Goat cheese may be introduced as soon as your baby is ready for solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.

When you think of goat cheese, you might picture the white, soft, tangy cheese that is also called chèvre, a French word for the animal whose milk is used to make it. In fact, this style of fresh goat cheese has many names: caprino, feta, gbejna, labneh, mató, queso fresco, and snøfrisk to name a few. That’s because it is popular in cultures around the world, and despite its many names, the cheese is made using the same basic cooking method: coagulate milk, separate solids (curds) from liquid (whey), and compress to form fresh young cheese.

Fresh goat cheese can also be aged to become harder and sharper. For the purposes of introducing goat cheese to your baby, the information here pertains to fresh creamy goat cheese that is sold as a log, as a wheel, or in a tub as a spread or as crumbles.

Yes! Fresh goat cheese has lots of protein and healthy fats, as well as calcium, copper, iron, and vitamins A, B2, and B6—essential nutrients to power your baby’s growth. Goat cheese can also be an easier cheese to digest than cheese made from cow’s milk, thanks to a molecular make-up that’s easier on the body’s gastrointestinal system. Lastly, goat cheese is generally lower in sodium and therefore a better choice for babies to eat than many cheeses, which can be very high in sodium. (Early and excessive exposure to sodium is thought to play a role in hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.) 

When selecting goat cheese for your baby, look for a cheese that is:

Once your child is 12 months old, you can try exploring a wider range of cheese while still keeping an eye on sodium levels.

It can be. Most cheeses present a choking risk for babies and children under the age of five, and goat cheese’s stickiness can be challenging for babies to consume. To decrease the choking risk, thin goat cheese before serving by whipping it with a little bit of breast milk, formula, yogurt, or goat’s or cow’s milk.

For more information, visit our section on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with common choking hazards.

Yes, milk allergy is the most common food allergy in infants and children.  While milk allergy typically refers to cow’s milk, goat’s milk protein is similar to cow’s milk and may cause a reaction.  Research shows that the majority of children with cow's milk allergy will outgrow it by age 6 and many babies with milder symptoms of milk protein allergy (which can show up as painless blood in stool) are able to successfully reintroduce cow's milk as early as their first birthday, with the guidance of their doctors.   

If you have a family history of allergies, or suspect your baby may be allergic to milk, consult an allergist before introducing goat cheese. Otherwise, as with all new foods, introduce goat cheese in scant amounts the first couple of times and watch closely as your baby eats. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future servings.