When Can Babies Have Chocolate?

When is the right time to introduce your baby to chocolate? What are the benefits and downsides to giving babies chocolate, and how much should they have? What are some good ways to let babies enjoy chocolate? We’re answering these questions and more in this post.

Almost as often as we hear the question “when can babies have sugar?” (for our answer to that, see this blog post), we hear parents wondering when it’s appropriate to introduce chocolate to their babe.

And because we’re chocolate lovers over here, we totally understand the curiosity about when baby can enjoy one of life’s greatest culinary pleasures. 

Here’s a dive into chocolate and what the research says about chocolate for babies.

What Is Chocolate?

When you think of chocolate, a number of things probably come to mind. Maybe it’s the chocolate cake you love to make for birthdays, the hot cocoa you enjoy on cold winter nights, or your favorite Halloween candy. 

When it comes down to the basics, though, what is chocolate exactly?

Chocolate is made from fermented seeds of the cacao (aka cocoa) tree, combined with cocoa liquor (basically a paste made from the fermented beans), and sugar. Milk chocolate also includes milk. 

How much cocoa liquor is in the chocolate determines what percentage you see on the packaging. Milk chocolate is usually 10-12% cacao, while dark chocolate can be anywhere from 35-90% cacao. 

Chocolate can then of course either be eaten by itself, or used to make a variety of sweet dishes, like ice cream, cake, brownies, fudge, pudding, or milkshakes.  

When Can Babies Have Chocolate?

There isn’t necessarily a straight answer to this question, but chocolate isn’t something we would recommend as a “first food” for babies.

There are a number of reasons for this, but a big one is that it’s a concentrated source of added sugars, which the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests waiting to introduce until at least 2 years of age.

That being said, there are a number of things to consider before giving your little one chocolate, which we’ve outlined below.

Downsides to Feeding Babies Chocolate

There are a few reasons why it’s best to wait to introduce your baby to chocolate, and to make it an occasional treat when you do. 

Chocolate can increase your baby’s risk for cavities. Any source of added sugar, like desserts, refined carbohydrates, and fruit juices, carry this potential.

There are around 15 grams of sugar in one ounce of both dark and milk chocolate (with a little more in white chocolate). 

The AAP recommends that kids ages 2 years and older have a maximum of 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day. Kids younger than that should ideally have as little added sugar as possible.

Chocolate contains potential allergens that may need to be monitored. Though rare, some children do have an actual allergy to chocolate (specifically to cacao) itself.

However, a large number of kids have allergies to milk, a common ingredient in some chocolates.

Additionally, some chocolate bars contain peanut butter, berries, soy, corn, wheat, or other nuts (which are a choking hazard for babies and shouldn’t be given to them anyway).

Chocolate contains caffeine and a caffeine-like substance called theobromine. There are 12 mg of caffeine in dark chocolate, and around half of that in milk chocolate. For comparison, there are also 12 mg of caffeine in 1 oz of coffee.

Although there’s not a ton of research on the caffeine effects in babies, there’s no question that they have delicate, developing digestive systems. Caffeine, even in seemingly small amounts, could cause a lot of discomfort for such a little body.

Depending on how caffeine affects your baby, it could also disrupt his regular sleeping and eating schedule – which we know is probably the last thing you want!

Chocolate contains little nutritional benefit for babies. Yes, quality chocolate contains some vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but it’s also a concentrated source of added sugars best saved for special treats.

There are other foods that offer far more nutrients without the addition of sugar – like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nut/seed butters. We obviously advise basing your baby’s diet on those foods. 

Benefits of Chocolate 

When you do consider introducing chocolate to your babe, the good news is that chocolate – in certain forms (e.g., not so much the bags of colorful assorted wrappers in the candy aisle) – can offer some health benefits. 

Nutritionally, pure chocolate generally has some good things to offer. It contains both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, as well as a small amount of fiber. It’s also a good source of minerals like magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, and calcium. 

A good rule of thumb is to choose chocolates that are at least 70% cacao and made with the fewest ingredients.

Dark chocolate has the most health benefits. It contains disease-fighting antioxidants called flavonoids that are especially good for the heart. 

How To Give Your Baby Chocolate

We have nothing against letting your babies indulge in a small piece of chocolate when appropriate – or even smashing their faces into some of that chocolate birthday cake – but here are some other healthy, homemade chocolate recipes that your baby might also enjoy.

Chocolate Coconut Nice Cream – Just four ingredients make a healthy, dairy-free, naturally-sweetened chocolate ice cream dessert sure to please all ages.

Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars – These bars are a yummy combination of easy ingredients like dark chocolate, nut butter, and oats that your baby can enjoy crumbled. 

Chocolate Banana Popsicles – Especially refreshing on a hot day, these popsicles are a simple blend of bananas, nut butter, almond milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a bit of optional maple syrup.

For more ideas on first foods for babies, check out our E-book First Bites: The Definitive Guide to Baby-Led Weaning for Plant-Based Babies.