Drinks & extras Food Library
When can babies have oat milk?
Can babies have oat milk?
Oat milk can be used as a cooking ingredient from 6 months, but it should not be offered as a drink until after 12 months. Oat milk is much lower in protein and fat than breast milk, formula or cow's milk, so it is not a replacement for them. After 12 months, choose an unsweetened, fortified oat milk and talk to your pediatrician if it will be your child's main milk.
How to serve oat milk by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Use a little unsweetened oat milk in cooking, such as in oatmeal, smooth mashed potato or vegetable puree offered on a spoon. Do not offer it as a drink, and keep breast milk or formula as your baby's main milk.
7–8 months
Keep using oat milk only as an ingredient, in thicker oatmeal, lumpy mashes, sauces, or soft pancakes and muffins cut into strips your baby can hold. Breast milk or formula stays the main drink, with small sips of water from an open cup.
9–12 months
Keep using oat milk only as an ingredient in foods like porridge, sauces and baked goods. Small sips of water in an open cup are the only other drink your baby needs.
12 months +
Toddlers can drink unsweetened, fortified oat milk from an open or straw cup. If oat milk will replace cow's milk, ask your pediatrician about protein, fat, iodine and vitamin D in your child's diet.
Why it’s good
Oat milk is low in protein and fat compared with cow's milk and soy milk, which toddlers need for growth. Fortified oat milk adds calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12, but unfortified and homemade oat milk do not. Oat milk is best as one part of a varied diet rather than a main source of nutrition.
Safety notes
- Do not use oat milk as a drink or a replacement for breast milk or formula before 12 months. It does not have the nutrients babies need.
- Choose unsweetened oat milk. Many brands add sugar, which is best avoided before age 2.
- Pick a fortified oat milk with added calcium, vitamin D and B12 if your toddler drinks it regularly. Homemade oat milk is not fortified.
- Oat milk is lower in protein than cow's or soy milk. Make sure toddlers get protein from foods like beans, eggs, meat, fish or dairy.
- Oats can be contaminated with wheat during processing. Choose oat milk labeled gluten-free if your child has celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
A low-allergy food, still worth watching
Oats are not a Top 9 allergen, but oats are a known trigger of FPIES, which causes repeated vomiting a few hours after eating. Some oat milks also contain added oils or other ingredients, so read the label.
Oat milk for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about oat milk for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have oat milk?
Babies can have oat milk as an ingredient in cooking from 6 months, but as a drink only after 12 months. Breast milk or formula should be a baby's main drink in the first year.
Can babies drink oat milk?
Babies under 12 months should not drink oat milk because it lacks the protein, fat and nutrients they need. After 12 months, unsweetened fortified oat milk can be part of a toddler's diet.
Is oat milk a choking hazard for babies?
Oat milk is not a choking hazard because it is a liquid. Offer oat milk in an open cup or straw cup after 12 months, and stay with your child while they drink.
Is oat milk a common allergen?
Oat milk is not a common allergen, but oats can trigger FPIES in some babies. Oat milk labeled gluten-free is best for children with celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
How do I serve oat milk to a 6 month old?
To serve oat milk to a 6 month old, use a small amount as an ingredient in foods like oatmeal or smooth mashed potato offered on a spoon. Do not give oat milk as a drink before 12 months.
Is oat milk a good substitute for cow's milk for toddlers?
Oat milk is not a full substitute for cow's milk because it has much less protein and fat. Unsweetened soy milk is closer nutritionally, so ask your pediatrician which plant milk fits your toddler.
What should I look for in oat milk for toddlers?
Look for oat milk that is unsweetened and fortified with calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Avoid barista blends and flavored oat milks, which may have added sugar and oils.
Can I make homemade oat milk for my baby?
Homemade oat milk is fine as a cooking ingredient for babies, but it is not fortified with calcium or vitamins. Homemade oat milk should not be used as a main drink for toddlers.
The takeaway
- Oat milk can be used as a cooking ingredient from 6 months, but it should not be offered as a drink until after 12 months.
- Toddlers can drink unsweetened, fortified oat milk from an open or straw cup.
- Choking risk is low. Not a Top 9 allergen, but offer a small amount first and watch for any reaction.
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
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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.