Grains Food Library
When can babies have muffins?
Can babies eat muffins?
Babies can have homemade muffins from about 6 months, once wheat and egg have been introduced. Bake them with little or no added sugar and no honey, sweeten them with mashed fruit, and offer soft pieces your baby can hold. Bakery and store-bought muffins are usually high in sugar and best saved for toddlers after age 2.
How to serve muffins by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Bake a soft, moist muffin with no added sugar, using mashed banana, applesauce or pumpkin for sweetness. Offer it in halves or finger-length wedges your baby can hold, or crumble it into yogurt.
7–8 months
Keep offering soft muffin halves or wedges, or try mini muffins your baby can grip. Soft mix-ins like blueberries, grated carrot or zucchini are fine.
9–12 months
Break muffins into small, bite-size pieces for pincer practice. Pair them with yogurt or fruit for a filling snack.
12 months +
Toddlers can eat whole mini muffins or bigger muffins in pieces. Keep homemade low-sugar muffins as the everyday choice, and bakery muffins as an occasional treat.
Why it’s good
Homemade muffins give babies energy and can carry lots of nutrition: whole-wheat flour and oats add fiber and B vitamins, egg adds protein, and fruit and vegetables add vitamins. Bakery muffins are mostly sugar and refined flour.
Safety notes
- Muffins usually contain wheat, egg and milk. Introduce each of these allergens on its own before serving muffins.
- Never use honey in muffins for babies under 12 months. Baking does not reliably destroy the spores that cause infant botulism.
- Skip added sugar for children under 2. Bakery and packaged muffins can contain more sugar than a slice of cake.
- Leave out whole nuts, whole raisins and hard chunks. Use finely ground nuts, chopped soaked raisins and soft fruit instead.
- Dry muffins can crumble into a dry mouthful. Bake them moist with fruit or yogurt and offer water in an open cup with meals.
Introduce muffin on its own, then keep it in
Muffins are usually made with wheat flour, egg and milk, all Top 9 allergens, and some contain nuts. Introduce wheat, egg and dairy one at a time first, then watch for hives, vomiting, swelling or wheezing when you serve muffins.
Muffins for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about muffins for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have muffins?
Babies can have homemade muffins from about 6 months, once wheat and egg have been introduced, as long as they are soft and made without added sugar or honey.
Can babies eat muffins?
Yes, babies can eat soft homemade muffins sweetened with fruit. Store-bought and bakery muffins are high in sugar, so they are best kept for older toddlers.
Are muffins a choking hazard for babies?
Soft, moist muffins are a low choking risk. Leave out whole nuts and raisins, avoid hard toppings, and stay with your baby while they eat.
Are muffins a common allergen?
Yes, muffins usually contain wheat, egg and milk, and sometimes nuts, which are Top 9 allergens. Introduce each one on its own before serving muffins.
How do I serve muffins to a 6 month old?
To serve muffins to a 6 month old, bake a soft muffin sweetened only with fruit, then offer it in halves or wedges to hold, or crumble it into plain yogurt.
Can babies eat honey in muffins?
No, babies under 12 months should not eat honey, even baked into muffins, because of the risk of infant botulism. Use mashed banana or applesauce instead.
What are good baby muffin ingredients?
Good baby muffin ingredients include whole-wheat flour, oats, egg, mashed banana, applesauce, pumpkin, grated carrot or zucchini, and blueberries, with no added sugar or salt.
Can I freeze muffins for my baby?
Yes, homemade muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature or warm them briefly before serving.
The takeaway
- Babies can have homemade muffins from about 6 months, once wheat and egg have been introduced.
- Bake a soft, moist muffin with no added sugar, using mashed banana, applesauce or pumpkin for sweetness.
- Choking risk is low. Wheat 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
- 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
- Botulism Prevention 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.