Cocoa / Chocolate

Prepared

Age Suggestion

6 months

Iron-Rich

Common Allergen

a photograph of a pile of cocoa powder on a white background

When can babies have chocolate?

It is safe to share occasional tastes of age-appropriate foods that contain chocolate as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Chocolate contains caffeine, and while a small taste is fine, food with caffeine should be generally reduced or avoided for babies and toddlers. Do not offer firm, round, or chewy chocolate candy to babies due to increased choking risk. Read the label and make sure to safely introduce any common allergens before offering tastes of any given chocolate product, as many contain common allergens like cow’s milk, egg, peanut, sesame, soy, and tree nuts. Lastly, some chocolate products contain honey, which should be avoided for babies due to the risk of infant botulism.

To make chocolate, cacao seeds (also called beans) are fermented with the sticky pulp from their fruit pod—a process that infuses a distinctive sweet flavor into the bitter beans. From there, the beans are dried for preservation, roasted for flavor, ground up for processing, and refined to separate the fat (cocoa butter) from the solids. From there, the solids are pulverized into cocoa powder or pressed and mixed with cacao butter, sugar, and seasonings to make chocolate.

How do you serve chocolate to babies?

Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.

6 months old +:

Small tastes of foods that contain chocolate may be offered on occasion at this age, but it can be beneficial to wait for when a child is older to regularly share due to the caffeine. A bite of baked goods that contain chocolate (such as bread, cake, or pancakes) that contain chocolate chips or chunks is generally fine as long as the food is soft, the chocolate has fully melted, and any choking hazards (such as dried fruit or nuts) have been modified or removed to lower the risk. Chocolate sprinkles can be okay at this age, as long as they are mixed fully into scoopable foods or baked goods and are the kind that readily melt in the mouth and don’t require molars to break down. Avoid sharing chocolate bars, candies, and other products that are firm, round, or challenging to chew, as these are qualities that increase the risk of choking. Chocolate products that contain honey should not be shared with babies under 12 months of age, due to honey’s risk of infant botulism.

12 months old +:

Offer occasional tastes of foods with chocolate as desired, but consider waiting to regularly share due to caffeine. Small servings of chocolate milk as a drink are fine at this age, as well as baked goods with chocolate chips or chunks as long as the chocolate has fully melted in the cooking process. Continue to avoid chocolate candy due to the choking risk.

24 months old +:

Offer chocolate as desired while still being mindful of a child’s caffeine intake. Continue to monitor food with chocolate for common choking hazards like dried fruit and nuts, which should be finely chopped or removed until a toddler has both the skills and molars to safely break down the foods in the mouth. It’s fine to share foods like chocolate ice cream or pudding, and melted chocolate in baked goods, or small amounts of chocolate milk as a drink. When adding chocolate sprinkles to the child’s food, it’s okay to serve them loose and not fully stirred into a food at this age. As for chocolate candies, as long as the child is able to thoroughly chew food and follow directions, you can share soft chocolate bars (milk chocolate products are often softer than dark chocolate ones) and soft chocolate candies, such as those with creamy fillings. Continue to wait on chocolate bars or candies with dried fruit, nuts, or nut pieces in them, as well as very firm or chewy chocolate products, as these pose an increased choking risk.

3 years old +:

Continue offering foods that contain chocolate, as desired. At this age, as long as the child is chewing food thoroughly and can follow directions, you can share chocolate bars and candies that pose a more moderate choking risk, such as those with both soft and chewy textures together. Make sure the child is seated and engaged in the task of eating, and offer only one or two pieces at a time. Candies that are both round and challenging to chew, such as chocolate-covered nuts and malt balls, require the most coordinated eating skills, and should be introduced with caution when you are confident in the toddler’s ability to sit and chew thoroughly.

Videos

Amelia, 20 months, has a small taste of hot chocolate.

Julian, 26 months, has chocolate two ways - as chocolate milk and a small piece of chocolate bar.

Is chocolate a choking hazard for babies?

It can be. Many forms of chocolate bars and candies are firm or chewy and sometimes small and round, qualities that increase the risk of choking. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve chocolate in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals.

Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

Is chocolate a common allergen?

No. While allergies to cacao itself are uncommon, they are not unheard of. Chocolate products can also contain or be processed with other common food allergens such as cow’s milk, soy, tree nuts, sesame, wheat, and eggs, so be sure to read ingredient lists carefully.

As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity for the first few servings. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future meals.

Does chocolate have health benefits?

Depending on the type, chocolate can offer carbohydrates, fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It can also be rich in a variety of antioxidants and plant compounds that support heart and digestive health. Generally, the darker the chocolate, the more nutritional benefits it offers (although the caffeine content will be higher too).

Have questions about sugar? Check out Sugar in Food for Babies and Toddlers for guidance.

Does chocolate keep babies awake?

It can. While the occasional small taste of food with chocolate probably won't affect sleep, eating a large volume or regularly eating food with chocolate may provide too much caffeine, which can have an impact on a baby’s sleep. Babies and young children can be more sensitive than adults to some of the temporary but often harmless side effects associated with caffeine, such as reduced appetite, increased energy, and jitteriness. That said, small amounts of chocolate in age-appropriate foods are generally fine as part of a varied diet.

When can babies and toddlers have chocolate milk?

Wait to offer chocolate milk as a drink until around the first birthday. As a drink, chocolate cow’s milk (and cow’s milk alternatives) can displace breast milk and formula, which are the main sources of nutrition until baby has the skills to eat a variety of solid food. In addition, chocolate milk tends to be high in sugar, which increases the risk of cavities and decreases a child's motivation to eat other foods at mealtime.

Drinks like atole, champurrado, or drinking chocolate may be part of your family’s cultural tradition, and it’s fine to share small tastes with children after 12 months, on occasion.

Can babies and toddlers have dark chocolate? How about white chocolate?

While occasional tastes of a food with white or dark chocolate are fine as part of a varied diet, consider waiting until the child is older to regularly share chocolate and chocolate products due to their varying levels of caffeine, particularly in the case of dark chocolate, and because these products can be high in sugar, which can impact dental health over time.

Have questions about sugar? Check out Sugar in Food for Babies and Toddlers for guidance.