Easy Baking Recipes for Kids

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ByCourtney PublishedMarch 18, 2020

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Stuck inside with the family on a dreary day? It’s time to pull out the baking supplies! These Easy Baking Recipes for Kids are the perfect way to spend a morning at home.

Get in the Kitchen! Easy Baking Recipes for Kids

When the kids and I are both feeling a little stir crazy (usually evidenced by an increase in fighting and whining), I love to redirect us by getting out the baking supplies! Baking with kids has SO many benefits. Baking together is a great way to bond and make memories, and it also teaches important skills like following directions, math, hand eye coordination, and perhaps the hardest and most important of all–patience!

My kids love peeking through the oven door to watch a loaf of bread rise or see cookies puff up into little mounds. And of course, all their hard work and anticipation is rewarded with a tasty treat! What could be better?

If baking with kids sounds intimidating, know that I’ve specifically chosen these recipes because they’re:

Easy for kids to make
Don’t make a lot of dishes
Use common ingredients that are easy to find

I’ve also got lots of tips to make the process fun for everyone!

Tips for baking with kids:

First, find a way to get your kids at counter top height to help! For older kids, a regular step stool or kitchen chair work just fine. For younger kids, I prefer a step stool with sides. We LOVE The Learning Tower, because both my kids can fit on it at once!
Practice safety. Share the importance of keeping hands and faces away from an electric mixer and avoiding a hot stove or open oven door.
Lower your expectations. This is a hard one for me! I like to be very precise when I bake, so letting kids take over can be stressful. Be willing to get a little messy and know that it’s okay if the cookies aren’t in perfect circles. For younger kids, it can help to have ingredients like eggs and flour prepped beforehand, so all they have to do is pour into a bowl and stir. At the end of the day, it’s not about perfection, but about enjoying the time together.
Actually let them help. Here’s another one that can be tough for the control freaks among us, but you actually have to let them help! Give them a scoop, let them man the whisk, or show them how to increase the speed on the mixer.
Teach proper techniques. Baking with kids is a wonderful opportunity to start teaching them basic techniques. Show them how to measure flour correctly by spooning into a measuring cup and leveling it. I usually hold the measuring cup and allow my kids to scoop into it. Teach them how to tap an egg on a flat surface to crack it. And don’t forget hand hygiene! Have the kids wash their hands before you start and after coming into contact with raw eggs.
Make it FUN! Let them pick out fun sprinkles, use colorful utensils and muffin cups, grab a set of cookie cutters (<< these are our favorites, and they’re super affordable) and let them pick out which recipe they’d like to make today. The more you can give them ownership of the process, the more they’ll want to be in the kitchen with you!

We've searched the recipe archives and picked out 15 of our favorite easy baking recipes for kids! Baking with kids is a great way to spend time together as a family and teach important life skills. Not to mention, you'll have something delicious to enjoy in the end! Each of these recipes for kids was chosen because they're easy to make and use common ingredients, so they're great for beginners and older kids as well.

Chocolate Crazy Cake

Chocolate Crazy Cake is an incredibly easy one bowl chocolate cake that is light, fluffy, and so moist! This is the perfect cake to make with kids of all ages. You don't even need an electric mixer! This also happens to be the cake we were making in the photos featured above.

Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe

There is absolutely nothing better than a slice of sour cream banana bread warm out of the oven. With a super moist and tender crumb and a hint of cinnamon this is my absolute favorite classic banana bread, and it's a great one to make with kids!

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

This easy no bake peanut butter dessert is as simple as it gets. Peanut Butter + Chocolate + 10 Minutes. These are so simple and absolutely delicious!

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

These Healthy Pumpkin Muffins made with rolled oats are naturally gluten free and refined sugar free. They're made in the blender and make a perfect healthy snack or breakfast that's freezer friendly and kid approved!

Monster Cookie Bars

Monster Cookie Bars combine oats, peanut butter, chocolate, and M&Ms for a chewy and hearty cookie the whole family will love.

Easy Pie Crust Cookies

This is all the fun of cut out cookies without all the work! Pie Crust Cookies can be made with store bought pie crust or the scraps from homemade pie crust dough!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy Pumpkin Bread {One Bowl Recipe}

This easy pumpkin bread recipe is super moist, subtly spiced, and made in a single bowl! It yields two loaves so it's perfect for freezing or gifting!

7 Layer Bars

These caramel cashew bars make a magical and rich bar with only a few pantry staples! Kids will love layering all the ingredients on top of each other. Feel free to substitute the coconut and cashews with whatever you have on hand!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

What kid doesn't love dipping pretzels in chocolate? Grab your favorite sprinkles and let them go to town. This one gets a little messy, but it's loads of fun!

Pancake Bar Party

Pancakes are great for getting kids in the kitchen. You can use my favorite homemade buttermilk pancakes, or a boxed mix. Set out a bunch of toppings and let the kids create their own favorite combo!