Whether you’re looking for breakfast ideas before the kids head off to the bus stop, back to school treats to pack in their lunch boxes, after school snacks for kids, or a treat to wrap in a care package for your college student, I’ve got ideas for every palate (yes, even the most persnickety will find something here!).
More Favorite Fall Recipes
If you’re looking for a project for your little ones, baking is an excellent way to teach children about math and science, but also about what it takes to make delicious food and how a recipe comes together. My sons love to be in the kitchen, and you can see me bake with my (very much grown up) sons in my new show, Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network.
How to Use A Kitchen Scale (Video)
When back-to-school comes, it’s time to start thinking about fall baking. To prepare, watch this video on how to use kitchen scale. It’s one of the most important tools in the kitchen to improve your technique with precise measurements. And check out my YouTube Page for all my tips to get ready for the fall baking season!
Snacks for Kids
1
The story of my life with sweets started with an auspicious meeting with Twinkies. I would never presume to create anything as iconic as the original, but these homemade Twinkies are freakin’ delicious.
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2
These fun orange creamsicle pops could not be easier to make! They get dressed up with a bit of chocolate and some fancy sprinkles.
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3
These no-bake chocolate pepita crunch bars are a candy and a brownie all in one. There is no baking, so they are a perfect holiday treat to go along with all the cookies you’ll be trading at your cookie swaps this season.
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4
These bars are a perfect back to school treat, or for anytime really. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, which means you can eat them year-round!
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5
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6
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7
Unless you made them yourself, you’d never know these are gluten-free oatmeal cookies. They are perfect! Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The flavor is all about the maple and oats.
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8
This biscuits recipe uses the perfect combination of all-purpose and cake flour, buttermilk and cold butter to produce tender, flaky biscuits every time.
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9
I stock my freezer with these delicious strawberry hand pies for a fast and easy treat. The pies are sweet and just a little tart, making them perfect little homemade breakfast pastries
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10
Perfect blueberry muffins are studded with fruit, with blueberries in every bite. It should have a crunchy streusel top and be tender inside. These blueberry muffins deliver on all of these.
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11
Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts and I assembled these in individual jars for a sweet treat in an adorable portion size. This version has a hint of lavender from lavender simple syrup.
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12
I’ve spread Nutella on just about everything, but one of my favorites is freshly baked banana bread. In an “aha! moment” I decided to swirl the nutella right into the batter and bake them together. I’m not claiming to have discovered this combo, but I believe this may be the tastiest pairing ever there was.
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13
These bars from Edd Kimber’s book, One Tin Bakes, are rustic in their beauty, but magnificent in flavor. Plus, they’re super simple to make. This will become a favorite recipe. One you’ll bring to every school function, picnic, family gathering and the treat you snuggle on the couch with.
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14
Whenever I bake this homemade granola the smell brings me back to my childhood living on a commune in Vermont. It’s so delicious, I can’t wait for you to try it!
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15
These are the brownies I made for a care package for my son, Charlie, and his roommates at college. I made four different kinds because each of the boys wanted their favorite brownie. It’s an easy way to please a crowd!
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16
What could be better than picking your own apples and making baked goods and applesauce with your bounty? When making applesauce, I like to use a variety of apples, so the sauce has a mix of tart, sweet, firm, and softer apples. It makes the applesauce taste better and have a more interesting texture.
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17
This chocolate microwave mug cake is one of those cakes you’ll rely on when you need to indulge at midnight. Just you, Donna Summer and a crazy-satisfying mug of chocolate cake. I added Caramel-Peanut ice cream to the top, because who eats chocolate cake at midnight without ice cream?
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People often use my easy bread recipes from the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day series to bake with kids and it really couldn’t be easier. They will love watching the dough bubble up on the counter as they wait for it to rise before biting into a slice of bread they’ve made themselves. We even have a new book out (available for pre-order now and out just in time for the holidays!) that includes the best of all of our recipes over the years. Put it on your holiday wish list now! It’s called The Best of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Cake is another perfect idea for kids, check out my newest book Zoë Bakes Cakes for tons of easy cake ideas kids will love to make with family and friends.
Of course, who can resist a perfect cookie (especially children!)?! Do you remember my lovely friend Sarah Kieffer’s book, 100 Cookies? There are so many delicious recipes in this book that are perfect for baking with kids. Sarah also has a brand new book out now called Baking for the Holidays but the recipes are really great for any time of year. Grab a copy as we head into the holiday season and let your kids help make a plan for cookie swaps and incredible pastries for all your upcoming festivities.
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder that seems like a lot, but intentional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus more for top of cookies
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter Skippy or something else like it, not natural-style
- 1 egg room temperature
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In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
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In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
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Using a 1-inch cookie/ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie dough and line them up on a baking sheet. They can be tightly packed, because you’ll be refrigerating them. Once they are chilled you can easily move them apart onto multiple baking sheets. I do this with most of my cookie dough, then I toss the chilled balls of dough into a plastic bag and freeze them. It is a great way to have cookie dough at the ready for a fast onset craving.
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Refrigerate the dough for at least a couple of hours or overnight. Once you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment and position the dough balls on the sheets so they have plenty of room to be smushed down.
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Generously cover the dough balls with sugar.
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Using a glass, smush the cookies until they are about 1/2-inch thick. If the dough is sticking to the glass add more sugar next time.
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Make the crosshatch pattern with the tines of a fork. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes (or up to 12 if you like a crisper version).