When can a baby have peanut butter?
Last updated October 5, 2026
The NHS says you can give peanut butter "from the time you start weaning", which is around six months, as long as you spread it onto a food such as toast. If your baby has a diagnosed food allergy or eczema, or there is a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever, talk to your GP or health visitor first.
When can a baby have peanut butter?
The NHS answer is from around 6 months, when your baby starts solid foods. Start with a very small amount, and with one new allergen at a time: the NHS advice is to start "1 at a time and in very small amounts so that you can spot any reaction."
For a baby with a diagnosed food allergy or eczema, or a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever, the NHS says you "may need to be particularly careful when introducing foods. Talk to your GP or health visitor first."
Why not wait?
It is natural to want to be careful and hold peanut back. This is what the NHS says about that: "Evidence has shown that delaying introducing peanuts and hens' eggs after 6 to 12 months may increase the risk of developing an allergy to them." Its advice is that these foods can be introduced from around 6 months "as part of your baby's diet, just like any other foods."
If your baby takes it well, keep it in the rotation: "Once introduced and if tolerated, keep offering those foods as part of your baby's usual diet to minimise the risk of allergy."
How do you serve peanut butter?
Spread it thinly on toast, or stir it into other food. The NHS suggests swirling it into porridge. Use a food your baby has already had, so peanut is the only new thing in the bowl. The NHS says "very small" amounts and gives no quantity beyond that.
Never give it by itself. The NHS says: "Do not give peanut butter to babies and young children by itself." Its reason on the foods-to-avoid page is that "your child could choke on it." Baby-led weaning works the same way, with a thin spread on a strip of toast; the guide to baby-led weaning covers the rest.
Start with smooth peanut butter. Crunchy has nut pieces in it, and the NHS says whole nuts should not be given to children under 5.
What about whole nuts?
Whole nuts should not be given to children under 5 years old, because they can choke on them. Nuts can be given from the time you start weaning if they are crushed or ground and added to food.
What are the signs of an allergic reaction?
The NHS says signs of a food allergy can include one or more of these: diarrhoea or vomiting, a cough, wheezing and shortness of breath, an itchy throat and tongue, itchy skin or a rash, swollen lips and throat, a runny or blocked nose, and sore, red and itchy eyes.
Reactions usually happen within a few minutes of a new food, but symptoms can take up to 2 hours to appear. Most are mild.
A severe reaction (anaphylaxis) is less common. The NHS says it "starts quickly and can cause breathing problems, a swollen throat or tongue, or a raised, itchy rash", that it is "a medical emergency", and that it can be life-threatening: "Call 999 and get medical help immediately." The NHS list does not rank the signs, and it does not say what to do after a mild one. If you are not sure whether something was a reaction, talk to your health visitor or GP.