Baking with kids is the perfect activity on those days you don’t know what to do. It requires relatively short spurts of focus and activity, but has built-in breaks too, perfect for shorter attention spans. There are activities for all skill levels, from helping dump ingredients from a measuring cup into a bowl to cracking eggs. Plus, there’s a huge payoff at the end: baked goods! But baking can be tricky, so if you’re planning on baking with kids, you’ll want to be sure to choose easy baking recipes for kids – nothing too challenging, either in the prep or the final result.
These 16 baking recipes for kids hit at the perfect sweet spot. The recipes are easy enough that kids of all ages will be able to pitch in, and tasty enough that they’ll want to bake them – again and again. So whether you want to save the kids’ baking recipes when you need a good rainy day activity, or you want to try to work your way through each of the baking ideas for kids over the course of a few months, you’ll be sure to find some new favorites in this list. Just don’t forget to practice kitchen safety, and never leave your little ones unattended, especially while the oven is on.
– Additional reporting by Mirel Zaman
Simply Delicious / ALIDA & CHRIS RYDER
Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies only have three ingredients, and kids will love helping to mix them up and make the little indentations with a fork. Be sure to watch these cookies closely when they come out of the oven or they might be gone all in one sitting.
The Stay at Home Chef
Mom's Easy Banana Muffins
If your kiddos haven’t eaten the bundle of bananas you bought at the grocery store yet, making these banana muffins is a good way to make sure the fruit doesn’t go to waste. Make them your own by adding in your family’s favorite nut for an added crunch.
Dishing Out Health
Blackberry Crumble Bars
These blackberry crumble bars are perfect for a quick breakfast or an after-school treat. Even though an adult should make the raspberry filling since it’s on the stove, children can help press the bottom crust into the pan before assembling and baking.
The Gunny Sack
Chocolate Toffee Cake Mix Cookies
What kid won’t love these gooey chocolate toffee cookies? These are made with cake mix (making them super simple for little bakers) and include the yummy addition of toffee bits.
Shugary Sweets
Chocolate Chip Cake
This chocolate chip cake is a delightful afternoon treat, and it’s super easy to make since it uses a box of pancake mix as the base. Kids will love getting to help by mixing and measuring out ingredients.
Spiced
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Most kids love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, and these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are the ultimate reflection of that combination. The kids in your house will love helping to mix these together and decorate the icing with peanut butter chips and mini chocolate chips.
The Cookie Rookie
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies are a classic baked good that kids absolutely love helping with, especially since their little fingers can help to make the indentation for the filling. These chocolate thumbprint cookies are filled with salted caramel or white chocolate and peppermint for a fun treat.
Love From The Oven
Cosmic Brownies
If your kids are missing a traditional lunch treat, try making one on your own. These cosmic brownies are layered with chocolate ganache and rainbow chip sprinkles just like the version you can buy from the store but taste so much better!
SprinkleBakes
Flourless Brownie Cookies
For kids who might not be able to have gluten, these flourless brownie cookies are an absolute treat. Adults will need to help with cracking and separating eggs, but kids can measure out the dry ingredients, scoop the batter, and place the nuts on top before the cookies go into the oven.
The Stay at Home Chef
Italian-Style Pizza Dough
Kids who are really good in the kitchen will enjoy trying their hand at making pizza dough. Adults will need to help to make sure the yeast blooms correctly, but kids will love kneading the dough and rolling it out to make their own individual pizzas.
Inspired By Charm
Lemon and Blueberry Bread
This lemon and blueberry bread only takes about 10 minutes to prep before it heads into the oven to bake, without a ton of difficult steps, making it a perfect project for kids in the kitchen. The bread is a yummy breakfast or late-night snack, especially if it’s warmed up and has butter slathered on.
Lemons for Lulu
Blueberry Scones
There’s really nothing better than a fresh, warm scone. These blueberry scones are pretty easy, though parents will need to lend a hand for some of the knife work. But kids will love mixing up the batter with their hands!
Creme de la Crumb / TiffanyAure
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies are a twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. The best part about these cookies is you don’t have to chill the dough before baking, so you and your kids can eat them even faster!
A Cozy Kitchen
Pink and Black Cookies
These pink and black cookies are a unique take on the original black and white cookies. The pink icing is actually strawberry! Kids will love being able to help mix and decorate these sweet treats.
Love From The Oven
Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Cookies that use cake mix are probably some of the easiest cookies to make, and kids can help at almost every stage of these red velvet cake mix cookies since they only have three ingredients! Adults will need to help with getting the cookies into and out of the oven, though.
Shugary Sweets
Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are a beloved classic. Kids will love rolling the dough balls around in the cinnamon sugar before an adult pops these in the oven to bake. Just try not to eat all of these at once.
