Cooking with Toddlers + Kids (50 Easy Recipes)
Cooking with Kids: 50 easy recipes that all ages will be able to help make! Introduce your toddlers and kids to the kitchen with these simple, easy and delicious recipes that they will want to help make and eat.
Cooking with Kids
It wasn’t until I came to terms with the fact that there was going to be a huge mess in my kitchen 🙈 after each cooking sess, was I then okay to get my kids in the kitchen to have some fun. Now I love ❤️ cooking with my kids, as I find that it’s a great way to spend time with them and I love getting them excited about cooking and eating healthy food.
These recipes are a great place to start for any age of kid to start getting involved in the kitchen. They are all healthy, easy to make and fun to eat🎉!
Plus, there are directions in each recipe to give you hints on what are age-appropriate steps your kiddo can help with for each recipe.
Don’t stress about the mess (because there will be some!) and enjoy 😊 creating memories together!
How to Cook with Toddlers + Kids
Cooking with kids is fun and rewarding and these recipes are perfect for them to help you make! Here are some tips to make the most out of the experience.
- Keep it Simple: to get the most out of your time together in the kitchen, pick simple and straight forward recipes that don’t need a lot of ingredients or have complicated cooking steps.
- Start Small: you don’t want to make your kiddos overwhelmed on their first recipe, so start with simple tasks like measuring ingredients and mixing, and then progress to techniques that need a little more accuracy.
- Stay Safe: depending on the age and confidence of your kids, keep them away from sharp blades and hot ovens, but they will be able to do a lot of the prep and they will be so excited to eat!
- Read the Recipe: this might sound like a no-brainer, but make sure you read through the recipe first so you know exactly what you are getting yourself (and your kid) into.
- Be Prepared for a Mess: if you prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario, then, whatever happens, will be better than what you prepared for. Also, have lots of towels on hand;)
Benefits of Cooking with Kids
- Helps to develop a positive connection to different types of foods.
- They use all of their senses, touch, smell taste and listening.
- Provides practical experience.
- Helps with hand eye coordination.
- It’s a great way to spend time together!
Tools You’ll Need
- kitchen tower or stool
- toddler knife set
- kid knife set
- non-slip cutting board
- kid’s apron
- mixing bowls
- measuring spoons and cups
Kitchen Tip: we love having a Learning Tower available for kids 2-6 years old while they are cooking in the kitchen. Learning towers are great for getting a child at the proper height so they can chop, stir and bake with ease.
Instructions for Toddlers and Kids
Keep to simple recipes with your kids and read through the recipe instructions together. Take the recipe a task at a time so they don’t get to overloaded with information.
In each of the recipes below, I have outlined a list of tasks that I think are appropriate for both toddlers and kids to do in the kitchen. This section is usually at the bottom of the post before the recipe card.
These tasks are, however, just a guideline.
It’s normal that kids skills are all over the place when it comes to cooking – some kids will have mastered basic culinary tasks at an early age, while others will only want to sit on the counter, make a mess and eat butter.
It’s all about exposure, so meet your kiddo where they are and remember to have fun!
Recipes for Toddlers + Kids to Make
Healthy Mini Pumpkin Muffins
These mini pumpkin muffins are the perfect treat for the fall! Quick and easy to make, they are a hit with toddlers and kids, and the adults too! Made with no refined sugar they are a healthy and delicious snack!
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Easy 35 Minute Veggie Pizza Pinwheels
This recipe for pizza pinwheels is a terrific 30-minute meal idea for toddlers, kids and adults too! The pinwheels are fluffy, chewy and really versatile—load them up with endless combinations of sauce and classic pizza toppings for everyone to enjoy. For ease, pinwheel assembly instructions included!
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Kid-Requested Applesauce Muffins (made in 25 Minutes)
These muffins are perfectly wholesome and delicious muffins for toddler and kids! Made with white whole wheat flour, applesauce and a big spoonful of cinnamon for the ultimate muffin your little one will devour.
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5 Minute Cantaloupe Smoothie (family favorite0
Looking for a healthy smoothie idea that kids and adults love? This easy, healthy cantaloupe smoothie is it. It’s made with 6 simple ingredients—including cauliflower rice for added nutrition. Whipped up in a high-powered blender, this fruit and veggie-packed smoothie is ready in just 5 minutes. Great for 9+ months!
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Beet Hummus for Baby, Toddler & Kids
This beet hummus is a great snack or lunch option for baby, toddler and kids! Filled with wholesome ingredients and a hidden veggie, this fun pink dip will be a hit with your little ones!
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Easy Cantaloupe Popsicles – 2 Ways!
Made with only 4-ingredients, these Cantaloupe Popsicles will keep uou cool all summer long!
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Easy 30-Minute Pancake Muffins
Move over french toast, waffles and cereal, there’s a fun new option for breakfast: pancake muffins! These homemade breakfast muffins for kids are healthy, easy to make, customizable—I share lots of mix-in ideas below!—and a great muffin option in a packed school lunch. They freeze wonderfully, too!
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Funfetti Energy Bites for Kids
It's so easy to make these funfetti energy balls for kids! It takes just 10 minutes to make a batch and they make for a fun and tasty snack for your little ones!
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Peanut Butter Banana + Chocolate Yogurt Bark
Your kids are going to love you so much when you serve up this peanut butter chocolate yogurt bark! Super quick and easy to make, this frozen bark is perfect to serve as a summer snack, dessert, or even for a special breakfast!
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Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle
These 4-ingredient Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles are easy to make and are seriously delicious for the entire family!
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Peach Pie Smoothie (2 hidden veggies!)
This delicious peach pie smoothie recipe is a perfect healthy breakfast for toddlers, kids and adults. Quick and easy to make, it has two veggies that no one will even know are there!
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Rainbow Yogurt Bark for Toddlers + Kids
This is the perfect colorful, healthy and delicious treat for your little ones this summer! This rainbow frozen yogurt bark is super easy to make and is a fun breakfast, snack or dessert your little ones will love to eat!
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Berry Granola Yogurt Bark
This yummy yogurt bark is perfect for breakfast, snacks or dessert. Made with 4 simple ingredients, it only takes 5 minutes to make a batch of this healthy sweet treat that kids love!
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Rainbow Popsicle for Toddlers + Kids
These rainbow popsicles are the perfect summertime treat for your toddlers and kids. This healthy frozen treat is loaded with fresh fruits and made with no added sugar. These colorful ice pops are quick and easy to make with only two ingredients!
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie
If you have a picky one at home who refuses to eat their vegetables, this chocolate peanut butter smoothie is a great way to sneak them in! This kid approved smoothie is great for a quick and easy breakfast or snack and is nutrient dense.
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Easy 3-Ingredient Cereal Bars
You need just 3 ingredients to make these easy and healthy cereal bars! Plus, they're incredibly customizable with 10 different topping options. A perfect snack for toddlers, kids, and adults!
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Kid-Requested Green Tropical Smoothie Popsicles
These Green Tropical Smoothie Popsicles are an amazing frozen summer treat for toddlers and kids that are filled with a (not-so) hidden-veggie – spinach!
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Crush-Worthy Yogurt & Fruit Popsicles for Kids
These Yogurt Fruit Popsicles are the perfect healthy treat for baby, toddler and kids this summer! They are easy to make with only 3-ingredients and with a prep time of less than 5 minutes. PLUS.. there are 8 easy fruit flavors you have to try!
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Healthy Funfetti Granola Bars
Toddlers and kids will love these Funfetti Granola Bars! Made with simple ingredients in one-bowl in less than 10 minutes – these granola bars will be loved by the entire family.
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5 Minute Strawberry-Banana-Oat Smoothie
This strawberry banana smoothie with oats is a great nourishing smoothie idea for kids, toddlers, teens, and grown-ups, too! Finally, a smoothie that’s a wholesome option for the whole family. Recipe uses frozen fruit, a milk of your choice (regular, almond, hemp, coconut), and is made without any yogurt.
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Beat-the-Heat Watermelon Popsicles (with strawberries & lime)
Made with only 4-ingredients, these Watermelon Popsicles are an amazing frozen summer treat! No sugar added! Prepped in less than 5 minutes!
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Lemon Blueberry Toddler Muffins
These Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins are the perfect breakfast, snack or even a treat for your toddler or big kid!
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Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bake
A fun, easy and wholesome breakfast or snack that kids of all ages will love! Plus this Oat Bake is made with pantry staples, in one-bowl and with a prep-time of less than 10-minutes!
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Yogurt Unicorn Bark
This Yogurt Unicorn Bark is an easy and healthy frozen treat to make with your toddler or kids! Filled with wholesome ingredients along with a pinch of magic✨! Great for a healthy snack or yummy frozen treat!
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4 Baked Oatmeal Cups for Baby, Toddler + Kids
These allergy-friendly Baked Oatmeal Cups are about to make your crazy mornings a whole lot easier (and more delicious)!
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Breakfast Egg Muffins for Baby, Toddler + Kids
A filling and nutritious breakfast for your baby, toddler, and kids that are perfect for on-the-go eating. They can even be frozen and reheated for a quick breakfast. Great for Baby-Led Weaning!
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Fruit Skewers (with Lemon Honey Yogurt Dip)
These fun rainbow fruit skewers are great for snack time, birthday parties or packed into a school lunch. Plus, these lemon honey yogurt dip is hands down the best fruit dip ever!
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Beet Hummus for Baby, Toddler & Kids
This beet hummus is a great snack or lunch option for baby, toddler and kids! Filled with wholesome ingredients and a hidden veggie, this fun pink dip will be a hit with your little ones!
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Blueberry Oatmeal for Baby, Toddler + Kids
This vivid oatmeal is the perfect warm and healthy breakfast for any age!
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Healthy Spiced Apple Dip
a protein-filled dip that is toddler, kid and adult approved! Made in less than 5 minutes with 4 simple ingredients, this apple dip is great for a quick snack, part of a healthy breakfast, packed in a school lunch or even as an easy dessert.
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Healthy Sugar Cookies Perfect for Decorating
This cookie recipe is so versatile that you can make it with regular ingredients or it can easily be made gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and artificial dye-free!
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Chocolate Stirring Spoons
These Chocolate Stirring Spoons are made with healthier and allergy-friendly ingredients and are the perfect holiday treat for kids of all ages. .
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Cold Buster Smoothie for Toddler + Kids
This Cold Buster Smoothie is loaded with vitamin C, natural electrolytes and probiotics that will boost the immune system, aid in digestion as well as provide extra hydration.
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Cooking with Kids – Spinach Basil Pesto
This easy Spinach Basil Pesto is a great way to start cooking with kids. It's a super fast and easy recipe that they can do mostly by themselves!
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Almond Butter + Banana with Hemp Seed Sprinkles
A fun, and super trendy, way for toddler to have a wholesome and flavorful meal in the morning.
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Avocado Toast with Hard Boiled Egg
A toddler version of the latest food sensation – Avocado Toast. The perfect quick breakfast for any modern parent and their toddler.
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Cottage Cheese with Fruit Bowls
Fast and simple – this easy recipe can be made in the matter of minutes and with just about any fruit you happen to have on hand. Cottage cheese has a great thick texture which makes it easy for baby to use a spoon (or their hands) to eat.
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Broccoli Egg Muffins for Baby + Toddler (Baby-Led Weaning)
Handheld and portable, these egg cups are great for baby and toddlers on-the-go. These savory cheddar cheese and broccoli breakfast cups can be served warm at the breakfast table or packed cold for a morning playdate or school lunch.
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Wholesome Blueberry Sheet Pan Pancakes
Sheet pan pancakes are made for parents who love to make homemade pancakes but don’t love all the time standing around the stove.
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Healthy Yogurt Parfait Popsicles for Toddler + Kids
These Healthy Yogurt Parafait Popsicles for Toddler + Kids are the perfect breakfast on a hot summer day! These popsicles are naturally sweetened and filled with protein, probiotics, healthy whole-grains, antioxidants and fiber.
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On-The-Go Granola Bars
These On-The-Go Granola Bars are a great healthy snack for toddlers + kids that are packaged and ready to pack into a school lunch, in a backpack for an after school snack or in your purse for a playdate treat.
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Hidden-Veggie Carrot & Orange Popsicles
These naturally sweetened frozen treats are a fun and tasty way to serve a fruit and veggie to your toddler. Great for snack time or dessert.
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Warm Peach Chunks with Nutmeg for Baby & Toddler
Warmed chunks of peaches pair perfectly with a pinch of nutmeg for a naturally sweetened finger food for baby. You can serve the peach chunks by themselves or add them to the top of yogurt, cottage cheese or smeared on top of a piece of toast to use instead of jam.
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Healthy Strawberry Cream Cheese Dip
Let your toddler have their fun and eat it to! Toddlers love to dip and this naturally sweetened dip is a winner.
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Easy Chocolate Fondue for Kids
This Easy Chocolate Fondue for Toddler + Kids is a healthy dessert the entire family will enjoy! This fondue is made with only 3-ingredients and is dairy and gluten-free!
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Strawberry Lemonade Slushies for Toddles + Kids
These delicious slushies are perfect for kids of all ages!
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Cashew Butter + Chocolate Energy Bites
Delicious and easy to make no bake energy balls for kids of all ages!
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Pesto Rainbow Pizza
This Veggie-Loaded Toddler Rainbow Pizza is a fun and colorful way to get even the pickiest toddlers to eat their veggies!
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Healthy Toddler (and Mom) Approved Zucchini Bread
A delicious and easy to make zucchini bread recipe.
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Peach Summer Salad with Mint + Honey Dressing
A delicious and easy fruit salad with the most delicious dressing!
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Summer Infused Water for Kids
The recipes below make 16oz of infused water, but feel free to add more or less water or add-ins depending on your taste or ingredient quantities.
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Homemade Strawberry Applesauce (Extra Easy!)
This Homemade Strawberry Applesauce is made with lots of strawberries (2 heaping cups), apples, a drizzle of vanilla extract, and a pinch of cinnamon. No added sugar! It’s very easy to make stovetop, and is full of bold fruit flavor.
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Chewy Mint Chocolate Granola Bars
Easy and delicious mint chocolate granola bars that are the perfect healthy snack.
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Caprese on a Stick with Basil Dipping Sauce
A fun and easy appetizer for kids and adults.
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Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
Delicious and easy to make oatmeal cookies packed full of fresh blueberries.
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Kale + Spinach Quesadilla
A filling and healthy version of your standard quesadilla – filled with a kale, spinach and apple spread and loaded with beans and cheese for a complete meal that most toddlers (and parents) can’t resist!
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You’ve Gone Nuts Granola
You’ve Gone Nuts Granola is a breakfast winner! If you love granola but don't love all the preservatives and sugar, you won't believe how easy it is to make your own at home.
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