Baby food peanut butter

When Can Baby Have Peanut Butter (and 3 Best Ways to Offer It)

When can baby have peanut butter? That’s such a common question among us parents, and it’s normal to be worried about allergic reactions. Thankfully, there are easy ways to offer peanut butter to a baby and simple tips to keep in mind when introducing it for the first time.

When can baby have peanut butter?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that potentially allergenic foods are introduced early on when starting solids at 6 months. This advice has changed recently and family members may not realize that it’s not advised to wait until a child turns 1 any longer.

In fact, waiting can actually increase the likelihood of a reaction.

How to Introduce Peanut Butter to a Baby Step-by Step

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, start by considering which group your child falls into:

1. They have severe eczema and/or an egg allergy. In this case, talk with your doctors about peanut allergy testing and testing a peanut product for the first time in their office. Babies in this group are advised to get their first peanut product between 4-6 months.
2. They have mild or moderate eczema. Talk to your doctor, but it is likely safe to introduce peanut products around the 6 month mark.
3. They have no signs of eczema or food allergies. Offer peanut products soon after starting solids as you introduce all sorts of other foods.

TIP: Talk to your pediatrician about any concerns you have, at any time. If you are at all worried, you can always introduce a peanut product in their office with their supervision to alleviate your stress. Just talk to them about your plan ahead of time.

How soon would peanut allergy symptoms appear?

Typically, they appear soon after introducing the food. Symptoms of a peanut allergy may include anaphylaxis (which is the most severe), but also things including vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, wheezing, repetitive coughing, tightness in the throat, hives, swelling in the mouth, and more.

Diagnosing any food allergy can be complicated, so your best bet is to see a pediatric allergist.

TIP: The good news is that research has shown up to 20 percent of individuals with a peanut allergy eventually outgrow it.

Best Peanut Butter for Babies

Look for a peanut butter without added sugar and opt for creamy to ensure that the texture is smooth for baby. I like Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter, Whole Foods 365 Store Brand, and Teddies.

There are lot of other options available, so just check the ingredients and look for one without added cane sugar or honey.

How to Avoid Choking With Peanut Products

The simplest way to avoid choking is to never offer actual whole peanuts. You should also avoid chunky peanut butter which will be difficult (and potentially dangerous) for a baby and avoid spoonfuls of straight peanut butter which can get stuck in their mouths.

See below for safe peanut options for baby.

What are the best ways to introduce and serve peanut butter to babies?

I have three favorite ways that I will outline below. They include:

• Peanut Butter Toast
• Peanut Butter Puffs
• Peanut Butter Puree

TIP: I recently saw a tip about grinding nuts into a powder to mix into other foods like oatmeal, which is a great option too. For the first time you offer it, it may make sense to limit the other foods in the same meal so you can be sure to be able to easily isolate the cause if there’s a reaction.

Peanut Butter Toast for Baby

A simple way to offer peanut butter to baby is to spread a very thin layer onto a piece of lightly toasted bread. This is a classic baby led weaning approach where you cut the toast into a piece that’s at least as big as your finger so it’s way too big for the baby to put the entire thing into their mouth.

This is easy for a baby, even one as young as 6 months, to pick up and suck on. (This also works really well with mashed hard cooked egg yolk!)

TIP: Do be sure to lightly toast the bread to reduce the chances that a piece of soft bread will get stuck onto the roof of their mouth.

Peanut Butter Puffs

Another easy way to offer peanut butter to a baby or toddler is to use store-bought peanut butter puffs. The most commonly known one is called Bamba Puffs and Puffworks Baby also makes one. You can find them at Trader Joe’s and on Amazon. They are my favorite because they are big enough for a baby to suck on without putting the entire thing into their mouth.

Peanut Puffs from Mission Mighty Me are a nice options once babies develop their pincer grasp around 9 months.

TIP: The great thing about these is that they dissolve easily in baby’s mouth, are easy to hold, and are a healthy snack food you can continue serving through toddlerhood.

Peanut Butter Puree for Baby

My very favorite way to introduce peanut butter for the first time is to make it into a fluffy puree. It’s so easy, it’s good, and it’s very nutritious with health fats and protein. It’s a perfect no-cook baby food to make at home.

Ingredients You Need for Peanut Butter Puree

To make this puree, you just need natural creamy peanut butter and water. The water helps to fluff up the peanut butter making it into a yogurt-like consistency.

It’s smooth, flavorful, and can be stored for later too.

How to Make Peanut Butter Puree Step-by-Step

Here’s a look at how to make a simple peanut butter puree for a baby.

1. Add peanut butter and water to a bowl.
2. Start stirring together.
3. Keep stirring together as the water begins to look cloudy.
4. Keep stirring together until the mixture is a uniform texture and color.

TIP: Room temperature peanut butter and/or warmish water make this come together a little more easily than cold peanut butter.

Best Tips for Peanut Butter and Baby

• Store any peanut butter puree leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Keep stirring if the mixture looks separated. It may take a full minute or more of stirring until the mixture comes together.
• If it seems thick or sticky, thin it out more with additional water.
• Choose creamy natural peanut butter without added sugar.
• Offer a small amount on a spoon or spread a thin layer onto a 1-2 finger-size piece of toast.
• Stop feeding baby when they turn their head away and close their mouth. (The serving size below is just a ballpark guess.)
• Consider a peanut puff like the ones from Puffworks Baby.
• If baby has or had eczema or other food allergies, check with your pediatrician for guidance on introducing food allergens.

Related Recipes

I’d love to hear your feedback on this, so please comment below to share!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Baby Food

Calories 24kcal

Servings 4 -6

• ▢ 1 tablespoon creamy natural peanut butter (without added sugar if possible)
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons water

• Add the peanut butter and 2 tablespoons water to a bowl.

• Stir until the mixture starts to come together and the color and consistency are uniformly light and somewhat fluffy. This will take a little bit of time so keep going if and when the peanut butter separates.

• Add water as needed to make a fluffy puree consistency.

• Offer on a spoon to baby in small amounts or spread onto a 1-2 finger-size piece of toast.

• Peanut Butter

• Mixing Bowl

• Storage Containers

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Keep stirring if the mixture looks separated. It may take a full minute or more of stirring until the mixture comes together.
• If it seems thick or sticky, thin it out more with additional water.
• Choose creamy natural peanut butter without added sugar.
• Offer a small amount on a spoon or spread a thin layer onto a 1-2 finger-size piece of toast.
• Stop feeding baby when they turn their head away and close their mouth. (The serving size below is just a ballpark guess.)

Calories: 24kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 19mg, Potassium: 26mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

This post was first published August 2020.

How to Feed Peanut Butter to Baby

=This post is sponsored by the National Peanut Board.

Turning six months was a big milestone for our sweet baby boy. He started crawling forward on his half birthday, cut two teeth, began pulling himself to standing and started solid foods. He’s still our happy go lucky baby and it’s been fun to watch him discover new things, especially as we begin our baby led weaning journey.

Brooks was teething around 5 to 5 ½ months, so I started out offering him frozen breast milk pops in our favorite silicone feeders. This was our first step into solids for both of my boys because it gets them used to putting “food” they already love in their mouth. Not to mention it provides comfort for the teething pain too. Win-win for both of us! 

At the 6 ½-month mark, here’s a line-up of foods he has “tasted”, in developmentally appropriate forms of course.

• Avocado
• Banana
• Mango
• Butternut squash
• Carrots
• Apples
• Watermelon
• Pears
• Spinach
• Prunes
• Blueberries
• Peanut butter
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Cottage cheese
• Beef
• Asparagus
• Sweet potato
• Chia seeds
• Full fat plain yogurt
• Kale
• Lentils
• Brown Rice
• Tomatoes

When can babies have peanut butter?

We don’t have any food allergies in our family but as a new mom it can be nerve-wracking to serve your tiny baby foods from the top allergen list, which was once on the no-no list. However, for babies at high risk for peanut allergy, early introduction is even more important because it can reduce risk of developing an allergy to peanuts by 80%. 

How to keep your baby safe when feeding peanut butter to baby?

According to the guidelines, if your child has severe eczema or already has egg allergy, it’s important to discuss introducing peanut products with your doctor before baby’s first bite. 

Not only will this give you peace of mind, but also if your baby is at high risk for food allergies your doctor may recommend allergy testing first and early introduction under medical supervision. If your baby isn’t in this category, it’s not necessary to discuss with your pediatrician first, but you can always do that if you prefer.

When giving peanut-containing foods to your baby, it’s important to remember whole peanuts should never be given as they are a choking hazard for babies, and lumps of peanut butter can be dangerous because it’s thick and sticky, so be sure that peanut butter is always properly thinned.

To read more about home feeding safety, check out these guidelines from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and preventpeanutallergies.org is a great resource too!

How to give baby peanut butter?

I use a modified baby led weaning approach to feeding, and so far, Brooks has ‘teethed” on foods that he can’t currently break with his gums, like large carrot sticks, big pieces of steak, and very firm apple sticks.

He’s eaten purees and smashes like avocado and sweet potatoes from a self-feeding spoon or on his tray table. He also loves squeeze pouches! And his favorite method of getting food into his mouth is via frozen foods (using the silicone feeder), so this is how we introduced peanut butter— a blended smoothie, frozen in an ice cube tray and served in the feeder. Be sure to check out the video for his reaction to peanut butter. 

Again, feeding babies is a highly individual process. What works for us may or may not work for you or someone else you love, so it’s important to follow your baby’s developmental and readiness cues and feed peanut butter to baby in appropriate forms, and in a way that makes you feel comfortable.

Looking for how to feed peanut butter to baby?

Here are eight of our favorite ways to introduce peanut-containing foods to an infant. 

• Puree. The easier the better at our house. Oh, you too? We’re on the same page mama! Mix your babe’s favorite fruit or veggie puree with peanut butter powder. If you’re introducing peanut butter to the early eater, purees make a seamless and safe method. If you’re doing baby led weaning approach or have an independent eater, dip your baby feeding spoon into the puree and offer it to baby. 

Prep it: Mix ¼ cup pureed pears (or favorite food) with 2-3 teaspoons powdered peanut butter.

• Frozen. A quick blend of spinach, peanut butter, mango, banana, and either water or expressed milk; served to baby through a straw or frozen into popsicle molds or ice cube trays and popped into silicone or mesh feeders. Great recipe for even your earliest eaters! We offered these pops in a silicone feeder to my 6 month old baby as his first peanut butter food.  

Prep it: Blend 1 cup spinach, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, ½ cup frozen mango, 1 banana and ½ cup expressed milk or water. Pour into popsicle molds, ice cube trays or serve with a straw. 

Prep it: In a bowl, stir together ½ cup whole milk yogurt, ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree, 3 tablespoons peanut butter powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. 

Prep it: Prepare your favorite baby oatmeal or cereal with strawberries (diced, mashed, or pureed), and sprinkle with a little PB powder. Give it a stir and dunk with a spoon to serve to your baby. 

• Drizzle. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with PB drizzle is a mama and baby favorite at our house. Sweet potatoes stuffed with banana, wild blueberries, and drizzled with a peanut butter + maple syrup and hot water mixture. 

Prep it: Cook sweet potato in microwave for 5 minutes or until very soft. Split open with a knife and stuff with banana slices (or smash), wild blueberries (for older babies that can have more texture or muddled in with banana to mash into a puree). In a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons of peanut butter with a 2 teaspoons of hot water and a teaspoon of maple syrup. Drizzle thinned peanut butter over sweet potato. 

Prep it: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F; line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, stir together ½ cup raw oats, ½ cup pureed butternut squash, ¼ cup peanut butter, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Roll into 12 even cookies and smash with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes; allow to cool before serving to baby. 

Prep it: Make your favorite pancake recipe! In a small bowl whisk together 2 teaspoons peanut butter and 2 teaspoons hot water. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach a light and fluffy consistency. Keep in mind, depending on the brand some peanut butters need more water to reach desired texture. 

• Sauce. Soft pulled chicken is a more advanced food for older infants, but if your babe is already enjoying poultry, try adding a little peanut butter twist! Coconut milk, turmeric, chicken and peanut butter– 4 simple ingredients create a dish your whole family is sure to love.  

Prep it: In a slow cooker or Instant Pot, add one can coconut milk, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 1 pound chicken, and ¼ cup peanut butter; give it a stir. Close lid and cook on low for 6 hours in slow cooker and on poultry setting (12 minutes on high pressure) in the Instant Pot. When chicken is fully cooked, remove from pot and shred into appropriate size pieces for your baby. Stir remaining sauce in the pot to create a creamy texture; pour sauce on pulled chicken before serving.

I’d love to know, how did you first introduce peanut butter to your baby?

Hope these how to feed peanut butter to baby tips help with your early introduction adventures!

Looking for more posts on babies and motherhood?

• 20 Pre Workout Snacks to Fuel Busy Mom’s on the Go

• Bump date 33 Weeks: Best and Worst Things about Pregnancy (so far)

• Birth Story: I had a baby on an elevator 

Kristina LaRue, RDN

Hi I’m Kristina LaRue, RD (registered dietitian nutritionist), Peloton addict and mama to two active and hungry boys. On Love & Zest, you’ll find healthy-ish recipes that fuel the whole family. I’m all about veggie-filled breakfast, meal prep recipes, healthier sweets, and easy weeknight dinners made in the Instant Pot or sheet pan.

Did you make one of my recipes?? Leave a review in the comments and tag @loveandzest #loveandzest on Instagram!

If you’re a modern mama– I’d love for you to join my Facebook group A Modern Motherhood Collective!

www.loveandzest.com

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Fear of allergies - feed your baby peanut butter