Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

8 easy cookie recipes for kids that go beyond chocolate chip

Dannielle Beardsley
By

Making cookies together as a family is one of the most enjoyable experiences. Especially since in the end, you’ll all have a treat to share. Letting the kids help make the cookies might sound like it will end in a lot of clean-up, but your children will love being your little baker.

These easy cookie recipes for kids will take you beyond the humble chocolate chip. While that classic is great, it’s more exciting when you have plenty of options to rotate. We’ll help you keep your pantry stocked with what you need to make any of these easy cookie recipes for kids.

A father and daughter baking cookies together.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Main types of cookies

Refrigerated cookies

Sometimes it is just too hot to turn that oven on. Thankfully, some recipes only need to be popped in the fridge. From lemon to Neapolitan to pinwheels, you won’t have to worry about any burnt hands with refrigerated cookies.

Recommended Videos

No-bake cookies

When you need cookies in a hurry, no-bakes are the way to go. You don’t need to factor in bake time or fridge time. These can be pressed into a pan or would be a lot of fun for a child to shape.

Related

Rolled cookies

Speaking of rolling, rolled cookies are made from chilled dough that is perfect for all of your cookie cutters.

Drop cookies

Drop cookies are the way we love to make chocolate chip cookies. Just plop that spoonful of dough down and bake it right up. The dough is softer and the cookies sort themselves out as they bake.

Bar cookies

If you never get your drop cookies to look like you want them to, then bar cookies are the alternative. You can press the dough into a pan and bake it so cutting is all you need to worry about.

Molded cookies

Molded cookies are made of tougher dough that is usually rolled into balls and sometimes then pressed with a fork. The most common that you see at the holiday dessert table is peanut butter.

Two young kids having a blast making cookies.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cookie ingredient must-haves

Whether you bake a batch of cookies every week or once every other month, there are things you should always have on hand.

To make almost any cookie request

  • granulated sugar
  • brown sugar
  • powdered sugar
  • flour
  • salt
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • peanut butter
  • chocolate chips
  • rolled oats
  • eggs
  • condensed milk
  • butter
  • shortening
  • honey
  • vanilla
  • vegetable oil

This might seem like a lot, but if you grab a small package of each you’ll be ready to make any kind of cookie. Once you’ve checked your cabinets and done a curbside pickup for the rest, let your kids make any of these eight cookie recipes.

A mother and daughter making cookies together.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Easy cookie recipes for kids (and adults)

Cranberry nut cookies

If you want a tasty no-bake cookie option for the kids, try this one. With cereal, nuts, and dried berries, these would be fun for any age to enjoy. You can switch out the nut or berry for any kind to personalize it for your family.

Snowball fight cookies

If your children love to get their hands dirty, then let them have a turn making these cookies. Kids will have a blast rolling these cookies into tiny snowballs and then dusting them with powdered sugar to get that frosted look. Messes are encouraged when making these so let them have fun.

Chocolate shortbread cookies

This chocolatey treat only needs five ingredients to be a hit. Once the dough is ready your kids can have the best time cutting out the shapes they want. You can easily jazz these up a bit by drizzling melted chocolate or caramel on top after they are cooled.

Peanut butter cookies

Kids and peanut butter go together like – well, you know the saying. Some kids like to eat peanut butter straight out of the jar. If your kids do, let them enjoy making these peanut butter cookies. They’ll have the most fun mashing the cookies down with a fork before you bake them.

Kiss cookies

Though Hershey’s calls them Peanut Butter Blossoms, we always called them Kiss Cookies growing up. The recipe looks like a basic peanut butter cookie but the end is the best part. Have the kids add Hershey’s Kisses in the middle when they come out of the oven. These are delicious warm or after they’ve cooled, dunked into some milk (or coffee for the adults).

Three ingredient macaroons

Anything that requires only a few ingredients is our favorite. So for kids, this three-ingredient macaroon recipe is going to be great. Make these for a fast treat instead of candy.

No-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies

When you don’t have to worry about your kiddos turning on the oven, everyone wins. You can adjust the amount of cocoa to peanut butter depending on your kids’ tastes. There is a bit of stove work with this one, so if you have younger kids you may need to help. But the kids can have fun dropping these onto the parchment paper however they want.

Lucky cookies

Do you have kids that only eat the marshmallows out of the cereal box? Then you have to let them make these cookies. They can eat all of the Lucky Charms marshmallows they want mixed into these delicious treats. They are bright and colorful for the kids and you’ll be able to sneak a few after they go to bed.

Enjoy these treats!

If you don’t know which cookie recipe you are going to make first, that’s the best kind of problem to have. We made sure you have the option to keep your oven off if you want, or only need a few ingredients in a pinch. So when the kids ask if there’s anything for dessert, look back to these eight cookie recipes for inspiration and make happy memories that end with a sweet bite.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle Beardsley
Contributor
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
These TikTok hacks will get your kids eating more fruits and veggies this summer
Reduce food waste with these tasty food hacks your kids will love
Mother and daughter eating vegetables

The struggle is real when it comes to feeding kids. Children may love strawberries one day, and hate them the next, usually right after you've stocked your fridge with freshly picked berries! Or maybe your little one loves to eat apples or bananas, but is just too little to eat the entire fruit. Dealing with picky eaters and food waste can be frustrating and hard on the wallet.

Amy Palanjian is a recipe developer and cookbook author who goes by the handle @Yummytoddlerfood on TikTok. She's sharing some of her ingenious hacks that will not only save those bits of leftover fruits and vegetables your little one loves, but Palanjian is also offering excellent tips on how to preserve and serve those healthy foods you may not have thought of.

Read more
Almost half of kids ages 1 to 5 don’t eat a daily veggie (and one-third don’t eat fruit)
CDC report shows kids aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables
Toddler refusing to eat healthy lunch/snack of fruit and drink her milk

According to a new report by the CDC, a surprising number of children in the U.S. are missing fruits and vegetables from their daily diet. The report comes from data compiled from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, where the parents of 18,386 children were asked to report on how often their children ate fruits and vegetables. The results were both a shocking and eye-opening look at the diet of young children in America.
The results
The report found that approximately one in three children aren't eating fruit daily, while almost 50% of children aren't eating vegetables daily. The CDC recommends that children consume at least one cup of fruits and vegetables a day to ensure proper nutrition, with that number increasing as they get older. Proper nutrition is an important step in helping children grow and develop, as well as to create healthy eating habits as they get older and make their own nutritional decisions.

The rise of sugary drinks
Whether it's juice, soda, yogurt drinks, or even flavored water, children are drinking sugar more now than ever before. The report found that 57% of children drank a sugar-sweetened beverage at least once in the week prior to the survey.

Read more
Easy Easter desserts kids will hop over
Whip up these easy Easter desserts in no time
Table full of Easter desserts

The Easter Bunny will soon be hopping down the bunny trail with treats in tow. Sure, those Easter baskets will be filled with chocolates, but it's Easter desserts that the kiddos get hopping over. Let's face it. It's not just the kids who love the Easter dessert table. Whether you're hosting or attending an Easter gathering, bringing a deliciously adorable dessert is always a win.

Now you don't have to be Martha Stewart to make an Easter dessert that hops. There are plenty of easy Easter desserts that don't take a lot of time to make. Let these ideas inspire you.
Easter dessert ideas
You won't spend a lot of time in the kitchen whipping up these simple-to-make Easter desserts. The results will still be cute, and of course, yummy.
Peep cupcakes
Many people have a love-hate relationship with marshmallow Peeps. The truth is; those sticky sweet Peeps make for an extremely simple Easter dessert. All you need is your favorite boxed cake mix and icing along with a package of Peeps. Dress up your cupcakes by using Easter-inspired wrappers. To make, just follow the package directions for two dozen cupcakes. Icing can be chocolate, but an Easter pastel, like yellow, is always a nice touch. With a container of vanilla icing and food coloring, you can make yellow, orange, or green icing. Apply a healthy coating of icing and top with a Peep.
Peep cake
Another super simple Easter dessert is a Peep-inspired cake. Using a boxed cake mix, make a round or a rectangle cake. Once it cools, apply a liberal amount of icing. Easter colors make for a fun seasonal icing and all you need is food coloring to create a bright color. Along the sides of the cake, place Peeps to make a border. Be sure the Peep is facing outward. Then top off the cake with a layer of rainbow sprinkles.
Easter Bunny cupcakes
If you're looking to make an easy Easter dessert from scratch, try this tasty recipe from Desserts on a Dime. These Easter Bunny cupcakes are super cute and are stress-free to make.
Carrot cake mix cookies
Carrot cake is an Easter staple, but if you don't have time to make one, try these carrot cake mix cookies from Desserts on a Dime. All you need is a box of carrot cake mix and a few other simple ingredients. The cream cheese icing really makes this delish Easter dessert a must-make treat.
No-bake mini egg Easter nests
Rice Krispies Treats are always a hit with kids. If you're looking for a no-bake Easter dessert, these no-bake mini egg Easter nests from Sugar Spice and Glitter are a perfect pick. The mini nest Rice Krispies Treats need to sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Bunny tails
For a fun recipe you and the kiddos can make for Easter, try these coconut chocolate bunny tails from Kids Activities. Leave the nuts out of the recipe if there are any allergies.

Read more