If you are looking to introduce your kids to cooking, one of the best ways to do this is with baking. For anyone who is looking for baking ideas for kids, we’ve got you covered with our list today. Keep reading as we share some simple baking recipes for kids, all of which would make the perfect introduction to cooking for young children.
Chocolate Cornflake Cakes
One of the first baking recipes for kids that many children try is chocolate cornflake cakes. The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t require you to use the oven, and you’ll simply leave the cakes to set after in the fridge. You will need to use the stove to create the chocolate sauce, so do make sure you supervise your children while trying out this baking idea. Kids will enjoy the noise and texture of stirring the cereal in the bowl, and you can allow them to unleash their creativity by decorating them at the end. These would be a great option to make during Easter, where you can add little Easter eggs on top to finish them off.
Chocolate Brownies
We all know that you can’t go wrong with chocolate-based dishes when it comes to baking ideas for kids. The adults in your family will appreciate a freshly-baked batch of chocolate brownies. We recommend following a classic brownie recipe, which you can then serve with fruit for a slightly healthier dish. Children can learn to weigh out the mixture and then whisk everything together to create a smooth batter. Brownies are great for children of all ages to cook, and you can adapt this baking recipe for kids to fit their current experience level.
Banana Bread
The recent pandemic showed us that you couldn’t go wrong with classic banana bread. It’s a great way to use up your leftover bananas, and it’s one of the easiest baking recipes for kids. It will show your kids that baking ideas for kids don’t always have to use unhealthy ingredients, as you can benefit from the natural sweetness of the fruit. You can get your kids involved a lot with this recipe, from mushing up the bananas to mixing everything together. If you are trying to reduce their sugar intake, opt for a sugar-free recipe instead.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Another of our favorite baking recipes for kids you can’t go wrong with is a batch of chocolate chip cookies. If your kids are always begging for cookies from the grocery store, this is a good way to make them a slightly healthier treat. Kids will love weighing out the ingredients, whisking everything together, and putting the cookies on the tray, ready to go into the oven. Try to find a slightly healthier recipe if you can, which will make for a good afternoon snack for your kids.
Cake Pops
When you are searching for more advanced baking ideas for kids, you’ll come across plenty of recipes online for cake pops. If you aren’t familiar with these sweet treats, they are small balls of cake covered in icing. They are a great way to use up a leftover cake you may have made earlier in the week, but you could also create them from scratch. When you are really short of time, opt to buy a cake pop kit, which saves time and energy when looking at baking recipes for kids. They will have everything pre-measured for you, which can save you plenty of effort in the kitchen.
Frosted Cookies
While chocolate chip cookies are certainly one of our top baking recipes for kids, you’ll find that frosted cookies offer them a chance to unleash their creativity. You could create cookies themed on their favorite TV show or make fun emoji cookies to show off how they are feeling that day. Start by baking a batch of simple sugar cookies, which you can then frost in any color that you fancy. For younger kids, we recommend going with bigger cookies, as it will give them more space for their designs and to avoid a mess. As your kids get older, you can try out more intricate baking recipes for kids, which will continue to challenge them in the kitchen.
Granola Bars
Although most of the recipes we’ve shared so far would fall under the treat category, some baking recipes for kids can make for a healthy mid-morning snack. We love making granola bars with kids, which can also be adjusted to be either gluten-free or nut-free. While your kids will enjoy getting involved with making these bars, you’ll also find they make a handy addition to their lunchboxes for the rest of the week. It’s a fun task to set your kids when they have their friends over after school. Add or remove ingredients based on your children’s preferences. We love adding flaxseeds or sesame seeds to granola bars, which add a little more nutrition to this lunchbox treat. Once your kids are in their teenage years, you could even leave them alone to cook these, as they are one of the simplest baking ideas for kids.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of baking ideas for kids. Depending on the age of your children currently, you’ll find that these baking recipes for kids can be adapted to fit their needs. While you’ll likely need to help with the cooking of the items, they can assist with the preparation and mixing of the ingredients. From there, you can advance to more difficult baking recipes for kids as they get older, and by their teenage years, they will be ready to have a go at cooking alone in the kitchen.
If your kids need a helping hand in the kitchen, check out our kitchen tools which are specifically designed for children. They offer them all of the tools they would need for any of these baking recipes for kids and will support them in boosting their confidence while learning essential kitchen skills.
