Kid Friendly Recipes

Have you been wanting to introduce your child to the kitchen, but you’re not sure where to begin? This is a list of our favorite “kid-friendly” recipes that can help you and your child get started on this journey together.

Cooking can be a great learning and bonding experience for the whole family! But what makes a recipe “kid-friendly?” Kids can help out in the kitchen in the following ways:

measuring out dry and wet ingredients,
mixing or stirring dishes,
cutting vegetables,
and cracking eggs.

To learn more about cooking with kids and when to introduce new skills, check out our blog on Getting Kids Involved in the Kitchen.

Each of the following recipes contains steps or skills for children of a variety of ages to learn. Your little kitchen helpers will be pro chefs in no time!

Breakfast:

Banana Pudding Overnight Oats

Kids can be a part of this recipe from start to finish. They can mash the banana with a fork, measure the ingredients, and put the mixture into jars. This recipe can be used to teach both cooking skills and preparation!

Yogurt Crunch Parfait

Easy, delicious, and kid-friendly. This recipe is easy to assemble and can be made with your child’s favorite breakfast cereal, fruits, and nuts.

3 Ingredient Cookies

3 ingredients… Need we say more? This simple recipe is a perfect opportunity to get the kids involved in the kitchen.

Lunch:

Ramen with Veggies

Cooking isn’t all about the skills that are acquired in the kitchen. This recipe is the perfect way to teach your kids about adding color and veggies to the dishes they already know and love! On the next trip to the grocery store, let them pick out a package of their favorite frozen veggies to use in this dish.

Apple Tuna Sandwiches

Apple in a tuna sandwich?! This recipe an excellent blend of flavors and textures for your children to experiment with. They can also assemble the sandwich themselves, to help develop independence.

Fiesta Quesadillas

Zucchini is the surprise ingredient in these quesadillas. With careful supervision, your child can learn how to use a grater and then assemble all of the ingredients for a tasty end result!

Dinner:

Italian Eggplant Sliders

Let the family help you prepare dinner tonight! As the eggplant is being sliced, someone else can spread sauce on top of each slice, and a third person can sprinkle each slider with cheese and breadcrumbs. Yummy and quick preparation, too!

These eggplant sliders are like a mini “pizza” for kids to practice on before they get to the recipe below.

Homemade Veggie Pizza

Visit our blog on Family Pizza Nights to learn about a great way for kids, parents, and other family members to bond. If your child is still new to the kitchen, having them help decorate the pizza dough for this recipe is a great place to start.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Three Ways

Like the pizza recipe above, kids can have a lot of fun when preparing these sweet potatoes by adding the toppings! Just make sure to let the potatoes cool before little hands go near them.

Beverages:

4 Fruit Infused Water Recipes

Have you been looking for a way to encourage your kids (and yourself) to drink more water? These recipes are a great place to begin. Allow your kids to mix and match flavors to find a combination that they enjoy!

Pineapple and Beet Smoothie

Preparing this drink with your kids is a fun opportunity to teach them about the importance of eating (and drinking!) fruits and vegetables. They can help you measure out each of the ingredients and watch as they blend into a bright, colorful drink perfect for any time of day.

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Don’t have a blender on hand? No problem! This recipe can be made without one. Just place the watermelon chunks into a sealed plastic bag and let your kids press and smash the watermelon until it is soft. With a little assistance from you, they can strain the fruit, add the lime juice, and sip away!

Posted: April 26th, 2021