ripe plantains with yellow-black skin are sweeter and softer, which makes them easier for babies.
Can plantains cause constipation in babies?
Green plantains contain resistant starch that may firm up stools in some babies. Ripe plantains, water with meals and other fiber-rich foods help keep things moving.
The takeaway
- Babies can have plantains from about 6 months when they are cooked until soft.
- Steam, boil or bake a ripe plantain until very soft, then mash or blend it smooth with a little breast milk, formula or water and offer it on a spoon.
- Choking risk is medium. 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)
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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.