From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

Can Babies Eat Gravy? Yes, From About 12 Months

Gravy works from about 12 months, and it is the one holiday dish worth being fussy about. It is mostly salt, fat and flour, so make a small unsalted batch from skimmed pan juices rather than a packet. Packet gravy and gravy from a brined bird are the ones to skip.

When to introduce

From about 12 months, and a spoonful of a low sodium homemade version

Common allergen?

Usually thickened with wheat flour, and most gravies start with butter or pan drippings, so milk is common too

Texture

A smooth pourable sauce, so size and shape matter for whatever you pour it over rather than for the gravy

Key nutrients

Mostly fat and starch with very little else, plus a large amount of sodium

Yes, babies can have gravy, and no, a spoonful is not going to hurt anyone. Around 12 months is the usual point, and gravy is worth being a bit fussy about because it is essentially concentrated salt and fat. UK health guidance says plainly not to use stock cubes or gravy for a baby, because they are often high in salt, and that is the honest starting position.¹ The good news is that gravy is easy to remake. Skim the fat off the pan juices, thin them with low sodium or unsalted stock, thicken with a little flour or cornstarch, and add no salt at all. That gives your baby the same savory holiday flavor over their turkey without the sodium load of a packet mix or a gravy made from a brined bird.

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

🍪 Give them the meat and juices without the salt →

Is gravy safe? Choking & prep

Salt is the whole story with gravy. UK health guidance says not to use stock cubes or gravy for babies, because they are often high in salt, and US guidance says to avoid feeding foods high in sodium to young children.¹² The saltiest versions are the ones you are most likely to have on the table: packet and jarred gravies are seasoned heavily before you add anything, and gravy made from the drippings of a brined or pre basted turkey carries all of that brine into the sauce. A homemade version from skimmed pan juices, unsalted stock and a flour or cornstarch slurry, with no salt added, is a completely different food and is the one to serve. Skip gravy made with wine or sherry for your baby's portion. On texture, gravy is a smooth pourable sauce, so the usual questions about size and shape apply to whatever you pour it over, not to the gravy itself: keep your baby seated upright and supervised as you would at any meal, and cut the turkey or potato underneath to a safe size. On allergens, gravy is usually thickened with wheat flour and most versions start with butter or meat drippings, so wheat and milk are both common in it, and some bouillon and gravy mixes contain soy. Cornstarch thickens just as well if you need a wheat free version. Finally, gravy made from poultry drippings is only as safe as the bird: cook poultry to 165 degrees F on a food thermometer, and reheat leftover gravy by bringing it to a rolling boil.³⁴

Nutrition

Gravy is flavor, not nutrition. It is fat from the drippings, starch from the flour or cornstarch, water or stock, and salt, and it brings almost no protein, vitamins or fiber to the plate. That is not a reason to ban it. A spoonful of unsalted homemade gravy can be the thing that gets a dry slice of turkey or a plain pile of potato actually eaten, which is a real win at a holiday meal with a distracted toddler. Just count it as seasoning rather than as part of the meal, keep it to a spoonful, and let the turkey, vegetables and potato do the nutritional work. If you want gravy to earn its place, simmer it with the roasted vegetables from the pan and blend them in, which thickens it and adds a little actual food to the sauce.

Goes well with

Roast turkey shredded into soft pieces · Mashed potato with no added salt · Shredded chicken · Soft cooked green beans · Plain cooked rice

Storage & freezing

Cool leftover gravy quickly and refrigerate it within 2 hours in a shallow airtight container, then use it within about 3 to 4 days. Reheat it by bringing it to a rolling boil rather than just warming it through, which is what USDA advises for sauces, soups and gravies, then let it cool to a safe serving temperature before it goes anywhere near your baby. Gravy freezes for about 2 to 3 months and may separate when thawed, so whisk it back together as it reheats. Throw away any gravy that has been sitting out on the table for more than 2 hours.

Introducing this allergen

• Introducing the big 9 allergens →
• Signs of a food allergy in babies →

Related reading

• What to feed your baby first →
• How to cut food to prevent choking →
• Signs your baby is ready for solids →
• Baby-led weaning vs. purées →

Common questions

Sources

1. NHS, Foods to Avoid Giving Babies and Young Children
2. CDC, Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit
3. USDA FSIS, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart
4. USDA FSIS, Leftovers and Food Safety

Further reading

• American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods
• CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage and Limit

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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