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Can Babies Eat Bay Scallop? How to Cook and Serve

Bay scallops are small, sweet scallops about the size of a marble, tender and quick to cook. They can be offered from around 6 months, cooked fully, then thinly sliced or finely chopped. They are a shellfish allergen and their round shape is a choking risk, but they are low in mercury and one of the gentler seafoods to start with.

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When to introduce: 6 months+
Common allergen?: Yes - shellfish (mollusk)
Texture: Fully cooked, thinly sliced or finely chopped
Key nutrients: Protein, vitamin B12, zinc, iodine, selenium

Bay scallops are the small, sweet scallops about the size of a marble, tender and quick to cook. They are a shellfish, so worth introducing as an allergen, and their round shape means they need slicing or chopping before they reach a baby. Well cooked and cut small, they are a soft, mild seafood to offer.

Prep School: how to prepare bay scallop for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées

6 to 9 monthsCook the scallop fully, then finely chop or thinly slice it and mix into a soft food like mashed potato or rice. Do not serve a whole, round bay scallop.

9 to 12 monthsOffer thin slices or finely chopped, well cooked scallop your baby can gum, or keep mixing it into soft foods. Keep pieces thin and small.

12 months+Halve or quarter small bay scallops so they are not round, and offer them once your toddler chews well. Keep cooking them fully and keep salt low.

Is bay scallop safe? Choking & prep

Scallops are a shellfish and a common allergen, so offer a small amount alone at first and keep it on a different day from any fish you are introducing.¹² Cook scallops fully and never serve them raw, since raw shellfish can carry bacteria and viruses.² Bay scallops are small and round, which is exactly the shape that can block a small airway, so slice or chop them thin rather than serving them whole, and keep halving small ones for a toddler.³ Scallops are low in mercury and on the FDA Best Choices list, so mercury is not the concern here; choking and thorough cooking are.¹

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Nutrition

Bay scallops are a lean, mild protein with vitamin B12, zinc, iodine, and selenium, low in fat and low in mercury. Iodine supports thyroid and brain development, and the soft cooked texture makes scallops one of the gentler shellfish to introduce.

Goes well with

Mashed potato · Rice · Peas · Soft pasta · Sweet corn

Storage & freezing

Fresh scallops are perishable, so cook them the day you buy them or freeze them. Keep them cold and dry until cooking. Store cooked scallops in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days, reheat until steaming hot, and cool before offering to your baby.

More proteins to explore

🌳

BeechnutNot recommended; whole nuts not before age 5

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BeefAround 6 months

🥩

BisonAround 6 months

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Bison liverFrom about 6 months

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Black beansAround 6 months

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Black-eyed peasAround 6 months

Introducing this allergen

Common questions

Bay scallops or sea scallops for my baby?

Either works cooked. Bay scallops are small and round, so slice or halve them so they are not a rounded lump. Larger sea scallops just need finely chopping or thin slicing.

Do I need to remove anything from a bay scallop?

Bay scallops are usually sold as just the white muscle. Give them a rinse and pull off the small tough side muscle if it is still attached, then cook fully.

Is raw or seared rare scallop safe for a baby?

No. Raw or barely cooked shellfish is not safe for babies. Cook scallops all the way through until opaque and firm.

Sources

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Last updated July 2026. Next review January 2027. How we write these: grounded in widely published pediatric guidance (the AAP, WHO, the NIAID 2017 allergen guidelines, and the LEAP study), and pending independent review by a pediatric professional. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these.

This is general information, not medical advice, and has not been individually reviewed for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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