10 Tasty Holiday Recipes You Can Make With Your Kids

The day after Halloween I go shopping.

I am definitely an autumn season kind of decorator-not Halloween decorator.  Pumpkins yes, skeletons, no.  Cute little cornucopias spilling harvest vegetables and bundles of wheat across my entry table-yes.  A life-sized headless horseman lit up on my lawn…no.  So on the day of universal fall clearance sales (Nov 1) I go on the hunt for fall things.  This year, I wasn’t even a little bit surprised that the tireless employees of my local Target had been up most of the night turning the colors of the store from orange and black to red and green.  While the rest of the country seemed to be dealing with a crazy cold front, here in the South Carolina midlands, we got rain and (gasp) a few flakes of snow.  Needless to say the store was nearly vacant when we arrived that morning, seeing as how Southerners just don’t deal with frozen precipitation well.

I took advantage of this and casually strolled the isles, checking out all the Christmas loot.  I say casually, but my kids were with me so that is actually code for lectured, bolted, crawled, growled, scolded, and sighed my way through the isles.  Inevitably, because the Target gurus up in Minnesota at the headquarters plan it this way, I was accosted with sparkles, cozy blankets, light up earrings, cranberry scented candles, snowflake embroidered pillows (which were totally festive and adorable) and the sense that I was suddenly behind if I wasn’t already shopping for these things.  As is often apt to happen, I started to reminisce about family and friends and togetherness.

Then I went through the kitchen section.

The dishes!!!  Target has really outdone itself this year.  *QUICK DISCLAIMER: No, this isn’t a promoted post and Target doesn’t know I am writing this.  I just happen to love them.*  After checking out the cute mugs and serving platters and table linens, I couldn’t wait to get home and start baking!  The smells of food are one of my favorite things and there are few things as homey as holiday treats.  Since I left the store with the same three crazy munchkins I walked in with, the first thing I did was start making a list of recipes that they could help me make.  My oldest is eight, therefore more than capable to facilitate a simple recipe, and my youngest is 2 1/2, more than capable of making a really big mess.  The middle one is 5 and he could go either way.

I figured the key was to make sure there were things that they could really mess up too badly, and recipes that would taste good regardless of how they looked.  Execution is not always a child’s strong suit.  But if it tastes good, who cares if the cookies are squished, the bon bons lopsided, or the chocolate covered cereal a bit crumbly?  Not me.  So, naturally, I wanted to share my list with all of you!  And this blog post is much more efficient than the recycled envelope and crayon I used to make it originally.  I hope you have as much fun making them with your family as I do with mine!

Let the Holiday Season begin!!

Spiced Tea Mix
I cannot say enough good things about this recipe.  It is incredibly cozy to sip on a chilly day and kids love it as much as adults.  It is uber easy to mix up which is perfect for children to help with.  They can even help measure!  Enjoy this all yourself, or share with a friend.  It makes a fantastic gift for the holidays.  Pour it into a cute little jar with a Christmas ribbon and pass it out!!

Classic Snickerdoodles
You may not think of these cookies first when you are planning your holiday treats, but you should.  They require little hands to roll them into balls and dunk them in cinnamon and sugar.  What kid wouldn’t love that?  In addition, the cinnamon makes them wonderfully festive.  It took me several tries with several versions to arrive at this master recipe and it is spectacular.  Much more forgiving than a chilled butter cookie that you have to roll out, these cookies can take whatever your kiddos can dish out-and still taste fantastic!!

Sweet Orange Knots
This recipe was posted last month and for good reason.  They work as a speedy recipe for company and make your house smell deeeeeeeelicious!!! Such a comfort on a chilly morning!  The best part?  They taste the same no matter how perfect the knots.  So let your kids get in there and dip and sugar and tie the rolls together.  Be sure to let them lick the orange sugar off their fingers when they are done!

Caramel Apple Dip
Give the kids a hand mixer and let them go to town.  This recipe tastes so good, it is impossible to mess it up.  Perfect as an after school snack or make ahead treat for a holiday party!

Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa Mix
This tastes SO much better than the store bought stuff and is super fun to mix up.  My kids think giving little gift bags of this away is just about the best thing ever.  This year, it is going to their teachers!  I keep it stored in an old ice cream bucket in my pantry.
Bon Bons
These babies are ridiculously easy and perfect for little hands to roll into balls!  This recipe has two different versions and one of them is gluten-free.  It also makes a big batch so be sure to share with family and friends!

Marshmallow Pumpkin Dip
This is another easy recipe for the kids to mix up.  Mine have fun arranging the dippers on a platter for guests!

Hot Apple Cider
To make this cozy recipe even more kid friendly, have them put all the ingredients into a slow cooker!

Christmas Munch
This is just so incredibly fun to put together!  Adults and kids alike won’t be able to keep their fingers out of the bowl!

Sweet & Savory Mixed Nuts
My kids love to measure out the spices and the nuts into bowls to mix up both of these great recipes.  These have to be mixed very thoroughly so feel free to put the sweet version in a large ziploc bag to make it easier for them to squish together and get all those nuts good and coated.  Such a fun, healthy snack!
Happy Holidays!