Due to the unique texture of pastries, you may wonder how and when to feed them to your baby safely.
In general, your baby can eat pastry when they are at least ten months old and can have finger foods. Make sure the pieces of pastry are soft and in small bite-sized pieces for your baby.
Since there are so many different types of pastry, such as fill, puff, and more, let’s discuss each in more detail.
Covered in this Article:
Is Pastry Safe for Babies? When?
The pastry is safe for your baby to consume when they are at least ten months old. At this age, it is appropriate for babies to have chewable pieces of foods that are soft and cut up very small (source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia).
Whether the pastry is in the form of pinwheels, pizza, or another treat, cut it up small to prevent your baby from choking. Since pastry tends to be firm, it is an excellent option for baby-led weaning because it is easily grasped and picked up.
Now let’s talk about more specific types of pastry and how to feed them to your baby!
Can Babies Eat Puff Pastry?
Babies can have puff pastry, with a few nutritional considerations. Puff pastry is commonly used in palmier cookies, pastry puffs, beef Wellington, and more. Once your baby is around ten months old, your baby can tolerate soft pieces of puff pastry. You can moisten the pastry with water, breast milk, or infant formula if it is very dry.
This type of pastry is high in butter which is used in the lamination process to create those flaky layers.
Unfortunately, butter provides a lot of saturated fat, which should be limited in a baby’s diet (source: National Health Service). Too much saturated fat is not good for heart health and can also contribute to excessive weight gain in your baby. Therefore, only feed your baby puff pastry in moderation.
Similarly, some foods that use this pastry, such as palmiers, can be very hard and brittle. So, stick with feeding your baby the softer foods with puff pastry.
Is Filo Pastry Safe for Babies?
Similar to puff pastry, filo (or Phyllo) pastry is safe for your baby.
Some foods that commonly use filo pastry are spanakopita, baklava, and more. Avoid feeding your baby baklava since the nuts can be a choking hazard and should be avoided until age four.
Filo pastry commonly uses just a very small amount of oil, and the pastry sheets are layered and baked on top of each other. Therefore, filo pastry has a lot less saturated fat than puff pastry.
However, when filo pastry is fresh, it can be very hard and sharp to eat. Therefore, moisten it with breast milk, formula, or some water.
Shortcrust Pastry for Babies
Shortcrust pastry is also a good option for babies who are around ten months old because it is less flaky than the previous types we have talked about here. In addition, the high butter content makes it less dry and may be easier for your baby to eat. Shortcrust pastry is used in the crusts of pies and tarts.
However, the saturated fat content does increase because of the high butter content. Therefore, this pastry should only be given to your baby in moderation.
Can Babies Have Choux Pastry?
Choux pastry is also safe for your baby when they are around ten months. However, since this pastry is often used in heavy desserts such as eclairs, it is best to limit it in your baby’s diet since they should avoid sugary foods to prevent tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain (source: National Health Service [NHS]).
In other words, give your baby all types of pastry in moderation due to the high fat content, primarily since they are all often used in high-calorie foods, such as pies, desserts, and baked goods.
I hope this article helped explain the implications of each type of pastry when feeding your baby.
| This article has been reviewed and approved for publication in line with our editorial policy. |