Holiday Cooking with Your Kids

Rick Lew

Chances are you're spending a lot of extra time in the kitchen during the holidays preparing for countless festive meals. With these fun, kid-friendly recipes your hours in the kitchen can also be bonding time with the little ones. Happy cooking!

Start Slideshow

1 of 16

Having an extra hand in the kitchen come holiday time is never a bad thing. Spend quality time with your kids by enlisting their help with these tasty, easy-to-make appetizers and desserts.

Shop kitchen supplies at Amazon.com

2 of 16

Apple-Cranberry Galette

Alexandra Rowley

What's better than biting into a fresh-from-the-oven homemade pie? Seeing the pride on your child's face as he tells everyone at the table that he's the one who made it!

3 of 16

Cake Balls

Frances Janisch

These yummy bites are a crowd-favorite any time of year, but switching up the sprinkles for classic holiday colors turns these treats into a festive dessert.

4 of 16

Easy Veggie Dumplings

Gemma Comas

Your little one will love learning how to fold these wonton wrappers just right. These two-bite snacks make terrific appetizers.

5 of 16

Black-Bean Salsa and Tortillas

Paula Hible

Skip the jarred stuff and have your tots help you mix up this simple salsa instead. Serve with homemade tortilla chips or buy a bag from the market.

6 of 16

Pie Pops

Frances Janisch

Take a break from the standard pie presentation and serve these sweet, jam-filled treats to close out your holiday meal.

7 of 16

Krispy Kale Chips

Paula Hible

Who needs fat-laden potato chips when you can indulge on these nutrition-packed Krispy Kale Chips as an appetizer to dinner?

8 of 16

Chocolate Malt Crinkles

Miki Duisterhof

Let your tots help form the dough into small balls. They'll love watching the cookies expand and form the namesake "crinkles" through the oven window.

9 of 16

Presidential Veggie Dip

Paula Hible

Serve this simple dip with cut-up veggies as a light and refreshing appetizer before a heavy holiday meal. If your child is old enough, let her help peel and dice the cucumber.

10 of 16

Fruit and Cheese Kabobs

Paula Hible

Turn kid-favorite fruits and cheese into amusing shapes with small cookie cutters, then thread them onto small skewers. Be sure to watch kids carefully when working with pointy skewers.

11 of 16

Breadstick Snails

Paula Hible

Standard dinner rolls are delicious but breadstick snails add an extra layer of fun to the dinner table. Children will get a kick out of rolling the dough and adding the antennae.

12 of 16

Christmas Fudge

Paula Hible

Decadent white chocolate fudge gets a festive lift from colorful dried fruits. Older children can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. When cooking with younger kids, melt the chips in the microwave instead.

13 of 16

Starry Chocolate Fruit

Paula Hible

Serve pieces of chocolate-dipped fruit as a pre-dinner treat or a sweet finish to the meal. Let your kids dip the fruit pieces in the chocolate and place them on wax paper to set.

14 of 16

Mini Veggie Frittatas

Rita Maas

Nothing is more frustrating than a room full of guests and a roast that refuses to finish cooking. These protein-packed apps are a smart way to satisfy hungry diners and buy yourself some extra time in the kitchen to complete the meal preparations. Let your kids whisk the eggs and mix-ins together, then spoon the mixture into the muffin cups.

15 of 16

Gingerbread Men

Rick Lew

Your tiny chefs will love decorating their gingerbread men (and women) with royal icing and other accoutrements. Don't worry if the cookies aren't perfect; they'll still taste delicious!

Replay gallery

Holiday Cooking with Your Kids

1 of 16