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Apple for babies

How to serve it at 6, 9 and 12 months.

Raw apple pieces are named as choking hazards on both the CDC's list and the AAP's choking page, which says to avoid or change them. A choking hazard on both lists. Not a major allergen. At about 6 months: Cook apple until soft and mash it, or serve it as smooth applesauce without added sugar.

Checked October 29, 2026.

How to serve apple at 6, 9 and 12 months

Serving apple, following the CDC and AAP texture and choking guidance
AgeHow to serve it
About 6 monthsCook apple until soft and mash it, or serve it as smooth applesauce without added sugar.
About 9 monthsCooked soft apple in lumpy mash or soft pieces no larger than one-half inch.
About 12 monthsCooked soft or very thinly grated; raw chunks stay a hazard for young children.

Every baby is different. Start the same way for every food: your baby sits up, you are right there, and the pieces match what they can do.

Is apple a choking hazard?

It is named on both the CDC's choking list and the AAP's choking page. The AAP says to cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch, to have children sit while they eat, and to watch every meal.

Is apple an allergen?

It is not one of the nine major food allergens the FDA names.

Even so, try one new single-ingredient food at a time, so you can tell what a food does (CDC).

Where this comes from

Named by: CDC: Choking Hazards; AAP: Choking Prevention. The serving steps follow the CDC's texture advice and the AAP's finger-food and choking pages.

Call your pediatrician if…

Your pediatrician knows your child. Call them if you have a worry about a food, a reaction or choking. The AAP and the CDC have more:

Peabody editors write these pages from the sources below. We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice for your child.

Sources