YummyYucky

From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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When can babies have yogurt and cheese?

Here is the part that surprises a lot of parents: yogurt and cheese are fine from around 6 months, even though cow's milk as a main drink waits until the first birthday. Dairy foods and the milk drink follow different timelines.

🧀 Dairy foods from about 6 months. Choose pasteurized, full-fat, and plain. The milk drink still waits until 12 months.

Why the timing is different from cow's milk

Cow's milk is low in iron. Given as a main drink before 12 months, it can crowd out breast milk or formula and drag down a baby's iron levels. Yogurt and cheese are eaten in much smaller amounts as part of a meal, not relied on for the bulk of nutrition, so they are perfectly good from around 6 months. For the drink itself, see when babies can have cow's milk.

Choosing a yogurt

Go for plain, full-fat, pasteurized yogurt. Babies need the fat for energy and brain development, and plain keeps you clear of the added sugar packed into most flavored and "kids" yogurts. Want it sweeter? Stir in mashed banana, berries, or applesauce yourself.

Choosing a cheese

Full-fat pasteurized cheeses like mild cheddar are great: finely grated or melted into food for a new eater, and small soft pieces once your baby has a pincer grasp, around 9 months. Skip firm cubes and strips of hard cheese. A few to avoid or save for later:

Yogurts and cheeses to explore

Every yogurt and cheese we cover. Offer them softer or grated for younger babies, and go easy on the saltier aged cheeses like feta, parmesan, and halloumi.

Yogurts. Plain and whole-milk; skip the added sugar.

Greek yogurt, Kefir, Labneh, Skyr, Yogurt (whole milk), Kadhi, Shrikhand, Lassi, Kishk, Jameed, Amasi, Yogurt melts, Raita.

Cheeses. Finely grated or melted into food at first, small soft pieces from around 9 months, and go easy on salt.

Cheddar cheese, Cheese, Colby, Cottage cheese, Cream cheese, Feta, Goat cheese, Gouda, Halloumi, Manchego, Mascarpone, Monterey jack, Mozzarella, Muenster, Paneer, Parmesan, Provolone, Quark, Queso fresco, Ricotta, Swiss cheese, American cheese, Cheese curds, Fromage blanc, Emmental, Comte, Pecorino, Khoya, Labneh balls, String cheese, Burrata, Gruyère, Havarti, Edam, Cotija, Oaxaca cheese, Fontina, Munster cheese, Chhena.

Read its page first. Brie. It needs a safety step before serving.

Milk is still a top allergen

Cow's milk is one of the major food allergens, so when you first offer yogurt or cheese, introduce it the same careful way as any allergen: a small amount, early in the day, and watch for a reaction. 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 the only sign is a new rash or a few hives around the mouth or face, stop the food, watch your baby closely, and call your pediatrician. If anything else about your baby worries you, call 911. Our milk allergen guide walks through it, and food allergy signs covers what to look for.

Related reading

See when babies can have cow's milk, does formula count as introducing dairy, introducing milk, healthy fats for babies, and best first foods for babies.

Frequently asked questions

When can babies have yogurt and cheese?

Dairy foods like plain full-fat yogurt and cheese are fine from around 6 months, when your baby starts solids. This is different from cow’s milk as a main drink, which waits until 12 months. Choose pasteurized, full-fat, unsweetened options.

Why are yogurt and cheese okay at 6 months but not cow’s milk as a drink?

Cow’s milk is low in iron and, when given as a main drink before 12 months, can crowd out breast milk or formula and affect iron levels. As a main drink it also carries more protein and minerals than young kidneys handle well, and it can irritate a baby’s gut enough to cause tiny losses of blood. Yogurt and cheese are eaten in much smaller amounts as foods, not relied on for the bulk of nutrition, so they are fine from around 6 months.

What kind of yogurt is best for babies?

Plain, full-fat, pasteurized yogurt is ideal. Babies need the fat for energy and brain development, and plain avoids the added sugar in flavored yogurts. You can stir in mashed fruit for sweetness. Skip low-fat and sugary varieties.

Which cheeses should babies avoid?

Avoid mold-ripened soft cheeses like brie and camembert, ripened goat cheese (the soft, rinded logs), soft blue cheeses like roquefort, and any unpasteurized cheese, because of the listeria risk, unless they are cooked until piping hot. Also go easy on very salty cheeses. Full-fat pasteurized cheeses like mild cheddar are good choices.

Sources

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Let the app track the big 9 for you

Log a first taste and YummyYucky opens a watch window on that allergen, tells you when it is clear to start the next, and keeps the ones that go fine in rotation. Free.

Start the allergen tracker, 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.

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