How to introduce egg to babies
Egg is one of the best first allergens to tackle: cheap, versatile, packed with protein and choline, and one of the common allergens you actively want to introduce early rather than avoid. Here is how to do it simply and safely.
Introduce it early, and keep it up
From around 6 months, once solids are underway, egg is a great allergen to offer. The current thinking flipped from the old "wait and see": introducing common allergens early and regularly is linked to a lower chance of developing an allergy. So the goal is not one nervous taste, it is egg in the rotation a couple of times a week. See the full allergen guide.
Whole egg, not just the yolk
Skip the old yolk-first rule. The protein most associated with egg allergy lives in the white, so giving the whole cooked egg from the start is exactly what early introduction means. Yolk-only misses the point.
Cook it thoroughly
For babies, egg needs to be fully cooked, no runny yolks or soft, wet whites, which sidesteps any salmonella risk. Good forms by age:
- 6 months: hard-boiled egg mashed with a little breast milk, formula, or water into a soft paste, or a strip of firm omelette or frittata to hold. Egg baked into a muffin or pancake is a gentle first form.
- 9 months: well-scrambled egg in soft curds, or egg pieces they can pick up.
- 12 months and up: egg most ways, still fully cooked.
Start small and watch
A teaspoon or two is plenty for the first taste. Offer it earlier in the day rather than right before bed, so you can watch the next few hours. If all is calm, build the amount up. Keep an eye out for the usual mild signs (hives, a red mouth, tummy upset) and know the severe ones. See signs of a food allergy.
Track the first try
Egg is a big-9 allergen, so log the first exposure in Yummy Yucky and it starts a 3-day watch for you, no keeping "wait, did we do egg?" in your head at 3am.
Related reading
See introducing allergens, how to introduce peanut, and signs of a food allergy.
This is general information, not medical advice. If your baby has severe eczema, an existing food allergy, or you have any concern, talk to your pediatrician or an allergist before introducing egg. Any trouble breathing or facial swelling is a 911 emergency.
Frequently asked questions
When can babies have egg?
From around 6 months, once your baby is showing readiness signs and has started solids. Egg is one of the common allergens, and current guidance is to introduce it early and regularly (not to delay it), because early introduction is linked to a lower chance of developing an egg allergy.
Whole egg, or just the yolk?
The whole egg, yolk and white together. The old advice to give yolk first and delay the white has been set aside; the protein most linked to egg allergy is in the white, so offering the whole cooked egg early and often is exactly the point of early introduction.
How do I cook egg for a baby?
Cook it thoroughly, no runny yolks or soft-set whites for babies, since fully cooking it avoids the risk of salmonella. Hard-boiled and mashed, well-scrambled, an omelette or frittata cut into strips, or egg baked into muffins and pancakes all work. Baked-into-food is often the gentlest first form.
How much egg for a first try?
Start small, a teaspoon or two of well-cooked egg is plenty for the first taste. If there is no reaction, build up the amount over the next few offerings and keep egg in the rotation a couple of times a week so the exposure keeps up.
What if my baby reacts to egg?
Most reactions are mild: hives, redness around the mouth, or an upset tummy. Stop offering it and talk to your pediatrician before trying again. Signs of a severe reaction, any trouble breathing, swelling of the face or lips, or floppiness, are a 911 emergency. Offering a new allergen earlier in the day, not right before bed, makes it easier to watch.
Track it in Yummy Yucky
Log first tries, get nudged through the 3-day allergen watch, and keep every bite in one place you can share with your pediatrician.
Start tracking for freeHow we write these: from widely published pediatric guidance (AAP, NIAID 2017 guidelines, the LEAP study), with sources cited on every page. Pending review by a pediatric professional.
This is general information, not medical advice, and has not been individually reviewed 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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