A little time in the kitchen is all it takes to create lasting memories for everyone.
Our Best Tips for Baking with Kids (and Having a Blast While You’re at It!)
Updated on Nov. 17, 2022
How many of us have memories of baking with a parent, a grandmother, or other family member? You can make those memories with kids too, and ignite their passion for creating in the kitchen! (Don’t miss out on these easy, kid-friendly recipes.) Here are some of the best tips for baking with kids and enjoying every minute of it.
1. It’s going to be messy… and that’s OK!
These are kids after all, so of course messes are going to happen. Baking should be fun, so don’t let a mess stress you out. Take some preventative steps: have a plastic tablecloth over the work area, clean as you go, slow kids down as they move through the kitchen. If flour goes flying or an egg hits the floor take a deep breath, smile and carry on!
2. Let kids choose the recipe
Look through cookbooks, websites, and Taste of Home magazines with your kiddos. Community Cook Elizabeth Bramkamp says kids will be more interested in baking if they help choose the recipe. For little kids simply the process: let them choose between two or three recipes that look fun and that will be appropriate for their age. Bigger kids can choose recipes on their own from books, magazines, or recipe videos.
Get the full recipe for our rainbow cloud cake here.
3. Be patient
If something goes wrong while baking with kids, don’t let it frazzle you—or them. It’s a great chance to teach perseverance: mistakes are how we learn and grow! Community Cook Holly Balzer’s young cooking students learned what happens when you overfill pans with cupcake batter. If a mistake like this happens, show kids what steps you can take to fix the next batch.
4. Find age-appropriate tasks
Smaller children will do well with simplified recipe steps—either that you read out or write down for them so they can cross off as they go. Tasks for young kids include adding ingredients that you have pre-measured, stirring, spooning out portions of dough and simple decorating. Make sure they can reach the work area with help from you to prevent falls. Give them quick tasks and plan for breaks.
Older kids can be given more independence and responsibility in the kitchen. Teach them the basics of using the oven, running the mixer, measuring ingredients accurately, closely following the recipe, and trying more advanced decorating techniques.
5. Smaller kids? Try smaller tools
There are miniature versions of kitchen tools available, but you can find tools for little kids from what you have on hand. They can stir ingredients in a smaller bowl with a large soup spoon. If you don’t have a child-sized apron, improvise with an adult apron folded down or tie a large dishtowel around their waist. Community Cook Shawn Barto suggests kids use popsicle sticks to spread frosting on cupcakes. To roll dough help kids hand-over-hand with a regular rolling pin or give them a plastic drinking cup that they can roll with on their own.
6. Lead by example: follow recipes closely
Teach kids the most important step in baking: read the recipe first! With older kids, Community Cook Marina Castle Kelley suggests reading it together to answer questions about the steps, ingredients and baking times. They can write a shopping list, and get materials organized before starting. With younger kids, have ingredients laid out and pre-measured. Make a simple list for kids to check off as you read out ingredients and steps!
7. Make kids a part of your regular baking routine
Baking with children doesn’t only mean kid-themed treats. Let them help with kneading dough for your weekly bread, mixing up muffins for breakfast, or baking cookies to bring to their classroom for a celebration. They will love to be included, and these are the baking traditions we take with us into adulthood.
8. Share the goodies
When you finally get to eat the finished goodies with your kiddos give them lots of praise, and get them talking about what they loved about baking with you! Have them share their treats too: with a neighbor, a family member or friends. Not only will they gain more confidence and opportunities to hear what amazing bakers they are, they will also experience the joy of sharing their baking with others.
Looking for dinners your kids will love? These kid-friendly dinners are the perfect quick dish for weeknights.
Start with these kid-friendly baking recipes.
Scottish ShortbreadThis three-ingredient traditional Scottish shortbread recipe makes beautifully buttery, crumbly biscuits to elevate tea time.
Rocky Road Cookie CupsTraditional rocky road ice cream has nuts, marshmallows and chocolate. Using prepared cookie dough makes it easy to put the flavors together in these fast, kid-friendly rocky road cookis. —Charlotte McDaniel, Jacksonville, AL
Apple Snickerdoodle Dump CakeWith an apple farm just down the road, I'm always looking for creative ways to use up those bushels. We love this cozy apple snickerdoodle dump cake with caramel drizzle and a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. —Rachel Garcia, Honolulu, Hawaii
Easy Cake Mix BarsI take this dessert to work for Friday pick-me-ups. It's one of my favorite yellow cake bar recipes. I love to share them because they're so easy to eat, easy to make and easy on the wallet. —Amy Rose, Ballwin, Missouri
Pecan Caramel CandiesSalty and sweet, these candies are the perfect little snack. Form a kitchen assembly line with your kids, and the making becomes just as fun as the eating. —Julie Wemhoff, Angola, Indiana
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter CookiesYes, you really can make amazing peanut butter cookies with just three ingredients; just follow this three-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe to find out how.
Andes Mint CookiesCreamy chocolate and mint combine to create these refreshing yet warming Andes mint cookies, which are made even better when paired with a cold glass of milk.
Pecan Pie MuffinsBrown sugar and nuts get folded into these sweet and soft pecan pie muffins. They’re ideal for breakfast, and they're such a treat that they can even be served for dessert.
German Chocolate Dump CakeWe make this for Sunday lunches when the whole family gets together. The cream cheese topping is so good that it doesn't need frosting. —Donna Holdbrooks, Waco, Georgia
Oatmeal Cream Pie RecipeWe love foods that remind us of childhood, like the chewy oatmeal cream pies stashed in our lunch boxes on lucky days.
Apple Pie BitesThese apple pie bites are fun for kids to make. Simply wrap strips of pastry around apple wedges and shake on some cinnamon-sugar. Then just bake and watch them disappear! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Cinnamon Monkey BreadIs it possible for four kids to cook together without total chaos in the kitchen? Yes, with the right recipe! This cinnamon roll monkey bread is a favorite with my bunch. They get to "play" as they roll pieces of refrigerated biscuit dough into balls. —Lisa Combs, Greenville, Ohio
Peanut Butter Cookie CupsI’m a busy schoolteacher and pastor’s wife and I wouldn’t dare show my face at a church dinner or bake sale without some of these tempting peanut butter treats. They’re quick and easy
to make and always a hit. —Kristi Tackett, Banner, Kentucky
Peanut Butter Blossom CookiesPeanut butter blossom cookies are a classic for a reason! When you nestle a chocolate kiss into a chewy and soft peanut butter cookie, you create a holiday cookie that's hard not to love.
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Crispy BarsTo make a dairy-free dessert, I created chocolate peanutty bars. My kids and their friends gobble them up. I've written about it on my blog, joyfulscribblings.com. —Dawn Pasco, Overland Park, Kansas
Gooey Chocolate-Peanut BarsThese are so easy to make and take no time at all. They’re great to package up for those college kids looking for something from home. Everyone will want this recipe. —Elaine Grimme, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
