FirstNom
Snack · Finger food
Soft cinnamon apple wedges
Raw apple is one of the classic choking hazards, but cooked until soft it becomes one of the easiest first fruits to hold. These wedges are steamed in a covered pan with a little oil and a splash of water, so they keep their shape for small fists while turning tender right through. Cinnamon brings warmth and a sense of sweetness without any sugar, and the same batch tops the rest of the family's porridge or yogurt.
Ingredients
Makes 8 baby portions of 3 or 4 soft wedges. The 32 wedges cover the baby's snacks for a few days and a topping for the family's breakfast..
- 4 medium eating apples such as Gala, Fuji or Pink Lady, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
- 1 tbsp mild olive oil or coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp water
Method
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Peel the apples, quarter them, cut out the cores, then cut each quarter in half lengthways so you have thick wedges roughly the length of an adult finger. Keep them chunky: thin slices go floppy and break apart in a small fist.
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Warm the oil in a large frying pan with a lid over a medium-low heat. Lay the wedges in a single layer, dust over the cinnamon and turn them once so each wedge is coated.
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Add the water, cover the pan and let the wedges steam gently for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them halfway and adding another spoonful of water if the pan runs dry. They should soften without catching or browning hard on the outside.
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Check a wedge from the thickest part: it is ready when it squashes flat with gentle pressure between your finger and thumb but still lifts out of the pan in one piece. If the centre resists, cover and cook for a few minutes more.
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Lift the wedges onto a plate and leave them to cool until just warm. Break one open to make sure there are no hot spots inside before you hand any over.
Prep tip
Choose a firm eating apple. Cooking apples such as Bramley collapse into fluff, while Gala, Fuji or Pink Lady stay in neat wedges a baby can hold.
How to serve it by age
The same recipe changes shape and texture as your baby’s grip and chewing change. Find your baby’s age band.
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6–8 months
One or two whole wedges at a time, held in the fist and gnawed from the end. Each one should squash easily between your finger and thumb; expect lots of sucking and mashing with the gums.
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9–11 months
Cut the cooled wedges into small soft pieces about the size of a chickpea for pincer practice, or keep offering whole wedges to bite. Still soft enough to squash with light pressure.
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12 months+
Whole wedges or chopped soft pieces, alongside breakfast, stirred into porridge or yogurt, or packed cold in a snack box. Keep the apple cooked: raw slices and chunks still wait.
Choking: what to watch
Raw apple is hard and snaps into sharp, airway-sized pieces, which is why it sits on every choking-hazard list for young children. Cooking these wedges until they squash between finger and thumb removes that risk, and peeling them stops the skin coming away in a tough sheet. Test every batch, because apple varieties soften at different rates.
Whatever you serve, stay within arm’s reach, keep your baby upright in a supportive seat, and never let them eat in a moving car, buggy or carrier. Gagging is loud and normal. Choking is silent.
Allergens
This recipe contains none of the nine most common food allergens. Any food can cause a reaction, though, so offer new ingredients one at a time and watch for hives, vomiting, swelling or a change in breathing.
Iron
~0.2 mg per portion
Estimate: summed from the iron per serving on our apple and cinnamon pages (USDA FoodData Central) and divided across eight baby portions. Apple is not an iron food, so pair these with an iron-rich meal.
Storing and freezing
Cool, then refrigerate in a covered container within two hours; the wedges keep three days in the fridge. Freeze them flat on a tray, then bag them, for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge and serve cool, or warm once until piping hot and then cool before serving.
How sure is this?
- Guideline. Raw apple pieces are a choking hazard for young children, so apple for babies is cooked soft or finely grated, per the CDC and the AAP.
- Guideline. Babies should not have added sugar, and fruit is better offered whole than as juice, per the NHS and the AAP.
- Common practice, little evidence. Using cinnamon to bring out the natural sweetness of fruit is a common kitchen habit rather than something that has been formally studied.
Common questions
When can my baby have raw apple?
Finely grated raw apple is generally fine from around 9 months, because the shreds are too small to block an airway. Raw slices and chunks are best kept off the menu until about 4 years.
Is cinnamon safe for babies?
Yes. A pinch of ground cinnamon in cooking is fine from around 6 months; only salt, sugar and honey are restricted. Ceylon cinnamon is the gentler choice if you use it every day, but ordinary amounts of either kind are not a concern.
Can I bake them instead of using the pan?
Yes. Toss the wedges with the oil and cinnamon, add a few spoonfuls of water to a covered baking dish and bake at 180 °C / 350 °F until they squash easily, usually 25 to 30 minutes. The covered dish keeps them soft rather than leathery.
Reference material
Guidance on this page follows the sources listed below.
