Blueberries might not be the first or second fruit on your baby’s menu. But you can still introduce these sweet, juicy bites relatively early on after your child starts solids, whether you began with spoon-feeding or baby-led weaning. And they’ll likely fast become a favorite.
Here’s when you can put blueberries onto your new nosher’s tray or plate, how to serve them safely, plus fun ideas for adding them to the menu.
When can babies have blueberries?
You can offer blueberries whenever your baby starts solids, usually around 6 months.
Blueberries can be puréed if you're spoon-feeding purées, but they can be a little trickier to prepare if you’re following a baby-led weaning approach (which involves introducing solids in the form of soft, gummable finger foods instead of purées), since your little one will likely not be able to pick up blueberries until closer to the 9-month mark, when she gets a grip on her pincer grasp.
How to prepare blueberries for your baby
Whole blueberries pose a choking hazard for babies and younger toddlers, so plan to serve the little orbs smushed or halved at least until your little one’s first birthday (and maybe beyond, depending on your child and the size of the fruit). You can smush berries simply by pressing them with your finger or a fork until they pop.
The tips below can help parents determine how to serve blueberries at different stages, but keep in mind that all babies develop at their own pace. Speak with your pediatrician before beginning baby-led weaning, and talk to him or her if you have any concerns about your child's oral-motor skills, chewing skills, swallowing skills, or if you're unsure whether or not your baby is ready for certain food preparations.
How to prepare blueberries for a 6-month-old
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Your brand-new eater doesn’t yet have the fine motor skills to pick up halved or smushed blueberries, and they may be too small for her to palm and gum. That said, you can still incorporate them into easier-to-hold menu items: Stick a few blueberry halves on whole grain toast strips, or add halved blueberries to whole grain pancake strips, mini muffins or even frittata strips.
Just make sure you’ve gotten the green light from your pediatrician to start serving multi-ingredient foods and have introduced each ingredient individually before serving them together.
How to prepare blueberries for a 9-month-old
With her pincer skills picking up, your older baby is ready to try blueberries all by themselves. Smush or halve them so they don’t pose a choking risk.
How to prepare blueberries for a 12-month-old
Your new toddler may be able to handle whole blueberries now, if they’re small and ripe. But you’ll still want to halve or smush berries that are the size of a marble or larger.
How to prepare blueberries for an 18-month-old
Even now with plenty of teeth in, it might be worth serving berries halved or smushed if they’re the size of a marble or larger. (And if you’re not sure what your 1 1/2-year-old can safely handle, it never hurts to check with the pediatrician.)
Blueberry recipes for babies and toddlers
Blueberries make for a tasty snack or side all by themselves, but that’s just the beginning. Here are some more tot-approved ways to make them part of the menu. Just remember to always introduce one food at a time, especially top allergens like eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, dairy and seafood.
- Blueberry ants on a banana log. Slightly hollow out a quarter of a banana, fill with plain yogurt and dot with halved blueberries.
- PB&B toast. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter (once your child has been introduced to it separately) on whole grain toast and top with lightly mashed blueberries.
- Fruity frittata. Swap out the usual shredded cheese and veggies in your favorite frittata recipe for ricotta cheese and smushed or halved blueberries.
- Blueberry breakfast sandwich. Spread two small whole grain pancakes (or two halves of a whole grain waffle) with cream cheese. Top one pancake or waffle half with smushed or halved blueberries and place the other pancake or waffle half on top to make a "sandwich."
- Berry peach yogurt pops. Blend frozen blueberries (or assorted frozen berries) and frozen peach slices with plain yogurt until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
- Blueberry pie jam. Simmer whole fresh or frozen blueberries with a splash of orange juice and a pinch of cinnamon until the mixture is thick and jammy. Swirl into plain yogurt or use as a topping for oatmeal.
- Blueberry spinach smoothie. Blend fresh or frozen blueberries with banana, milk, almond butter and a handful of baby spinach until smooth.
What are the benefits of blueberries for babies and toddlers?
Their dark hue signals that blueberries are chock-full of antioxidants to support your baby or toddler’s rapidly developing brain. Blueberries are also a good way for your growing gourmand to get some vitamin K, which plays a key role in blood clotting.
Like most fruits, blueberries also offer up plenty of fiber to help keep constipation at bay. (They can also possibly change the color of your baby or toddler’s stools, if she eats a lot of them. If a blueberry-filled meal is followed by black poop diaper, don’t be alarmed!)
Can babies be allergic to blueberries?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), any food can be an allergen. Luckily, blueberry allergies aren’t common. It’s possible for raw ones specifically to trigger oral allergy syndrome — a condition caused by cross-reaction in allergens found in both pollen and raw fruits and vegetables. But kids under 3 aren’t typically affected.
Even so, knowing the signs of a possible allergic reaction is always a good idea, especially when you’re serving a food for the first time. Your baby or toddler might have a food allergy if, immediately or within an hour or two after eating, she experiences:
- Hives
- Itching
- Skin, lip or tongue swelling
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Throat tightness or trouble swallowing
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
Call your doctor right away if your child experiences symptoms of an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction may be more severe or possibly life-threatening (called anaphylaxis) if multiple areas of the body are affected. In the rare event that your child shows signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction like trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 right away.
Are blueberries a choking hazard for babies?
Small, round fruits like blueberries are a common choking hazard for children under 4. Make sure you're preparing blueberries safely for your little one by puréeing or smushing them for younger babies, and then continuing to smush or cut them into small, bite-sized pieces for older babies and toddlers.
Make sure, too, to always supervise your young child when she's eating, sit her upright during mealtimes and never offer food while she's reclining, walking, sitting in a car seat or playing.
It might take a little bit of time before your baby is ready to pop her first blueberry into her mouth. But once she gets the hang of grasping the sweet, tiny fruits, chances are she won’t want to stop.
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