First foods database
🥣 Quark for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat quark? Yes, from about 6 months. Quark is a soft, fresh, pasteurised cheese with a texture like thick yoghurt, high in protein and low in salt. It is naturally very low in fat, so mix it with full-fat foods for babies.
Good source of: Protein, Calcium, Vitamin B12
How to serve quark by age
6 to 9 months
Stir a spoonful of plain quark into fruit purée, mashed vegetables or porridge, or mix it with full-fat yoghurt for a thick, protein-rich dip. It can also be spread thinly on toast fingers with mashed banana.
9 to 12 months
Use quark in savoury dips with herbs, as a filling for soft pancakes, or stirred through pasta with peas. It works well in baking too, adding protein to muffins and pancakes.
12 months and up
Offer quark with fruit, as a spread or dip, or in homemade cheesecake-style desserts sweetened with fruit. Keep pairing it with fuller-fat foods until your child is 2.
Choking safety
Quark is smooth and a low choking risk. Spread it thinly rather than in thick blobs, and check that anything mixed into it, such as fruit, is mashed or cut small.
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
- Milk is an allergen.
- Very low in fat: babies need full-fat foods, so combine it with them.
- Flavoured quark desserts can contain added sugar.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains milk, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce milk
Easy ideas
- Quark with mashed strawberries
- Quark and herb dip with soft toast fingers
- Quark pancakes with banana
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat quark?
Can babies eat quark? Yes, from about 6 months. Quark is a soft, fresh, pasteurised cheese with a texture like thick yoghurt, high in protein and low in salt. It is naturally very low in fat, so mix it with full-fat foods for babies.
Is quark suitable for babies?
Yes, plain pasteurised quark is fine from about 6 months.
Quark or yoghurt for babies?
Both are good. Full-fat yoghurt has more energy for growing babies; quark is higher in protein.
Can I cook with quark for my baby?
Yes. It works in sauces, bakes and pancakes. Stir it in off the heat for sauces so it does not split.
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).