Baked beans
A family favorite you can make at home in minutes, with no added salt or sugar.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat baked beans from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve baked beans by age
6 months+
Homemade beans, mashed
Make your own: warm no-salt-added canned haricot (navy) beans in plain tomato sauce with nothing added, then mash them with a fork. Spread on toast fingers only once your baby has had wheat on its own. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. Shop-bought baked beans: not yet, because of the added salt and sugar.
- Size
- Mashed smooth on a pre-loaded spoon, or spread thinly on soft toast fingers about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Press the mash between your thumb and finger. It should squash easily, with no whole beans or tough skins.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Homemade beans, each squashed flat
As the pincer grasp develops, press each soft homemade bean flat with a fork, or partly mash them in their sauce. Shop-bought baked beans: still not yet (salt and added sugar).
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Squash every bean flat; never serve them whole and round.
- Check before serving
- Each bean should squash completely flat with gentle pressure.
12 months+
Homemade beans, flattened, on toast or potato
Serve homemade baked beans on toast fingers or a soft baked potato, with each bean flattened or partly mashed. Shop-bought tins: not yet. Reduced salt and sugar beans usually still list sugar in the ingredients, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4 (see the guidance note below).
- Size
- Flattened beans about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) across, or mashed.
- Check before serving
- Still squash each bean flat before serving.
18 months+
Homemade beans at family meals
Make a family pan of homemade baked beans, take your child's portion out, then season the rest for the adults. Keep beans pressed flat or partly mashed. Shop-bought tins still wait until after age 4 (added sugar).
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), each bean flattened, or mashed.
- Check before serving
- Check that each bean is soft and flattened.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare baked beans
- 1
Choose no-salt-added canned haricot (navy) beans, then drain and rinse them under running water. Starting from dried beans? Follow the soak and boil steps on our white beans page.
- 2
Simmer the beans for about 10 minutes in no-salt-added passata or chopped tomatoes, with a little finely chopped soft-cooked onion if you like. Don't add sugar, salt, stock cubes or ketchup.
- 3
Mash or flatten the beans, depending on your baby's age, and let them cool before serving.
- 4
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or two of mash, or one toast finger. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of squashing and smearing is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Sharing canned baked beans with a baby
Canned baked beans have about 343 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 0.9 g of salt) and about 8 g of sugars, and the sauce is usually sweetened. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and half a small tin can be most of that. Make your own instead.
Thinking 'no salt added' means no sugar
No-salt-added baked beans are lower in salt, but still have about 7.8 g of sugars per 100 g, almost the same as regular tins. USDA data doesn't say how much of that is added, so read the ingredients: the CDC says infants and young children should not have added sugars. Or start from plain beans.
Serving whole beans
Whole beans are firm and round, and the CDC lists them as a choking hazard. Mash them, or press each one flat.
Choosing beans with sausages
The CDC lists processed meats such as hot dogs and sausages among foods high in salt for young children, and lists hot dogs and sausages as a choking hazard. Keep to plain homemade beans.
Where US and UK guidance differ on baked beans
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC says to avoid foods high in salt for young children, including some canned foods (choose low sodium or no salt added), and that infants and young children should not have added sugars. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines call on parents to avoid added sugar for children aged 4 and under.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS meal ideas for babies and young children include baked beans (reduced salt and sugar) with toast, once a baby is used to a wide range of solid foods. The NHS also says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day and to avoid food with sugar for children aged 4 and under, so we suggest homemade beans until then.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can baked beans be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole beans are on the CDC's list of choking hazards for young children. Mash baked beans for young babies, and squash each bean flat from about 9 months. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to baked beans?
Beans are not one of the top 9 US allergens, but the NHS lists beans, lentils and peas among foods that can trigger an allergic reaction. Offer a small amount on its own first, and watch for signs of a reaction. Talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor first if your baby already has a food allergy or eczema, or if there is a family history of food allergy, eczema, asthma or hay fever. Toast is made with wheat, so offer bread on its own first, and check labels on any tin for other ingredients.
Are baked beans healthy for babies?
Canned baked beans have about 4.8 g of protein and 1.2 mg of iron per 100 g, with about 343 mg of sodium (about 0.9 g of salt) and 8 g of sugars. Homemade beans from plain no-salt-added beans and tomatoes have no added salt or sugar.
Can babies eat baked beans?
Homemade ones, yes, from around 6 months: plain no-salt-added beans warmed in tomato sauce with nothing added, mashed or squashed flat. Shop-bought baked beans have added salt and sugar, so they wait.
Are reduced salt and sugar baked beans OK for toddlers?
They're a better choice than regular tins, and the NHS includes them in its meal ideas once a baby is used to a wide range of foods. Most still list sugar in the ingredients, though, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4, so our default is homemade until then.
Can I freeze homemade baked beans?
Yes. Freeze them in small portions for 2 to 3 months, thaw them in the fridge, and reheat only once, until steaming hot.
If your baby refuses baked beans
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try another form: mashed on a spoon, spread on toast fingers, or stirred into mashed potato.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing baked beans
- Keep unopened tins in a cool, dry cupboard. Move leftover canned beans out of the can into a covered container.
- Homemade baked beans keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- They can be frozen in small portions for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, eat them within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your baby already has a food allergy or eczema, or there is a family history of food allergy, eczema, asthma or hay fever. Ask before introducing beans and other legumes.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: Foods and drinks to avoid or limit
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Baby and toddler meal ideas
- NHS: Salt in your diet
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- USDA FoodData Central: Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian
- USDA FoodData Central: Beans, baked, canned, no salt added
- FoodSafety.gov: Cold food storage chart
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
More first foods
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