First foods database
🥜 Cashew butter for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat cashew butter? Yes, from about 6 months. Smooth cashew butter is a safe way to introduce cashew, a tree nut allergen, without the choking risk of whole nuts. It is mild and creamy, with fats, protein, zinc and magnesium.
Good source of: Healthy fats, Protein, Magnesium, Zinc
How to serve cashew butter by age
6 to 9 months
Mix 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of smooth cashew butter into porridge, yoghurt or fruit purée. Thin it with warm water, breast milk or formula and spread very thinly on toast fingers. Never offer it straight from a spoon in a thick dollop.
9 to 12 months
Spread thinly on toast or rice cakes, stir into sauces for noodles or curries, or blend into smoothies. Once cashew is introduced, keep offering it regularly to keep it in the diet.
12 months and up
Offer cashew butter on toast, in sandwiches, with fruit or in baking. Whole or chopped cashews are not suitable until 5 years old.
Choking safety
Thick nut butter can stick to the roof of the mouth and be hard to swallow. Always thin it or spread very thinly. Never offer whole or chopped cashews to under-5s.
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
- Cashew is a tree nut allergen. If your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy, talk to your GP first.
- Choose 100% cashew butter with no added salt or sugar.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains tree nuts, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce tree nuts
Easy ideas
- Cashew butter stirred into banana porridge
- Thin cashew butter on toast fingers
- Creamy cashew sauce for rice noodles
Goes well with
Recipes with cashew butter
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat cashew butter?
Can babies eat cashew butter? Yes, from about 6 months. Smooth cashew butter is a safe way to introduce cashew, a tree nut allergen, without the choking risk of whole nuts. It is mild and creamy, with fats, protein, zinc and magnesium.
Is cashew a tree nut?
Yes, cashew counts as a tree nut. Introducing it separately from other nuts helps you see how your baby reacts.
How do I introduce cashew to my baby?
Offer a small amount of thinned smooth cashew butter mixed into food at home, early in the day. If there is no reaction, build up the amount and keep offering it regularly.
Can babies eat cashew butter if they are allergic to peanuts?
Peanut is a legume, not a tree nut, but some children react to both. If your baby has a peanut allergy, ask your GP or allergy team before introducing cashew.
Sources
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
- NHS: What to feed young children
- BSACI: Early feeding guidance
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
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).