First foods database
🌿 Fennel for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat fennel? Yes, from about 6 months. Cooked fennel turns soft and mildly sweet with a gentle aniseed flavour, a lovely way to widen your baby's taste range. It also brings vitamin C and fibre, and pairs especially well with fish.
Good source of: Vitamin C, Fibre, Potassium, Folate
How to serve fennel by age
6 to 9 months
Braise, steam or roast until completely soft. Blend into purées with potato or apple, or offer large soft wedges with the base left on as a natural handle for gnawing.
9 to 12 months
Chop cooked fennel into small soft pieces and add to risotto, pasta, soups and fish dishes.
12 months and up
Serve roasted or braised with family meals. Shaved paper-thin raw fennel in salads is fine once chewing is confident.
Choking safety
Raw fennel is crunchy and can break into hard pieces, so cook it until soft for babies. Remove tough outer layers and fronds can be chopped finely.
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
- Mild aniseed flavour: offer it a few times, as tastes often grow on babies.
- Wash well between the layers.
Easy ideas
- Braised fennel with white fish
- Fennel and potato mash
- Roasted fennel and tomato pasta
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat fennel?
Can babies eat fennel? Yes, from about 6 months. Cooked fennel turns soft and mildly sweet with a gentle aniseed flavour, a lovely way to widen your baby's taste range. It also brings vitamin C and fibre, and pairs especially well with fish.
What does fennel taste like for babies?
Cooked fennel is mild and slightly sweet with a light aniseed note. Many babies enjoy it once softened.
Can babies eat fennel seeds?
Ground fennel seeds in small amounts are fine in cooking. Avoid whole hard seeds for young babies.
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).