YummyYucky

From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

🍅

Can Babies Eat Tamarillo? Scoop the Flesh

Also known as tree tomato.

Tamarillo (tree tomato) is a tangy egg-shaped fruit babies can try around 6 months. Peel off the bitter skin, scoop the soft flesh, and serve it mashed.

Log tamarillo today →

Free, no account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

When to introduce
Around 6 months
Common allergen?
No (not a top-9 allergen)
Texture
Soft, tangy flesh scooped from the skin and mashed
Key nutrients
Vitamin C, fiber, potassium

Yes, babies can try tamarillo from around 6 months.1 Also called tree tomato, it is a smooth, egg-shaped fruit with skin that ranges from deep red to golden and a jelly-like inside dotted with small seeds.3 The flavor is bright and tangy, somewhere between a tomato and a tart fruit. The one thing to get right is the skin, which is tough and bitter and not pleasant to chew,3 so peel it off, scoop the soft flesh, and serve it mashed.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

6 monthsTamarillo flesh is soft and loose, so it is not an easy pick-up-and-hold food on its own. Peel off the tough bitter skin, scoop the flesh, and spread the mash thinly onto a strip of soft toast or a preloaded spoon your baby can bring to their mouth.
9 monthsSpread mashed tamarillo flesh thinly on soft toast fingers, or mix it into a thicker food like oatmeal your baby can grab. Keep peeling off the skin, which is tough and bitter to chew.
12 months+Offer small soft pieces of the peeled flesh, or stir it into porridge or yogurt. Always keep the bitter skin off.

🥄 Purées

6 monthsHalve the fruit, scoop the soft flesh from the tough skin, and mash or blend it smooth. Stir into plain yogurt, oatmeal, or a mild fruit puree to mellow the tang, and spoon-feed.
9 monthsOffer the mashed flesh a little thicker, mixed into porridge or yogurt, so your baby can practice managing more texture on the spoon. Continue removing the skin.
12 months+Stir mashed tamarillo into porridge, yogurt, or mashed fruit. A small amount goes a long way because it is tangy. Keep the bitter skin off.

Is tamarillo safe? Choking & prep

Tamarillo is not one of the top-9 allergens,2 and its flesh is soft, so it is easy for babies to manage once you deal with the skin. The skin is tough and bitter and unpleasant to chew, so peel it off and serve only the soft flesh.3 Choose a ripe, slightly yielding fruit, since firm or underripe tamarillo is more slippery and harder to manage; mash it smooth for younger babies and serve it plain with no added sugar or salt.9 The seeds are larger and harder than tomato seeds, and bitter, so for younger babies you may prefer to press the mashed flesh through a sieve to remove them.3 As with many fresh fruits, a harmless red rash can appear around the mouth wherever the fruit touches the skin; this is a contact reaction, not an allergy, and it fades on its own.5 If you cannot tell irritation from a new rash or a few hives around the mouth or face, treat it as a mild sign: stop the food, watch your baby closely, and call your pediatrician. As with any new food, offer it on its own for a few days so you can watch for a reaction,1 and always stay within arm's reach while your baby eats.10

Scooped tamarillo into your baby's yogurt yet? Log the try in YummyYucky with a yummy, meh, or yucky verdict and the date, and start building their firsts.

Log tamarillo today →

Free, no account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

Nutrition

Tamarillo is a good source of vitamin C,3 which supports the immune system and helps your baby absorb iron from foods eaten at the same meal,67 so it pairs well with iron-rich options. It also brings fiber for digestion and some potassium.348 The soft, tangy flesh delivers those nutrients easily once you have peeled away the bitter skin, and because the flavor is quite tart it tends to work best stirred into a milder food rather than eaten in large amounts on its own.

Goes well with

Plain whole-milk yogurt · Oatmeal or porridge · Mashed banana · Pear or apple puree · Full-fat ricotta

Storage & freezing

Ripen firm tamarillo at room temperature until it gives slightly to a gentle squeeze, then refrigerate and use within about a week. Once you scoop the flesh, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for a day or two. The mashed flesh also freezes well: freeze it in an ice cube tray, then store the cubes in a sealed bag and thaw a portion as you need it.

More fruits to explore

🟤
TamarindFrom around 6 months, as strained seedless pulp
🍊
TangeloAround 9 months
🫐
TayberryAround 6 months
🫐
ThimbleberryAround 6 months
🍊
Ugli fruitAround 9 months, once baby is picking up small finger foods
🍉
WatermelonAround 6 months

Related reading

Common questions

When can babies eat tamarillo?

Around 6 months,1 once your baby has started solids. Choose a ripe, slightly soft fruit, peel off the bitter skin, scoop the soft flesh, and mash it smooth or stir it into a milder food.

What is a tamarillo?

Tamarillo, also called tree tomato, is a smooth egg-shaped fruit with red or golden skin and a tangy, jelly-like inside dotted with small seeds.3 Its flavor sits somewhere between a tomato and a tart fruit.

Do I need to peel tamarillo for my baby?

Yes. The skin is tough and bitter and unpleasant to chew,3 so halve the fruit and scoop the soft flesh out of the peel, offering only the flesh.

Are tamarillo seeds safe for babies?

They are eaten with the flesh, but they are larger and harder than tomato seeds, and bitter, so for younger babies you may prefer to press the mashed flesh through a sieve to remove them.3

Is tamarillo too sour for babies?

It is quite tangy, and a scrunched-up face on the first taste is normal and not a problem. Stirring the flesh into plain yogurt, oatmeal, or a mild fruit puree mellows the tang and makes it easier to enjoy.

Do I need to cook tamarillo for a baby?

Not if it is ripe and soft, since ripe flesh mashes easily once scooped from the skin. If your fruit is firm, you can gently cook or stew the flesh to soften and mellow it before mashing.

Is tamarillo a common allergen?

No, tamarillo is not one of the top-9 food allergens.2 Like many fresh fruits, it can leave a harmless red rash where it touches the skin around the mouth, which is a contact reaction rather than an allergy.5 If you cannot tell irritation from a new rash or a few hives around the mouth or face, treat it as a mild sign: stop the food, watch your baby closely, and call your pediatrician. Call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away if any of these show up soon after a food, on their own or together: swelling of the lips, face, eyes, or tongue; swelling or tightness in the throat, or trouble swallowing; vomiting; hives that spread beyond the mouth and face; trouble breathing, noisy breathing, or wheezing; a cough that keeps going; a hoarse voice; skin or lips that turn pale or blue; or a baby who goes floppy or limp, or is suddenly sleepy or hard to wake. If anything else about your baby worries you, call 911. As with any new food, offer it on its own the first few times1 and watch for any reaction.

How do I pick a ripe tamarillo?

Look for a fruit with smooth, glossy skin that gives slightly to a gentle squeeze, like a ripe plum. Firm fruit is more sour and harder to mash, so let it ripen at room temperature first.

How much tamarillo can a baby have?

A little goes a long way because it is so tangy. A spoonful or two of the mashed flesh stirred into a larger, milder food is plenty at first.

Can I give my baby tamarillo if they have never had yogurt?

Yes, tamarillo itself is not a common allergen.2 If you plan to mix it into yogurt and your baby has not had dairy yet, introduce plain yogurt on its own first so you can tell which food caused any reaction.1

Sources

  1. CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods
  2. FDA: Food Allergies (the nine major food allergens)
  3. Purdue NewCROP (Morton, Fruits of Warm Climates): Tree Tomato, tamarillo (tough skin; seeds larger and harder than tomato seeds; per 100 g: ascorbic acid 23.3 to 33.9 mg, fiber 1.4 to 4.2 g)
  4. Vasco et al., International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 2009 (Chalmers research record): tamarillo is a good source of potassium (about 400 mg per 100 g)
  5. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines (Barton Schmitt MD, FAAP): Perioral Food Rash
  6. CDC: Iron (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
  7. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C fact sheet
  8. MedlinePlus (NIH): Dietary Fiber
  9. CDC: Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit (added sugars, salt)
  10. CDC: Choking Hazards

Further reading

😋 🤢

Track it in YummyYucky

Log first tries and reactions, with an automatic allergen tracker when a food needs one, all in one place you can share with your pediatrician.

Start tracking for free

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.

Some links in our guides are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only suggest things we'd actually use, and it never changes our guidance.