First foods database
🎃 Pumpkin for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat pumpkin? Yes, from about 6 months. Roasted or steamed pumpkin turns soft and mild, purées into a silky first food and gives a generous dose of vitamin A for healthy skin and eyesight.
Good source of: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Fibre, Potassium
How to serve pumpkin by age
6 to 9 months
Peel, deseed and steam or roast until soft, then purée or mash. For finger food, offer long roasted slices with the skin removed that squash easily when pressed.
9 to 12 months
Move to a fork-mashed texture or soft bite-sized cubes. Stir into risotto, pasta sauce or porridge.
12 months and up
Serve roasted chunks, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pancakes or mixed into family curries.
Choking safety
Raw pumpkin is very hard, so cook until it is completely soft. Remove the tough skin and all seeds for babies; whole pumpkin seeds are a choking risk and should be ground if you want to use them.
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
- Carving pumpkins are watery and less flavoursome; culinary varieties or butternut squash work better.
- Use plain tinned pumpkin purée, not pie filling, which has added sugar and spices.
Easy ideas
- Pumpkin and oat porridge
- Pumpkin risotto with a little grated cheese
- Roasted pumpkin fingers with yoghurt dip
Goes well with
Recipes with pumpkin
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat pumpkin?
Can babies eat pumpkin? Yes, from about 6 months. Roasted or steamed pumpkin turns soft and mild, purées into a silky first food and gives a generous dose of vitamin A for healthy skin and eyesight.
Can babies eat pumpkin seeds?
Not whole. Whole seeds are a choking risk for young children. Finely ground pumpkin seeds can be sprinkled onto food from about 6 months.
Can I use tinned pumpkin for my baby?
Yes, if it is 100% pumpkin with nothing added. Check the label to make sure it is not sweetened pie filling.
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).