Allergen note
Brussels sprouts are not a common food allergen, and reactions are rare. They can be offered cooked from around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids. Like other cabbage-family vegetables they may cause some gas at first, and their slightly bitter taste can take several tries to accept.
How to serve
At 6–8 months, offer well-cooked sprouts puréed, or smashed flat with a fork into soft patties your baby can grab. From 9 months, quarter or finely chop soft sprouts, or peel off the leaves and stir them into pasta or mash. Toddlers can eat soft quartered sprouts; roasting brings out their sweetness.
Preparation
Trim the stem end, pull off any yellowed outer leaves, and score an X in the base or halve larger sprouts so they cook evenly. Steam or boil for 8–12 minutes, or roast halves with a little oil, until a knife slides through the core easily. Skip salt; a little unsalted butter or lemon softens the bitterness.
Texture and choking risk
Whole Brussels sprouts are round, firm and about the size that can block a small airway, so never serve them whole to babies and toddlers. Cook them until very soft, then smash them or cut them into quarters or smaller pieces, and always supervise while your child eats sitting upright.
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries Brussels sprouts, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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