Can Babies Eat Blackberries?
Yes, from 6 months, mashed or cut up. Blackberries are one of the better fruits you can give a baby: high in vitamin C and fibre, naturally sweet without being sugary, and free after a walk in late summer. The one thing to manage is the shape, since a whole berry is round and firm enough to matter.
Blackberries are one of the few genuinely free foods, and late summer hedgerows are full of them. They are also a good early fruit: not too sweet, easy to cook down, and useful alongside iron rich foods because the vitamin C helps that iron get absorbed. The preparation notes are short and mostly about shape.
What is a blackberry?
A blackberry is not really a single berry at all. It is an aggregate fruit, made up of many small drupelets each containing a seed, clustered around a central core. That structure is why the texture is seedy, and why the white core at the stem end stays firmer than the rest even when the fruit is ripe.
Our blueberries and strawberries pages cover the other berries, and all three follow similar rules about shape.
Blackberry nutrition
Low in sugar for a fruit, and unusually high in fibre.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 43 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 9.6 g |
| of which sugars | 4.9 g |
| Fibre | 5.3 g |
| Vitamin C | 21 mg |
| Vitamin K | 19.8 mcg |
| Manganese | 0.6 mg |
Typical values for raw blackberries. The vitamin C helps iron absorption when served alongside iron rich foods. Source: USDA FoodData Central.
Serving blackberries by age
The cut changes as their grip and chewing develop:
Cook them briefly with apple or pear and mash, or crush raw ripe berries thoroughly. Sieve if you want to remove the seeds for a smooth puree.
Cut lengthways so no round pieces remain. This is also good pincer grip practice, and they are soft enough to squash easily.
Once chewing is well established. Until then keep halving them, as you would with grapes, blueberries and cherry tomatoes.
If you are picking wild blackberries: pick above knee height away from paths where dogs walk, avoid roadside hedges because of traffic pollution, and wash them thoroughly. Also check what you are picking, since blackberry brambles grow alongside other plants with dark berries that are not edible. Wash any foraged fruit especially carefully before giving it to a baby.
Warm blackberry and apple mash
Cooking softens the seeds and the core, and the apple takes the edge off any tartness:
Warm blackberry and apple mash
Makes 3 baby portions, from 6 monthsIngredients
- 100 g blackberries
- 1 apple, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons water
- A pinch of cinnamon
Method
- Simmer the apple with the water for about 8 minutes until it starts to soften.
- Add the blackberries and cook for a further 4 minutes, until everything collapses.
- Mash thoroughly, or push through a sieve if you want to remove the seeds.
- Stir in the cinnamon and cool completely before serving.
Risks and safety
Choking is the main consideration and it is entirely about the shape. A whole blackberry is round, firm at the core and roughly airway sized for a young child, which is the same profile that makes whole grapes and olives hazardous. Halving or quartering removes it.
Berry allergy is uncommon, though it happens, so introduce them on their own the first time. Blackberries are also acidic enough to cause a red ring around the mouth on contact in some babies, which is irritation rather than allergy, the same effect described on our tomato page. Finally, the high fibre content means a large portion can loosen stools, and the dark pigment turns nappies an alarming colour that is completely harmless.
Blackberries FAQ
Can babies eat blackberries?
Yes, from around 6 months, mashed or cut up. Blackberries are excellent for babies, packed with vitamin C and fibre and one of the higher antioxidant fruits. The only real caution is the shape: a whole berry is round and firm enough to be a choking risk, so halve or quarter them.
Are blackberry seeds a problem for babies?
Not really. The seeds are small and soft enough to pass through without trouble, though they are noticeable in texture. If your baby is on smooth purees, pushing the mashed fruit through a sieve removes them. From about 9 months most babies manage them without any bother.
How should I cut blackberries for a baby?
Halve or quarter them lengthways. Cutting them changes the round shape that makes whole berries a hazard. For a younger baby, mash them thoroughly instead. The firm white core at the stem end is the toughest part, so squash it or cut it out for very young babies.
Do blackberries stain?
Considerably, and it is worth knowing before the first bowl. The dark pigments that make them nutritious also stain clothing, bibs and highchair trays. They also turn nappies a startling dark colour, which surprises parents but is completely normal and not a cause for concern.
Sources
- Blackberry, Wikipedia.
- Choking Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics.
- FoodData Central, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Every baby is different. Talk to your doctor, health visitor or paediatrician about your own baby, and about starting solids or any allergy concerns.
