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Kohlrabi for Babies: When and How to Serve It

Kohlrabi is a crisp cabbage-family bulb that tastes mild and slightly sweet. Raw it is hard and a choking risk, so cook it until soft and offer strips or mash from around 6 months.

When to introduce
Around 6 months
Common allergen?
No (not a common allergen)
Texture
Peeled and cooked soft, in strips or mash
Key nutrients
Vitamin C, fiber, potassium

When can babies eat kohlrabi?

Kohlrabi is a round, pale-green bulb in the cabbage family, with a mild, slightly sweet flavor that lands somewhere between a broccoli stem and a turnip. It can join your baby's plate around 6 months, but there is one important step: raw kohlrabi is hard and crunchy, which makes it a choking risk. Peel it, cook it until soft, and it becomes a gentle, easy first vegetable.

How to prepare kohlrabi for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées, by age

6 monthsPeel off the tough skin, cook until fork-soft, and mash smooth or offer soft, thick strips your baby can hold and gum.
9 monthsServe soft-cooked kohlrabi in small pieces for the pincer grasp, or mixed into other mashed vegetables.
12 months+Offer soft-cooked kohlrabi in small pieces, or shave it very thin if serving it raw as your toddler chews well.

Is kohlrabi safe? Choking & prep

Raw kohlrabi is hard and crunchy, which makes it a choking risk, so cook it until soft before serving it to a baby. Peel off the tough outer skin first, since it is fibrous and hard to chew. Cook the bulb until fork-soft, then mash it or cut it into soft strips or small pieces. If you want to offer it raw once your toddler chews well, shave it very thin. There is no need to add salt to your baby's portion.

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Nutrition

Kohlrabi offers a good dose of vitamin C, along with fiber and potassium. The vitamin C helps your baby absorb iron from foods served alongside it, so it pairs well with beans or meat. Its mild, slightly sweet flavor makes it an easy way to add variety.

Goes well with

Lentils · Carrot · Chicken

Storage & freezing

Refrigerate cooked kohlrabi in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

More vegetables to explore

🧅
LeekAround 6 months
🍄
MushroomAround 9 months
🥬
Mustard greensAround 6 months
🥬
Napa cabbageAround 8 months
🥬
OkraAround 9 months
🧅
OnionAround 6 months, cooked

Related reading

Frequently asked questions

When can babies eat kohlrabi?

Around 6 months, peeled and cooked until soft, then mashed or served in soft strips.

Can babies eat raw kohlrabi?

Raw kohlrabi is hard and crunchy, which is a choking risk. Cook it soft for babies. Once your toddler chews well, you can shave it very thin.

Is kohlrabi a common allergen?

No, kohlrabi is not a common allergen. Introduce it on its own so you can watch how your baby does.

What does kohlrabi taste like?

It is mild and slightly sweet, a bit like a broccoli stem crossed with a turnip. Most babies take to it easily once it is cooked soft.

Sources

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How we write these: from widely published pediatric guidance (AAP, NIAID 2017 guidelines, the LEAP study), with sources cited on every page. Pending review by a pediatric professional.

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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