HeySolids
Choking risk
Eggplant is a low choking risk once cooked soft - the risk comes from firm, undercooked pieces or chewy skin.
Cook eggplant until a piece squashes easily between two fingers, peel any tough skin, and serve as soft strips or a smooth mash. See how to serve for age-by-age prep.
Allergens
Eggplant is not a common food allergen, so a true food allergy to it is rare.[2]
Start with a small amount and watch for a reaction.
If baby refuses
Undercooked eggplant turns bitter and slimy, so roast or bake it until completely soft and golden - that's what brings out its mild, sweet side. Choosing a smaller, younger eggplant helps too, since big older ones are more bitter. Still refused? Stir it through a tomato-based pasta sauce, where the texture all but disappears. New foods often take a good few goes before they land.
How to serve
6+ months old
Soft roasted wedge or smooth mash
A finger-length wedge, or soft strips
Roast or bake eggplant until very soft, peel off the skin, and serve as a finger-length wedge or soft strip for baby to grip and gnaw. Soft roasted eggplant is delicate, so if it's hard to hold, roll it in ground oats for grip. You can also mash the soft flesh or blend it into a baba ganoush-style dip for a pre-loaded spoon. Keep any dip low in salt and go easy on tahini.
How to cook
Roast at 400°F for about 25 to 30 minutes, until completely soft throughout, then peel the skin. Eggplant soaks up a lot of oil, so use a moderate amount and no salt. It's done when a piece presses easily between two fingers.
9+ months old
Small soft pieces
Bite-sized, about 1/2 inch
As baby starts to pick up smaller pieces with their pincer grasp, offer soft cooked eggplant cut into small pieces, or keep offering a soft strip alongside. Soft eggplant also mixes well into pasta, lentil dishes, or scrambled egg. Peel the skin for younger babies, since it stays chewy without molars.
How to cook
Roast, bake, or pan-fry in a moderate amount of oil until soft, then cut into small pieces. The skin can be left on if it's very well cooked and soft, but peel it if baby finds it chewy. No added salt.
12+ months old
Soft pieces in family dishes
Bite-sized, about 1/2 to 1 inch
Offer soft cooked eggplant in bite-sized pieces or strips as part of family meals. It works well now in ratatouille, soft bakes, curries, and tomato-based pasta, where it melts down into the sauce. Offer a fork for utensil practice, and peel the skin if baby still finds it chewy.
How to cook
Roast, bake, grill, or simmer into stews and sauces until soft. Eggplant soaks up oil, so use a moderate amount, and no added salt in dishes shared with baby.
Tips
- Salting draws out bitterness - but skip it for baby. The classic trick is salting eggplant before cooking to pull out bitter juices, but that loads it with sodium you don't want for a baby. Instead, buy small, young, firm eggplants (they're far less bitter and seedy than big older ones) and cook them thoroughly - that gets you the same sweet result without the salt.
- It drinks oil, so roast don't fry. Eggplant is a sponge - fry it and it soaks up a startling amount of oil. Roasting or baking on a lined tray with just a light brushing of oil keeps it lighter and lets it go soft and golden without turning greasy.
- Prick it and roast it whole for the easiest mash. For a smooth mash or baba ganoush-style dip, prick a whole eggplant a few times and roast it until it collapses, then scoop the soft flesh straight out of the skin - no peeling raw eggplant, and the flesh comes away in one go.