Tips for Safely Feeding Allergen Foods to Your Baby

There are several ways you can safely introduce peanut-containing foods to your baby. Introducing these foods as early as 4 to 6 months of age can reduce the chance of your baby developing a peanut allergy.

“Giving your baby peanut containing foods can feel scary – but research shows it is safe and easy to do it at home.”


Megan O. Lewis, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Program Manager of the Food Allergy Center
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Four Options for Safely Introducing Peanut Foods

Option 1

Thinned Creamy Peanut Butter

  1. Start with 2 teaspoons of creamy peanut butter in a small dish.
  2. Slowly add 2 to 3 teaspoons of warm water, breast milk, or formula.
  3. Stir until peanut butter is well-blended and runny. Let the mixture cool before feeding.

NOTE: Don’t use chunky peanut butter, which is a choking hazard!

Option 2

Creamy Peanut Butter in Fruit Puree, Vegetable Puree, or Infant Cereal

  1. Start with 2 teaspoons of creamy peanut butter in a small dish.
  2. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of any fruit puree, vegetable puree, or infant cereal your baby already eats.
  3. Adjust the amount of puree or cereal to match your baby’s preferred texture and stir to mix.

NOTE: Don’t use chunky peanut butter, which is a choking hazard!

Option 3

Peanut Flour or Peanut Butter Powder in Fruit Puree, Vegetable Puree or Infant Cereal

  1. Measure 2 teaspoons of peanut flour or peanut butter powder into a small dish.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of any puree or infant cereal that your baby already eats.
  3. Adjust the amount of puree to match your baby’s preferred texture and stir to mix.

NOTE: Peanut flour or peanut butter powder can usually be found next to other nut butter or in the health food or organic food aisles of grocery stores. You can also buy it online.

Option 4

Peanut Puffs

Puffed peanut snacks are made with peanuts and corn. You can buy puffed peanut snacks online or in some grocery stores.

Babies under 7 months

  1. Give softened puffed peanut snacks. Put two-thirds of a 1-oz bag of puffed peanut snacks in a small bowl and crush it into powder.
  2. Add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of water, breastmilk, or formula to soften the puffed peanut snacks.

Older babies

  1. Give regular puffed peanut snacks. If your baby is already easily eating other puffed foods, give puffed peanut snacks right out of the package. One serving is about 21 puffs.

Tips for Introducing Other Common Allergen Foods

Once your baby starts eating solid foods and has been introduced to peanut-containing foods try introducing other common food allergen foods that your family enjoys eating. Introduce these foods one at a time and watch for any reaction.

In the U.S., common food allergen foods include peanut, egg, cow’s milk products, tree nuts, soy, sesame, fish, shellfish, and wheat.  Infant-safe forms of these foods are part of a healthy and diverse diet.

Examples of infant-safe foods containing common food allergens include:

  • Smashed tofu or soy yogurt
  • Whole, unsweetened cow’s milk yogurt
  • Thinned cashew or almond nut butter
  • Well-cooked egg (smashed or cut into small pieces)
  • Tahini (sesame paste) mixed into a puree
  • Wheat infant cereal or softly cooked wheat pasta

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