Almonds are a popular nut that is rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, and good fats. This article will discuss if your baby can have these healthy nuts.
Overall, almonds are a healthy food for babies when they are at least six months old. Additionally, almonds should only be introduced in the form of a nut butter that is completely smooth and free of chunks of nuts or crushed or ground almonds.
Let’s talk more about adding almonds into your baby’s diet safely, including how to serve it, allergen information, safety for each month, and more.
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When Are Almonds Safe for Babies?
As a whole nut, almonds are not safe for babies or children under five years old (source: National Health Service [NHS]).
Even if the almond is slivered or chopped into very small pieces, it should not be given to babies because of the risk of choking. However, once your baby is six months old, they can have crushed or ground almonds or smooth almond butter.
When your baby is six months old, they can have thin, pureed foods (source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). So, feel free to add a little bit of breast milk or infant formula to make the almond butter a little thinner and more watery for your baby.
Once your baby is seven or eight months old, you can introduce thicker purees, such as smooth almond butter.
As mentioned above, while babies typically have finger foods and small pieces of chewable foods at ten months old, avoid giving your baby whole, sliced, or chopped almonds until age five.
Let’s summarize this information in a table format.
| Age in Months | Can Your Baby Have Almonds? |
| 6 | Yes, they can have almond butter or puréed almonds – make sure it is thin and watery. |
| 7 | Yes, they can have almond butter or puréed almonds. |
| 8 | Yes, they can have almond butter or puréed almonds. |
| 9 | Yes, they can have almond butter or puréed almonds. |
| 10 | Yes, they can have almond butter or puréed almonds. |
| 11 | Yes, they can have almond butter or puréed almonds. |
| 12 | Yes, they can have almond butter or puréed almonds. |
How Many Almonds Should I Give My Baby?
While it is difficult to summarize the appropriate serving sizes of almonds based on the number of almonds (since your baby cannot have whole or sliced almonds), we can categorize the amount in tablespoons in the table below (source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia).
| Age in Months | Appropriate Serving Size |
| 6 | 1-2 Tablespoons |
| 7 | 2-4 Tablespoons |
| 8 | 2-4 Tablespoons |
| 9 | 2-4 Tablespoons |
| 10 | 2-4 Tablespoons |
| 11 | 2-4 Tablespoons |
| 12 | 2-4 Tablespoons |
How to Introduce Almonds to Babies
When your baby is six through nine months old, you can provide pureed almonds, ensuring they are watery and not sticky.
Then, when your baby is ready for finger foods at ten months old, and they have tolerated almonds in the past, you can safely provide a bit of pureed almonds on a soft piece of fruit or bread. This suggestion is great for your baby if they are also baby-led weaning.
Can Babies Be Allergic To Almonds?
Since almonds are a common allergen, it is essential to introduce them without any other foods or ingredients (source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology).
By only providing single-ingredient foods at first and introducing a new food at least three to five days apart, you would know what food your baby is allergic to if an allergic reaction occurs.
Food allergy symptoms include itching, swelling, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, and more (source: American Academy of Pediatrics). Seek immediate medical attention if you notice symptoms in multiple areas of the body.
Can Almonds Give Breastfed Babies Gas?
Of the most common foods that breastfeeding mothers report causes their baby to have gas, nuts are not often mentioned. However, any food has the potential to cause gas or fussiness in your breastfed baby (source: Texas Children’s Hospital).
So, if you begin to notice that your breastfed baby is experiencing gas, try to look for patterns in your diet to see if almonds could be the culprit.
When Can Babies Eat Almond Products?
Almond products, such as almond flour, almond butter, and almond milk, are safe for your baby as well. Almond flour can be used in baking, such as pancakes or muffins, that your baby can have in bite-sized pieces when they are ready for finger foods.
Additionally, almond butter is safe for the younger baby as long as it is thinned out and more watery since some brands of almond butter can be pretty thick. At the grocery store, look for a variety that only contains almonds without any added salt, sugar, or oils. Avoid adding extra ingredients for your baby if you are making almond butter at home.
Almond milk is safe for babies who are at least one year old or can be used as an ingredient when younger. However, babies should only drink infant formula or breast milk before age one (source: Cleveland Clinic).
Finally, almond paste, such as marzipan, should not be given to babies under age one because it often contains honey. Always avoid giving honey to babies under one-year-old since it could lead to infant botulism (source: Johns Hopkins Medicine).
Even if you could confirm that the almond paste does not contain honey, it is very high in sugar and therefore is best to steer clear for your baby.
The Benefits of Almonds for Babies
Almonds are rich in many essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats (source: United States Department of Agriculture [USDA]).
For instance, almonds are high in vitamin E. Vitamin E is essential for infants because it aids in neurological development and cognition and acts as an antioxidant (source: American Society for Nutrition). Additionally, almonds have magnesium which can help in bone development, heart rhythm, and more (source: National Institutes of Health).
I hope this article provided helpful tips and guidelines for feeding almonds to your baby.
| This article has been reviewed and approved for publication in line with our editorial policy. |