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From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Egg Salad? From 6 Months, Hold the Mayo

Egg salad is an easy yes for a baby once you make their bowl a little differently. Before 12 months, mash the hard-boiled egg with plain yogurt or avocado and add no salt; from about 12 months, a little store-bought mayonnaise is fine. Keep it cold, and save the crunchy raw celery for later.

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When to introduce
A baby friendly version works from about 6 months: egg mashed with plain yogurt or avocado, with no mayonnaise and no salt. Store-bought mayonnaise can join from about 12 months.
Common allergen?
Yes, egg, one of the nine major allergens, and mayonnaise is made with egg too. Yogurt in the baby version adds milk. Mustard, if you use it, is not one of the nine US major allergens, though the NHS lists it among foods that can trigger a reaction.
Texture
Soft and creamy once mashed. The firm parts are chunks of cooked egg white and raw celery, so mash or chop small.
Key nutrients
Protein, fat, choline, vitamin B12 and some vitamin D from the egg. Mayonnaise adds mostly fat, plus salt.

Yes, babies can eat egg salad, and it may be the easiest way there is to get egg into a small person. Egg is one of the common allergens, and the AAP says that once a baby is ready for solids, typically at about 6 months, there is no evidence that holding it back prevents allergy.1 A hard-boiled egg is also fully cooked by design, which is exactly what the FDA wants for eggs: yolk and white both firm.2 The catch is everything we stir in for ourselves. Before 12 months, make your baby's bowl with plain yogurt or mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise, add no salt, and mash the white until there are no firm chunks. From about 12 months, a little store-bought mayonnaise is fine, because commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs.3 Same bowl, two small changes, and the grown-ups can still have their pickles.

⚠️ Make your baby's egg salad with fully cooked egg and, from about 12 months, store-bought mayonnaise only, never homemade mayonnaise made with raw eggs. Keep it cold: egg dishes should not sit out of the fridge for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90F.23

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

Around 6 monthsBoil the egg until the yolk and the white are both firm, then mash it, white and yolk together, with plain whole milk yogurt or mashed avocado until there are no firm chunks of white. No mayonnaise and no salt yet. Spread it thinly on a lightly toasted finger-width strip of plain bread for your baby to hold, or preload a spoon and hand it over. Use avocado instead of yogurt if milk is new too, so egg is the only new food that day. Seat your baby upright and stay with them while they eat.
About 9 to 12 monthsChop the egg finely instead of mashing it, with the white in small soft pieces well under half an inch, bound with yogurt or avocado and still unsalted. Let your baby scoop it with their fingers or spread it on soft toast strips. A pinch of paprika or some chopped fresh dill adds flavor without salt.
12 months+A small spoonful of store-bought mayonnaise can go in now, since it is made with pasteurized eggs; never homemade mayonnaise made with raw eggs. Still add no salt. Make a small soft sandwich on a plain loaf with no seeds or whole grain kernels and cut it into strips, or let your toddler scoop egg salad off the plate. Keep the egg in pieces no larger than half an inch.
Celery, onion and relishRaw celery and onion make adult egg salad crunchy, and pieces of hard raw vegetables are a choking hazard. Leave them out of your child's portion, or chop them into tiny pieces once your child chews well. Sweet pickle relish brings salt and sugar, so leave that for the grown-ups.

🥄 Purées

Around 6 monthsBoil the egg until the yolk and the white are both firm, then mash it with a fork and stir in plain whole milk yogurt, mashed avocado, or a splash of breast milk or formula until it is smooth and loose, with no firm bits of white. No mayonnaise and no salt yet. Spoon-feed it, or let your baby dip into it from a preloaded spoon. Use avocado or breast milk instead of yogurt if milk is new too, so egg is the only new food that day. Seat your baby upright and stay with them while they eat.
About 9 to 12 monthsMove from a smooth mash to a lumpier one, with the white in small soft pieces well under half an inch, still bound with yogurt or avocado and unsalted. Offer it on a spoon or let your baby practice scooping. A pinch of paprika or some chopped fresh dill adds flavor without salt.
12 months+A small spoonful of store-bought mayonnaise can go in now, since it is made with pasteurized eggs; never homemade mayonnaise made with raw eggs. Still add no salt. Keep the egg finely chopped, in pieces no larger than half an inch, and serve it on a spoon, on soft toast strips, or as a thin sandwich on a plain loaf with no seeds or whole grain kernels, cut into strips.
Celery, onion and relishRaw celery and onion make adult egg salad crunchy, and pieces of hard raw vegetables are a choking hazard. Leave them out of your child's portion, or chop them into tiny pieces once your child chews well. Sweet pickle relish brings salt and sugar, so leave that for the grown-ups.

Is egg salad safe? Choking & prep

Egg is the allergen here, and in a classic egg salad it turns up twice, because mayonnaise is made with egg as well. Current US guidance is to offer egg early rather than wait: the AAP says that once a baby is ready for solids, typically at about 6 months, there is no evidence that delaying egg prevents allergy, and that allergens should then stay in the diet routinely, around a third of a well-cooked egg such as hard-boiled.1 Offer it on a day when nothing else is new, so you can tell what caused any reaction.110 If your baby has severe eczema or has already reacted to egg, talk to your pediatrician before you start.110 After a new allergen, watch for about two hours. Call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away if any of these show up soon after a food, on their own or together: swelling of the lips, face, eyes, or tongue; swelling or tightness in the throat, or trouble swallowing; vomiting; hives that spread beyond the mouth and face; trouble breathing, noisy breathing, or wheezing; a cough that keeps going; a hoarse voice; skin or lips that turn pale or blue; or a baby who goes floppy or limp, or is suddenly sleepy or hard to wake. If the only sign is a new rash or a few hives around the mouth or face, stop the food, watch your baby closely, and call your pediatrician. If anything else about your baby worries you, call 911.121314 The mayonnaise is the second thing. Commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs, so a store-bought jar is not a food safety worry.3 Homemade mayonnaise is a different thing: the FDA lists it among foods that may contain raw eggs, advises pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products for any recipe where the egg stays raw, and counts children among the people at greater risk of severe illness from Salmonella.32 We keep mayonnaise for after 12 months, as on our mayonnaise page, and use plain yogurt or avocado before then. The third thing is time out of the fridge. Egg salad is a cold egg dish, and the FDA says cooked eggs and egg dishes should not be out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it is above 90F.2 A bowl that has sat on a picnic table all afternoon goes in the bin, not on the tray. Fourth, salt. USDA lists egg salad made with mayonnaise and salt at about 378 mg of sodium per 100 g, three times the 124 mg in plain hard-boiled egg, so a quarter cup carries about 210 mg.9 The National Academies set the adequate intake for babies 7 to 12 months at 370 mg of sodium a day from everything they eat and drink, and 800 mg for ages 1 to 3.8 The NHS says babies should not eat much salt because it is not good for their kidneys, and the CDC says to avoid feeding salty foods to young children, so add no salt to your child's bowl.67 Last, shape. Cooked egg white is firm and a little rubbery, so mash it for a young baby and chop it small for an older one; the CDC says mashing foods and cutting them into smaller pieces helps prevent choking.4 Keep raw celery and onion out of a young child's portion, use a plain loaf with no seeds or whole grain kernels for toast or sandwiches, seat your child upright, and watch them the whole time they eat.45

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Nutrition

Egg salad is mostly egg, and egg brings a lot for its size. USDA lists one large hard-boiled egg (50 g) at about 6 g of protein and about 147 mg of choline, along with vitamin B12, some vitamin D and a little iron.9 Mayonnaise is mostly oil: USDA's egg salad made with mayonnaise has about 23 g of fat per 100 g, against about 11 g in plain hard-boiled egg, and regular mayonnaise carries about 635 mg of sodium per 100 g.9 That is why a yogurt or avocado version is a good swap for a baby: you keep the creaminess and lose most of the salt. As for getting it eaten, plain egg can be a bit dry, and a soft, creamy mash goes down more easily. Mix it with a food your baby already likes, such as avocado, or spread it on a toast strip they already eat, and try a pinch of paprika or chopped dill for flavor. If you get the face, offer it again another day without fuss. You can log each try in YummyYucky with the date and a yummy, meh or yucky, so you can see how egg is going over time.

Goes well with

Avocado · Yogurt (whole milk) · Toast strips · Cucumber cut into thin strips · Dill · Paprika

Storage & freezing

Egg salad keeps 1 day covered in the fridge at 40F or below.15 Plain hard-boiled eggs keep up to a week in the shell, so the easy routine is to boil a few, leave them in the shell, and mash your baby's portion fresh when you need it. For a picnic or a daycare lunch, pack egg salad in an insulated cooler or lunch bag with enough ice or frozen gel packs to keep it cold, and throw out anything that has been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90F. Whatever comes back on the tray goes in the bin, not back in the bowl.

More proteins to explore

🍳
Frittata6 months+
🦀
Imitation crabFrom about 12 months, as a small taste on an occasion; added sugar is best kept rare before age 2
🍖
MeatballsAround 9 months, if made baby-friendly
🍖
MeatloafFrom about 9 months
🥩
ElkAround 6 months
🍖
Ground elkFrom about 6 months

Introducing this allergen

Related reading

Common questions

Can babies eat egg salad?

Yes, from about 6 months, made their way. Mash a hard-boiled egg with plain yogurt or avocado and add no salt; store-bought mayonnaise can join from about 12 months.36 Egg is one of the allergens the AAP says not to delay once your baby is ready for solids.1

Can I use mayonnaise in my baby's egg salad?

From about 12 months, a small amount of store-bought mayonnaise is fine, since commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs.3 Before then, plain whole milk yogurt or mashed avocado does the same creamy job without the salt that mayonnaise brings.9 Skip homemade mayonnaise made with raw eggs unless the eggs were pasteurized.2

Is homemade mayonnaise safe for babies?

Only if it is made with pasteurized eggs. The FDA lists homemade mayonnaise among foods that may contain raw eggs, and for any recipe where the egg stays raw it advises shell eggs treated to destroy Salmonella or pasteurized egg products.32 The FDA also counts children among the people at greater risk of severe illness from Salmonella.2

Is egg salad a choking hazard for babies?

The creamy part is not; the firm bits can be. Cooked egg white is firm and slightly rubbery, so mash it for a young baby and chop it into pieces no larger than half an inch for an older one.5 Leave raw celery and onion out of a young child's portion, since the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard, and keep your child seated and supervised.4

Can babies have an egg salad sandwich?

From about 12 months, a small soft sandwich works: a thin layer of egg salad on a plain loaf with no seeds or whole grain kernels, cut into strips.4 Bread is wheat, another of the nine major allergens, so introduce wheat on its own first if it is new.1110 Before 12 months, spread the mashed egg thinly on a lightly toasted strip of plain bread instead.

How long can egg salad sit out?

No more than 2 hours out of the fridge, or 1 hour when it is above 90F.2 For a picnic or a daycare lunch, pack it with enough ice or frozen gel packs to keep it cold, and if a bowl has been out longer than that, throw it away rather than serve it.2

Does egg salad count as introducing egg?

Yes. It is whole cooked egg, yolk and white, and hard-boiled egg is one of the forms the AAP gives for keeping egg in the diet, at about a third of a well-cooked egg.1 For the very first taste, a plain version with nothing else new makes any reaction easier to pin on the right food.110

Is store-bought egg salad okay for a toddler?

Sometimes, if you read the label. Some deli tubs add cracker meal or breadcrumbs, which means wheat, and US labels must name major allergens like egg and wheat.11 Most add mustard, which is not a US major allergen but is on the NHS list of foods that can trigger a reaction, and many are well salted, so a homemade bowl with no added salt is the easier choice for a young child.106

My baby spits out plain egg. Will egg salad help?

It might. Egg mashed with something creamy and familiar, like avocado or yogurt your baby already eats, is softer and less dry than a plain piece of egg. Spread it thinly on a toast strip they already like, or add a pinch of paprika or dill. If it still gets a face, try again on another day with no pressure, and keep egg in the rotation in whatever form they do accept.1

Sources

  1. AAP HealthyChildren, When to Introduce Egg, Peanut Butter & Other Common Food Allergens to a Baby
  2. FDA, What You Need to Know About Egg Safety
  3. FDA, Dairy and Eggs: Food Safety for Moms-to-Be (commercial mayonnaise contains pasteurized eggs; homemade mayonnaise may contain raw eggs)
  4. CDC, Choking Hazards (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
  5. AAP HealthyChildren, Choking Prevention
  6. NHS, Foods to avoid giving babies and young children (salt)
  7. CDC, Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit (foods high in salt)
  8. National Academies (NASEM), Sodium and Potassium Dietary Reference Intake Values Updated (2019): sodium adequate intake 370 mg a day at 7 to 12 months, 800 mg at 1 to 3 years
  9. USDA FoodData Central: Egg salad, made with mayonnaise (FNDDS 2707182) 378 mg sodium and 23.1 g fat per 100 g, 1 cup 222 g; Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled (SR Legacy 173424) 124 mg sodium, 12.58 g protein, 10.61 g fat, 293.8 mg choline per 100 g, large egg 50 g; Salad dressing, mayonnaise, regular (SR Legacy 171009) 635 mg sodium per 100 g
  10. NHS, Food allergies in babies and young children
  11. FDA, Food Allergies (the nine major food allergens and how labels must name them)
  12. NIAID Addendum Guidelines, Appendix D: Instructions for Home Feeding of Peanut Protein
  13. ASCIA: Anaphylaxis
  14. NHS: Anaphylaxis
  15. FoodSafety.gov: Children Under Five, Safe Storage of Puréed and Solid Baby Food (strained meats and eggs: 1 day refrigerated, 1 to 2 months frozen)

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.

Some links in our guides are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only suggest things we'd actually use, and it never changes our guidance.