Jujube for Babies: When and How to Serve It
Jujube, also called red date or Chinese date, is crisp and apple-like when fresh and chewy when dried. Remove the pit and slice fresh jujube very thin or cook it soft, from around 9 months. Dried jujube is not suitable whole for babies.
- When to introduce
- Around 9 months
- Common allergen?
- No (not a common allergen)
- Texture
- Pitted, sliced very thin or cooked soft
- Key nutrients
- Vitamin C, fiber, potassium
When can babies eat jujube?
Jujube, also called red date or Chinese date, is crisp and apple-like when fresh and chewy and sweet when dried. Fresh jujube can join your baby's plate around 9 months, but it needs care: the raw fruit is firm and has a hard pit, so it must be pitted and either sliced very thin or cooked soft. Dried jujube is chewy and sticky with a pit, so it is a choking hazard and not suitable whole for babies.
How to prepare jujube for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées, by age
Is jujube safe? Choking & prep
Fresh jujube is firm and crunchy with a hard pit, so remove the pit and slice it very thin or cook it soft, since raw firm fruit is a choking risk. Dried jujube is chewy and sticky with a pit, which makes it a choking hazard, so it is not suitable whole for babies. Always remove the pit before serving in any form.
Trying jujube today? Log the first taste and it lands on your baby's tried-it list, dated and ready for the pediatrician.
Log jujube today →Nutrition
Jujube provides vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. The vitamin C supports iron absorption from foods served alongside it, and its natural sweetness makes it an appealing fruit once it is prepared safely for your baby.
Goes well with
Storage & freezing
Refrigerate fresh jujube in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or refrigerate cooked jujube for up to 3 days.
More fruits to explore
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
When can babies eat jujube?
Around 9 months, using fresh jujube that is pitted and either sliced very thin or cooked soft.
Can babies eat dried jujube?
Not whole. Dried jujube is chewy, sticky, and has a pit, which makes it a choking hazard for babies.
What is jujube also called?
It is also known as red date or Chinese date. It is crisp and apple-like when fresh and chewy when dried.
Is jujube a common allergen?
No, jujube is not a common allergen. Introduce it on its own so you can watch how your baby does.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage and Limit
Track it in Yummy Yucky
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Start tracking for freeLast updated July 2026. 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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