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Can Babies Eat Tamarillo? Scoop the Flesh

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.

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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. 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. 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, 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, 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. 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. The small seeds do not pose a choking risk and blend into the mashed flesh, so there is no need to strain them out. Because tamarillo is acidic, 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. As with any new food, offer it on its own for a few days so you can watch for a reaction, and always stay within arm's reach while your baby eats.

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Nutrition

Tamarillo is a good source of vitamin C, which supports the immune system and helps your baby absorb iron from foods eaten at the same meal, so it pairs well with iron-rich options. It also brings fiber for digestion and some potassium. 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

🍉

WatermelonAround 6 months

🍈

White sapoteAround 6 months

Common questions

When can babies eat tamarillo?

Around 6 months, 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. 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, so halve the fruit and scoop the soft flesh out of the peel, offering only the flesh.

Are tamarillo seeds safe for babies?

Yes. The seeds do not pose a choking risk and blend into the flesh, so they are fine to serve mashed without straining. If you prefer, you can scoop some out, but there is no need to.

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 and reactions are rare. Because it is acidic it can leave a harmless red rash where it touches the skin around the mouth, which is a contact reaction rather than an allergy. As with any new food, offer it on its own the first few times 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. 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.

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Last updated July 2026. Next review January 2027. 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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