When can babies eat hummus?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Hummus

A smooth, scoopable dip that doubles as an easy first taste of sesame.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat hummus from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedAllergen: SesameIron-rich

How to serve hummus by age

6 months+

Smooth hummus, thinned or spread

Use smooth homemade hummus with no added salt. Thin it with a little water, breast milk or formula and offer it on a pre-loaded spoon, spread it on soft toast strips once wheat has been introduced on its own, or offer it as a dip with soft-cooked vegetable sticks. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months.

Size: Thinned on a pre-loaded spoon, or spread on a toast strip about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: It should be completely smooth, with no whole or half chickpeas. Squash any vegetable stick you serve with it: it should flatten easily.

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.

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 hummus

1
Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, choosing ones canned in water with no added salt.
2
Blend them with 1 to 2 tablespoons of tahini, a squeeze of lemon juice, a little olive oil and water until completely smooth. Don't add salt.
3
Thin a spoonful with water, breast milk or formula for young babies, or spread it on soft toast strips once wheat has been introduced on its own.
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

For the very first taste, offer a small amount: a teaspoon of hummus on a spoon or a thin spread on one toast strip. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Once sesame is in their diet, keep offering it regularly.

Common mistakes

Using salty store-bought hummus

Store-bought hummus has about 1 g of salt per 100 g, and babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day in total. Make it at home without salt, or check labels and offer small amounts after 12 months.

Toppings of whole chickpeas, seeds or nuts

Whole chickpeas, whole sesame seeds and pine nuts are choking hazards. Blend everything smooth and skip the toppings.

Introducing sesame and another allergen at the same time

Offer hummus on its own first, or with foods your baby has already had, so you know what caused any reaction.

Offering it once and stopping

Once sesame is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly. Use the tracker below to see when you last offered it.

Questions parents ask

Can hummus be a choking hazard for babies?

Smooth hummus is a low choking risk. Blend it completely smooth, with no whole chickpeas, and skip whole seeds or pine nuts on top. Serve it with soft-cooked vegetables or soft toast, not hard raw vegetables or crackers with seeds. Stay with your baby during meals.

Can babies be allergic to hummus?

Hummus contains tahini, which is made from sesame. Sesame is one of the 9 major food allergens in the US, and the NHS lists sesame among the seeds that can trigger allergic reactions. Hummus is also made from chickpeas, a pulse: the NHS lists beans, lentils and peas as possible allergens too. Introduce it from around 6 months, on its own and in a small amount, and watch for signs of a reaction. If your baby has severe eczema, an egg allergy, or has reacted to another food, talk to your pediatrician about how and when to introduce sesame, not about putting it off. Once tolerated, keep sesame in your baby's usual diet.

Is hummus healthy for babies?

Made from chickpeas and tahini, hummus is a source of protein, fiber and plant iron: 100 g of store-bought hummus has about 2.5 mg of iron and 7.8 g of protein. It is also fairly high in salt, with about 426 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1.1 g of salt).

Can babies eat store-bought hummus?

It's best to make it at home without salt in the first year. Store-bought hummus has about 1 g of salt per 100 g, and babies under 1 should have less than 1 g a day. From 12 months, small amounts are fine: compare labels and pick a lower-salt one.

Can babies eat hummus every day?

Homemade hummus without salt can be a regular part of your baby's meals, as part of a varied diet. Keeping sesame in their diet regularly is part of the advice once it's been introduced.

Can I freeze hummus?

Yes. Freeze homemade hummus in small portions, such as an ice cube tray, for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the fridge and stir well before serving.

If your baby refuses hummus

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: spread on toast, as a dip, or stirred into pasta.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
If your baby keeps refusing hummus, try tahini thinned with water and stirred into a food they already like, so sesame stays in their diet.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing hummus

Keep store-bought hummus in the fridge and follow the label for how long it keeps once opened.
Homemade hummus keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Homemade hummus can be frozen in small portions; use it within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge.
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 severe eczema, an egg allergy, or another food allergy. Ask how and when to introduce sesame, not about putting it off.
Your baby has had any reaction to hummus or sesame, even a mild one. Stop offering it until you've talked to your pediatrician.
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.

Offered hummus?

Add it to your first 100 foods.