From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

🍯

Can Babies Have Honey? Why Never Before 12 Months

No honey before 12 months, in any form, including honey baked into muffins or stirred into anything. The reason is real and worth understanding. After the first birthday honey is no longer a botulism risk, though it is still an added sugar.

⛔ Never before 12 months (infant botulism).

Honey can contain spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and an infant's immature gut cannot keep those spores in check the way an older gut can.¹ Once inside, they can grow and produce a toxin that causes infant botulism, a serious illness that starts with constipation, weak feeding, and a weak cry and can progress to muscle weakness and trouble breathing. It is a medical emergency. Because of this, never give honey, in any form, to a baby under 12 months: not raw, not pasteurized, not cooked, not baked into food.¹ Ordinary cooking and baking heat do not reliably destroy the spores,² so honey in a muffin is no safer than honey off the spoon, and there is no safe amount before the first birthday. After 12 months, a baby's gut can handle the spores, so honey is no longer a botulism risk.³

Some foods have rules. YummyYucky remembers them for you. Track what your baby eats and the app flags foods like honey the moment they come up, watches every new allergen for three days after the first taste, and keeps the whole record dated and pediatrician-ready.

Start tracking for free →

When to introduce: Never before 12 months (botulism). After that it is an added sugar, not one to add to their food through age 4
Common allergen?: No (not a common allergen)
Texture: Thick, sticky liquid; not suitable until 12 months
Key nutrients: Sugars (an added sugar, not a nutrient babies need)

Honey feels wholesome, which is exactly why this rule surprises so many parents. It is one of the very few foods with a hard age line: not before the first birthday, no exceptions. The hard line is about infant botulism, not allergy, and it is the reason cooking and baking do not earn honey an early pass. Honey is also an added sugar, so even after the first birthday there is no reason to add it to their food.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

Under 12 monthsDo not give honey in any form, including honey baked or cooked into food. Check ingredient lists on cereals, crackers, breads, and teething products, since cooking does not destroy the spores.

12 months+After the first birthday, honey is no longer a botulism risk, including honey baked into foods. It is still an added sugar, which the CDC says children younger than 24 months should not have, so there is no reason to spread it on toast or add it to their food.

Through age 4The Dietary Guidelines say to avoid added sugars through age 4, and they count honey as one, so keep it out of their own food. A family dish cooked with a little honey is not a botulism risk after the first birthday. Honey is sticky and clings to teeth, so offer water and brush afterward.

🥄 Purées

Is honey safe? Choking & prep

The only safety rule that matters for honey is the age rule, and it covers more ground than people expect.¹ None before 12 months means none baked, cooked, or hidden in another product,¹ because the spores that cause infant botulism survive normal oven and stovetop heat.² That makes label-reading the real work here. Honey turns up in places that do not look like dessert: some breakfast cereals and granolas, honey graham crackers, certain breads and honey-wheat rolls, honey-sweetened teething biscuits and yogurt melts, cough or soothing products, and many "lightly sweetened" snacks marketed to toddlers. Scan the ingredient list, not just the front of the box, and when a label lists honey, save that item until after the first birthday. Honey itself is not a choking risk, so this is purely about the botulism window. If a baby under one accidentally has a little honey and seems well, it is not an emergency, since one exposure is unlikely to cause botulism.⁶ Watch them over the next month, because signs can appear anywhere from 3 to 30 days after exposure,³ and it is reasonable to call your pediatrician to let them know.⁶ Botulism is a medical emergency, so do not wait if your baby shows any sign of it. Call 911 (or your local emergency number) if your baby goes floppy, limp, or very weak, is suddenly sleepy or hard to wake, or has trouble breathing, sucking, or swallowing. Go to the ER now for poor feeding, a weak cry or one that sounds different, drooping eyelids, a face with less expression than usual, or head control that is weaker than usual. Constipation is often the first sign, but it has plenty of other causes, so if it is the only sign in the month after honey, get your baby seen today, by your doctor or at the ER, rather than waiting it out. If your baby has had honey, tell the ER or the doctor what they ate and when.⁷ After 12 months honey is no longer a botulism risk,³ but it is still an added sugar, so read the nutrition note below before adding it to anything.

Nutrition

Honey is essentially sugar with only trace amounts of other compounds, so it offers nothing a baby actually needs. It counts as an added sugar. The CDC says children younger than 24 months should not have added sugars,⁴ and the 2025 to 2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans list honey among added sugars and say to avoid added sugars through age 4.⁵ So after the first birthday honey is no longer a botulism risk, but there is still no reason to stir it into their food. If they share a family dish made with a little honey, offer water afterward, since honey is sticky and clings to teeth.

Goes well with

Mashed banana · Applesauce · Oatmeal sweetened with mashed fruit, not honey · Plain whole-milk yogurt sweetened with mashed fruit, not honey

Storage & freezing

Keep honey sealed at room temperature, away from heat. It does not need refrigeration and keeps almost indefinitely. It may crystallize over time, which is normal. Never dip a used spoon back into the jar.

More foods to explore

🌽

Humita6 months+

🍜

Idiyappam6 months+

🍓

Jam & jellyFrom about 12 months, as a small taste on an occasion; added sugar is best kept rare before age 2

🧃

JuiceNot before 12 months; after one, at most 4 oz a day of pasteurized 100% juice

🍞

Kaya jamFrom about 12 months, as a small taste on an occasion; added sugar is best kept rare before age 2

🫔

Kenkey6 months+

Common questions

Can babies have honey before 12 months?

No, not in any form. Before the first birthday, honey can carry spores of Clostridium botulinum that a baby's immature gut cannot handle. They can grow and produce a toxin that causes infant botulism, a serious illness. After 12 months, a mature gut handles the spores safely, so honey is no longer a botulism risk.

Does cooking or baking make honey safe for a baby?

No. The spores survive normal cooking and baking temperatures,² so honey baked into bread, muffins, or graham crackers, or cooked into a sauce, is still not safe before 12 months. Honey in a warm muffin is no safer than honey off the spoon.

What hidden foods might contain honey?

More than you would guess. Check the ingredient list on breakfast cereals and granola, honey graham crackers, some breads and honey-wheat rolls, honey-sweetened teething biscuits and yogurt melts, and cough or soothing products. When a label lists honey, save that item until after the first birthday.

My baby ate a little honey by accident. What should I do?

Most babies are fine: one taste of honey is unlikely to cause botulism, so if your baby seems well, it is not an emergency. Watch them closely over the next month, since signs can appear anywhere from 3 to 30 days after exposure,³ and it is reasonable to call your pediatrician to let them know. Botulism is a medical emergency, so do not wait if your baby shows any sign of it. Call 911 (or your local emergency number) if your baby goes floppy, limp, or very weak, is suddenly sleepy or hard to wake, or has trouble breathing, sucking, or swallowing. Go to the ER now for poor feeding, a weak cry or one that sounds different, drooping eyelids, a face with less expression than usual, or head control that is weaker than usual. Constipation is often the first sign, but it has plenty of other causes, so if it is the only sign in the month after honey, get your baby seen today, by your doctor or at the ER, rather than waiting it out. If your baby has had honey, tell the ER or the doctor what they ate and when.

What is infant botulism, exactly?

It is an illness caused by Clostridium botulinum spores growing in a baby's gut and producing a toxin. It often starts with constipation and poor feeding, then can progress to a weak cry, muscle weakness, and trouble breathing. It is treatable, and it is the reason the under-12-month honey rule is absolute. Botulism is a medical emergency, so do not wait if your baby shows any sign of it. Call 911 (or your local emergency number) if your baby goes floppy, limp, or very weak, is suddenly sleepy or hard to wake, or has trouble breathing, sucking, or swallowing. Go to the ER now for poor feeding, a weak cry or one that sounds different, drooping eyelids, a face with less expression than usual, or head control that is weaker than usual. Constipation is often the first sign, but it has plenty of other causes, so if it is the only sign in the month after honey, get your baby seen today, by your doctor or at the ER, rather than waiting it out. If your baby has had honey, tell the ER or the doctor what they ate and when.

Is raw honey more dangerous than pasteurized honey?

For infant botulism the risk is the same, so both are off-limits under 12 months. Pasteurization heats honey but does not reliably destroy botulism spores,² so pasteurized, local, organic, and raw honey are all treated identically before the first birthday.

Is honey a common allergen?

No, honey is not one of the top-9 allergens. The concern before 12 months is botulism, not allergy.

Is honey a healthier sweetener for my baby?

No. Honey counts as an added sugar. The CDC says children younger than 24 months should not have added sugars, and the Dietary Guidelines say to avoid added sugars through age 4. Before 12 months honey also carries the botulism risk, so there is no nutritional reason to give it early.

What can I use instead of honey before 12 months?

Let naturally sweet foods do the work: mashed banana, applesauce, or dates blended into oatmeal or yogurt. Babies do not need a liquid sweetener at all.

Can an 11-month-old have honey?

Still no. The rule is the first birthday, not close to it, so hold off until your baby is a full 12 months old, in every form, including anything honey is baked into. Even after that, honey is an added sugar, so there is no rush to add it.

When can babies have honey?

Not before 12 months, without exception. Once your baby is over one, honey is no longer a botulism risk in any form, including baked into food. It is still an added sugar, which the CDC says children younger than 24 months should not have, and the Dietary Guidelines say to avoid added sugars through age 4, so there is no reason to add it to their food.

Sources

Track it in YummyYucky

Log first tries and reactions, with an automatic allergen tracker when a food needs one, all in one place you can share with your pediatrician.

Start tracking for free

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.