Cashew milk
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- low
- Common allergen
- yes
- Iron
- low
Fine in food, as a drink after 12 months
Contains allergens
Each new allergen is offered on its own and watched for two hours. Our allergen introduction guide is available in Turkish for now.
When can babies eat cashew milk?
Cashew milk can go into food as an ingredient, but wait until after the first birthday to serve it as a drink. In year one, breast milk and formula do the main work, and cashew milk should never replace them.
Cashews blended with water and then strained give a smooth, creamy plant drink that stands in for dairy milk. The cashew tree is native to South America. Today it also grows in tropical parts of Africa and Asia.
Cashew milk provides a modest amount of plant protein, iron and good fats. Fortified kinds contain added calcium, vitamin D and B12 for growth and bones. It does not give the full nutrition of breast milk or formula.
How do you prepare cashew milk for babies?
By age
From 6 to 11 months, only stir it into food. From 11 to 12 months you may let baby try a few sips from an open cup, to practice drinking and get used to the taste. Skipping milk altogether and sticking with breast milk or formula is also fine. After 12 months it can be a drink.
Preparation by age
The same food is served differently at each age. What matters is how your baby sits, grasps and chews, more than the calendar.
6 months
6 months · How to use as an ingredientmash
Add cashew milk to solid foods such as porridge or mash. Do not serve it as a drink. At this age the main drinks are breast milk or formula.
12 months
12 months · How to serve as a drinkmash
Serve it in an open cup. Keep milk to about 480 mL (16 oz) a day or less so your child still wants other foods. Offering milk is not required. If your child drinks a lot, choose a fortified kind.
Is cashew milk a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: low
Low risk because it is a liquid. Prepare it for your baby's age, serve it in an open cup and stay close while your baby drinks.
Cashew milk is a liquid and the choking risk is low. Any food can still cause choking. Prepare it for your baby's age and stay with your baby while drinking.
Is cashew milk a common allergen?
Cashew milk is made from cashews, a common allergen. But most cashew milk holds very little allergenic protein. That is why it is not enough to introduce cashew as an allergen, or to keep up exposure after allergy is ruled out. To introduce cashew, use finely ground cashew or thinned cashew butter.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about cashew milk
When can my baby drink cashew milk?
As a drink after the first birthday. It can go into food from 6 months.
Is cashew milk enough to introduce the allergen?
No. It holds very little allergenic protein.
How much milk per day?
If you offer milk, keep it to about 480 mL a day or less. Milk is not required.
Sources for this page
- Dünya Sağlık Örgütü. (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age.
- CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition. (n.d.). Choking Hazards.
Guides on iron, allergen introduction, gagging and drinks. Read the starting solids guides
Medical note
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to your pediatrician before any feeding decision, especially about allergen introduction and reactions.
The Lokmini app
Log cashew milk, reactions and your allergen journey in the app.
Open in LokminiLokmini is coming soon to the App Store.
Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com