HeySolids
Choking risk
Whole macadamias are a high choking risk - hard, and just the size and shape to block a small airway. The CDC lists whole nuts as a choking hazard, and whole or chopped nuts should wait until around age 4.
Until then, serve macadamia as thinned macadamia butter or finely ground macadamia - and always thinned: a thick spoonful of nut butter is a hazard of its own, the same way a spoonful of peanut butter can be. See how to serve for age-by-age prep.
Allergens
Macadamia is a tree nut - one of the nine major allergens - and there's no reason to delay it: waiting doesn't prevent allergies, and allergens can start alongside other solids from around 6 months.[3]
If your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy, check with your pediatrician before starting allergens.
Start with about 1/4 teaspoon of thinned macadamia butter - dab a little on your clean fingertip or the tip of a spoon and let baby taste it - mixed into a familiar food, earlier in the day, not near bedtime. Wait 10 minutes, and if all looks well, carry on with the meal. Watch for a reaction over the next couple of hours. Build up gradually from there, and keep tree nuts in the diet a few times a week.[2]
If baby refuses
Thinned macadamia butter is usually well liked for its rich, buttery flavor. If baby turns away, stir a little into a familiar food like oatmeal or fruit puree, then build up.
How to serve
6+ months old
Thinned smooth macadamia butter or ground macadamia
About 1/4 teaspoon to start
Thin smooth macadamia butter with warm water or baby's usual milk into a loose paste, then stir it into oatmeal, yogurt, or a fruit mash. Finely ground macadamia blends into soft foods too. Never whole or chopped nuts, and never macadamia butter thick from the jar.
The first time
Offer macadamia earlier in the day, not near bedtime. Dab a little thinned macadamia butter on your clean fingertip or the tip of a spoon and let baby taste it - about 1/4 teaspoon in total is plenty. Watch for a reaction over the next couple of hours. Build up gradually from there, and keep tree nuts in the diet a few times a week.
How to prepare
No cooking needed. Start from plain, unsalted macadamias - grind to a fine powder for stirring into food, or keep grinding until they turn to butter, which macadamias do faster than any other nut: they're so rich in oil that a few minutes in the processor is enough. Or mix about 1 teaspoon of smooth macadamia butter with 2 to 3 teaspoons of warm liquid until loose and pourable.
9+ months old
Thinly spread macadamia butter on soft strips
A thin layer on a finger-length strip
Keep macadamia on the menu regularly. Spread smooth macadamia butter thinly on a soft strip of toast, stir it into oatmeal or yogurt, or fold finely ground macadamia into pancakes or muffins. Keep it smooth and thinly spread, never a thick blob.
How to cook
No cooking needed. Spread macadamia butter thin rather than in a glob, or stir ground macadamia into food or batter. Still no whole or chopped nuts.
12+ months old
Thinly spread macadamia butter or ground macadamia
A thin layer, or a spoonful stirred in
Spread smooth macadamia butter thinly on toast or soft strips, stir it into oatmeal or yogurt, or fold finely ground macadamia into pancakes or muffins. Offer water alongside to help wash down sticky bites. Never macadamia butter thick from the jar, and never whole or chopped nuts - whole and chopped macadamias wait until around age 4, when chewing can handle them.
How to prepare
No cooking needed. Spread the butter in a thin layer that soaks slightly into the toast, or stir ground macadamia into batter before baking.