YummyYucky

From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

🍪

Can Babies Eat Teething Biscuits? Sugar to Watch

Most babies can have teething biscuits from about 9 months, once they are sitting up and handling finger foods. The real things to check are whether the biscuit truly dissolves (a hard chunk that breaks off is a choking risk), whether it has added sugar, and whether it hides milk or egg. Choose one with no added sugar that truly dissolves, and stay within arm's reach.

Log teething biscuits today →

Free, no account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

When to introduce
From about 9 months
Common allergen?
Many contain wheat (rice-based teething wafers do not), and some contain milk or egg, so read the label
Texture
Should truly dissolve or soften to mush in the mouth; a firm chunk that snaps off is a choking risk
Key nutrients
Mostly carbohydrate from wheat or rice flour, and many have added sugar, so choose one with no added sugar and treat it as an occasional snack, not a nutrition source

Somewhere around the six-month mark, a lot of us stand in the baby aisle holding a box of teething biscuits, wondering if it is a smart soothing tool or a marketing trick with a cute drawing on it. The honest answer is that it is a little of both. A teething biscuit is basically a firm cracker shaped like a stick, designed to be gummed on, usually made from wheat flour, though teething wafers are often rice. For most babies it is fine from about 9 months, once they are sitting up well and already chewing on finger foods. The catch is that "teething biscuit" is not a promise of safety or health. Some dissolve into harmless mush, some stay hard enough to break into a firm chunk, and many carry more added sugar than you would guess. So this page skips the guilt and gives you the actual sugar, choking, and allergen picture, plus how to make the whole thing work when you are tired and the gums are winning.

⚠️ Only give teething biscuits that truly dissolve; a hard one that breaks into a firm chunk is a choking risk, so test it first and stay within arm's reach1.

Why it matters: A biscuit that dissolves turns to harmless paste against the gums, while a hard one can break into a firm chunk that lodges in a small airway, which is why the dissolve test matters more than the label's promises.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

Buy or make the right kindLook for one that says it dissolves, and test it yourself before you hand it over: press a corner against your tongue or dunk it in water for a few seconds. If it turns to paste, good. If it stays hard and snaps into firm pieces, that is the choking-risk kind, so skip it.
Check the labelChoose one with no added sugar: sugar, honey or syrup in the ingredients means it has some. Any biscuit made with honey is out until 12 months, honey baked in included, because honey can cause infant botulism in a baby that young. Check for milk or egg too if either is a concern in your family.
Hand it over uprightSit your baby fully upright, never reclined or in a moving stroller or car seat. Give them one whole biscuit so they can grip it and gum a soft, dissolvable end, and let them set the pace.
Supervise and clean upStay within arm's reach the entire time and take away any hard chunk that breaks off. Keep it occasional rather than an all-day habit, and wipe gums or brush afterward, since sugary paste loves to linger on new teeth.
Homemade swapsA finger-width strip of plain bread with no seeds, lightly toasted so it is soft in the middle, or a soft ripe banana half still in its peel for grip, gives the same gumming job with no added sugar.

🥄 Purées

There is no spoon versionA teething biscuit is a hold-and-gum food, so there is nothing here to feed off a spoon. Even if you spoon-feed everything else, this one goes into your baby's own hand: pick a biscuit that passes the dissolve test, sit them fully upright, and stay within arm's reach while they work at it.

Are teething biscuits safe? Choking & prep

Choose teething biscuits that truly dissolve. A hard biscuit that breaks into a firm chunk is a choking risk, so test it before you hand it over and take away any chunk that snaps off1. Many contain wheat, though rice-based teething wafers do not, and many are also sugary or contain milk or egg, so read the label every time, especially if allergens are a concern in your family. Always keep your baby sitting upright and stay within arm's reach while they eat, never letting them gum a biscuit in a car seat, stroller, or lying back1.

Log the first teething biscuit in YummyYucky and jot whether it was a yummy hit or a yucky betrayal face. Tracking new foods one at a time makes it easier to catch a reaction and remember which brand actually dissolved.

Log teething biscuits today →

Free, no account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

Nutrition

Teething biscuits are mostly carbohydrate from wheat or rice flour, so think of them as a snack and a gum-soother, not a source of the iron, protein, and healthy fats a growing baby needs. The bigger nutrition footnote is added sugar: many commercial ones are sweeter than they look. The CDC advises keeping added sugars out of the diet for babies under 22, so choose one with no added sugar, and an occasional one is nothing to fret over. If you want a version you fully control, a lightly toasted strip of plain bread, soft in the middle, does the same soothing job with no added sugar.

Goes well with

A cold (not frozen-solid) clean washcloth to alternate for gum relief · A wedge of soft ripe banana or avocado for a no-sugar gummable option · A chilled peeled cucumber spear (supervised, for older, confident chewers) · Plain water in an open or straw cup to wash down the sticky paste · A lightly toasted strip of plain bread as a homemade swap with no added sugar

Storage & freezing

Store biscuits in their sealed package or an airtight container in a cool, dry spot, and mind the best-by date since stale ones can go crumbly or oddly hard. Once a biscuit has been gummed and gone soggy, toss it rather than saving it. If you make a homemade toasted-bread version, keep it airtight for a day or two, but a fresher batch dissolves more kindly than an old rock-hard one.

More grains to explore

🍞
Toast stripsFrom about 6 months, once baby is showing signs of readiness for solids
🌾
TriticaleAround 6 months
🍜
UdonAround 9 months
🥣
UpmaAround 6 months
🌾
TeffAround 6 months
🥣
Teff porridgeAround 6 months

Introducing this allergen

Related reading

Common questions

Can babies eat teething biscuits?

Yes, most babies can have them from about 9 months, once they sit up well and are already handling finger foods. Choose one that truly dissolves, watch for added sugar and hidden milk or egg, and stay within arm's reach while they gum it.

At what age can I give a teething biscuit?

Around 9 months is a common starting point, but it is more about readiness than a birthday: your baby should sit upright unsupported and already be chewing soft finger foods. There is no need to rush; a cold washcloth soothes gums with zero choking or sugar to think about.

Are teething biscuits a choking hazard?

They can be. The danger is a biscuit that stays hard and breaks into a firm chunk instead of dissolving. Test one first by pressing or dunking it: if it turns to paste, it is the safer kind. If it snaps into hard pieces, skip it, and always take away any chunk that breaks off.

Do teething biscuits have too much sugar?

Many commercial ones have more added sugar than parents expect. The CDC recommends no added sugars for babies under 22, so choose one with no added sugar and keep them occasional. It is not about guilt, just about not making a sugary stick the everyday habit.

Do teething biscuits contain allergens like milk or egg?

Most wheat-flour biscuits contain wheat, while rice-based teething wafers do not, and plenty of brands also include milk or egg. Labels vary a lot between products, so read the ingredients every single time, especially if your family is watching for an allergen. If yours is a rice wafer with no wheat on the label, log it as Rice teething wafers so it does not count as wheat. Introduce one new potential allergen at a time so you can spot any reaction.

How do I choose a safe teething biscuit?

Pick one labeled as dissolvable, then verify it yourself with the dunk-or-press test. Choose one with no added sugar, and check for milk or egg if that matters for you. A single whole biscuit your baby can grip works better than broken pieces they could stuff in at once.

Can I make my own teething biscuit with no added sugar?

Yes, and it is easy. A finger-width strip of plain bread, lightly toasted so it holds its shape but is still soft in the middle, gives the same soothing chew with no added sugar. A ripe banana half left in its peel for grip is another no-sugar, no-choking-chunk option for younger gummers.

Can teething biscuits replace a feeding?

No. They are a snack and a soother, not a meal, and they should not stand in for breast milk or formula, which remain the main nutrition source through the first year. Offer a biscuit between meals or during fussy teething moments, not as a substitute for milk feeds.

Sources

  1. AAP HealthyChildren, Choking Prevention
  2. CDC, Foods and Drinks to Limit
  3. CDC: Infant Botulism (prevention)

Further reading

😋 🤢

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.