First foods database
🌽 Corn on the cob for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat corn on the cob? Yes, from about 6 months. A cooked cob makes a fun teething-friendly finger food: babies scrape the soft kernels off with their gums, and it helps build jaw strength.
Good source of: Fibre, Vitamin B6, Folate
How to serve corn on the cob by age
6 to 9 months
Boil or steam the cob until the kernels are very soft. Cut it into rounds about 5 cm long, or into halves lengthways, and let baby hold and gnaw. Kernels that come away are soft and squashable. For spoon feeding, use sweetcorn purée instead.
9 to 12 months
Keep offering cob pieces to gnaw. Babies may now pull off kernels with their fingers; mash loose kernels or check they are soft.
12 months and up
Serve as at family meals, plain or with a little unsalted butter. Children can eat straight off a whole cob.
Choking safety
Kernels that come loose can be inhaled by young babies, so stay close. Check the cob has no sharp ends and the corn holders (spikes) are removed. Never offer the bare core once kernels are gone.
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
- Do not add salt to the cooking water.
- Kernels often pass through undigested in nappies: this is normal.
Easy ideas
- Cob rounds with unsalted butter
- Corn rounds with a smoky paprika sprinkle
- Kernels in a sweetcorn fritter
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat corn on the cob?
Can babies eat corn on the cob? Yes, from about 6 months. A cooked cob makes a fun teething-friendly finger food: babies scrape the soft kernels off with their gums, and it helps build jaw strength.
Can a baby eat corn on the cob at 6 months?
Yes, cooked soft and cut into rounds for baby to gnaw. Stay with them and remove the cob once the kernels are gone.
Why is there corn in my baby's nappy?
The outer skin of each kernel is hard to digest, so it often comes out whole. This is normal and harmless.
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).