First foods database
🌱 Chives for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat chives? Yes, from about 6 months. Finely snipped chives add a mild onion flavour to eggs, potatoes and dips without any salt, and they need no cooking. They are also easy to grow in a pot on the windowsill.
Good source of: Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Folate
How to serve chives by age
6 to 9 months
Wash, then snip very finely with clean kitchen scissors. Stir about a teaspoon into a portion of scrambled egg, mashed potato, cottage cheese or a plain yoghurt dip. Mixing them into soft potato or egg fingers lets baby taste them while self-feeding.
9 to 12 months
Add snipped chives to omelette strips, potato cakes, fishcakes, soft cheese on toast and soups. A tablespoon in a family pot of mash is plenty.
12 months and up
Use as a garnish for family meals or mix into sandwich fillings such as egg mayonnaise or cream cheese. Toddlers enjoy helping snip them with child-safe scissors.
Choking safety
Long chive strands can tangle in the mouth and cause gagging, so snip them into tiny pieces, a few millimetres long, before adding to food. Do not offer whole stems to babies.
Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).
Good to know
- Wash fresh chives well, especially home-grown ones.
- Snip finely; avoid whole long stems.
- Chive flowers are edible but strong, so use only a few petals.
Easy ideas
- Chive scrambled egg
- Chive and potato cakes
- Chive and plain yoghurt dip
- Chive and cream cheese on toast fingers
Goes well with
Recipes with chives
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat chives?
Can babies eat chives? Yes, from about 6 months. Finely snipped chives add a mild onion flavour to eggs, potatoes and dips without any salt, and they need no cooking. They are also easy to grow in a pot on the windowsill.
Can babies eat chives raw?
Yes, finely snipped and mixed into soft food. They do not need cooking.
What do chives taste like?
Mild and oniony, gentler than spring onion, which makes them a nice first herb for eggs and potatoes.
Sources
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).