What is Holle Goat Stage 2 formula?
Holle Goat Stage 2 is a German organic goat milk follow-on formula for babies 6 to 10 months, built on whole goat milk and certified both EU Organic and Demeter biodynamic. It has no palm oil and takes its DHA from algae rather than fish. This listing is a single 400 g box — about 91 level scoops.
Stage 2 is the step you take once solids have started. It is not a replacement for food at this age; it is the milk half of a diet that is now half food. Whole goat milk powder leads the ingredient list at 38.5 per cent, and the recipe adds the extra iron, zinc and calcium a baby over six months needs as the iron stores they were born with run down.
The certification is the part worth paying attention to. Plenty of goat milk baby formula is organic. Holle Goat Stage 2 is also Demeter biodynamic certified, confirmed on this exact 400 g German product by two independent German retailers. Demeter is stricter than organic: the farm has to run as a closed nutrient cycle, with its own compost and feed, and herds managed as animals rather than to a yield target. No other major goat formula brand carries it.
It is for a baby six months and older who has started solids — whether you are continuing from Holle Goat PRE or Stage 1, or arriving at European baby formula for the first time at six months. It also mixes into Holle's grain porridge range, which is how a lot of families use it. From around ten months, the next step is Holle Goat Stage 3.
6–10 moFollow-on formula
400 gSingle box
~91 scoops4.4 g per level scoop
DemeterPlus EU Organic
What is in Holle Goat Stage 2?
Whole goat milk powder at 38.5 per cent leads the list, followed by maltodextrin, organic sunflower and rapeseed oils, lactose and starch, then calcium, iron and zinc with vitamins A, B12, C and D. The DHA is algae-sourced, as EU rules require for a follow-on formula.
The fat blend is the same two plant oils used across Holle's goat range — sunflower and rapeseed, with no palm oil anywhere in the box. The DHA comes from algae rather than fish oil, which keeps the formula free of a fish allergen and suits vegetarian families.
Iron is the quiet headline of any Stage 2 formula. Babies are born with an iron store that runs down by around six months, and a follow-on milk is fortified to help cover the gap while solid food is still finding its feet. The same goes for zinc and vitamin D.
The full per-100 ml nutrition panel is printed on your box. We do not reproduce one here because we cannot verify a complete panel for this specific 400 g German box to the standard we would want before publishing numbers — the panel on the pack you receive is the authority.
Why does Stage 2 contain maltodextrin and starch when Stage 1 does not?
Because your baby's digestion has changed. At birth, lactose is the only carbohydrate a baby handles well, which is why Holle's PRE and Stage 1 are lactose-only. By six months the gut has matured enough for starch and maltodextrin, which digest more slowly and help a bigger baby feel satisfied between more widely spaced feeds.
We are flagging this rather than burying it, because "maltodextrin" is a word that worries parents who have read that it is a cheap filler. In an infant formula that framing is not quite right. Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate derived from starch, it is organic here, and it is used at this stage deliberately to slow the release of energy — not to replace milk solids with something cheaper. Whole goat milk is still the first ingredient.
That said, it is a genuine point of difference and some parents would rather avoid it. If you want a lactose-forward follow-on formula with no starch and no maltodextrin at all, HiPP Goat Stage 2 is the one to look at, and we say so in the comparison below. There is no single right answer here — only the one that fits your baby and your preferences.
What is not in Holle Goat Stage 2?
No palm oil, no fish oil and no added sugar. The base ingredients are gluten-free, the milk is Demeter biodynamic, and the DHA comes from algae rather than fish, so there is no fish allergen in the box.
- No palm oil
- No fish oil
- No added sugar
- Gluten-free
- Algae-sourced DHA
- Demeter biodynamic milk
Being even-handed: this box does contain maltodextrin and starch alongside lactose, which is appropriate for the 6–10 month age band but is a real difference from Holle's lactose-only PRE and Stage 1. Contains milk. Goat milk protein is closely related to cow milk protein — read the safety note in the preparation section before buying for an allergic baby.
How does Holle Goat Stage 2 compare to Kendamil Goat 2 and HiPP Goat Stage 2?
Holle Goat Stage 2 is the only one of the three with Demeter biodynamic certification, and it shares palm-oil-free, algae-DHA status with Kendamil. But it is the only one whose carbohydrate blend includes both maltodextrin and starch, and it is the only one with no prebiotic listed.
| Stage 2 · follow-on | Holle Goat 2 | Kendamil Goat 2 | HiPP Goat 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic certified | Yes · EU Organic + Demeter | No | Yes · EU Organic |
| Age band | 6–10 months | 6–12 months | From 6 months |
| Milk base | Whole goat milk | Whole goat milk + goat whey | Skimmed goat milk |
| Protein | A2 goat milk · see pack | 1.4 g · A2 goat | 1.4 g · A2 goat |
| Palm oil | None | None | Contains organic palm oil |
| DHA source | Microalgae | Microalgae | Fish oil · 13.6 mg |
| Carbohydrate | Lactose + maltodextrin + starch | Lactose | Lactose only, no starch |
| Prebiotic | None listed | GOS 0.23 g | GOS |
| Pack size | 400 g box | 800 g tin | 400 g carton |
Being straight with you: if the carbohydrate blend is what matters to you, HiPP Goat Stage 2 is the better carton — lactose only, no starch, no maltodextrin, plus a GOS prebiotic — and you would be trading that against its organic palm oil, its fish-oil DHA and a skimmed rather than whole milk base. Watch the pack size on the other one: Kendamil Goat Stage 2 is an 800 g tin, twice this box, so you buy half as many packs and usually pay less per prepared ounce, and it adds a GOS prebiotic — but it is not organic certified at any stage, which is the trade. We stock both. Holle Goat Stage 2's real advantages are the Demeter biodynamic certificate, the whole-milk base, no palm oil and algae DHA.
How many boxes of Holle Goat Stage 2 will my baby need per month?
Plan on about 5 boxes per month for an exclusively formula-fed baby at this stage, or roughly 4 to 5 boxes once solid food is taking a real share of the diet. One 400 g box holds about 91 level scoops of 4.4 g. Check the feeding table on your box for the scoop-to-water ratio, because it changes as your baby grows.
Stage 2 is the point where monthly use starts to level off rather than climb. Milk volumes plateau as solids ramp up, so a baby at nine months is often getting through no more formula than the same baby at seven months.
Estimates for a baby 6 to 10 months old. Every baby feeds differently — use these for planning, not as a target.
How do you prepare Holle Goat Stage 2?
Boil fresh water and let it cool to about 50°C, pour the measured water into a sterilised bottle first, add the number of level 4.4 g scoops shown in the feeding table for your baby's age, shake to dissolve, cool to body temperature and feed within one hour.
~50°CWater temperature
By ageScoop ratio on the box
4.4 gScoop size in this box
1 hourDiscard after feeding starts
1
Sterilise everything
Wash and sterilise the bottle, teat, ring and cap, and wash your hands before you start.
2
Boil and cool
Boil fresh drinking water and let it cool to about 50°C, the temperature Holle specifies on the box.
3
Water into the bottle first
Pour the measured water into the sterilised bottle before you add any powder — never the other way round.
4
Add level scoops
Add the number of level 4.4 g scoops shown for your baby's age in the feeding table, levelling each one — never packed or heaped.
5
Cap and shake
Put the cap on and shake well until the powder has completely dissolved with no lumps left.
6
Cool, test, feed
Cool the bottle, test a drop on your wrist so it feels body temperature, and feed straight away.
Never use artificially softened water or water that has been boiled more than once. Prepare a fresh bottle for every feed, never reheat, never microwave, and discard anything left 1 hour after your baby starts drinking. If you are mixing this formula into porridge, make it up fresh in the same way and serve it straight away.
A note on water temperature. Holle specifies water at about 50°C for this formula, and that is the instruction printed on your box. It is set deliberately — hotter water damages the heat-sensitive vitamins this formula is built around.
Many health authorities, including the NHS and WHO, advise 70°C or hotter for any powdered formula, because powder is not sterile and that temperature kills bacteria that can occasionally be present. The difference matters most for newborns, premature babies, and babies with weakened immunity. If your baby is in one of those groups, ask your paediatrician or health visitor which to follow for your situation.
A note on water temperature. Holle specifies water at about 50°C for this formula, and that is the instruction printed on your box. It is set deliberately — hotter water damages the heat-sensitive vitamins this formula is built around.
Many health authorities, including the NHS and WHO, advise 70°C or hotter for any powdered formula, because powder is not sterile and that temperature kills bacteria that can occasionally be present. The difference matters most for newborns, premature babies, and babies with weakened immunity. If your baby is in one of those groups, ask your paediatrician or health visitor which to follow for your situation.
Please read before buying
This formula is not suitable for babies with a diagnosed cow's milk protein allergy. Goat milk protein is closely related to cow milk protein and cross-reacts in most allergic infants, so goat formula is not an allergy treatment and is not hypoallergenic. A diagnosed allergy needs an extensively hydrolysed or amino-acid formula prescribed by your doctor. For an unsettled baby with no diagnosis, goat formula is a reasonable gentler option to try. Breastfeeding is best for your baby — talk to your health visitor or doctor before starting or changing a formula.
Store the sealed box in a cool, dry place. Once opened, use within the period printed on your pack. Never reheat or microwave prepared formula.
Holle Goat Stage 2: frequently asked questions
What age is Holle Goat Stage 2 for?
Holle Goat Stage 2 is a follow-on formula for babies 6 to 10 months old who have started eating solid food. It is not intended as a sole source of nutrition at this age — it is the milk part of a diet that now includes food. The stages before it are Holle Goat PRE and Holle Goat Stage 1, both from birth. From around ten months, the next step is Holle Goat Stage 3.
Is Holle Goat Stage 2 Demeter certified?
Yes. This exact 400 g German product is listed as demeter-zertifiziert by two independent German retailers, alongside its EU Organic certification. Demeter is the biodynamic farming standard and is stricter than organic alone: it requires the farm to operate as a closed nutrient cycle with its own compost and feed, and herds managed as animals rather than to a yield target. No other major goat formula brand carries Demeter certification.
Why does Stage 2 contain maltodextrin and starch?
Because a baby over six months digests carbohydrates differently from a newborn. Lactose is the only carbohydrate in Holle's PRE and Stage 1 because that is all a newborn handles well. By six months the gut has matured enough for organic starch and maltodextrin, which release energy more slowly and help a bigger baby stay satisfied between feeds that are now further apart. Whole goat milk is still the first ingredient on the list.
Can I use goat milk formula if my baby has a cow's milk allergy?
No. Holle Goat Stage 2 is not suitable for a baby with a diagnosed cow's milk protein allergy. Goat milk protein is structurally very close to cow milk protein and cross-reacts in most allergic infants, so goat formula is neither hypoallergenic nor an allergy treatment. A diagnosed allergy needs an extensively hydrolysed or amino-acid based formula prescribed by your doctor. If your baby is simply unsettled and has no diagnosis, goat formula is a reasonable gentler thing to try.
Can I mix Holle Goat Stage 2 into porridge?
Yes. Holle designs this formula to work both as a bottle feed and as the milk for preparing its own organic grain porridge range, and many families use it both ways once solids are established. Make it up fresh using the same method and serve it straight away rather than preparing porridge in advance. Do not reheat or microwave a prepared feed or porridge made with it.
How much does one 400 g box make, and how many boxes a month?
One 400 g box of Holle Goat Stage 2 holds approximately 91 level scoops of 4.4 g each. The prepared volume depends on the scoop-to-water ratio in the feeding table for your baby's age, which changes as they grow, so check your box rather than working from a single figure. For planning, an exclusively formula-fed baby at this stage uses about 5 boxes per month, dropping to roughly 4 to 5 once solids take a real share of the diet.
Does Holle Goat Stage 2 contain palm oil or fish oil?
Neither. The fat blend uses organic sunflower and rapeseed oils with no palm oil at all, and the DHA is algae-sourced rather than taken from fish oil, so there is no fish allergen in the box and the formula suits vegetarian families. There is also no added sugar, and the base ingredients are gluten-free.
Related formulas at Bonpek Baby
- Holle Goat Stage 3The next step from around 10 months, same Demeter standard.
- Holle Goat Stage 1The stage before this, from birth, with 100% A2 protein.
- Kendamil Goat Stage 2An 800g British tin with a GOS prebiotic, but not organic.
- HiPP Goat Stage 2EU Organic, lactose only with no starch or maltodextrin.
- Holle Goat PREWhere the Holle goat journey starts, from birth.
- All baby formulasBrowse every European formula we stock, by brand and stage.
Why parents buy from Bonpek Baby
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Product information last reviewed by the Bonpek Baby team in September 2026 against the manufacturer's current published ingredient and nutrition data. Always check the label on your box, as manufacturers reformulate from time to time.
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