For decades, parents were told to delay peanut until age one, two, or even three. That advice has been reversed. Current guidance is to introduce peanut early — for most babies, around 6 months, when they are developmentally ready for solids — and then keep it in their diet regularly.
What the LEAP study changed
The turning point was the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut allergy) study, published in 2015. It followed more than 600 infants at high risk of peanut allergy and found that babies who ate peanut regularly from infancy were about 80% less likely to develop a peanut allergy by age five than babies who avoided it.
Based on LEAP and follow-up research, the NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) issued new guidelines in 2017 recommending early peanut introduction, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has aligned with that guidance.
Timing depends on your baby's risk level
The NIAID guidelines split babies into three groups:
- High risk (severe eczema, egg allergy, or both): introduce peanut as early as 4–6 months — but talk to your pediatrician first. They may recommend allergy testing or a supervised first taste in the office.
- Mild-to-moderate eczema: introduce peanut around 6 months, at home, once your baby has handled a few other solids.
- No eczema or food allergy: introduce peanut freely alongside other solids, at whatever pace fits your family — around 6 months is typical.
In every group, your baby should already be developmentally ready for solids: sitting with support, good head control, and showing interest in food.
Safe ways to serve peanut the first time
Whole peanuts and thick globs of peanut butter are choking hazards for babies. Safe first forms include:
- Thinned peanut butter: smooth peanut butter mixed with warm water, breast milk, or formula until it's runny.
- Peanut butter stirred into puree: mixed well into oatmeal, yogurt (after dairy is introduced), or a fruit puree.
- Peanut powder or flour: fully mixed into a moist puree, with no dry powder remaining.
Offer the first taste earlier in the day, when you can watch your baby for about two hours afterward, and introduce peanut on a day when no other new food is being tried. Know the signs of an allergic reaction before you start.
After the first taste: keep it going
After peanut has been introduced and tolerated, keep it in the diet regularly in a texture your baby can manage. A study feeding protocol is not an individual portion prescription. Ask your clinician about amounts and timing, especially if there has been a suspected reaction. Our guide on how often babies should eat allergens explains regular servings and the limits of the evidence.
Peanut is one of nine common allergens worth introducing deliberately — see the full allergen introduction schedule for the rest.
Sources
Track it with First Baby Bites
Log each peanut exposure in seconds and get reminders to keep it in rotation, alongside every other allergen.
