Drinks & extras Food Library
When can babies have chocolate milk?
Can babies have chocolate milk?
Chocolate milk is best saved until after age 2, and then as an occasional treat rather than a daily drink. Chocolate milk has the nutrients of milk but also a lot of added sugar, which health guidelines advise avoiding before age 2. From 12 months, plain whole milk is the better everyday choice.
How to serve chocolate milk by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Do not give chocolate milk. Breast milk or formula is your baby's main drink, with a few sips of water from an open cup at meals. Cow's milk as a drink waits until 12 months.
7–8 months
Still skip chocolate milk, which has added sugar. Keep breast milk or formula as the main drink with sips of water at meals, and if you want to share cocoa flavor, stir a pinch of unsweetened cocoa into oatmeal or mashed banana.
9–12 months
Still skip chocolate milk. You can introduce cocoa flavor with a pinch of unsweetened cocoa in oatmeal, yogurt or mashed banana.
12 months +
Offer plain whole milk in an open cup as the everyday drink from 12 months. After age 2, a small cup of chocolate milk now and then is fine; homemade versions with milk, unsweetened cocoa and a little sweetener have much less sugar than store-bought.
Why it’s good
Chocolate milk provides the same calcium, protein, vitamin D and potassium as plain milk. Store-bought chocolate milk usually adds several teaspoons of sugar per cup, and cocoa adds a small amount of caffeine. The sugar is the reason to keep it occasional.
Safety notes
- Avoid chocolate milk before age 2 because of added sugar. Sugary drinks are linked to tooth decay and can make plain milk less appealing.
- Do not give cow's milk, including chocolate milk, as a drink before 12 months. Breast milk or formula should be the main drink in the first year.
- Cocoa contains small amounts of caffeine and theobromine. Avoid chocolate milk close to naps and bedtime.
- Never put chocolate milk in a bottle or let a child sip it through the day or overnight.
- Keep total milk to about 16 to 24 ounces a day for toddlers. Too much milk can fill them up and lower iron intake.
Introduce chocolate milk on its own, then keep it in
Chocolate milk is made from cow's milk, one of the Top 9 allergens. Make sure your child has already tolerated dairy, check labels for soy or nut traces, and watch for hives, vomiting or swelling.
Chocolate milk for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about chocolate milk for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have chocolate milk?
Chocolate milk is best saved until after age 2, as an occasional treat, because it is high in added sugar. From 12 months, plain whole milk is the better choice for toddlers.
Can babies drink chocolate milk?
No, babies under 12 months should not drink chocolate milk. Cow's milk as a drink is not recommended before 12 months, and the added sugar in chocolate milk is best avoided until age 2.
Is chocolate milk a choking hazard for babies?
Chocolate milk is not a choking hazard because it is a liquid. Offer chocolate milk in an open or straw cup while your child sits upright, like any drink.
Is chocolate milk a common allergen?
Yes, chocolate milk is a common allergen because it is made from cow's milk, a Top 9 allergen. Some chocolate milks also contain soy or are made in facilities with nuts, so check labels.
What can I give a 6 month old instead of chocolate milk?
Instead of chocolate milk, a 6 month old should drink breast milk or formula, with a few sips of water from an open cup at meals. To try cocoa flavor, mix a pinch of unsweetened cocoa into a food like oatmeal.
How much sugar is in chocolate milk?
Store-bought chocolate milk often contains around 10 to 15 grams of added sugar per cup, on top of the natural sugar in milk. Homemade chocolate milk lets you use much less sugar.
Can toddlers have chocolate milk every day?
Chocolate milk is not recommended every day for toddlers because of the added sugar and caffeine. Plain milk is the best everyday choice, with chocolate milk kept for occasional treats after age 2.
How do I make healthier chocolate milk for toddlers?
To make healthier chocolate milk for toddlers over 2, blend a cup of milk with a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa and half a ripe banana or a soft date. This chocolate milk has far less added sugar than store-bought versions.
Will chocolate milk keep my toddler awake?
Chocolate milk contains a small amount of caffeine and theobromine from cocoa, which may affect sleep in some toddlers. Offer chocolate milk earlier in the day rather than before naps or bedtime.
Is chocolate milk good for toddlers?
Chocolate milk is not a good everyday drink for toddlers, because store-bought versions add several teaspoons of sugar per cup. It is best saved until after age 2, and then as an occasional treat. From 12 months, plain whole milk gives the same calcium, protein and vitamin D without added sugar.
The takeaway
- Chocolate milk is best saved until after age 2, and then as an occasional treat rather than a daily drink.
- Offer plain whole milk in an open cup as the everyday drink from 12 months.
- Choking risk is low. Dairy 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
- 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
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS
- 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.