Small Plates

27 Kid-Friendly Cooking Projects Your Kids Will Actually Be Into

These easy and exciting recipes get everyone involved.
Image may contain Food Dessert Creme Cream Confectionery and Sweets
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    3/26

    Sheet-Pan Grilled Cheese

    The scene: your child is having a lot of friends over. Feed a crowd and even have a little fun with these grilled cheese sandwiches, which cook in sheet pans and have a secret ingredient (hint: it's usually paired with bagels).

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  • Dan Forbes
    4/26

    Chocolate-Dipped Ice Cream Sandwiches

    The only thing more fun than slapping these ice cream sandwiches together is dipping them in chocolate and then rolling them in the toppings of your choice.

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  • Michael Graydon + Nicole Herriott
    5/26

    Grandma-Style Pizza

    Once you have this fresh tomato sauce, the sky's the limit for use. Spoon some onto pizza crusts, or if you're short on time, onto an English muffin and top with a little mozzarella.

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  • Stephen Danelian
    6/26

    Fruit Salad with Herb, Citrus, Mint-Maple, or Basic Syrup

    Fruit salad's great for the family. While you make the syrup, have the kids toss in the berries, making sure there's one of everything in each bowl!

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  • Jarren Vink
    7/26

    Hogs in a Pretzel Blanket

    You've met pigs in a blanket, now meet its grown-up older brother.

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  • Linda Pugliese, food styling by Anna Hampton
    8/26

    Crunchy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    The best-tasting cookies are the ones you make yourself. You can use chocolate pearls in this dough, but for extra crunch, try adding malted milk balls instead. The kids can use an ice cream scoop to portion out the cookie dough onto a sheet.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    9/26

    Classic Smashed Cheeseburger

    While the grown-ups smash the burger patties (and make sound effects, please), the kids can tear the lettuce, stir up the "secret sauce," or toast the burger buns.

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  • Tatsuro Nishimura, food styling by Rhoda Boone
    10/26

    Peanut Butter and Grape Smoothie

    Forgo the frozen waffles and make these peanut butter–and–grape smoothies for the kids' breakfast. They're filled to the brim with all of the flavors of the classic sandwich, but with extra nutrients.

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  • Photo by Romulo Yanes
    11/26

    Black-Bean Quesadillas

    Quesadillas are great for that build-your-own kind of evening. Have the kids sprinkle in their favorite ingredients and let the grown-ups do the toasting. There's no age limit for loving the gooey cheese in the middle.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    12/26

    Sheet-Pan Eggs

    If your little ones get amped about cracking eggs, this is the recipe for them—there are a dozen and a half eggs in here, and they all get whizzed in the blender.

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  • Photo by Matt Duckor, Food Styling by Molly Baz
    15/26

    Slow-Cooker Spinach Lasagna Rollups

    Rolling up the lasagna is a totally safe way for young kids to get involved in the kitchen—just set these in the slow cooker, and the kids practically made dinner.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    16/26

    Homemade Spiced Coconut Chips

    Tossing these coconut chips with oil and sweetener is a fun hands-on activity—you can let your kids choose the seasoning, too, so they feel even more involved.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    21/26

    No-Bake Butterscotch-Coconut Cookies

    Most of this recipe can be made with the help of your little ones—drizzling the melted chocolate on top is the best part.

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  • Photo by Christina Holmes
    22/26

    Nachos With All the Fixings

    Building nachos is like an edible art project for kids. Let them layer chips with salsa, guacamole, cheese sauce—and challenge them to get a bite of everything on each chip.

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