Can Babies Eat Bell Pepper?
By Sarah, founder of SowAndSpoon · Reviewed April 2026
Yes, safe from 6 months
Choking risk: low
Raw bell pepper skin can be tough for young babies to chew. Roast or steam peppers until soft, or remove the skin for younger babies. Cooked bell pepper flesh is low risk.
Not a common allergen
Babies can eat bell pepper from 6 months. Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C (more per gram than oranges). They also provide vitamin A, folate, and antioxidants. Red peppers have the most nutrients.
Flavor guide
Raw bell pepper is crisp and juicy with a fresh, vegetal sweetness, ranging from mildly grassy in green peppers to fully sweet and fruity in red, orange, and yellow varieties. Roasting transforms the texture to silky-soft and deepens the sweetness into a rich, almost jammy flavor. They pair well with olive oil, garlic, tomato, eggs, mild cheese, and cumin.
How to Prepare Bell Pepper by Age
Roast or steam until very soft. Cut into long strips. Skin can be slippery - remove if needed. Red and yellow peppers are sweeter than green.
Serving ideas:
- -Roast until very soft, peel, and cut into wide strips
- -Blend roasted pepper into a puree with sweet potato
- -Mix peeled roasted pepper into hummus
Soft roasted strips or small dice. Can also offer thin raw strips for texture exploration.
Serving ideas:
- -Dice soft roasted peppers for self-feeding
- -Stir into scrambled eggs
- -Mix into pasta sauce for natural sweetness
Raw strips, roasted, in stir-fries, fajitas, stuffed. Any preparation.
Serving ideas:
- -Serve thin raw strips with hummus (for babies with good chewing)
- -Add to quesadillas or pizza
- -Stuff mini peppers with cream cheese
Common questions
Can babies eat bell pepper?
Yes. Bell pepper is safe for babies from 6 months old. Roast or steam until very soft and peel the skin for babies under 9 months. The flesh becomes silky and easy to gum once cooked. Red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter and milder than green.
Do I need to peel bell peppers for my baby?
For babies 6-9 months, yes. Bell pepper skin is tough and waxy, and young babies cannot chew it well enough to break it down safely. Roasting makes peeling easy: the skin blisters and slides right off after a few minutes of cooling. From about 9-11 months, well-roasted peppers with softened skin are usually fine.
Is bell pepper an allergen?
Bell pepper is not a major allergen. Some babies develop a contact rash around the mouth after eating peppers, but this is from the pepper juices irritating sensitive skin, not an allergic reaction. The rash fades within 30 minutes and is harmless. True bell pepper allergy is very rare.
Can You Freeze Bell Pepper for Baby?
Seed, core, and slice or dice. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before bagging. Texture softens when thawed -- best used cooked.
Batch prep tip
Roast a full tray of peppers under the broiler, turning until charred all over. Place in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel and seed. Slice and freeze flat on a baking sheet, then bag. Thaw a few strips for any meal. Keeps 4 months.
Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Puree
From 6 monthsIngredients
- -1 red bell pepper
- -1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- -1 tsp olive oil
Steps
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Halve and seed the pepper, brush cut sides with olive oil, and place cut-side down on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the skin is blistered and the flesh is very soft.
- While pepper roasts, steam sweet potato for 12 to 15 minutes until fork-tender.
- Let pepper cool, peel off and discard the skin, and roughly chop.
- Blend pepper and sweet potato together until completely smooth.
Freeze in ice cube portions for up to 3 months. Red peppers have the highest vitamin C of any bell pepper color.
Growing Bell Pepper at Home
Red peppers are fully ripened green peppers - sweeter and higher in vitamin C.
Ready in ~70-85 days from planting.
Red bell peppers are just fully ripened green peppers. They are sweeter and higher in vitamin C. Let peppers ripen fully on the plant for the most nutrition and the mildest flavor.
Per AAP and WHO guidelines, most fruits, vegetables, and herbs can be introduced from 6 months as part of complementary feeding. Always consult your pediatrician before introducing new foods, especially allergens.