Chives overview

How to Prepare Chives for Baby

Chives is safe for babies from 6 months old. How you prepare it changes as your baby grows. Here is exactly what to do at each stage.

Choking risk: low

Low choking risk with appropriate preparation. Always supervise mealtimes.

Flavor guide

Fresh chives have a mild, clean onion flavor with a faint grassy note and none of the sharpness or pungency of raw onion or garlic. They do not cook well as the delicate flavor fades completely with heat, making them a finishing herb rather than a cooking ingredient. They pair naturally with eggs, cream cheese, butter, potato, sour cream, salmon, and mild soft cheeses.

1

6 to 8 months

Finely mince and stir into soft foods: scrambled eggs, mashed potato, avocado. The mild onion flavor is gentler than regular onions and well-tolerated from 6 months.

Serving ideas

  • -Snip finely into mashed potato or mashed sweet potato for a gentle onion note
  • -Blend a small handful into cream cheese or full-fat yogurt and spread on a preloaded spoon
  • -Stir into a vegetable puree to add mild allium flavor early in flavor development
2

9 to 11 months

Finely chopped over eggs, soft pasta, or mixed into yogurt dip. No cooking needed.

Serving ideas

  • -Snip into soft scrambled eggs or an omelet
  • -Mix into cream cheese on toast strips
  • -Stir into mashed avocado with a squeeze of lemon
3

12+ months

Any family use: snipped over soups, salads, baked potatoes, or dips.

Serving ideas

  • -Snip over anything savory: eggs, potatoes, soups, pasta
  • -Mix into sour cream or yogurt as a dip for potato wedges
  • -Stir into a soft grain bowl with roasted vegetables

See what's safe for your baby's age

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Freezing Chives for baby

Finely chop and freeze flat in a zip bag. Use straight from frozen in cooked dishes.

Chive Cream Cheese on Soft Toast

From 6 months

Ingredients

  • -3 tbsp full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • -1 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped
  • -1 tsp lemon juice
  • -2 slices soft whole wheat or white sandwich bread

Steps

  1. Mix cream cheese, chives, and lemon juice together in a small bowl until fully combined.
  2. Toast bread until soft-firm (not hard or crunchy).
  3. Spread a generous layer of chive cream cheese on toast.
  4. Cut into finger-length strips for 6-8 months, or bite-sized pieces for 9 months and older.
  5. For 6-8 months, also serve a spoonful of the spread on a preloaded spoon alongside soft steamed vegetables.

Allergen note: contains dairy and wheat. The spread keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Also works spread on soft rice cakes or stirred into mashed potato.

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Growing Chives at home?

Enter your baby's birthday and we'll tell you exactly when to plant so the harvest lines up with your baby's readiness.

If your baby was born early, enter their due date instead of their birth date to use adjusted age. How to calculate adjusted age.

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Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician before introducing new foods.