Baby Food With Peanut Butter will provide you with the best baby food recipes around. By using this site, you will learn how to feed your baby with homemade food with peanut butter. You may also scroll down to see the full range of baby food recipes that I have for you. These recipes have been tried and tested by my family members. They all have turned out great and I am sure yours will turn out to be tremendous as well!
Baby Food With Peanut Butter
When can baby have peanut butter? That’s such a common question among us parents, and it’s normal to be worried about allergic reactions. Thankfully, there are easy ways to offer peanut butter to a baby and simple tips to keep in mind when introducing it for the first time.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that potentially allergenic foods are introduced early on when starting solids at 6 months. This advice has changed recently and family members may not realize that it’s not advised to wait until a child turns 1 any longer.
In fact, waiting can actually increase the likelihood of a reaction.
How to Introduce Peanut Butter to a Baby Step-by Step
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, start by considering which group your child falls into:
- They have severe eczema and/or an egg allergy. In this case, talk with your doctors about peanut allergy testing and testing a peanut product for the first time in their office. Babies in this group are advised to get their first peanut product between 4-6 months.
- They have mild or moderate eczema. Talk to your doctor, but it is likely safe to introduce peanut products around the 6 month mark.
- They have no signs of eczema or food allergies. Offer peanut products soon after starting solids as you introduce all sorts of other foods.
A simple way to offer peanut butter to baby is to spread a very thin layer onto a piece of lightly toasted bread. This is a classic baby led weaning approach where you cut the toast into a piece that’s at least as big as your finger so it’s way too big for the baby to put the entire thing into their mouth.
This is easy for a baby, even one as young as 6 months, to pick up and suck on. (This also works really well with mashed hard cooked egg yolk!)
TIP: Do be sure to lightly toast the bread to reduce the chances that a piece of soft bread will get stuck onto the roof of their mouth.
Another easy way to offer peanut butter to a baby or toddler is to use store-bought peanut butter puffs. The most commonly known one is called Bamba Puffs and Puffworks Baby also makes one. You can find them at Trader Joe’s and on Amazon. They are my favorite because they are big enough for a baby to suck on without putting the entire thing into their mouth.
Peanut Puffs from Mission Mighty Me are a nice options once babies develop their pincer grasp around 9 months.
Ingredients You Need for Peanut Butter Puree
To make this puree, you just need natural creamy peanut butter and water. The water helps to fluff up the peanut butter making it into a yogurt-like consistency.
It’s smooth, flavorful, and can be stored for later too.
How to Make Peanut Butter Puree Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at how to make a simple peanut butter puree for a baby.
- Add peanut butter and water to a bowl.
- Start stirring together.
- Keep stirring together as the water begins to look cloudy.
- Keep stirring together until the mixture is a uniform texture and color.
TIP: Room temperature peanut butter and/or warmish water make this come together a little more easily than cold peanut butter.
Best Tips for Peanut Butter and Baby
- Store any peanut butter puree leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Keep stirring if the mixture looks separated. It may take a full minute or more of stirring until the mixture comes together.
- If it seems thick or sticky, thin it out more with additional water.
- Choose creamy natural peanut butter without added sugar.
- Offer a small amount on a spoon or spread a thin layer onto a 1-2 finger-size piece of toast.
- Stop feeding baby when they turn their head away and close their mouth. (The serving size below is just a ballpark guess.)
- Consider a peanut puff like the ones from Puffworks Baby.
- If baby has or had eczema or other food allergies, check with your pediatrician for guidance on introducing food allergens.
- You can find all of my tips on serving Nuts to Little Kids here, how to introduce eggs, and all of my best baby food recipes.
HOW TO FEED PEANUT BUTTER TO BABY: 8 WAYS ON EARLY INTRODUCTION TO PEANUTS
With the latest research suggesting early peanut introduction, we’ve rounded up 8 ways on how to feed peanut butter to baby.
Turning six months was a big milestone for our sweet baby boy. He started crawling forward on his half birthday, cut two teeth, began pulling himself to standing and started solid foods. He’s still our happy go lucky baby and it’s been fun to watch him discover new things, especially as we begin our baby led weaning journey.
8 Ways to Feed Peanut Butter to Baby
Brooks was teething around 5 to 5 ½ months, so I started out offering him frozen breast milk pops in our favorite silicone feeders. This was our first step into solids for both of my boys because it gets them used to putting “food” they already love in their mouth. Not to mention it provides comfort for the teething pain too. Win-win for both of us!
At the 6 ½-month mark, here’s a line-up of foods he has “tasted”, in developmentally appropriate forms of course.
- Avocado
- Banana
- Mango
- Butternut squash
- Carrots
- Apples
- Watermelon
- Pears
- Spinach
- Prunes
- Blueberries
- Peanut butter
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Cottage cheese
- Beef
- Asparagus
- Sweet potato
- Chia seeds
- Full fat plain yogurt
- Kale
- Lentils
- Brown Rice
- Tomatoes
When can babies have peanut butter?
We don’t have any food allergies in our family but as a new mom it can be nerve-wracking to serve your tiny baby foods from the top allergen list, which was once on the no-no list. However, for babies at high risk for peanut allergy, early introduction is even more important because it can reduce risk of developing an allergy to peanuts by 80%.
How to keep your baby safe when feeding peanut butter to baby?
According to the guidelines, if your child has severe eczema or already has egg allergy, it’s important to discuss introducing peanut products with your doctor before baby’s first bite.
Not only will this give you peace of mind, but also if your baby is at high risk for food allergies your doctor may recommend allergy testing first and early introduction under medical supervision. If your baby isn’t in this category, it’s not necessary to discuss with your pediatrician first, but you can always do that if you prefer.
When giving peanut-containing foods to your baby, it’s important to remember whole peanuts should never be given as they are a choking hazard for babies, and lumps of peanut butter can be dangerous because it’s thick and sticky, so be sure that peanut butter is always properly thinned.
To read more about home feeding safety, check out these guidelines from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and preventpeanutallergies.org is a great resource too!
How to give baby peanut butter?
I use a modified baby led weaning approach to feeding, and so far, Brooks has ‘teethed” on foods that he can’t currently break with his gums, like large carrot sticks, big pieces of steak, and very firm apple sticks.
He’s eaten purees and smashes like avocado and sweet potatoes from a self-feeding spoon or on his tray table. He also loves squeeze pouches! And his favorite method of getting food into his mouth is via frozen foods (using the silicone feeder), so this is how we introduced peanut butter— a blended smoothie, frozen in an ice cube tray and served in the feeder. Be sure to check out the video for his reaction to peanut butter.
Again, feeding babies is a highly individual process. What works for us may or may not work for you or someone else you love, so it’s important to follow your baby’s developmental and readiness cues and feed peanut butter to baby in appropriate forms, and in a way that makes you feel comfortable.
Looking for how to feed peanut butter to baby?
Here are eight of our favorite ways to introduce peanut-containing foods to an infant.
- Puree. The easier the better at our house. Oh, you too? We’re on the same page mama! Mix your babe’s favorite fruit or veggie puree with peanut butter powder. If you’re introducing peanut butter to the early eater, purees make a seamless and safe method. If you’re doing baby led weaning approach or have an independent eater, dip your baby feeding spoon into the puree and offer it to baby.
Prep it: Mix ¼ cup pureed pears (or favorite food) with 2-3 teaspoons powdered peanut butter.
- Frozen. A quick blend of spinach, peanut butter, mango, banana, and either water or expressed milk; served to baby through a straw or frozen into popsicle molds or ice cube trays and popped into silicone or mesh feeders. Great recipe for even your earliest eaters! We offered these pops in a silicone feeder to my 6 month old baby as his first peanut butter food.
Prep it: Blend 1 cup spinach, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, ½ cup frozen mango, 1 banana and ½ cup expressed milk or water. Pour into popsicle molds, ice cube trays or serve with a straw.
- Dip. Pumpkin PB Yogurt Dip great for baby led weaning! We pair this dip with extra firm apple slices and carrot sticks that the tiniest eaters can’t mash with their gums. The produce in this case is more of a teether and a vessel to enjoy their first tastes of peanut butter while allowing baby to explore with self-feeding. This dip can even be used with teething biscuits.
Prep it: In a bowl, stir together ½ cup whole milk yogurt, ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree, 3 tablespoons peanut butter powder, and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Sprinkle. Peanut butter powder is one of our favorite early introduction peanut products because just a little sprinkle “melts” into the foods your baby is already enjoying… like oatmeal!
Prep it: Prepare your favorite baby oatmeal or cereal with strawberries (diced, mashed, or pureed), and sprinkle with a little PB powder. Give it a stir and dunk with a spoon to serve to your baby.
- Drizzle. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with PB drizzle is a mama and baby favorite at our house. Sweet potatoes stuffed with banana, wild blueberries, and drizzled with a peanut butter + maple syrup and hot water mixture.
Prep it: Cook sweet potato in microwave for 5 minutes or until very soft. Split open with a knife and stuff with banana slices (or smash), wild blueberries (for older babies that can have more texture or muddled in with banana to mash into a puree). In a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons of peanut butter with a 2 teaspoons of hot water and a teaspoon of maple syrup. Drizzle thinned peanut butter over sweet potato.
- Bake. A simple soft breakfast cookie recipe for baby made with only 4 ingredients- butternut squash, oats, peanut butter and cinnamon. We love these at our house!
Prep it: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F; line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, stir together ½ cup raw oats, ½ cup pureed butternut squash, ¼ cup peanut butter, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Roll into 12 even cookies and smash with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes; allow to cool before serving to baby.
- Spread. Fluffy PB spread on top of baby pancakes FTW. As a matter of fact, whipping hot water with creamy peanut butter makes a tasty pancake topping that’s safe for baby.
Prep it: Make your favorite pancake recipe! In a small bowl whisk together 2 teaspoons peanut butter and 2 teaspoons hot water. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach a light and fluffy consistency. Keep in mind, depending on the brand some peanut butters need more water to reach desired texture.
- Sauce. Soft pulled chicken is a more advanced food for older infants, but if your babe is already enjoying poultry, try adding a little peanut butter twist! Coconut milk, turmeric, chicken and peanut butter– 4 simple ingredients create a dish your whole family is sure to love.
Prep it: In a slow cooker or Instant Pot, add one can coconut milk, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 1 pound chicken, and ¼ cup peanut butter; give it a stir. Close lid and cook on low for 6 hours in slow cooker and on poultry setting (12 minutes on high pressure) in the Instant Pot. When chicken is fully cooked, remove from pot and shred into appropriate size pieces for your baby. Stir remaining sauce in the pot to create a creamy texture; pour sauce on pulled chicken before serving.
4 Fun New Recipes to Introduce Baby to Peanut and Egg
There are a lot of firsts for parents and Baby in that beginning year of life. From Baby’s first smile and laugh to the first full night of sleep and first time rolling over, it’s an exciting time! Feeding babies food beyond breastmilk or formula is a fun-filled experience too. You can introduce a wide variety of foods when your baby is ready, including common allergens. In fact, you may be surprised how early your baby can start eating these foods so they can grow up to be a big, healthy kid with a diverse diet – and they may also have a reduced risk of food allergies.
Peanut and egg are the two common allergens with the most research to support introducing them to infants before their first birthday. More research is being done now to understand the best time to introduce other allergens. However, the experts agree that the evidence does not support withholding allergens after 4-6 months as a means to prevent food allergies.
In fact, guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease recommend introducing peanut foods in safe formats as early as 4-6 months to help prevent a potential peanut allergy. You can read more about that here. Eggs and other common allergens should be introduced to Baby at around 6 months old, or when your little one is developmentally ready for solid foods.
But how do you introduce peanut and egg? It may be easier than you think. Here are five super easy ways to incorporate peanut foods. For egg, you can try simply boiling an egg well (no runny center) and mashing or pureeing into an age-appropriate consistency to start.
Once your little one has successfully enjoyed peanut and egg separately, you can try all sorts of fun combinations. Give these fun recipes a try and enjoy the funny faces and mmm’s!
Eggy Peanut Butter Muffins
Peanut Butter Oatmeal with Egg
Peanut Butter Egg Scramble
Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Souffle