Rich, creamy and packed with nutrition, it might come as no surprise to hear that yogurt is a veritable superfood for your baby. But when and how to serve it might not be straightforward early on, especially if you’re skipping spoon-feeding for a baby-led weaning approach.
Turns out, your little one can have her first taste of yogurt early on in her foray with solids. Here’s the scoop on when to introduce yogurt to babies and how to serve it, plus what to look for on the nutrition label.
When can babies have yogurt?
Dairy is a common allergen, and though experts used to recommend waiting to introduce allergenic foods, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now says there’s no reason to hold off. In fact, delaying on dairy-based foods like yogurt for too long may even raise a child’s allergy risk.
In other words, as long as your pediatrician gives you the green light, you can plan to introduce yogurt shortly after your baby starts eating solid foods, usually around 6 months (and at least 6 if you’re going the baby-led weaning route, an approach that involves introducing solids in the form of soft, gummable finger foods; at 6 months, your baby is more likely to be capable of starting to self-feed).
The fact that yogurt packs a nutrition punch (and is beloved by most babies and toddlers) isn’t the only reason to offer it early on.
If yogurt is the first dairy-based food you serve, plan for your baby’s first introduction to happen at home (versus at day care or in a restaurant). That’ll make it easier to keep an eye on her for the first hour or two after eating so you can watch for any potential allergic reactions. You’ll also know for sure about all of the ingredients she ate at mealtime, making it easier to pinpoint yogurt as the culprit if there’s a problem.
Read This Next
How to prepare yogurt for your baby
Good news: You don’t have to do anything special to serve yogurt to your little nosher. Just spoon-feed it to her or scoop some into a baby-safe bowl (or right onto her tray — things are going to get messy either way!).
Even if you wouldn’t eat yogurt completely plain, resist the urge to add anything extra for your baby’s bowl at first. Honey isn’t safe for babies under 1 (it may cause a rare type of food poisoning called infant botulism), and added sugars in general should stay off the table until your tot turns 2. After your baby tries yogurt all by itself, it’s fine to serve it with fruit (be sure to cut into tiny age-appropriate pieces) or as part of other dishes.
Though the serving instructions are pretty simple, it’s important to know what to look for when buying yogurt at the grocery store: Seek out plain, whole milk yogurt with nothing extra. Yogurts marketed for babies and toddlers, along with flavored yogurts, tend to pack gobs of added sugar plus other possible additives that your baby doesn’t need.
Both regular and Greek yogurt are fine, though Greek yogurt’s texture might be easier for your sweetie to scoop. (Greek yogurt is typically tart, so see if it’s a fit for your sweetie.) Greek varieties are also higher in protein and calcium, but that’s only because it’s been strained more and contains less water. Nutritionally speaking, regular yogurt is a great choice, too.
As for whether you need to buy organic yogurt for your baby? It’s nice when possible, but it certainly isn’t a must.
The tips below can help parents determine how to serve yogurt 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 yogurt for a 6-month-old
If your pediatrician has given you the green light to try whole milk dairy products like yogurt, you can introduce it at this age. Keep it simple starting out. Scoop some plain yogurt into a baby-safe bowl (or directly on your baby’s tray) and give your baby a chance to explore. She might like to rake it up with her fingers, but pay attention to her cues: If she doesn’t seem to like touching it, that’s okay. You can also try offering the yogurt on a loaded spoon for her to put in her mouth.
How to prepare yogurt for a 9-month-old
Your baby can still scoop yogurt with her hands or eat from a preloaded spoon. But you can also use thick Greek yogurt to help her work on her pincer grasp. Try putting yogurt on smooshed blueberries or O-shaped cereals for her to pick up.
Once you get the green light from the pediatrician to start serving multi-ingredient foods, you can offer yogurt as part of other dishes. Think smoothies, fruit-and-yogurt parfaits or homemade dips.
How to prepare yogurt for a 12-month-old and up
Heading towards your tot’s first birthday, you can try encouraging her to scoop her own yogurt from the bowl with a toddler spoon instead of offering spoonfuls that have been preloaded. Though if her hands are still her preferred utensils, that’s okay, too.
Yogurt recipes for babies and toddlers
You can’t blame your baby for getting bored with plain old yogurt after a while. Keep her tastebuds guessing — and introduce different flavors and textures — with these easy ideas. Just remember to always introduce one food at a time, especially other top allergens like eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat and seafood.
- Yogurt-fruit smoothie or popsicles. Blend yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit to make a simple smoothie, or pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze.
- Yogurt melts. Stir puréed fruit (strawberries, blueberries and banana all work well) into plain yogurt until combined. Spoon the mixture into a resealable bag and pipe bite-sized dots onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid.
- Savory yogurt dip. Make a tzatziki-style dip by stirring chopped dill, chopped garlic, lemon juice and olive oil into plain yogurt. Serve with cucumber strips or steamed carrot for dunking, or alongside flaked salmon.
- Yogurt-oat bites. Add enough plain yogurt to uncooked rolled oats to reach a consistency that’s thick enough to roll the mixture into balls. You can mix any finely diced fruit you have on hand. Shape into small balls and refrigerate until firm.
- PB banana yogurt parfait. Stir peanut butter powder into plain yogurt. Layer yogurt with mashed banana to make a naturally sweet parfait.
- Yogurt muffins or pancakes. Swap out the milk or buttermilk in your favorite whole grain muffin or pancake recipe for an equal amount of regular yogurt.
- Yogurt overnight oatmeal. Combine rolled oats with yogurt instead of the usual milk and refrigerate overnight. Stir in your favorite add-ins right before breakfast — think finely diced fruit, wheat germ or pumpkin purée with a dash of cinnamon.
What are the benefits of yogurt for babies and toddlers?
Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, a mineral that’s a must for helping your baby build strong, healthy bones, muscles and teeth. Many versions are fortified with vitamin D, too, which helps with calcium absorption. Just check the label before you buy. It’s also an easy way to give your cutie’s meal a quick protein boost, especially if she tends to turn her nose up at meat.
Also important? Yogurt is rich in probiotics, the beneficial kind of bacteria that promotes healthy digestion (and may help fight diarrhea, should a stomach bug strike). Some evidence also suggests that eating probiotic-rich foods can help with conditions like eczema and allergies.
Can babies be allergic to yogurt?
Cow’s milk is one of the most common baby food allergens, along with eggs and peanuts. (Though thankfully, many kids outgrow their milk allergies by age 3.) So it’s particularly important to watch for signs of a possible reaction when introducing yogurt, especially if it’s the first dairy food you’re serving.
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
It’s possible that yogurt could bother your baby or toddler if she’s lactose intolerant, meaning she can’t breakdown or digest lactose — a sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance is very rare in babies and infants, but when it does occur, it’s marked by problems like gas, diarrhea, bloating, spotting up, irritability and even failure to thrive or gain weight.
On the other hand, lactose intolerance doesn’t necessarily mean all types of dairy are totally off limits. Yogurt contains less lactose than milk, and many kids who can’t tolerate a glass of milk are still able to tolerate yogurt.
If you suspect that your baby or toddler has a milk allergy or an intolerance, discuss her symptoms with her pediatrician. The doctor might recommend blood or skin testing to confirm the diagnosis.
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.
Is yogurt a choking hazard for babies?
Yogurt is not considered a common choking hazard for babies. However, prepare it safely by making sure your little one doesn't put too much in her mouth at once (especially thicker varieties like Greek yogurt) and ensuring that any mix-ins (like chopped berries) are an appropriate size and consistency for her age.
Make sure, too, to always supervise your young child when she's eating, sit her upright during mealtimes and never serve food while she's reclining, walking, sitting in a car seat or playing.
Easy for you to serve and just as easy for your baby to love, yogurt’s a staple for new eaters. Just be sure to stick with the plain, unflavored stuff — after all, your sweetie’s plenty sweet without the added sugar.
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
