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Can Babies Eat Kohlrabi? Raw Choking and Prep

Kohlrabi is a crunchy cabbage relative that stays firm when raw, so raw chunks are a real choking risk. The fix is simple: peel the thick skin and cook it until soft from around 6 months, add paper-thin raw shavings or finely grated raw kohlrabi from about 9 months, and save raw sticks for around age 4.

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When to introduce
Around 6 months
Common allergen?
No (not a top-9 allergen)
Texture
Cooked soft; from about 9 months also shaved paper-thin or finely grated raw (never raw chunks)
Key nutrients
Vitamin C, fiber, potassium

Can babies eat kohlrabi? Yes, from around 6 months, but not as raw chunks. Kohlrabi is a pale green or purple bulb from the cabbage family, with mild, slightly sweet white flesh that tastes a bit like a cross between broccoli stem and a crisp apple. Here is the catch: raw kohlrabi stays firm and crunchy even after you peel it, so raw sticks and cubes are hard for a baby to manage. Peel off the thick, fibrous skin first, then cook it until soft; from about 9 months you can also shave the raw flesh paper-thin.

⚠️ Raw kohlrabi stays firm and crunchy even when peeled, so thick sticks or cubes are a real choking risk1. Peel it and cook it soft, keep raw kohlrabi to paper-thin shavings from about 9 months, and stay within arm's reach while your baby eats.

Why it matters: Kohlrabi's crunch comes from firm, water-storing cells that stay rigid even after peeling, so babies without molars cannot gnaw it into a safe pulp, which is why any raw crunchy food like apple or carrot raises the same concern.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

6 monthsPeel off the thick fibrous skin first, then cook the flesh until fork-soft and serve as a large piece to hold.
9 monthsCooked-soft pieces sized for the pincer grasp, or paper-thin raw shavings only if your baby handles textures well. Skip thick raw sticks and cubes.
12 months+Cooked-soft pieces, finely grated raw kohlrabi, or paper-thin raw shavings. Save raw sticks, matchsticks, and cubes for around age 4.

🥄 Purées

6 monthsPeel off the thick fibrous skin first, then cook the flesh until fork-soft and serve as a mash.
9 monthsPeel off the thick fibrous skin first, then cook the flesh soft and mash it. Skip thick raw sticks and cubes.
12 months+Cooked-soft kohlrabi, mashed. Peel off the thick fibrous skin first. Save raw sticks and cubes for around age 4.

Is kohlrabi safe? Choking & prep

Kohlrabi stays firm and crunchy when raw, so raw chunks are a real choking risk. The CDC flags hard, raw produce as one of the classic choking shapes for young children1, and raw kohlrabi is exactly that texture, so cook it until soft for a young baby, and from about 9 months you can also shave it paper-thin, leaving nothing hard for your baby to try to gnaw on. Always peel off the thick, fibrous skin first, since it is tough and not pleasant to chew. As a cabbage relative it can be a bit gassy for some babies at first, so start small and see how your baby does. Around 6 months, when your baby is showing readiness for solids, cooked-soft kohlrabi is the easy default. The AAP keeps raw vegetables such as carrot sticks from children until 4 years of age or older, depending on the child2, and raw kohlrabi is just as firm, so raw sticks wait until around age 4 too. Keep your baby seated, stay within arm's reach, and there is no need for added salt.

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Nutrition

Kohlrabi offers vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, and it is naturally low in calories. The vitamin C helps your baby absorb iron from foods served alongside, which is handy at this stage. As a member of the cabbage family it also brings the same gentle, mild-cruciferous flavor as broccoli stems, so it is a nice early way to introduce that group of vegetables without much bitterness.

Goes well with

Sweet potato · Lentils · Cheese · Apple · Plain yogurt

Storage & freezing

Cooked kohlrabi keeps 1 to 2 days in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.3 Refrigerate it in a sealed container, or freeze cooked portions. Keep a whole raw bulb in the crisper drawer for a week or two; store cut raw pieces in water and use within a day or two, since they dry out.

More vegetables to explore

🥬
Kohlrabi greens6 months+
🥬
KomatsunaAround 6 months
🌿
KombuAround 6 months, to flavor
🥬
Lamb's lettuceAround 6 months
🥔
LatkesFrom about 12 months for latkes as they are usually served, because a holiday batch is fried and salted to taste.
🧅
LeekAround 6 months

Related reading

Common questions

Can babies eat kohlrabi?

Yes, cooked until soft from around 6 months, and shaved paper-thin or finely grated from about 9 months. Skip raw sticks and cubes until around age 4, since raw kohlrabi stays crunchy and is a choking risk.2

Raw kohlrabi vs cooked kohlrabi for babies?

Raw kohlrabi is crisp and firm like a broccoli stem crossed with an apple, which makes thick sticks and cubes hard for a baby to manage. Cooked kohlrabi is soft and easy to chew. For babies, cooked-soft pieces are the safer default; if you serve it raw, from about 9 months, shave it paper-thin rather than into sticks or chunks.

How do I cut kohlrabi for baby-led weaning?

Peel the bulb first, then avoid thick raw sticks, cubes, and coin shapes. Better options: cooked-soft pieces that squish with gentle pressure; and from about 9 months, paper-thin raw shavings made with a peeler or mandoline, or finely grated raw kohlrabi stirred into a soft food like yogurt, mashed potato, or apple puree. Save raw sticks and matchsticks, even thin ones, for around age 4.2

Baby-friendly ways to serve kohlrabi?

Cooked-soft kohlrabi mashed with sweet potato, tender pieces alongside lentils, paper-thin shavings folded into yogurt or grated fine and mixed with grated apple (both from about 9 months). For older toddlers who chew well, a thin shaving to nibble. Skip added salt; the mild, slightly sweet flavor stands on its own.

Is kohlrabi a choking risk?

Raw kohlrabi is, because it stays hard and crunchy even when peeled and babies without molars cannot gnaw it into a safe pulp. Cooked soft or shaved paper-thin, that risk is largely removed. It is the same shape-and-hardness logic that applies to raw apple and carrot.

Do I need to peel kohlrabi?

Yes, always peel it for a baby. The outer skin is thick and fibrous, tougher than the flesh, so trim it right down to the pale inner flesh before cooking or shaving.

Should I cook kohlrabi for babies?

For babies around 6 months, cooked-soft kohlrabi is the easy default because it is simple to chew and swallow. It is the only way to serve kohlrabi before about 9 months; after that, raw is fine only when shaved paper-thin or finely grated into a soft food. Steam, boil, or roast the peeled flesh until it gives easily under gentle pressure.

Can kohlrabi make my baby gassy?

It can for some babies, since kohlrabi is a cabbage relative and cruciferous vegetables are sometimes a little gassy. It is nothing to worry about; just start with a small amount and see how your baby does, cooking it soft can help too.

Is kohlrabi a common allergen?

No, kohlrabi is not one of the top-9 allergens, and a true allergy is uncommon. Still, offer it on its own the first time like any new food so you can watch how your baby responds.

What does kohlrabi taste like?

Mild and slightly sweet, a bit like a broccoli stem crossed with a crisp apple, without much of the bitterness of other cabbages. That gentle flavor makes it easy to pair with fruit or fold into other foods.

Sources

  1. CDC: Choking Hazards (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
  2. AAP HealthyChildren: Choking Prevention (raw vegetables such as carrot sticks kept from children until 4 years of age or older)
  3. 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)

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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