YummyYucky

From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Crickets? How to Cook and Serve

A nutrient-dense edible insect eaten across the world, high in protein and iron. Safe for most babies, with one real allergy caution.

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When to introduce
Around 9 months
Common allergen?
Not top-9, but cross-reacts with shellfish
Texture
Ground fine, or soft small pieces
Key nutrients
Protein, iron, B12, zinc

Crickets are a traditional food across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and a genuinely nutritious one, rich in protein, iron, and B12. Use food-grade edible crickets, serve them ground or in soft small pieces from around 9 months, and mind the shellfish caution above.

⚠️ Skip crickets (and all edible insects) if your baby has a shellfish allergy, or check with your allergist first. Insects and shellfish share allergens (like tropomyosin), so a shellfish-allergic child can react to crickets.1 Use only food-grade crickets raised for eating, never wild-caught.

Why it matters: Insects and shellfish sit close together on the animal family tree, so they carry many of the same muscle proteins, like tropomyosin, and a body already primed to fight off shellfish can misread a cricket as that same threat, which is why allergists group crustaceans and edible insects together.

Prep School: how to prepare crickets for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées

🍴 Baby-led weaning

9 monthsUse food-grade roasted crickets, finely ground into baked goods. Avoid serving whole for choking reasons.
12 months+Offer soft small pieces, still avoiding whole insects for choking reasons.

🥄 Purées

9 monthsUse food-grade roasted crickets, finely ground into porridge or purees. Avoid serving whole for choking reasons.
12 months+Offer finely ground crickets stirred into food, still avoiding whole insects for choking reasons.

Are crickets safe? Choking & prep

The main caution is shellfish cross-reactivity (see the note). Beyond that, use only food-grade crickets raised for eating, grind them fine or serve soft small pieces (whole crickets and legs are a choking risk), and introduce on their own like any new food.1

Trying crickets today? Log the first taste and whether it was a hit, a hard maybe, or launched across the room, dated and ready for the pediatrician.

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Nutrition

Crickets are high in protein, iron, vitamin B12, and zinc, which is why they are a valued food in many cuisines and an area of real nutrition interest.

Goes well with

Oatmeal · Banana · Rice

Storage & freezing

Keep dried or roasted crickets sealed in a cool, dry place, or refrigerate cricket-based foods and use within a few days.

More proteins to explore

🐟
Croaker6 months+
🦑
CuttlefishAround 9 months
🥪
Deli meatAround 12 months, and only heated until steaming
🍮
Silken tofu puddingAround 6 months
🐟
Dover soleAround 6 months
🦆
DuckAround 6 months

Related reading

Common questions

When can babies have crickets?

From around 9 months, using food-grade edible crickets ground fine or in soft small pieces. Avoid whole insects for choking reasons.

Are crickets safe for a baby with a shellfish allergy?

Not without medical guidance. Insects and shellfish share allergens, so a shellfish-allergic child can react to crickets. Ask your allergist first.

Are edible crickets nutritious?

Yes, they are high in protein, iron, and B12, and are a traditional food in many parts of the world.

Sources

  1. Shellfish allergy is a risk factor for cricket anaphylaxis (J Allergy Clin Immunol: In Practice, 2020)
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods

Further reading

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Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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