Babies can eat peanuts from 6 months, when they start solids. Peanuts are a choking risk until age 5 (hard and round when whole, sticky in a glob), so serve them in the shape for your baby's age below. At 6 months: smooth unsalted peanut butter thinned with warm water, or finely ground peanuts, stirred into porridge or mashed fruit.
- Other names and forms
- groundnut, monkey nut and goober
- Start
- 6 months, when solids begin
- Choking risk
- Until age 5 (hard and round when whole, sticky in a glob)
- Common allergen
- Yes: peanut
- Iron
- 1.5 mg per 100 g
- Textures
- Puree, mashed and finger food
How to serve peanuts by age
6 to 11 months
Smooth unsalted peanut butter thinned with warm water, or finely ground peanuts, stirred into porridge or mashed fruit.
12 to 17 months
Smooth peanut butter spread thin on toast fingers or stirred into oatmeal, and ground peanuts in sauces or in baking with no added sugar; never a spoonful.
18 months until age 5
Smooth peanut butter spread thin on soft fruit or in a sandwich, or ground peanuts mixed through family meals; never a spoonful.
Age 5 and up
From age 5, whole unsalted peanuts a few at a time, once your child chews well; eaten sitting down; keep them ground if not.
Sito shows this card at your baby's exact age, for 583 foods.
Choking: why the shape matters
Why peanuts are a choking risk: hard and round when whole, sticky in a glob. Until age 5, serve them only in the shapes above.
The AAP also advises supervising mealtimes, having children sit down when they eat, and taking a CPR and first aid course.
Peanuts and food allergy
Peanut is one of the nine major food allergens. ASCIA, the Australasian allergy society, advises introducing common allergy foods in the first year, by 12 months, one new one at a meal, and once a food is tolerated, keeping it in the diet at least once a week.
For peanut, NIAID guidelines say babies with severe eczema, an egg allergy or both should see a doctor first. If your baby has severe eczema or a known food allergy, talk to your doctor before offering common allergy foods.
Signs of a reaction soon after a food include swelling of the lips, face or eyes, hives or welts, vomiting, and a sudden change in behavior. Difficult or noisy breathing, a swollen tongue, or a baby who turns pale and floppy is an emergency: call 911 or your local emergency number.
Nutrients
USDA figures per 100 g (Peanuts, all types, oil-roasted, with salt): iron 1.5 mg, zinc 3.3 mg, calcium 61 mg and vitamin C 0.8 mg.
Starting Solids in the Sito app
Sito is our app. From 4 months, the home screen is Starting Solids: the signs of readiness, how to serve each of 583 foods at your baby's age, and a quick log for every taste. Spears to grip or mashed on a spoon, each food's card shows the shapes that fit your baby's age, and swipes ahead to how it changes as they grow.
The Allergen Ladder takes 9 common allergens, one at a time, with a check-in after each. At 12 months the full app opens on its own: meals from a photo, 18 nutrients, and how to cut every food until age 4.
Every first food, served right
Add your baby and Starting Solids opens at 4 months.
FAQ
When can babies eat peanuts?
From 6 months, when your baby starts solids. Peanuts are a choking risk until age 5, so follow the shape for each age.
How do you serve peanuts to a 6-month-old?
Smooth unsalted peanut butter thinned with warm water, or finely ground peanuts, stirred into porridge or mashed fruit.
How do you serve peanuts to a 12-month-old?
Smooth peanut butter spread thin on toast fingers or stirred into oatmeal, and ground peanuts in sauces or in baking with no added sugar; never a spoonful.
Are peanuts a common allergen?
Yes. Peanut is one of the nine major food allergens. ASCIA advises offering common allergy foods by 12 months, one new one at a meal, and once one is tolerated, at least once a week after that.
Sources
- AAP HealthyChildren: Choking Prevention for Babies & Children
- CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- ASCIA: How to introduce solid foods to babies for allergy prevention
- USDA FoodData Central: Peanuts, all types, oil-roasted, with salt
- NIAID: Peanut allergy prevention: summary for parents and caregivers
- NIAID: Food allergy guidelines (NIAID)