Making traditions is half the fun of the holiday season. All of these recipes are either simple enough for kids to dive in with you, or have steps that are perfect for tiny hands to help.
Double chocolate reindeer
Foodlets
Crisp on the outside, soft inside and super chocolaty all the way through, these sweet faces are everything. Kids can: sort out pretzels, M&Ms and eyes.
Thumbprint cookies
Real Mom Nutrition
Full of brown sugar and crunchy walnuts, these cookies get a dollop of vanilla frosting in the center and sprinkles on top. Kids can: press cookies, fill with frosting and sprinkles.
Coconut snowballs
Sweet Potato Chronicles
With lemony icing, a crisp outer layer and chewy insides these pretty cookies are packed with flavor. Kids can: roll balls, stir frosting and add coconut.
5-minute fudge
Foodlets
What other treat can you whip up with only a few ingredients and a microwave? Kids can: Stir and push buttons.
Whole-wheat sugar cookies with naturally colored frosting
Real Mom Nutrition
A wholesome spin on everyone's favorite Christmas cookie, these beauties come together faster than typical recipes because you don't even have to chill the dough. Kids can: cut out shapes and decorate.
No-cut chocolate bark
Add your own pretty decorations onto melted chocolate, raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, pretzels, sprinkles. Whatever you like! Kids can: create their own mix and match toppings.
3-D Christmas trees
Sweet Potato Chronicles
Layers of sugar cookies nestled between green icing makes these adorable little trees come to life. Kids can: cut out cookies, squeeze frosting in between and add sprinkles.
Very versatile whole wheat tarts
Fill them with dried apricots, jam or Nutella. Kids can: push tart dough into the pan and add fillings.
Chocolate crinkle cookies
Sweet Potato Chronicles
A classic recipe that happens to be perfect for baking with little chefs. Kids can: mix, make balls and roll in sugar.
Easiest melting snowmen
Foodlets
This simplified method for recreating those famous melting snowman cookies is easy enough for even little kids to pull off. Kids can: add frosting plus snowmen accessories.
Chocolate and cherry shortbread
Sweet Potato Chronicles
What's better than cheery shortbread dunked in melted chocolate? A recipe that makes dozens of them at a time! Kids can: dunk the cookies in chocolate.
4-ingredient peppermint truffles
Foodlets
All you need are clean hands to roll the yummiest – and effortless – truffles of the season. Kids can: stir, push buttons (or smash) and roll.
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