Why wait to introduce chocolate to your baby? 

Despite the joy you may get out of seeing your baby smile with delight over the extraordinary new taste of chocolate, it’s best to wait to introduce her to chocolate until she’s at least one year old. During your baby’s first year in particular, it’s important to keep sweets like chocolate out of her diet so that she can develop a taste for healthier foods and natural sweets instead, such as bananas or kiwi. 

In fact, introducing sugary food too early in infancy can lead to a lifelong preference for sweet foods over more nutritious options. 

Think about it like this: As your baby begins to explore the world of solid food, she’s introduced to tastebud-rocking new flavors, from pureed carrots to freshly sliced strawberries. Along the way, she’s acclimating to the taste of these healthy food options and learning which tastes she likes the best. If you introduce chocolate products or other sweet foods to the menu, suddenly those pureed carrots aren’t going to top the list (no offense to the carrots). Instead, she’s going to crave that high-sugar taste of chocolate. 

Developing a preference for sweeter foods early in life doesn’t just mean you’ll have a harder time getting your growing girl to finish her broccoli or brussel sprouts at future dinner times. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), excess consumption of sugar at a young age can increase a child’s risk of: 

• Obesity
• Diabetes 
• Tooth decay

That means your mom wasn’t being dramatic when she claimed sugar would rot your teeth. Who knew?

Chocolate and Caffeine 

Aside from excess sugar, chocolate also contains a small amount of caffeine, as well as other stimulants, including: 

• Theobromine
• Phenylethylamine

As an adult, you may not notice the stimulating effects of chocolate, particularly because a single serving of chocolate contains significantly less caffeine than a single serving of coffee (approximately 9 milligrams for your standard size Hershey’s bar, compared to 95 to 165 milligrams in the average cup of coffee). And we’re not saying you’re drinking more than one cup of coffee on a daily basis, but as a new parent, it’s likely you’re not decreasing your caffeine intake anytime soon.

For babies and children, however, research shows increased sensitivity to the effects of caffeine, due in part to their continued brain development. Some evidence also suggests that consuming caffeine in early childhood can lead to: 

• Sleep dysfunction 
• Impairments in mineral absorption and bone health 
• Elevated blood pressure

Put simply, chocolate’s combination of sugar and caffeine makes it a treat worth holding off on until your baby is at least 1 year old so as to not spoil his taste for healthy, caffeine-free foods. Even after 1 year, chocolate should remain an occasional treat, as the sugar content and caffeine may still cause jitteriness and increase the likelihood of a lifelong sweet tooth.    

Can babies be allergic to chocolate? 

Allergies are an important consideration when introducing any new food to your baby. One question that probably comes to mind is “when can babies have strawberries?” as this is a common allergy. However, the same goes for chocolate.

While chocolate itself doesn’t typically cause allergic reactions in children, many types of chocolate can contain other highly allergenic food products. In particular, chocolate that contains soy, cow’s milk, or peanut may cause an allergic reaction, as these are 3 of the 6 foods responsible for causing 90% of food allergies in children in the U.S. 

Approximately 0.4% of children are allergic to soy, 2.5% of children are allergic to milk, and 2.5% of children are allergic to peanuts.

Despite these statistics, the potential for an allergic reaction isn’t one of the reasons to avoid introducing chocolate to your baby. According to the AAP, waiting to serve your baby potentially allergenic foods may actually increase the likelihood that he’ll develop an allergy to them. If you’re worried about the risk of a food allergy because of a family history of food allergies, or because your child has already been diagnosed with a food allergy, talk to your pediatrician before introducing a potential allergen into your baby’s diet. 

Otherwise, simply wait until your baby is the appropriate age, and make sure to only introduce one new food item at a time (in this case, the chocolate). That way, if an allergic reaction does occur, you’ll know an ingredient within the chocolate was likely the cause. 

Allergic reactions to food can range from mild to severe, and symptoms can occur minutes or hours after consuming the offending allergen. So don’t think you’re in the clear just because your baby doesn’t immediately have an adverse reaction. 

After introducing a new food to your baby, it’s good to check for the following signs of an allergic reaction: 

• Skin rash
• Itching
• Swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
• Diarrhea 
• Vomiting
• Wheezing or trouble breathing 

In the event of mild reactions, contact your doctor right away. If reactions are severe, or if your baby is having trouble breathing, immediately call 911 for help. 

What’s the best way to serve chocolate to a baby?

Once your baby passes the 1-year mark, the best way to serve her chocolate is in moderation. This means only on occasion, and always in small amounts. Like any other sugary treat, chocolate shouldn’t become a daily part of your baby’s diet. (And let’s be real, doesn’t that make chocolate all the more special?) 

What Type of Chocolate Should You Start With? 

Although all types of chocolate may taste the same (delicious, mouth-watering…you get the idea), not all chocolate is made the same. Some chocolate can be highly processed and contain a significant amount of added sugars—sugars that are added to processed foods, unlike sugars that are naturally-occurring (such as those found in fruit and milk). According to the AAP, children under 2 years old shouldn’t have any foods or drinks that contain added sugars. 

Fortunately, as of a 2016 Food and Drug Administration update on nutrition labels, added sugars are now listed separately from total sugars to help consumers reduce their added sugar intake. This means as long as you read the label, you can easily avoid serving your baby chocolate with added sugars. You can also be on the lookout for added sugars in the ingredients list. These are the sneaky forms that added sugars can come in:  

• Corn syrup
• Corn sweetener 
• Brown sugar
• Invert Sugar
• Fruit juice concentrates
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Malt sugar
• Turbinado
• Molasses
• And ingredients ending in -ose

You may also want to consider introducing your baby to dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, as dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate due to its lack of milk and cream (both of which contain sugar).   

Dark chocolate also boasts: 

• Fiber – Fiber is essential to promoting healthy digestion and keeping your baby regular. While that may mean more dirty diapers, it also means a less cranky baby.
• Iron – In addition to being a key ingredient in your baby’s neurological development, iron also helps deliver oxygen to your baby’s muscles, helping your little child grow big and strong.
• Magnesium – This mineral plays a crucial role in bone development and heart health.

Regardless of which type of chocolate you choose, it’s best to avoid serving this tasty treat in the hours leading up to your baby’s scheduled bedtime. The sugar and trace amounts of caffeine can keep your little one revved up well into the night, rather than blissfully dreaming of his next chocolate adventure.   

How to Serve Chocolate to Avoid Choking 

To minimize the risk of choking, it’s best to avoid serving your baby any type of hard chocolate, especially if it contains nuts. Nuts, particularly whole nuts, can also pose a choking hazard and shouldn’t be served to your child until age 4. Instead, try introducing this exciting new dessert in a soft form that’s easy to chew and swallow. 

For instance, you may consider starting your baby off with small pieces of chocolate cake, a spoonful of chocolate pudding, or a small cup of chocolate milk.

Chocolate-Based Recipes to Serve Your Baby 

It’s important that you clearly understand the full extent of your baby’s chocolate consumption. Rather than serving store-bought chocolate desserts, consider making your own delicious treats. That way, you’ll know exactly what your baby is eating, and can easily avoid pesky preservatives and added sugars. 

Take a look below at some of our favorite chocolate-based recipes you can introduce, in moderation, to your little Hershey kiss.

Chocolate Smash Cake 

To celebrate a birthday, or simply a Tuesday, consider whipping up this delicious vegan chocolate smash cake, free of refined sugars. It’s a fantastic way to introduce the sweet taste of chocolate to your little muncher, while also sneaking in some healthy fats (thanks to an avocado-based frosting). 

Chocolate Pudding 

Your baby won’t know what hit her when her standard pureed vegetables spoon comes swooping in with a new treat—chocolate pudding. Use this simple chocolate pudding recipe to whip up 6 servings so there’s plenty for the whole family to enjoy.  

Chocolate Milk 

Rather than relying on store-bought chocolate syrup, which is filled with high fructose corn syrup, treat your baby to homemade chocolate milk. In addition to your child’s preferred milk, all you’ll need for this recipe is half an ounce of dark chocolate and half a teaspoon of agave syrup (a baby-safe alternative to honey). This tasty chocolate beverage not only tastes great but also cuts down on all the extra additives you want to avoid!

As you introduce new and exciting foods to your baby’s ever-expanding menu, you’ll get to learn more about him, including his likes and dislikes. And while it probably won’t surprise you if he enjoys the taste of chocolate, watching him discover other flavors and show his unique preferences can bring you even closer to the tiny human you’ve created. 

Want to learn more about your baby’s one-of-a-kind nutrition profile? 

If you’re looking for more information on when to introduce certain foods to your baby’s diet, read our linked blogs on “when can babies have salt?”, “when can babies cheerios?”, and “when can babies have pedialyte?”.