Oat milk
- First taste
- 12 months
- Choking risk
- low
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- low
In food at 6 months · as a drink at 12
When can babies eat oat milk?
Oat milk can be used as an ingredient in food once baby is ready for solids, but not as a drink before the first birthday. Compared with breast milk and formula, it is nutritionally incomplete.
Oats are a grain that likes cool, damp climates. They grow mostly in Northern Europe. Oat milk is made by blending soaked oats with water. Its gentle, slightly sweet taste and smooth texture have made it popular worldwide.
Oat milk adds a little protein, fiber and fat. Fortified versions have added calcium, vitamin D, and B12. Those nutrients support growth and bone development.
Not as a drink in year one
Do not give oat milk as a drink before 12 months. It should not push out breast milk or formula.
How do you prepare oat milk for babies?
Between 6 and 11 months, use oat milk only inside foods such as porridge and mash. Breast milk or formula stays the drink.
Between 11 and 12 months, you can offer small sips from an open cup for practice. It helps baby get used to the new taste. Skipping milk as a drink is also completely fine.
After 12 months it can be offered as a drink. Keep it to about 16 oz (480 mL) a day. Check the label to see whether it is fortified with calcium, vitamin D and B12. Prefer an unsweetened type.
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.
12 months
12 months · How to serve as a drinkcube
After 12 months, oat milk can be offered as a drink. Between 11 and 12 months you can try small sips from an open cup. Keep daily milk at or under about 16 oz (480 mL) so your child still has appetite for other nourishing foods. If your child drinks a lot, choose a kind fortified with calcium, D and B12. Drinking milk is not required, since these nutrients are in many foods.
Is oat milk a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: low
As a liquid it carries a low choking risk. When offered as a drink, use small sips from an open cup.
Oat milk is a liquid and carries a low choking risk. Offer it in small sips from an open cup.
Stay within arm's reach of your baby during meals.
Is oat milk a common allergen?
True IgE allergy to oats is uncommon. Most reported reactions to oats came after oats touched the skin of sensitive people.
Oat is one of the recognized FPIES triggers. FPIES is a delayed allergy with repeated vomiting and diarrhea beginning hours after a meal. Untreated, it can cause serious dehydration. Most cases resolve fully in early childhood.
If your baby has celiac disease, read labels and choose oat milk made from gluten-free oats. Oats are naturally gluten free, but cross-contact with wheat, barley and rye is common.
Start with a small amount at the first few meals.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about oat milk
Can babies drink oat milk?
After 12 months, yes. Between 11 and 12 months small sips from an open cup are fine to try. In the first year, breast milk or formula is the main drink.
Can I cook with oat milk?
Yes. From 6 months it can go into porridge, mash and similar dishes.
Is oat milk gluten free?
Oats are naturally gluten free, but cross-contact with wheat, barley and rye is common. For celiac disease, look for a gluten-free label.
How much oat milk per day?
After 12 months, keep it to about 480 mL a day so your child still has appetite for other foods.
Sources for this page
- Blackman AC, Anvari S, Davis CM, Anagnostou A. (2019). Emerging triggers of food protein–induced enterocolitis syndrome. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2019.01.022
- Mehr S, Campbell DE. (2019). Food protein‐induced enterocolitis syndrome: guidelines summary and practice recommendations. Medical Journal of Australia. doi:10.5694/mja2.12071
- Boussault P, Léauté‐Labrèze C, Saubusse E, Maurice‐Tison S, Perromat M, Roul S, et al. (2007). Oat sensitization in children with atopic dermatitis: prevalence, risks and associated factors. Allergy. doi:10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01527.x
- Pinto-Sánchez MI, Causada-Calo N, Bercik P, Ford AC, Murray JA, Armstrong D, et al. (2017). Safety of Adding Oats to a Gluten-Free Diet for Patients With Celiac Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Clinical and Observational Studies. Gastroenterology. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.04.009
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.
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Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com