Drinks & extras Food Library
When can babies have cashew milk?
Can babies have cashew milk?
Babies should not drink cashew milk before 12 months, because it cannot replace breast milk or formula. From 6 months, a little unsweetened cashew milk can be used as an ingredient in cooking, such as in oatmeal or muffins. Cashew milk is made from a tree nut, a common allergen.
How to serve cashew milk by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Do not offer cashew milk in a cup or bottle yet; breast milk or formula stays your baby's main drink. You can stir a splash of unsweetened cashew milk into oatmeal, mashed potato or a smooth puree.
7–8 months
Keep cashew milk as a cooking ingredient only, for example to thin lumpier porridge and mashes or in soft baked foods like pancakes cut into strips. Do not give it to drink from a cup or bottle.
9–12 months
Keep cashew milk as an ingredient only, in porridge, smoothies served in an open cup with a meal, or baked goods. Breast milk or formula remains your baby's main drink, with small sips of water at meals.
12 months +
From 12 months, toddlers can sip small amounts of unsweetened, fortified cashew milk from an open cup. Cashew milk is low in protein and fat, so it is not a good main milk unless your pediatrician or a dietitian helps plan the rest of your toddler's diet.
Why it’s good
Unsweetened cashew milk is mostly water, with a small amount of fat and very little protein. Fortified brands add calcium, vitamin D and sometimes vitamin B12, but cashew milk still has far less protein and energy than breast milk, formula or whole cow's milk. Cashew milk is best seen as a mild cooking ingredient, not a nutrition source.
Safety notes
- Cashew milk is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula before 12 months. Using it as a main drink can lead to poor growth and nutrient gaps.
- Choose unsweetened, fortified cashew milk. Skip vanilla, chocolate and sweetened versions, which add sugar babies do not need.
- If your toddler has a dairy allergy or your family avoids dairy, ask your pediatrician or a dietitian which milk to use. Fortified soy milk or pea milk is usually closer nutritionally to cow's milk than cashew milk.
- Offer cashew milk in an open cup or straw cup, not a bottle, and not at bedtime, to protect teeth and appetite.
- Keep opened cashew milk in the fridge and use it within the time on the carton, usually 7 to 10 days. Homemade cashew milk should be used within 3 to 4 days.
Introduce cashew milk on its own, then keep it in
Cashew milk is made from cashews, a tree nut and one of the Top 9 allergens, so introduce cashew in a small amount and watch for hives, vomiting, swelling or breathing changes. Cashew milk contains only a little cashew protein per sip, so many families introduce cashew first with a thinned cashew butter and then use cashew milk later.
Cashew milk for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about cashew milk for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have cashew milk?
Babies can have cashew milk as a drink from 12 months in small amounts. Before 12 months, cashew milk can be used as a cooking ingredient from about 6 months, but it should never replace breast milk or formula.
Can babies drink cashew milk?
Babies under 12 months should not drink cashew milk, because breast milk or formula is the only milk that meets their needs. After 12 months, unsweetened fortified cashew milk can be an occasional drink, not a main milk.
Is cashew milk a choking hazard for babies?
Cashew milk is not a choking hazard for babies, since it is a smooth liquid. Offer cashew milk from an open cup in small sips and keep your baby sitting upright.
Is cashew milk a common allergen?
Yes, cashew milk is a common allergen because it is made from cashews, a tree nut. Babies with a tree nut allergy should avoid cashew milk, and babies who have never had cashew should start with a small taste and be watched for a reaction.
How do I serve cashew milk to a 6 month old?
To serve cashew milk to a 6 month old, use it only as an ingredient, such as a splash stirred into oatmeal or mashed sweet potato and offered on a spoon. Do not give a 6 month old cashew milk to drink from a cup or bottle.
Can cashew milk replace cow's milk for toddlers?
Cashew milk is not a good replacement for cow's milk for most toddlers, because it has very little protein and fat. If your toddler cannot have cow's milk, ask your pediatrician about fortified soy milk or how to fill gaps with other foods.
Is homemade cashew milk okay for toddlers?
Homemade cashew milk is fine for toddlers over 12 months as an occasional drink or cooking ingredient. Homemade cashew milk is not fortified with calcium or vitamin D, so it should not be a toddler's main milk.
Is sweetened or vanilla cashew milk okay for babies?
Sweetened and vanilla cashew milk are best avoided for babies and toddlers, because they contain added sugar. Health experts recommend no added sugar before age 2, so choose plain unsweetened cashew milk.
How much cashew milk can a toddler drink?
A toddler only needs a small cup of cashew milk now and then, and it should not crowd out meals. If cashew milk is a regular drink, talk to your pediatrician about protein, calcium, vitamin D and iron in the rest of the diet.
The takeaway
- Babies should not drink cashew milk before 12 months, because it cannot replace breast milk or formula.
- From 12 months, toddlers can sip small amounts of unsweetened, fortified cashew milk from an open cup.
- Choking risk is low. Tree nut is one of the Top 9 allergens: offer a small amount first, watch for a reaction, then keep it in the diet regularly.
Read next
Sources
This guide follows current advice from these organizations.
- Starting Solid Foods American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Choking Hazards Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Peanut Allergy: What to Know About the Latest Prevention Guidelines American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- Recommended Drinks for Young Children Ages 0-5 American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW; American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2019;143(4):e20190281
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Updated November 2026. Reviewed by our dietitians. Based on AAP, CDC and NIAID guidance. Written for healthy, full-term babies; not a substitute for your pediatrician. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, feeding difficulties or a known allergy, check with them first (medical disclaimer). Always stay with your baby while they eat.