Introducing Peanuts to Your Baby: A Practical Walkthrough

Peanuts can feel like the scariest food to introduce. We get it. When our baby hit six months, we had a jar of smooth peanut butter on the counter and absolutely no idea how to actually go about this. After talking it through with our paediatrician, we settled on a plan that felt manageable. Here is what worked for us. But your doctor knows best, so run any plan by them first.

Direct Answer: Introduce peanut by mixing a small amount of smooth peanut butter with warm water, breastmilk, or formula into a runny-yoghurt consistency stirred into a familiar purée, then follow a 14-day observation plan (tiny taste day 1, half a teaspoon day 3, full spoon day 7, regular rotation day 14) with no other new foods introduced during that window. Confirm the plan with your paediatrician first, especially for babies at higher allergy risk.

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Getting the consistency right

The biggest practical hurdle is getting peanut butter thin enough that it does not stick in a baby's mouth. Whole peanuts and chunky peanut butter are choking hazards. Do not go near them. What worked for us: mix a small amount of smooth peanut butter with warm water, breastmilk, or formula until it is about the consistency of runny yoghurt. Roughly 5 ml of peanut butter to 15–20 ml of liquid. Then stir that into a familiar purée your baby already eats without issue. Pear purée was a winner in our house. Offer a tiny dab first and wait a bit before giving more.

What changed with peanut allergy guidance

For years, parents were told to avoid peanuts until well past the first birthday. That started to shift after the LEAP study (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy), published in 2015, found that early peanut introduction in infants at high risk of allergy was linked to a significantly lower rate of peanut allergy at age five compared to those who avoided peanuts. Subsequent guidelines from paediatric allergy organisations moved away from blanket avoidance toward early, careful introduction under medical guidance, especially for babies with severe eczema or egg allergy. This does not mean every baby should start peanuts on day one. It means the conversation has changed, and your paediatrician can help you decide what is right for your child.

A 14-day plan (one approach, not the only approach)

Our paediatrician suggested waiting a few days between exposures so we could clearly tell if there was a reaction. The rhythm we settled on: Day 1: tiny taste (tip of a baby spoon). Day 3: a slightly bigger portion, about half a teaspoon. Day 7: a full baby-spoon portion. Day 14: peanut in the regular meal rotation. During those two weeks, we did not introduce any other new foods. That way, if anything showed up, we would know exactly what caused it. Ask your doctor what spacing they recommend for your child. This is just what ours suggested for us.

What we kept an eye on

Our doctor told us to watch for: hives or red patches, swelling around the mouth or eyes, coughing or wheezing, vomiting, or unusual fussiness. Some things show up fast, some take hours. We kept a simple log of what was eaten and when, plus any symptoms with timestamps. When you are sleep-deprived and stressed, remembering the exact timeline three days later is surprisingly hard. Writing it down as it happens made our follow-up conversation with the doctor much more useful.

Questions parents ask

How do you thin peanut butter for a baby?

Thin smooth peanut butter by mixing a small amount with warm water, breastmilk or formula until it is about the consistency of runny yoghurt. Then stir the thinned peanut butter into a familiar purée your baby already eats without issue (pear purée worked well for us). Offer a tiny dab first and wait a bit before giving more.

Source: NIAID Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy (Togias et al. 2017, J Allergy Clin Immunol); ASCIA: How to introduce solid foods to babies

Can babies have whole peanuts or chunky peanut butter?

No, whole peanuts and chunky peanut butter are choking hazards for babies, so do not go near them. Smooth peanut butter thinned with warm water, breastmilk or formula to a runny yoghurt consistency is the practical way to offer peanut. Stirring the thinned peanut butter into a purée your baby already knows makes it easier to eat. Ask your paediatrician how to start peanut for your own child.

Source: NHS: foods to avoid giving babies and young children; NIAID Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy (Togias et al. 2017, J Allergy Clin Immunol); ASCIA: How to introduce solid foods to babies

Why are babies given peanuts early now instead of avoiding them?

Peanut guidance changed after the LEAP study, published in 2015, found that early peanut introduction in infants at high risk of allergy was linked to a significantly lower rate of peanut allergy at age five. Later guidelines from paediatric allergy organisations moved away from blanket avoidance toward early, careful introduction under medical guidance, especially for babies with severe eczema or egg allergy. Your paediatrician can help you decide what is right for your child.

Source: Du Toit et al. 2015 (LEAP), N Engl J Med; NIAID Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy (Togias et al. 2017, J Allergy Clin Immunol)

What signs of a peanut reaction should I watch for in my baby?

When we introduced peanut, our doctor told us to watch for hives or red patches, swelling around the mouth or eyes, coughing or wheezing, vomiting, or unusual fussiness. Some signs show up fast and some take hours. Keeping a simple log of what was eaten and when, plus any symptoms with timestamps, made our follow-up conversation with the paediatrician much more useful.

Source: NHS: food allergies in babies and young children