15 Kid-Friendly Recipes

When it comes to kid-friendly recipes, there are two options: recipes you can make with a young sous chef by your side, and recipes you need to tackle alone (but will be devoured by the whole family). Today’s post highlights both, so you can bring some sanity back to the kitchen. Let’s dive in!

Cooking Ideas for Kids

Before we get to the recipes, here’s a handy primer of simple kitchen tasks that’ll keep your toddler busy (and help teach kids to cook):

• Peel hard-boiled eggs
• Snap peas
• Stir batter
• Shape a small loaf of dough
• Wrap potatoes in foil for baking
• Man the lettuce spinner
• Scrub potatoes
• Pull herbs off stems
• Brush oil or butter with a pastry brush
• Measure and level dry ingredients
• Roll meatballs

Kid-Friendly Baking Recipes

One-bowl recipes and baking projects are typically kid-friendly. Here are some of our best ideas.

Cacao Coconut Granola

Granola is always a fun thing to bake with kids. This naturally sweetened snack, made with coconut chips, raw almonds, cacao, and maple syrup, is a surefire way for kids to flex their muscles in the kitchen. Everything goes into a bowl, gets a big stir, and is spread on a baking sheet before baking.

Hemp Heart Zucchini Muffins

You know what they say—when kids help cook, they’re more likely to eat what they prepare. That means you can easily slip a vegetable into batter, then watch them gobble up a muffin. It’s the perfect kid-friendly breakfast recipe!

Blueberry and Turmeric Spice Muffins

Little kids will love stirring the ingredients for blueberry-studded muffins. Perfect for quick breakfasts or snack time, this gluten-free recipe is made with buckwheat flour, rolled oats, spices, and dates for sweetness.

Gluten-Free Skillet Pizza

For a fun art project, let little hands loose with pizza dough! Kids can help prep the toppings, then scatter them at will.

Whole30® Breakfast Casserole

This might be labeled as a morning recipe, but you could easily serve egg casserole for brunch, lunch, or dinner. While you wait for the vegetables to roast, have kids whisk the wet ingredients, including eggs, almond milk, garlic powder, and fresh herbs.

Tropical Overnight Hemp Hearts

Get a head start on a wholesome breakfast (with a little help from the troops). It’s easy to stir together hemp hearts, nut milk, shredded coconut, and fruit, and small hands can help scoop the porridge into individual serving jars.

Kid-Friendly Dinner Recipes

Chicken is always a winning dish (especially in a tortilla)—and anything with cheese also tends to get high marks.

Perfect Carbonara

Need a 30-minute meal that’s kid-friendly? Just add bacon. They’ll ask for seconds of spaghetti carbonara, a cheesy pasta that’s extra flavorful thanks to pieces of crisp bacon.

Vegan Shells and Cheese

More pasta, please! Vegan mac and cheese avoids dairy, yet remains creamy thanks to secret ingredients like cashews and hummus.

Kid-Friendly Soup Recipe

Who’s up for dunking grilled cheese into tomato soup? This might be simple fare, but every bite is ultra comforting and makes great use of food staples like ghee and canned tomatoes.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

When it comes to kid-friendly chicken recipes, if you can stick it in a tortilla, it’ll probably be a family favorite. The filling is seasoned with our very own fajita mix, making dinner even easier to whip up.

Italian Meatballs

For this classic recipe, let your kids help shape the meatballs. Every bite combines ground beef and pork, garlic, cheese, and breadcrumbs. And if your kiddos aren’t big fans of cutlery, individual meatballs make reliable kid-friendly finger food.

Zucchini Pizza Boats

This vegetarian dish makes eating vegetables extra fun. After the zucchini “boats” are prepped, let your helper fill them with cheese, tomatoes, and basil.

Kid-Friendly Instant Pot Recipe

Everything for flank steak tacos can come together in the Instant Pot. Once the lid is closed, you’ll have 45 minutes to prep ingredients (or prop your feet up) depending on what the evening looks like. Kids might not be able to help with this one, but they can take turns filling their own taco shells.

Miso Sheet Pan Chicken

When kid-friendly weeknight meals are at the top of your list of priorities, bust out a sheet pan dinner. Chicken thighs are slathered in a miso-sesame sauce that’s perfectly sweet and savory, then roasted alongside veggies like leeks and butternut squash.

Vegan Loaded Baked Potato

With an add-your-own-toppings bar, it’s easy to customize everyone’s fluffy baked potato. We use vegan cheese sauce, broccoli, and chives, but feel free to use any favorite veggies.