When can babies eat refried beans?

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

Refried beans

Smooth, creamy and easy on a spoon. Homemade or no-salt-added is best.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve refried beans by age

6 months+

Smooth, thinned refried beans

Use homemade or no-salt-added refried beans. Stir in a little water, breast milk or formula until smooth and loose, then offer on a pre-loaded spoon or spread thinly on lightly toasted toast strips (once wheat has been introduced). Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months.

Size: Thinned on a pre-loaded spoon, or spread thinly 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: Stir it and check for whole beans or tough skins, and mash any you find. It should drop off a spoon easily, not sit in a thick, sticky lump.

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 refried beans

1
Homemade: drain and rinse no-salt-added canned pinto or black beans (or use beans you've cooked until very soft), then mash them in a pan with a little water or oil and warm them through. Don't add salt.
2
Canned refried beans: choose no-salt-added if you can find them, or the lowest-salt version, and check the label for salt and lard.
3
Thin to suit your baby's age, mash any whole beans, 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 on a spoon, or a thin spread on one toast strip. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of smearing is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Using salty canned refried beans

Traditional canned refried beans have about 370 mg of sodium per 100 g. That's about 0.9 g of salt, close to the whole daily limit for a baby under 1 (less than 1 g of salt a day). Vegetarian cans can be saltier. Make your own with no salt, or choose no-salt-added or the lowest-salt can.

Thick spoonfuls

The CDC advises avoiding sticky foods that are hard to swallow. Thin refried beans with a little water, breast milk or formula, and spread them thinly.

Leaving whole beans in

Some refried beans are only partly mashed, and the CDC lists whole beans as a choking hazard. Mash any whole beans you find.

Serving them with chips or hard taco shells

The CDC lists corn chips and similar snack foods as choking hazards. Spread refried beans on soft toast or soft tortillas instead.

Questions parents ask

Can refried beans be a choking hazard for babies?

Smooth refried beans are a low choking risk. Thin them so they aren't thick and sticky, mash any whole beans, and serve them on soft foods rather than chips or hard taco shells. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to refried beans?

Refried beans are usually made from pinto or black beans, which are not 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. Check the label on canned refried beans for other ingredients.

Are refried beans healthy for babies?

Canned refried beans provide protein (about 5 g per 100 g), fiber and some iron (about 1.4 to 1.7 mg per 100 g, according to USDA FoodData Central), a little under the amount we use for the iron-rich label. Traditional canned refried beans have about 370 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 0.9 g of salt), and reduced-sodium ones about 140 mg (about 0.35 g of salt). Vegetarian canned refried beans have about 430 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1.1 g of salt), so skipping the lard doesn't mean less salt: check the label.

Can babies eat canned refried beans?

Choose no-salt-added if you can find them, or make your own. Many canned refried beans have added salt, and babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day. Check the label and thin the beans before serving.

Do refried beans contain lard?

Traditional canned refried beans often do: lard (pork fat) is listed in the ingredients of many. Vegetarian versions are made without it, but they aren't lower in salt, so still choose no-salt-added or the lowest-salt can. Check the label if your family avoids pork.

Can refried beans cause gas?

They can. Beans contain carbohydrates that are only partly digested, and gut bacteria make gas as they break them down. A little extra wind is common and usually nothing to worry about.

If your baby refuses refried 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: on a spoon, spread on toast, as a dip, or stirred into rice.
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 refried beans

Move leftover canned refried beans out of the can into a covered container in the fridge.
Opened and homemade refried beans keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Homemade refried beans can be frozen in small portions for 3 to 4 months. 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.

Offered refried beans?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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