Avocado for babies
How to serve it at 6, 9 and 12 months.
The CDC lists avocados among fruits to offer babies 6 to 12 months, and the AAP names avocado as a soft food a baby can mash with their gums. Not on the CDC's or AAP's choking lists. Not a major allergen.
Checked October 29, 2026.
How to serve avocado at 6, 9 and 12 months
| Age | How to serve it |
|---|---|
| About 6 months | Mash ripe avocado smooth, or offer a soft, finger-shaped wedge. |
| About 9 months | Offer lumpy mashed food or soft pieces no larger than one-half inch. |
| About 12 months | Soft chunks, or mashed onto other soft food, in small pieces. |
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 avocado a choking hazard?
It is not named on the CDC's or AAP's choking lists, but the CDC says its list may not include every hazard, so the size and texture rules still apply. 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 avocado 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: Foods and Drinks to Encourage; AAP: Baby-Led Weaning, Is It Safe?. 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
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage (6 to 24 month olds) (checked October 29, 2026)
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Baby-Led Weaning, Is It Safe? (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Tastes and Textures (checked October 29, 2026)
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Choking Prevention for Babies and Children (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods (checked October 29, 2026)