When can babies eat tahini?

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

Tahini

Smooth sesame paste, an easy way to bring sesame to the table early.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsHigh choking risk as servedAllergen: Sesame

How to serve tahini by age

6 months+

Thinned tahini stirred into food, or a thin layer on toast

Thin tahini with a little water, breast milk or formula until runny, then stir it into porridge, mashed vegetables or puréed fruit. Or spread a very thin layer on soft toast strips once wheat has been introduced on its own. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months.

Size: Stirred into a smooth food, or spread very thinly on soft toast strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Thinned tahini should drip easily off a spoon. On toast, you should see the bread through the layer.

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 tahini

1
Choose tahini made from sesame only, with no added salt or sugar. Stir in any oil that has separated.
2
Mix about ½ teaspoon of tahini with a little water, breast milk or formula until it's runny and smooth.
3
Stir it into a food your baby already eats, such as porridge or mashed sweet potato, or spread it very thinly on soft toast 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: about ½ teaspoon of thinned tahini stirred into food. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Your baby decides how much to eat. After that, the goal is to keep sesame in your baby's diet regularly, not to finish a portion.

Common mistakes

Spoonfuls of thick tahini

Chunks and spoonfuls of seed butter are a choking hazard. Thin it until runny, or spread a very thin layer on toast.

Sprinkling whole sesame seeds

Whole seeds are a choking hazard for young children, and NHS advice is to serve seeds finely ground. Use tahini instead.

Sesame snaps, halva or seeded crackers

These have whole seeds or added sugar. Plain tahini gives your baby sesame without either.

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.

Where US and UK guidance differ on tahini

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Sesame is one of the 9 major US allergens. US guidance is to introduce it around 6 months, like other allergens. If your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy, talk to your pediatrician about how to introduce it, not about putting it off. The CDC lists chunks or spoonfuls of nut and seed butters, and whole or chopped seeds, as choking hazards.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS lists sesame among foods that can trigger allergy and advises serving seeds finely ground. The NHS says not to give nut butter on its own, because a child could choke on it, so in the UK spread tahini onto a food such as toast (we suggest spreading it thinly) or stir it into food. If your baby has eczema or a diagnosed food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing it.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can tahini be a choking hazard for babies?

Thick tahini can be hard to swallow: the CDC lists chunks or spoonfuls of nut and seed butters as a choking hazard, and the AAP advises spreading nut butters thinly. Always thin tahini or spread it very thinly. Whole sesame seeds, and breads or crackers with seeds, are also on the CDC choking hazard list.

Can babies be allergic to tahini?

Sesame is one of the 9 major food allergens in the US, and the NHS also lists it among foods that can trigger allergy. Current guidance is to introduce common allergens around 6 months (not before 4 months) and, once your baby tolerates them, keep offering them regularly. Start with a small amount when your baby is well and watch for signs of a reaction. If your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy, talk to your pediatrician about how to introduce allergens, not about putting sesame off.

Is tahini healthy for babies?

A source of fat and protein, with copper and calcium, and some iron and zinc.

Is tahini safe for babies?

Yes, from around 6 months, as long as it's thinned until runny or spread very thinly. Sesame is a common allergen, so introduce it on its own first and watch for a reaction.

Can babies eat hummus?

Yes. Smooth hummus is a good way to offer tahini. Make it at home with no added salt, or check the label: many shop-bought hummus brands add salt.

Can babies eat sesame seeds?

Not whole. Whole seeds are a choking hazard for young children, and the NHS advises serving seeds finely ground. Tahini is the easiest form.

If your baby refuses tahini

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: stirred into porridge, spread thinly on toast, or as smooth hummus.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
If your baby keeps refusing tahini and you're relying on it as an early allergen, mention it to your pediatrician.

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

Buying and storing tahini

Store tahini as the label directs, and stir any separated oil back in so it's smooth.
Thinned tahini, homemade hummus and dishes made with tahini keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Pancakes and muffins made with tahini can be frozen for 2 to 3 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 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 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 tahini?

Add it to your first 100 foods.