Evening porridge is a warm milk and cereal meal, and in German-speaking countries it is the classic second solid meal of the day: families add it about a month after the first lunch purée, once a baby shows the readiness signs and eats that lunch as a full meal. The basic recipe: 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) of milk, 20 g (about 3 tablespoons) of fine oat flakes and 2 tablespoons of fruit purée. Below you will find when to start, which milk to use, the recipe step by step, variations, amounts by age and fixes for the usual evening problems.
Key Takeaways
- ▸ Timing: the second solid meal, about four weeks after the lunch purée, once the readiness signs are there.
- ▸ Milk: breast milk, infant formula or pasteurized whole cow's milk. Cow's milk only mixed into food, not as a drink, and no more than about 200 ml (7 oz) a day.
- ▸ Basic recipe: 200 ml milk, 20 g cereal flakes, 2 tablespoons fruit. No sugar, no salt, no honey.
- ▸ Amounts: start with a few spoonfuls, a full portion later comes to roughly 220 to 250 g (8 to 9 oz).
- ▸ Not a sleep aid: porridge fills a tummy, but it does not make a baby sleep through the night.
When to Start Evening Porridge
"When can my baby have evening porridge?" has no answer in months. It has an answer in two conditions: your baby shows the readiness signs for solids, and has been eating the lunch purée as a full meal for about four weeks. Whether that happens at six, seven or eight months differs from baby to baby, and all of those are fine.
The four readiness signs that should be in place before any solid meal
- ▸ Your baby sits upright with support and holds their head steady.
- ▸ They reach for food and bring things to their mouth on their own.
- ▸ They show real interest in what you eat and open their mouth when the spoon comes.
- ▸ The tongue-thrust reflex has gone: food is no longer pushed straight back out.
Pediatric bodies agree on one hard limit, no solids before 4 months (17 weeks); beyond that the baby sets the pace. See our readiness signs guide and the starting solids guide.
The usual order of solid meals
The German feeding plan, which the recipe below comes from, adds one meal at a time, and each new meal gradually replaces one milk feed. Evening porridge is step two:
| Step | Meal | When | Replaces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lunch purée (vegetable, potato and meat) | the start of solids, once the readiness signs are there | the midday milk feed |
| 2 | Evening porridge (milk and cereal) | about a month after the lunch purée | the evening milk feed |
| 3 | Afternoon cereal and fruit porridge (milk-free) | about another month later | the afternoon milk feed |
The order of steps two and three does not matter for nutrition; the milk porridge simply tends to come first by tradition, and once all three meals are in place you can move them to the times that suit your family. If you follow the three meals a day pattern common in the US and UK, evening porridge still works as the warm, easy dinner in that feeding schedule.
What time of day?
Early evening, around 5 to 6 pm, works best: your baby is still awake and curious but not overtired. While the porridge is only a few spoonfuls, the usual breastfeed or bottle follows straight after; over a few weeks it replaces that evening milk feed.
Which Milk to Use in Evening Porridge
Breast milk, infant formula and pasteurized whole cow's milk are all suitable; the difference is in how you prepare the porridge.
| Milk | Suitable? | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Breast milk | Yes | Cook the flakes in a little boiled water, let them cool, then stir in expressed milk. Do not boil breast milk. |
| Infant formula | Yes | Make it up as usual, stir in the flakes and let them soak. Do not boil made-up formula either. |
| Whole cow's milk | Yes, mixed into food only | Pasteurized or UHT, full fat. Stir the flakes into cold milk, bring to the boil, simmer 3 minutes. Keep it to about 200 ml (7 oz) a day and never as a drink before 12 months. |
| Raw milk, goat's or sheep's milk | No | Raw milk carries a risk of bacteria. Goat's and sheep's milk are not suitable as a drink under 12 months either. |
| Oat, almond or soy drinks | No, not as a milk replacement | Too little energy and protein and not designed for babies. In the first year they do not replace breast milk or formula. |
Why only mixed into food? The NHS and the American Academy of Pediatrics both say cow's milk can go into cooking and meals once a baby is on solids but should not be a main drink until the first birthday, because it is low in iron and does not cover a baby's needs the way breast milk or formula do. The German guideline puts a number on it: about 200 ml a day in the milk porridge. The later switch to drinking milk is covered in how to switch your baby from formula to milk.
Evening Porridge Recipe: The Basic Milk and Cereal Porridge
This recipe follows the German Gesund ins Leben guideline and makes one full portion of about 240 g (8.5 oz). For the first few days, 2 to 3 tablespoons are enough; the rest of the meal is still milk.
Ingredients for one portion
- ▸ 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) milk: breast milk, infant formula or whole cow's milk
- ▸ 20 g (about 3 tablespoons) fine cereal flakes, for example oats, millet, spelt or semolina
- ▸ 2 tablespoons fruit purée or fruit juice, for example apple or pear
- ▸ No sugar, no salt, no honey, no flavorings
Method in 6 steps
- Measure 200 ml of milk into a small saucepan.
- Stir 20 g of flakes into the cold milk. Semolina goes into boiling milk instead.
- Bring to the boil while stirring and simmer or soak for about 3 minutes until creamy. With formula or breast milk: cook the flakes in 50 ml (2 oz) of water, let them cool, then stir the milk in afterwards.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of fruit purée or juice. The vitamin C helps your baby absorb the iron from the cereal.
- Let it cool to eating temperature and test it on the inside of your wrist. Lukewarm is right.
- Serve fresh. Leftovers from the bowl go in the bin, not in the fridge.
Does evening porridge need oil?
No, the milk already provides enough fat. Oil belongs in the milk-free cereal and fruit porridge and in the lunch purée, see the oil in baby food guide.
Evening porridge arrives exactly when your baby is ready
The app tracks your baby's progress with solids, suggests the next step and serves up milk and cereal recipes with amounts for that stage, instead of leaving you to guess from rough month markers.
Variations: Grains, Fruit and Thermomix
The ratio always stays the same; the ingredients can change. That is how you keep evening porridge interesting for months without learning a new recipe.
Oats
The classic: mild, slightly sweet, filling and rich in iron. Fine or quick oats turn creamy fast, and instant baby oat flakes dissolve almost without cooking.
Millet
Gluten-free, iron-rich and gentle on the tummy. Millet flakes take a moment longer to soak and pair well with pear and apple.
Spelt and wheat semolina
Both contain gluten, which can be introduced along with other solids, in small amounts at first. Semolina porridge is especially smooth, ideal for babies who reject flakes.
Rice
Rice flakes and rice cereal are mild, but rice can contain inorganic arsenic, so the FDA and the UK Food Standards Agency advise rotating grains rather than relying on rice.
For the fruit, 2 tablespoons are enough: apple, pear, banana, peach or apricot, steamed and puréed, or simply mashed when very ripe. Fruit juice is the traditional alternative because its vitamin C improves iron absorption. Which grain suits which stage is covered in depth in our baby cereal and porridge guide.
- ▸ Thermomix: milk and flakes into the bowl, 5 minutes at 90 °C on speed 2, then stir in the fruit. The full method, a semolina version and a week of ideas are in evening porridge in the Thermomix.
- ▸ "Bedtime cereal" in a bottle: a marketing idea, not a feeding method. The AAP is clear that cereal never goes in a bottle: choking risk and overfeeding. Porridge belongs on a spoon.
How Much Evening Porridge by Age
How much a baby eats depends less on age than on how long they have known the meal. Treat the amounts below as orientation, not targets: the milk to cereal ratio stays the same and the portion grows with appetite.
| Stage | Amount of porridge | Milk afterwards | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| First days | 2 to 5 spoonfuls, about 30 to 50 g (1 to 2 oz) | breast or bottle as usual | smooth, creamy, on the thin side |
| After 1 to 2 weeks | about half a portion, 100 to 150 g (3.5 to 5 oz) | on demand | creamy |
| Full portion (after 2 to 4 weeks) | 200 ml milk, 20 g flakes, 2 tbsp fruit, about 220 to 250 g (8 to 9 oz) | usually no longer needed, breastfeeding on demand still fine | creamy, flakes may be slightly noticeable |
| At 8 to 10 months | a full portion, appetite varies from day to day | morning and bedtime milk stay | coarser flakes, mashed rather than puréed fruit |
| From about 10 months to the first birthday | porridge or a family-style dinner with bread, soft fruit and milk from a cup | morning and evening milk on demand | lumpy, with finger foods alongside |
Your baby tells you when they are full: they turn their head away, close their mouth or start playing with the spoon. That is the end of the meal, whatever is left in the bowl. For the bigger picture on portions, see how much purée for a 7 month old and baby food at 8 months.
Common Problems With Evening Porridge and What Helps
My baby refuses the evening porridge
Refusal in the evening is common and usually harmless: the baby is tired, teething, or unsettled by the new texture and the taste of whole milk.
- ▸ Offer it earlier, before tiredness sets in.
- ▸ Make it with the milk your baby knows, so formula or breast milk instead of cow's milk.
- ▸ Make it thinner, change the grain, and stay relaxed: new foods often need many tries. Offer without pressure, clear away, try again tomorrow.
- ▸ Swap the order: some babies prefer the cereal and fruit porridge in the evening and the milk porridge in the afternoon. Nutritionally it makes no difference.
Constipation after starting
Once solids begin, stools get firmer, darker and less frequent, which is normal. Constipation means very infrequent, hard and dry stools. Then offer more fluid (water in a cup with meals), make the porridge a little thinner, use whole grain flakes, and choose pear, peach or prune over banana and grated apple. Get pain, blood in the stool or ongoing trouble checked by your pediatrician.
Will my baby sleep better with evening porridge?
Sadly no, at least not reliably. The NHS puts it plainly: starting solid foods will not make your baby any more likely to sleep through the night. Sleep is mostly about development, and waking at night is part of the first year. So do not make the porridge bigger or later than it needs to be, and never put it in a bottle.
Spitting up or a rash
Spitting up usually means the portion was too big or the pace too fast; start smaller. Cow's milk protein is a common allergen, so keep the first whole milk portion small, and call your pediatrician about any rash, vomiting or breathing trouble after eating. Our guide to the signs of an allergic reaction in babies explains what to look for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a 6 month old have evening porridge?
Age alone does not decide. If your baby shows the four readiness signs and has eaten the lunch purée for about four weeks, evening porridge can join in, whether that is at six, seven or eight months. If lunch is still new, give it a few more weeks.
When can I make it with whole cow's milk?
As soon as you introduce the milk porridge, it can be made with pasteurized whole milk, about 200 ml a day and only mixed into the meal. Formula or breast milk are just as good; many families start with the milk their baby knows and switch later.
Semolina instead of flakes?
Of course. Stir wheat or spelt semolina into boiling milk and let it thicken briefly. Both contain gluten, which according to ESPGHAN can be introduced with other solids, in small amounts at first.
Key Takeaways
- ✓ Readiness signs, not the calendar, and the lunch purée comes first
- ✓ Breast milk, formula or whole milk, with cow's milk mixed into food only
- ✓ Start small and let appetite set the portion
- ✓ No sugar, no honey, nothing in the bottle
Evening porridge is the second building block of solids: it comes when your baby shows the readiness signs and eats lunch well. With 200 ml of milk, 20 g of flakes and 2 tablespoons of fruit you have a recipe you only need to vary for months, and if tonight does not work out, tomorrow is a fresh try.
Sources
- ▸ NHS: Your baby's first solid foods (readiness signs, cow's milk in cooking, solids and sleep)
- ▸ NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- ▸ American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods
- ▸ ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition: Complementary Feeding, Position Paper (JPGN 2017)
- ▸ Netzwerk Gesund ins Leben (Germany): Milk and cereal porridge recipe and introduction (in German)
- ▸ U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Arsenic in food, including infant rice cereal
- ▸ UK Food Standards Agency: Arsenic in rice
- ▸ World Health Organization: Complementary feeding