First foods database
Can babies eat peanut butter?
The short answer: yes, with preparation. Here's the safe way to do it.
When can babies eat peanut butter?
Peanut is the headline early-introduction allergen: landmark research (the LEAP study) showed introducing it around 6 months dramatically cuts peanut allergy risk. But the format matters enormously.
Is peanut butter a choking hazard?
Whole peanuts are forbidden before age 5, and thick globs of peanut butter are themselves a choking hazard. Only ever serve smooth peanut butter thinly spread or thinned into food.
Thinning into warm porridge or yogurt is the easiest safe first format — it removes both the choking texture and the guesswork.
Is peanut butter a common allergen?
Peanut is a top allergen. First exposure: a small amount (¼ tsp smooth peanut butter thinned with water/milk or stirred into porridge), early in the day, nothing else new that day. Once tolerated, serve ~twice weekly. High-risk babies may need earlier, doctor-guided introduction.
How to serve peanut butter by stage
¼ tsp smooth peanut butter thinned into porridge or yogurt for introduction.
Thinly scraped onto toast fingers or banana slices.
Thin spread on toast remains the rule — no spoonfuls, no chunky, no whole nuts.
For more depth on this topic, see our guide: Introducing Allergens to Your Baby: Peanut, Egg & More.
Track every new food in BabyEats
Checking foods one by one is exactly what the BabyEats app streamlines: age-appropriate serving guidance for the food in front of you, allergen introduction planning, and a tracker that logs everything your baby has tried — so the "can they eat this?" moment takes seconds, not a search.