Custard
Smooth, spoonable and made from two first allergens. Homemade, with fruit for sweetness.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat custard from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve custard by age
6 months+
Homemade, unsweetened custard
Make it at home with egg and milk and no sugar, cooked gently until thick and the egg reaches 160°F (71°C) (see the guidance note below on which milk). Stir in mashed ripe banana or soft-cooked apple or pear for sweetness. Offer it once your baby has had egg and dairy, each on its own. Shop-bought custard has added sugar, so it's not for babies.
- Size
- A pre-loaded spoon of smooth custard, or a little as a dip for ripe banana or soft-cooked pear fingers about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- The custard should thickly coat the back of a spoon and be smooth, with no lumps of scrambled egg and no runny, uncooked egg.
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+
Custard with soft fruit
Serve homemade custard over mashed or soft-cooked fruit, and let your baby try the spoon themselves. Still no sugar, honey or syrup.
- Size
- Spoonfuls of custard, with fruit mashed or in soft pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Squash each piece of fruit between your thumb and finger: it should mash flat.
12 months+
Homemade custard
Make custard with whole cow's milk and egg, sweetened only with fruit. Honey is safe from 12 months as far as botulism goes, but it's an added sugar, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4. Shop-bought custard pots and cartons: not yet, because of the added sugar.
- Size
- Spoonfuls, with fruit pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check it's smooth, with no runny egg.
18 months+
Homemade custard at family meals
Make a family batch without sugar, take your child's portion out, then sweeten the rest for older children and adults. Shop-bought custard, and sweet puddings it's usually poured over, still wait until after age 4 (added sugar). Keep crumble toppings with nuts or hard pieces off your child's bowl.
- Size
- Spoonfuls, with fruit pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
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 custard
- 1
Whisk egg yolks or a whole egg into milk (for example, 2 yolks to 250 ml / 1 cup of milk). Don't add sugar, honey or salt. Wash your hands, utensils and work surfaces after contact with raw egg, and don't taste the raw mixture.
- 2
Heat it gently in a pan, stirring all the time, until it thickens and reaches 160°F (71°C). USDA FSIS says egg mixtures are safe once they reach 160°F (71°C). Or bake small custard pots until the center is set and reaches 160°F (71°C).
- 3
Pour it into a shallow container so it cools quickly, then refrigerate it. Stir in mashed fruit before serving.
- 4
Offer custard only once your baby has had egg and dairy, each on its own. 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 few teaspoons. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Custard works best as part of a meal with fruit, not as a daily sweet treat.
Common mistakes
Sharing shop-bought custard
Typical sweetened custard has about 10.9 g of sugars per 100 g, part from the milk and part added, and shop-bought custard is sweetened too. The NHS says to avoid sugar for children aged 4 and under, and US guidelines say the same. Make your own and sweeten it with fruit.
Undercooked, runny custard
The CDC lists raw or undercooked eggs among riskier foods for children under 5, and says egg dishes should reach 160°F (71°C). Cook custard until it's thick and smooth, or check it with a food thermometer.
Sweetening it with honey
Never give honey before 12 months, even cooked into food: it can cause infant botulism (NHS). After 12 months it still counts as an added sugar to avoid up to age 4.
Leaving it to cool on the counter
USDA FSIS says to serve egg dishes straight after cooking or cool them quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate them. Don't leave custard out for more than 2 hours.
Where US and UK guidance differ on custard
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months. If you follow US advice, use breast milk or formula instead. USDA FSIS and the CDC say egg dishes should reach 160°F (71°C), and 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 says babies around 6 months can eat foods that use full-fat cows' milk as an ingredient, such as cheese sauce and custard, but cows' milk shouldn't be a main drink until 1 year. Hens' eggs with the British Lion stamp can be eaten lightly cooked; other eggs should be cooked until solid. For babies, we suggest custard cooked until thick either way.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can custard be a choking hazard for babies?
Smooth custard is a low choking risk. The risk comes from what goes with it: keep fruit soft and in pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) from 9 months, and skip crumble toppings with nuts or hard pieces. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to custard?
Homemade custard contains two of the most common food allergens: egg and milk. Offer each on its own first, one at a time and in small amounts, before you offer custard. Most reactions start within minutes to 2 hours, but with cows' milk allergy, symptoms can take up to 3 days to appear (NHS). Some custard powders are made without egg, so check the label. Milk is also a common trigger of FPIES, a delayed reaction that causes repeated vomiting a few hours after eating: see when to call the doctor.
Is custard healthy for babies?
Typical sweetened custard has about 5 g of protein and 117 mg of calcium per 100 g, with about 10.9 g of sugars (a USDA survey figure for a general recipe, not a shop-bought product). Homemade custard with no sugar has only the natural sugar from the milk and any fruit you add.
Can babies eat custard?
Yes, homemade from around 6 months, once your baby has had egg and dairy on their own. Cook it until thick, to 160°F (71°C), with no sugar or honey, and sweeten it with mashed fruit. In the UK, the NHS names custard as a food that can use full-fat cows' milk from around 6 months; US advice is to use breast milk or formula before 12 months.
Is custard made from powder OK?
Custard powder is usually made up with milk and sugar, so as usually made, it waits until after age 4. You can make it up with milk and no sugar and add mashed fruit instead. Check the label for egg and other allergens.
Can I freeze custard?
We don't suggest it. USDA FSIS says not to freeze custard pies. Make small batches and keep homemade custard in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
If your baby refuses custard
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try it as a dip for ripe banana or soft-cooked pear fingers, or stirred into a fruit your baby already likes.
- 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 custard
- Cool homemade custard quickly in a shallow container, then refrigerate it.
- It keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Serve it cold, or reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
- Don't freeze custard (USDA FSIS says not to freeze custard pies). Spoon your baby's portion into a bowl, and throw away what they leave.
- 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 has had any reaction to egg or dairy, even a mild one. Stop offering custard until you've talked to your pediatrician.
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating custard. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that milk can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
- 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
- NHS: Dairy and alternatives in your diet
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- CDC: Cow's milk and milk alternatives
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- USDA FSIS: Shell eggs from farm to table
- CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Custard
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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