Honey for Babies

Honey cannot be given to a baby before 12 months, in any form and any amount. Raw, pasteurized, local, or baked into something else, it can carry spores that cause infant botulism, a rare but serious illness. A baby's gut isn't mature enough yet to fight those spores off the way an older child's or adult's can, so cooking or baking with honey doesn't make it safe either.

This isn't limited to honey eaten straight off a spoon. It applies to anything containing honey too, like certain crackers, cereals, or baked goods, so it's worth checking labels until your baby turns one.

After the first birthday, that risk passes and honey becomes just another sweetener. It's mostly natural sugar with only trace vitamins and minerals, so it's worth treating like any other added sugar: a small, occasional touch of flavor in oatmeal or baking, not a daily habit, and not a substitute for whole fruit.