First foods database
🥜 Almond butter for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat almond butter? Yes, from about 6 months, as long as it is smooth and thinned or spread thinly. It is a good way to introduce tree nuts, one of the common allergens, once a few other foods are going well.
Good source of: Vitamin E, Healthy fats, Protein, Magnesium
How to serve almond butter by age
6 to 9 months
Choose smooth almond butter with no added salt or sugar. Stir a small amount (start with about a quarter of a teaspoon) into porridge, yoghurt or fruit purée, or loosen it with warm water or milk. For finger food, spread it very thinly on toast fingers.
9 to 12 months
Keep offering almond butter regularly, a couple of times a week, stirred into porridge, swirled into yoghurt or thinly spread on pancakes and toast.
12 months and up
Spread it on toast, rice cakes or apple slices, or use it in baking.
Choking safety
Thick globs of nut butter are sticky and can be hard to swallow. Never give it straight from a spoon in a thick dollop; mix it into food or spread thinly. Whole almonds are not suitable under 5 years.
Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).
Good to know
- Tree nuts are an allergen: introduce on its own, at a time you can watch baby for a couple of hours.
- If baby has severe eczema or a known allergy, speak to your GP first.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains tree nuts, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce tree nuts
Easy ideas
- Almond butter stirred into porridge
- Thin almond butter on toast fingers
- Banana mashed with almond butter
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat almond butter?
Can babies eat almond butter? Yes, from about 6 months, as long as it is smooth and thinned or spread thinly. It is a good way to introduce tree nuts, one of the common allergens, once a few other foods are going well.
How do I introduce almond butter to my baby?
Start with a small amount mixed into a food baby already eats, then keep offering it regularly if there is no reaction.
Can babies eat crunchy almond butter?
Smooth is safest for babies, as crunchy pieces of nut can be a choking risk.
Sources
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- BSACI: Early feeding guidance
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: How to stop a child from choking
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).