Photo needed: oatmeal cut for 6 months
6 months
Cook oats thick, so a spoonful holds together and stays put when turned over. Pre-load a spoon and hand it to your baby, or spread it on the tray to scoop.
Oats and oatmeal for babies
Yes, babies can eat oats from around 6 months. Oatmeal is one of the most useful early foods because the texture is adjustable — thick enough to stay on a spoon for a new eater, looser once your baby has the hang of it. Use plain oats with no added sugar or salt.
How to serve oatmeal by age
Photo needed: oatmeal cut for 9 months
9 months
Same texture, but let your baby hold the spoon. Stir in mashed fruit or a thin layer of smooth nut butter.
Photo needed: oatmeal cut for 12 months and up
12 months and up
Porridge as the family eats it, with whole cow milk now fine. Still unsweetened.
Choking risk
Cooked oatmeal is not a choking hazard. Take care with add-ins: whole nuts, dried fruit and whole berries stirred through porridge are the risk.
Why it is worth offering
- Provides iron, which matters from 6 months as a baby's own stores fall
- Fibre for digestion, and a filling texture
- Carries other flavours well, from cinnamon to mashed fruit
Oatmeal earns its place through iron. From around 6 months a baby’s own iron stores begin to run down, and breast milk alone does not top them up, so iron-containing foods matter from the start.
Recipes with oatmeal
- Two-ingredient banana oat pancakes
Soft, sweet pancakes made from banana and oats, with nothing added. Easy for a 6 month old to grip and quick enough for a weekday.
Oats and oatmeal questions parents ask
Can a 6 month old eat oatmeal?
Yes, from the start of solids. Cook it thicker than you would for yourself so it stays on the spoon.
Is baby oat cereal necessary?
No. Plain rolled oats blended fine or cooked soft do the same job. Iron-fortified infant cereals are one convenient option, not a requirement.
Can babies have oats with cow milk?
Yes, cow milk used in cooking is fine from 6 months. As a main drink it waits until 12 months.
Foods often served alongside
Medically reviewed by TODO REVIEWER NAME, RD, pediatric dietitian — last reviewed . See our editorial and review policy.