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Edam for Babies: When and How to Serve It Safely

Mild, mellow, and a little lower in salt, Edam is an easy cheese to grate for babies.

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When to introduce
Around 6 months
Common allergen?
Milk (dairy)
Texture
Semi-hard; grate or shave thin
Key nutrients
Calcium, protein, fat

Can babies eat Edam? Yes, from around 6 months, when baby is ready to start solids. Edam is a mild, mellow Dutch cheese sold in those familiar waxed rounds, and it happens to be a little lower in fat and salt than many cheeses, which is handy for little ones. Peel off the wax rind, then grate it or shave it thin and melt it into warm pasta, mash, or eggs, or offer very thin shavings. Cheese is a good way to offer the milk allergen early, but this is dairy as a food, not milk as a drink, so keep the amounts small.

⚠️ Choose pasteurized Edam (remove the wax rind), grate it or shave it thin and melt it into food (never serve in cubes or chunks), and remember cheese is a milk (dairy) allergen best offered on its own first.1

Why it matters: Mild and a touch lower in salt, Edam is an easy cheese to grate for little ones.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

6 monthsPeel off the wax rind first. Edam is semi-hard, so cubes and chunks are out: shave it very thin so it softens easily, or grate it finely over a soft food your baby can already handle.
9 monthsOffer very thin shavings your baby can gum, or finely grated Edam stirred into soft foods they can pick up.
12 months+Continue with finely grated or thinly shaved Edam. Keep portions modest, even though it is lower in salt than many cheeses.

🥄 Purées

6 monthsRemove the wax, then grate finely and melt it into warm pasta, mash, or veg so it disappears into the food.
9 monthsKeep stirring finely grated Edam through soft foods as texture builds.
12 months+Finely grated or thinly shaved into warm food. Modest amounts, even though Edam is a bit lower in salt.

Is edam safe? Choking & prep

Always choose pasteurized Edam and peel off the wax rind before serving. It is semi-hard, so never serve it in cubes or chunks, which are a choking risk; grate it finely or shave it very thin and, ideally, melt it into food. Cheese is a milk (dairy) allergen, one of the top nine, so offer it on its own the first time and watch for any reaction. Edam is a bit lower in salt than many cheeses, but it still contains some, so keep amounts small.

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Nutrition

Edam provides calcium and protein for bones and growth, plus fat for energy and brain development. It is a little lower in fat and salt than many cheeses, which is nice, but it still contains salt, so serve modest portions.

Goes well with

Warm pasta · Mashed potato · Scrambled egg · Steamed green beans · Soft toast · Roasted carrot

Storage & freezing

Keep Edam wrapped and refrigerated; the waxed round keeps well for a couple of weeks. It can be frozen grated, though the texture softens after thawing.

More dairy foods to explore

🧀
EmmentalFrom about 6 months
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FetaAround 6 months, small amounts
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Fontina6 months+
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Fromage blancAround 6 months
🧈
GheeAround 6 months, small amounts for cooking
🧀
Goat cheeseAround 6 months

Introducing this allergen

Related reading

Common questions

Can babies eat Edam?

Yes. From around 6 months, pasteurized Edam grated or shaved thin and melted into food is a good way to offer dairy.

When can babies eat Edam?

From around 6 months, once baby is showing signs of readiness for solids.

Does Edam have to be pasteurized?

Yes, choose pasteurized Edam for babies, and always remove the wax rind before serving.

Is Edam a choking hazard?

Yes if served in cubes or chunks. Grate it finely or shave it thin and melt it into food instead.

Is Edam a common allergen?

Yes, it is a milk (dairy) allergen, one of the top nine. Offer it on its own the first time and watch for any reaction.

Sources

  1. AAP HealthyChildren: Starting Solid Foods

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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