Eggplant

Vegetable

Age Suggestion

6 months

Iron-Rich

Common Allergen

When can babies have eggplant?

Eggplant may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.

As a result of its global popularity, eggplant has different names depending on where one lives in the world, including anara, aubergine, brinjal, and many others. Around the world, eggplant adds creamy, meaty texture to dishes like Chinese dì sān xiān, French ratatouille, Georgian badrijani, Indian baingan bharta, Lebanese baba ghanoush, Moroccan tagine, Vietnamese cà tím xào, just to name a few. Eggplant comes in lots of shapes, sizes, and colors – long with lavender skin, bulbous with green and white stripes, and many more. There is even a pure white variety whose shape and size resemble a chicken egg – the origin behind the English name “eggplant”.

How do you serve eggplant to babies?

Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.

an infographic with the header "how to cut eggplant for babies": long cooked spears with skin on for babies 6 months+, bite sized cooked pieces for 9 months+, and bite sized pieces with a fork for 12 months+

6 months old +:

Offer cooked, soft eggplant in long wedges or large flat round slices for baby to munch on. Leaving the skin on can help hold the piece of food together, but if baby is struggling with the texture of the skin, it’s fine to remove it. No need to remove the seeds either, as they are too small to pose a choking risk. Alternatively, serve mashed eggplant dishes like baba ganoush for baby to scoop with their hands or eat from a pre-loaded spoon.

9 months old +:

Serve bite-sized pieces of cooked, soft eggplant for baby to pick up with their developing pincer grasp (where the thumb and forefinger meet). Serve these pieces on their own, or as part of dishes like pasta, omelets, casseroles, or stir fries. You can also continue serving large cooked wedges or slices for baby to practice taking bites. Continue to expect baby to spit out pieces of skin, as the skin is difficult to break down without molars, but even spitting it out is good practice.

12 months old +:

Offer cooked, soft eggplant in bite-sized pieces, long wedges, or any preparation the family enjoys. At this age, you can even serve the toddler their own halved, stuffed eggplant “boat” and let them practice scooping the filling and cooked eggplant from the skin with a utensil or their hands.

a hand holding two cooked eggplant spears for babies starting solids — Cooked eggplant spears for babies 6 months+

a hand holding five bite-sized pieces of cooked eggplant for babies 9 months+ — Bite-sized pieces of cooked eggplant for babies 9 months+

Videos

Juliet Rose, 6 months, eats a cooked eggplant spear.

Zeke, 11 months, eats roasted eggplant.

Julian, 12 months, eats roasted eggplant with a fork.

Is eggplant a choking hazard for babies?

Yes. Eggplant, when raw or undercooked, can be firm and slippery, which are qualities that pose an increased risk of choking. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve eggplant in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. As always, make sure to create a safe eating environment and stay within reach of baby during meals.

Learn the signs of choking and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

Is eggplant a common allergen?

No. Allergies to eggplant are rare but have been reported. People who are allergic to latex, tomato, or grasses may also be allergic to eggplant or experience Oral Allergy Syndrome (also known as pollen food allergy). Oral Allergy Syndrome typically causes mild, temporary itching, tingling, or burning in the mouth, which usually resolves on its own.

Eggplants are part of the nightshade family of plants, to which some individuals may be sensitive. Other nightshade vegetables include peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes, huckleberries, goji berries, and spices made from peppers (cayenne, paprika, etc.) Eggplant is also considered to be rich in histamine and eating it (especially in combination with other foods that are either high in histamine or liberate histamine from your own tissues) can result in symptoms that mimic those of an allergic reaction.

As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity for the first few servings. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future meals.

Is eggplant healthy for babies?

Yes. Eggplant offers fiber, folate, and vitamins B6, C, and K. Together, these nutrients work to support a flourishing gut microbiome, brain development, metabolic processes, iron absorption, blood clotting, and more. Plus, eggplant is rich in antioxidants to help support bodily repair processes.

Do you need to salt eggplant before cooking it?

No, you don’t need to salt eggplant before cooking, although you certainly can if you’d like. Salting slices of eggplant has been said to accomplish two things: make the eggplant taste less bitter and draw out some moisture to make the cooked eggplant less soggy and more crisp when frying it. But today’s eggplants are already much less bitter-tasting than their predecessors, so there’s no need to salt it, especially when you’re pressed for time.