First foods database
🍮 Custard for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat custard? Yes, homemade custard with no added sugar, made with milk and British Lion eggs or cornflour, can be offered from about 6 months. Shop-bought custard is usually sweetened, so keep it for occasional puddings when your child is older.
Good source of: Calcium, Protein, Vitamin B12
How to serve custard by age
6 to 9 months
Warm whole milk, then whisk in a beaten British Lion egg or a little cornflour paste and stir over gentle heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Flavour with vanilla or mashed fruit. Offer on a preloaded spoon or swirled into fruit purée.
9 to 12 months
Spoon homemade custard over stewed apple, pear or rhubarb. Babies can dip soft fingers of banana or pancake into it.
12 months and up
Serve custard as a pudding with crumble or fruit. Ready-made custard is fine occasionally, but homemade lets you keep sugar low.
Choking safety
Smooth custard is a low choking risk. If it goes lumpy, sieve or blend it before serving.
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
- Custard contains milk, and often egg, both common allergens.
- Shop-bought custard and custard powder recipes are usually high in sugar.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains milk, egg, which are among the 14 major allergens. How to introduce milk · How to introduce egg
Easy ideas
- Custard with stewed apple and cinnamon
- Mashed banana and custard
- Rhubarb and custard pots
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat custard?
Can babies eat custard? Yes, homemade custard with no added sugar, made with milk and British Lion eggs or cornflour, can be offered from about 6 months. Shop-bought custard is usually sweetened, so keep it for occasional puddings when your child is older.
Is ready-made custard okay for babies?
It is usually sweetened, so it is best kept for occasional puddings after 12 months. Homemade versions without added sugar are better for babies.
Can babies have egg custard?
Yes. Use British Lion eggs and cook until thickened. Other eggs should be cooked until fully set.
Can I make dairy-free custard?
Yes, use a fortified unsweetened oat or soya drink thickened with cornflour. These are fine in cooking from 6 months.
Sources
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).