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From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Chontaduro? Boil It First

Also known as peach palm, pejibaye.

Babies can try chontaduro (peach palm) from around 9 months, but only boiled very soft, peeled, pitted, and mashed. The fruit is always cooked, never served raw.

Why it matters: The raw peach palm fruit is not eaten and is always cooked first,1 so the whole safety question comes down to cooking it fully soft and then removing the choking-hazard skin and pit, the same cook-first, peel-and-pit logic that applies to other dense tropical staples.

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When to introduce
Around 9 months, always long-boiled
Common allergen?
Not a common allergen
Texture
Boiled soft, peeled, pitted, then mashed
Key nutrients
Carbohydrate, fiber, healthy fats, vitamin A

Can babies eat chontaduro? Yes, from around 9 months, but only after it is boiled until very soft, then peeled and pitted. Chontaduro, also called peach palm or pejibaye, is a starchy, buttery palm fruit loved across Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and much of the Pacific coast, usually sold already boiled by street vendors. The one thing every parent needs to know is that the raw fruit is not eaten; it is always boiled until very soft first.1 Prepared that way, the flesh turns rich, mild, and easy to mash.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

9 monthsOnly offer chontaduro that has been boiled for 1 to 3 hours, until very soft, then peeled and pitted. Give a soft, graspable piece of the flesh, big enough to hold, that squishes easily. Never give the raw fruit, the skin, or the hard pit.
12 months+Serve the boiled, peeled, pitted flesh in small soft pieces your baby can pick up and gum. Keep it low in salt and always fully cooked.

🥄 Purées

9 monthsBoil the whole fruit for 1 to 3 hours, until very soft, then peel and remove the pit. Mash the flesh smooth, thinning with a little breast milk, formula, or water, since it can be dense. Never blend it raw.
12 months+Offer a thicker mash or small soft pieces of the boiled, peeled, pitted flesh. Keep it unsalted and fully cooked.

Is chontaduro safe? Choking & prep

The single rule with chontaduro is that it must always be boiled until very soft before your baby eats it, and never served raw.1 The raw fruit is not eaten; boil the whole fruit for 1 to 3 hours, until very soft, before peeling.1 Always have an adult peel off the skin and remove the hard central pit, both of which are choking hazards a baby should never handle.23 Once boiled soft, peeled, and pitted, mash the flesh smooth for younger babies; it can be dense, so thin it with a little breast milk, formula, or water. For older babies offered pieces, cut small, soft, squishable shapes rather than firm chunks.4 Chontaduro is not a common allergen,5 but as with any new food, offer it on its own for the first taste or two.3 Skip the salt in your baby's portion.6

Nutrition

Boiled chontaduro is a rich, starchy fruit that gives babies carbohydrate energy along with fiber, healthy fats, and carotenoids that the body can use to make vitamin A,17 which is what gives the flesh its warm orange color. It is filling and calorie-dense rather than a complete meal on its own, so balance it across the day with iron-rich and protein foods. Mashing the boiled flesh with a little breast milk or formula makes a smooth, familiar texture for younger eaters.

Goes well with

Egg · Chicken · Black beans · Avocado · Cheese

Storage & freezing

Refrigerate boiled, peeled chontaduro for 1 to 2 days, or freeze it for about 1 to 2 months.8 Store the raw fruit somewhere cool and always boil it thoroughly before serving.

More vegetables to explore

🥬
Choy sumAround 6 months
🥬
Chrysanthemum greensAround 6 months
🧅
Cipollini onionsAround 6 months
🫛
Cluster beans6 months+
🥗
ColeslawFrom about 18 months, chopped short, as an occasional spoonful; added sugar is best kept rare before age 2
🥬
Collard greensAround 6 months

Related reading

Common questions

Can babies eat chontaduro?

Yes, from around 9 months, but only after it is boiled until very soft, then peeled and pitted.12 Prepared that way and mashed, it is a mild, rich, easy first fruit.

Is raw chontaduro ever safe for a baby?

No. The raw fruit is not eaten; chontaduro is always cooked first.1 Boil it until very soft, then peel and pit it, before serving.

Why does chontaduro have to be boiled?

Raw peach palm fruit can carry irritating oxalate crystals and other antinutrients, and cooking it, traditionally for 1 to 3 hours, removes the crystals and reduces the rest.1 That is why chontaduro is always cooked first and never served to a baby raw. Boiling it until very soft also softens the dense flesh so it is easy to mash and comfortable to eat.

What is chontaduro, and what else is it called?

It is the fruit of the peach palm, an orange palm fruit popular across Colombia, Ecuador, Central America, and the Pacific coast. It is also known as peach palm or pejibaye.

How do I prepare chontaduro for a baby?

An adult boils the whole fruit for 1 to 3 hours, until very soft,1 then peels off the skin and removes the central pit.2 Mash the flesh smooth for younger babies, thinning with a little breast milk, formula, or water if it is dense.

Can I use chontaduro that is already boiled from a vendor?

Yes, pre-boiled chontaduro is common and convenient. Make sure it is fully soft, peel it, remove the pit, and serve it plain and unsalted for your baby, without the usual salt or sauces.6

Is chontaduro a common allergen?

No, chontaduro is not a common allergen.5 As with any new food, you can offer it on its own for the first taste or two so anything unusual is easy to spot.

Is chontaduro a choking risk?

The hard central pit and the skin are choking hazards and should always be removed by an adult.23 The boiled flesh, mashed or cut into small soft pieces, is low risk. Avoid firm chunks and round shapes.9

Why start chontaduro around 9 months rather than 6?

It is a dense, starchy fruit that needs thorough cooking and careful pitting and peeling,12 so it fits well a little later, once your baby is comfortable with soft mashed textures.

Does chontaduro need salt or the usual toppings?

No. Vendors often serve it with salt, honey, or sauces, but babies need very little salt and no honey before age one,6 so keep your baby's portion plain.

Sources

  1. Plants (2022): Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.), Ancestral Tropical Staple with Future Potential (PMC)
  2. USDA FNS: Reducing the Risk of Choking in Young Children at Mealtimes
  3. CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods
  4. CDC: Choking Hazards (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
  5. FDA: Food Allergies (the nine major food allergens)
  6. NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children (salt, sugar, honey)
  7. MedlinePlus (NIH): Vitamin A (carotenoids are converted to vitamin A)
  8. FoodSafety.gov: Children Under Five, Safe Storage of Puréed and Solid Baby Food (homemade baby foods: 1 to 2 days refrigerated, 1 to 2 months frozen)
  9. NHS Start for Life: Preparing food safely for your baby

Further reading

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Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized 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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