Can Babies Eat Bell Peppers? Roast Them Soft
Bell pepper is a sweet, crunchy vegetable and one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin C. Cook or roast it soft and peel it from around 6 months. Raw thin strips can wait until your baby is a confident chewer.
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- When to introduce
- Around 6 months, cooked soft and peeled
- Common allergen?
- Not a common allergen
- Texture
- Roasted or cooked soft, skin removed, in thin strips
- Key nutrients
- Vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, fiber
Bell pepper, also called capsicum or sweet pepper, is a bright, crunchy vegetable that turns silky and even sweeter once you cook it. It is a genuine vitamin C powerhouse, and that vitamin C does real work: it helps your baby absorb the iron from foods served alongside it, which matters a lot in the second half of the first year. It can join your baby's plate around 6 months. The one thing to get right is texture. Raw bell pepper is firm and slippery, and its thin skin can peel away in a single tough sheet, so for now you will roast or cook it until soft and peel it. Any color works, though red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter and higher in vitamins than green.
Why it matters: Raw pepper is hard and its skin peels away in a thin sheet that can cling to the throat, so cooking soft or peeling removes the choking texture; the vitamin C it brings also helps iron from other foods absorb, which is why it pairs well with beans or meat.
Prep School: how to prepare bell pepper for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées
🍴 Baby-led weaning
🥄 Purées
Is bell pepper safe? Choking & prep
The main thing to know about bell pepper is texture, not allergy. Raw pepper is firm and crunchy, which is hard for a baby to chew and break down, and the thin outer skin can slip off in a whole tough sheet that is difficult to manage and easy to gag on. The CDC and AAP both flag hard, raw vegetables and pieces that hold their shape as choking risks in the first couple of years, so for a baby the safest route is to roast or cook the pepper until it is soft and to peel it, then serve it as thin strips, small pieces, or a puree. The NHS gives the same guidance to soften and prepare firm vegetables for young eaters1. Save raw thin strips of pepper for when your baby is a confident chewer, usually around 12 months or later, and always offer them while your child is sitting upright and supervised. Stick to sweet bell peppers and skip hot or spicy chili peppers, which are too fiery for a baby. There is no need to add salt to your baby's portion. Bell pepper is not one of the top-9 allergens, so a rare reaction is possible with any food but not something to expect here.
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Nutrition
Bell peppers are one of the richest vegetable sources of vitamin C, and red peppers pack in even more than green. That vitamin C matters twice over: it supports your baby's immune system, and it helps the body absorb non-heme iron, the plant form of iron found in beans, lentils, tofu, and leafy greens. Serving soft pepper alongside those foods, or alongside meat, genuinely boosts how much iron your baby takes in from the meal. Peppers also deliver vitamin A for eye and skin health, vitamin B6, and a little fiber, all in a naturally sweet package that most babies take to easily once it is cooked soft.
Goes well with
Lentils · Chicken · Egg · Black beans · Rice · Tomato
Storage & freezing
Refrigerate cooked, peeled bell pepper in a sealed container for up to 3 days. It freezes well once soft, so roast and peel a batch and freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Store whole raw peppers in the fridge and use within about a week.
More vegetables to explore
Related reading
- Iron-rich foods for babies →
- Best finger foods →
- Best first vegetables for babies →
- How to cut food to prevent choking →
- Signs your baby is ready for solids →
- Baby-led weaning vs. purées →
Common questions
Can an 8 month old have bell pepper?
Yes. Around 6 months is a good time to introduce bell pepper, as long as you roast or cook it until soft and peel off the thin skin. Serve it in soft, thin strips, small pieces, or a puree. Skip raw pepper for now, since it is hard to chew and the skin can peel off in a tough sheet.
Is bell pepper a choking hazard?
Raw bell pepper can be, because it is firm and slippery and its skin can come off in a whole sheet that is hard for a baby to manage. Cooking the pepper until soft and peeling it greatly reduces that risk. Once your baby is a confident chewer, usually around 12 months or later, thin raw strips become a reasonable option.
How do I serve bell pepper to a baby?
The simplest way is to roast or cook the pepper until it is very soft, then peel off the thin skin. For a younger baby, blend it into a smooth puree or mash, or cut it into soft, thin strips they can hold. As your baby gets better at picking up small bits, offer soft cooked pieces, and later stir cooked pepper into eggs, pasta, and family meals.
Why do I need to peel bell pepper for babies?
The thin outer skin does not soften much with cooking and can slip off in one tough sheet, which is hard for a baby to chew and easy to gag on. Roasting the pepper makes the skin loosen so it peels away easily, leaving the soft, sweet flesh underneath.
Can babies eat raw bell pepper?
Not in the early months. Raw bell pepper is firm and crunchy, which is a choking risk for a baby, and the skin is tough. Wait until your baby is chewing confidently, usually around 12 months and beyond, before offering thin raw strips, and always supervise.
Does the color of the bell pepper matter?
Not for safety, so any color works when cooked soft. Nutritionally, red, orange, and yellow peppers are riper, sweeter, and higher in vitamin C and vitamin A than green peppers, which some babies also find gentler on flavor.
Are spicy peppers the same as bell peppers?
No. Bell peppers are sweet and mild with no heat, which is what you want for a baby. Hot chili peppers like jalapeno or Scotch bonnet are far too spicy and should be skipped in a baby's portion.
Is bell pepper good for iron absorption?
Yes, and it is one of its best features. Bell pepper is loaded with vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the plant-based iron in foods like lentils, beans, tofu, and leafy greens. Serving soft pepper in the same meal as those iron-rich foods helps your baby get more iron out of them, which is valuable in the second half of the first year when iron needs are high.
Is bell pepper a common allergen?
No, bell pepper is not one of the top-9 allergens. As with any new food, introduce it on its own and watch how your baby does, but a reaction to bell pepper is uncommon.
Can bell pepper cause tummy trouble for babies?
For most babies it is well tolerated once cooked soft. A few babies find raw or lightly cooked pepper a little harder to digest, which is one more reason to cook it thoroughly at first. Start with a small amount and build up as your baby gets used to it.
Sources
Further reading
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage and Limit
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Start tracking for freeLast 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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