🥜 Nut butter
Allergen note
Nut butters are made from common food allergens: tree nuts such as almond, cashew and hazelnut, plus the legume used in a classic PB&J, which is a separate allergen from tree nuts. Introduce each kind separately from around 6 months with a single-nut butter rather than a mix, and keep offering tolerated ones a few times a week; with severe eczema or egg allergy, talk to your pediatrician first.
How to serve
At 6–8 months, stir ½–1 teaspoon of thinned smooth peanut butter or another single-nut butter into oatmeal, yogurt or fruit purée. From 9 months, spread a very thin layer on toast strips or pancakes, or mix it into sauces. Never give it as a plain spoonful or a thick dollop.
Preparation
Choose smooth, unsalted nut butter with no added sugar, and check that it contains no honey before 12 months. Thin it with warm water, breast milk or formula until runny, or blend it into purées and baked goods. Stir well if the oil has separated.
Texture and choking risk
Thick, sticky nut butter can form a plug in the mouth or throat, and crunchy versions contain nut pieces. Offer only smooth butter that is thinned or thinly spread, never whole or chopped nuts before age 5, and keep your child seated and supervised.
Sources: cdc.gov · cdc.gov · healthychildren.org · healthychildren.org · healthychildren.org · nhs.uk · nhs.uk
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries nut butter, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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