Butter

Butter may be introduced as soon as a baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Butter is a dairy product, and dairy is a common allergen, so take care when introducing butter and other dairy products like cow’s milk, which should be reserved until after the first birthday. See our Milk FAQs for more information.

Butter is a dairy product made from the fats and proteins in milk – most often cow’s milk. Once a food for peasants, later a luxury for nobility, and today a beloved ingredient that enriches cooking worldwide. There are so many ways to eat it: sweet cream butter on bread, baked goods made with cultured butter, vegetables cooked in ghee, herby compound butter melted on seafood, grains flavored with smen (fermented butter), hearty stews enriched with niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter), and the list goes on. Quite the success for a food that was likely first made by accident! That early butter was made by a technique still practiced in some areas of the world today: an animal skin is filled with milk and hung where it can be rocked or agitated until the milk turns into butter.

Yes. Butter has a good amount of vitamin A for vision, skin, and immunity and traces of vitamin E to power a baby’s growth and development. Butter is also packed with saturated fat – the most abundant type of fat in breast milk. In recent years, saturated fat has been scrutinized for its association with heart disease in adults, but research shows that it has its place as a part of a balanced diet, and that it may have a more neutral impact on the heart than previously thought.

Wondering if you need to buy organic butter for baby? Instead of worrying about organic versus non-organic dairy, use butter that is available to you and try diversifying the fat in a baby’s diet by occasionally swapping butter for oil, such as avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, peanut oil, or sesame oil, which are all high in healthy fats. Rest assured that butter made from either organic or non-organic cow’s milk delivers plenty of nutrients to nourish a growing a baby. What is most important is balance: serving an array of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods with healthy fats and proteins is best for growing babies and toddlers.

★Tip: When shopping, look for butter with few ingredients on the label – ideally, just “cream” and, in some cases, “cultures” on the ingredient list. Avoid butter or butter-like products that contain trans fats.

Any pure unsalted butter is good. Butter can also be made from the cream of various animals, including goat, sheep, buffalo, and camel. Similar to butter from cows, the nutritional content and quality of butter from these animals can vary with their diet and upbringing. All butters are high in fat and particularly, rich in saturated fats (with the exception of camel butter) and contain similar amounts of vitamin A as cow butter. Interestingly, sheep butter may also have small amounts of iron and vitamin C. Butter from camels, a rare treat for many, is unique as it contains a high proportion of monounsaturated fats (a type of heart-healthy fat) and less saturated fat than that of cows.

As much as they want within reason. For children under the age of two, fat intake should not be restricted because it provides plenty of energy to fuel the rapid growth of their brains and bodies. When preparing food for babies and toddlers feel free to use butter liberally.

No, though unsalted butter is healthiest. Also, some butter and ghee are made from cow’s milk; others are made from the milk of camels, goats, sheep, and other mammals. There are even butters not made from milk at all but from creamy purees of nuts (almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter), seeds (sunflower seed butter), fruits (apple butter), or other parts of plants (margarine, vegan butter).

Yes. Believe it or not, the brain is comprised of 50-60% fat. Particularly in the first 1,000 days of baby’s life, fats in the diet, like butter, can help support brain and overall nervous system development, by providing a range of fats, as well as energy, cholesterol, vitamin A and, to some extent, vitamin D. Together, these components help energize and regulate brain processes like motor skills development, hormone regulation, and sleep, to name a few.

Keep in mind that butter is not a significant source of DHA or ARA, two long-chain fats which are vital to brain development and must be obtained from other foods so, as usual, the goal is to have a wide and varied diet to ensure babies receive all the nutrition they need.

First, consult your pediatric health professional, as there are many variables to a baby’s weight gain. Butter does contain plenty of fat and in general, fats are calorically dense and provide more than twice the calories of protein and carbohydrates, which helps provide energy for this phase of rapid weight gain and growth. But be sure to make a plan of action with baby’s doctor as there could be underlying medical reasons for the lack of weight gain. Also, if baby is under weight, take care to make sure baby is getting enough calorically dense foods (like beans, meats, and fats) and is not filling up on low-calorie foods like puffs, pouches, rice rusks, or baby biscuits or crackers.

No. Butter is not a common choking hazard, though, in theory, an individual can choke on any food. As always, make sure to create a safe eating environment, stay within arm’s reach of baby at mealtime, and check out our age-appropriate serving suggestions.

For more information on choking, visit our section on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with the list of common choking hazards.

Yes. Butter is often made from cow’s milk, which is a common food allergen in young children and accounts for about 20% of all childhood food allergies. Also, butter made from milk of other mammals (such as buffalo, goat, sheep, or yak) may provoke similar allergic reactions to butter made from cow’s milk.

The good news is that milk allergy often resolves with time; research shows that the majority of children with cow's milk allergy will outgrow it by age 6, and that many babies with milder symptoms of milk protein allergy (which can show up as painless blood in stool) are able to successfully reintroduce cow's milk as early as the first birthday, with the guidance of the appropriate pediatric health professional.

For children who are lactose intolerant, good news: butter is usually tolerated by those with lactose intolerance, as it has minimal lactose content.

If you suspect your baby may be allergic to dairy products, consult an allergist before introducing butter. As with all allergens, start by serving a scant quantity on its own at first. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the amount served over future meals.

Recommended Guide: Introducing Allergens