These 5 super simple holiday recipes to make with kids will get your kids in the kitchen right alongside you, making healthy, easy holiday treats. Let the memory making begin!

Like every other mama out there in the world, thinking about my kids getting older can make me feel more than a bit nostalgic. (Having a newborn around makes Ivan seem so BIG!)

BUT one thing I truly look forward to as my kids grow older is spending time in the kitchen together. I'm pretty passionate about getting kids in the kitchen for many reasons.

First of all, cooking with kids exposes them to a wide variety of foods, which they're much more likely to try if they helped with the preparation.

Second, completing purposeful tasks like cooking for the family gives kids a wonderful sense of accomplishment and independence.

Third, it teaches them valuable real life skills. Sure, it's quicker for me to cook on my own, but I don't want my boys going off to college never learning how to fry an egg or chop an onion!

But honestly? I mostly look forward to this new development for selfish reasons. Cooking is my happy place and the thought of my little ones joining in on the fun minimizes that bittersweet feeling, that premature nostalgia, I get when I think of them getting older.

So today I've gathered 5 holiday recipes to make with kids. They're all simple, all gluten free, and all delicious. I hope you love them and I would LOVE to see pictures of you cooking alongside your little ones! Please share on Facebook or Instagram @prepdish.

Enjoy!

Easy & Healthy Holiday Recipes to Make with Kids:

Pomegranate Chocolate Bark

I'm a chocolate lover through and through and this recipe is all about the chocolate!

It is also super simple and has lots of steps kids can help with. While an adult will need to melt the chocolate, kids can go wild sprinkling on the toppings.

I love recipes like this for getting kids in the kitchen because the kids can really be independent with the task. Even a small child can be successful in sprinkling on toppings without much adult intervention.

If you have multiple kids, try giving each one a sheet pan of their own and their own little bowls of toppings.

In addition to the pomegranate arils and slivered almonds called for in the recipe, try providing a variety of dried fruit and nuts for the kids to add so they can really make it their own.

Take a step back and let each child make their own unique version of holiday chocolate bark! This would make a great teacher gift for the holidays.

Chocolate Drizzled Fruit

Chocolate drizzled fruit is the perfect easy holiday treat to make with kids because there's very little measuring required!

The recipe uses coconut oil, cacao powder and cinnamon to make a naturally sugar free chocolate sauce. If your fruit is nice and sweet, the chocolate really doesn't need any added sugar, trust me!

Your kids can help in two ways – first by peeling and chopping the fruit and second by drizzling the sauce.

Choose fruits that match your little one's skill level to set them up for success. For example, a toddler can peel and segment a clementine or use a non-sharp spreading knife to slice a banana while an older child may enjoy using a tool like this one to slice apples.

Once the fruit is prepped, give your child a spoon and let them drizzle the chocolate to their heart's content!

Healthy Top Secret Brownies from Kids Cook Real Food

If you're a long time Prep Dish follower, you know about my love for Kids Cook Real Food!

This organization focuses on teaching kids cooking skills, but the site also has healthy and delicious recipes!

These top secret brownies feature an unexpected ingredient, beans! I know, sounds weird, but it's one of those recipes you need to try for yourself and I think the peppermint version sounds perfect for the holidays!

One thing I love about this recipe is the video showing Katie Kimball making the brownies with her own daughter – this makes it so easy to see how kids can really help and how much they can do in the kitchen!

Paleo Apple Cinnamon Cookie from nom nom Paleo

Nom nom paleo's apple cinnamon cookies are super simple with only 8 ingredients, almost all of which you likely already have on hand. Also, this recipe is entirely sweetened with apples so it's one you can feel good about your kids eating all month long.

Since it relies heavily on the food processor, it's easy for kids to simply dump ingredients in and help press the buttons, with your supervision of course.

Older kids will enjoy scooping out the dough while toddlers will love helping to flatten the cookies into discs.

Big & Chewy Paleo Gingerbread Cookies from Paleo Running Momma

Gingerbread cookies are such a classic holiday recipe and these are made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about.

If you have a toddler for your sous chef, try pre-measuring the ingredients into little prep bowls so they can simply dump and stir. This is a great first step when involving kids in the kitchen!

Do I need any special tools for baking with kids?

Okay, need may be a strong word, but some of these items will certainly make baking with kids more fun, and the photos more adorable.

Let's face it, cooking with kids can be messy and there's nothing that ruins the fun more quickly than an anxious mom worrying about staining clothes. There are some adorable kids aprons out there but I personally can't get over these matching kid / adult aprons!

This kids kitchen tool set can also help your child have a better experience! This would make an adorable Christmas gift for a child who loves to cook.

What other recipes can I make with my kids?

So today was all about the easy holiday treats but, in general, I'm a big believer that we shouldn't just bake with our kids, we should cook with them too!

There is no reason why a child can't help make a salad just as well as they can help bake cookies, and hey, they just might eat some if they helped to make it!

You can invite your kids to join you for almost any recipe, just make sure it's not one that's too particular on the measurements if you have a young child. A few non-treat recipes that would be super doable to make with kids include my guacamole stuffed mini peppers, One Pot Roasted Pork w/ Apples & Rutabaga (young kids can chop with this), and Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers (they can stuff the peppers!)

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