Consider this your ultimate guide to easy Christmas treats for kids to make (and eat!). Whether you’re heading to a cookie swap, a holiday party or just want to get in the kitchen with your kids, these are my best kid-friendly Christmas desserts.
I grew up in a family that loved to cook and bake together. Many of my recipes are inspired by the meals we used to eat as a family and the holiday traditions we had that revolved around food. So naturally, when I had my own daughter, I wanted to get her involved in the kitchen too.
Over the last several Christmases together, we’ve done a lot of holiday baking. We’ve also learned a lot of lessons about what makes a recipe kid-friendly. Take it from me, it’s not just about whether your kiddo will want to eat what you make – it’s also important to consider just how messy a recipe is going to make your kitchen.
If a Christmas dessert recipe requires multiple bowls, different mixing devices and tons of different ingredients…you’re probably going to spend more time cleaning up than you did baking. And I’m just not about that life.
So, without further ado, here are my best easy Christmas treats for kids to make this holiday season!
From unique Christmas cookies to other holiday treats, this list will get you through the holiday baking season with kids.
These snickerdoodle cookie truffles are perhaps the easiest Christmas treat for kids to make on this list. All you need is Snickerdoodle cookies (store-bought works great!), cream cheese and white chocolate.
Kids will love to be in charge of crumbling up the cookies to mix into the cream cheese and everyone in the family will love the sweet, cinnamony taste of these chocolate-covered cookie truffles.
These are the ultimate no-bake holiday treats perfect for parties and gifting.
If your kids like to decorate Christmas cookies but you don’t like the process of trying to cut out intricate Santas and reindeer from sugar cookie dough (right there with you!), then you’ll love these Christmas light sugar cookies.
Simply make round sugar cookies (or better yet, buy some from the store!), then cover with my simple cream cheese frosting. You’ll use some black frosting (or gel icing from the store) to draw the strand of lights and your kids can place mini M&Ms along the strand to look like Christmas lights!
This activity can keep them busy for quite a while – without a huge mess! These are also great for cookie-decorating parties or school events.
These tasty gingerbread cookie bars have all the flavor of traditional gingerbread men, without any need to roll out dough and cut out shapes. They are super easy Christmas treats for kids to make and so, so good!
The cookie bars are flavored with ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, sweetened with brown sugar and molasses and topped with my favorite cream cheese frosting.
Simply whip up the dough, press it into a baking pan and then bake for 15-20 minutes. Cover it in frosting once it has completely cooled, slice into squares and you’re good to go!
Once you try one holiday cookie bar recipe, you’re going to get addicted. They’re just so easy to make with kids and so delicious.
These sugar cookie bars are one of my family’s favorites. They’re super versatile and can be topped with just about anything, from your favorite holiday sprinkles to chocolate chips, crushed up candy canes and more.
Simply mix up a basic sugar cookie dough, press it into a pan to bake and then top with my (now famous) cream cheese frosting. Have you noticed a pattern here? This is your sign to make a quadruple batch of my cream cheese frosting to have on hand for all of this Christmas baking for kids.
Spritz butter cookies might be the ultimate holiday dessert recipe. These are slightly more complicated to make with kids, but you’ll start such a fun Christmas tradition it will be worth the mess. I sat on the counter every Christmas making these with my mom and now I get to do this with my own daughter – it’s really the best!
Spritz butter cookies use a pretty basic cookie dough that is dyed with your favorite food coloring. You’ll need a Spritz cookie maker for these, but luckily this tool makes it pretty easy to create intricately shaped cookies – even with kids involved!
Top these little treats with sprinkles before making and then enjoy a delightful Christmas cookie that is as cute as it is delicious!
If your kids love traditional chocolate chip cookies and you’re looking for a holiday alternative, these White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are for you. They’re easy to whip up, bake quickly and can easily be customized with your kids’ favorite things.
Don’t like white chocolate? Use regular chocolate chips! Want some crunch? Add in some chopped walnuts or pecans. The sky’s the limit for these easy Christmas treats for kids!
These are a great option for holiday parties, school events or just for enjoying around the Christmas tree.
This is a family recipe that I seriously love. These thumbprint shortbread cookies are covered in a salty walnut coating and topped with sweet jelly.
I have really vivid memories of standing in the kitchen with my mom every Christmas and rolling the dough into balls. Now, I get to continue this tradition with Leah. It makes my Christmas heart happy!
These are great Christmas cookies for kids because there are lots of little jobs that kids can help with: rolling the dough into balls, dipping it in egg whites and rolling it in the walnuts (to name a few). If you’re baking with multiple kids, there are plenty of jobs to go around!
These simple, decorated sugar cookies couldn’t be cuter – or easier! Kids love to transform round sugar cookies into adorable reindeer with frosting, pretzels and other treats. I love to make these for school events or cookie swaps – or for leaving on Santa’s cookie plate each Christmas Eve!
The best part? I used premade sugar cookie dough to make these! You literally don’t even have to turn your oven on to make these if you buy your sugar cookies at the store.
Grab some store-bought chocolate frosting, mini pretzels, mini Nilla wafer cookies, M&Ms and edible eyeballs while you’re there, and you’ll be ready to make these reindeer cookies.
If you ask me, there’s pretty much no better holiday flavor combination than chocolate and peppermint. These chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies are packed with all the flavors of the holidays, but they can be made with store-bought ingredients to save you time.
I used refrigerated sugar cookie rounds to make the cookies, but you could even buy pre-made cookies or use my easy sugar cookie dough. Then, you’ll make a simple chocolate peppermint ganache, make a cookie sandwich and top with more chocolate and crushed-up candy canes.
These easy Christmas treats for kids to make just might become a holiday staple in your family!
Make a double batch of the chocolate peppermint ganache from the last recipe and you’ll have a head start on these hot chocolate-inspired cookies!
These cookies start with a simple chocolate cookie dough. Mix up the dough, drop heaping scoops on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes. Once the cookies are cooled, simply top them with a scoop of marshmallow fluff or creme, dip half the cookie in the chocolate peppermint ganache and then top with crushed candy canes.
It’s hot chocolate in a cookie and it’s one of my favorite holiday treats!
This no-fail chocolate fudge is always on my holiday roster. It’s so easy to make with kids and so, so good. Literally, you may never buy fudge from a candy store again (maybe…fudge is so good).
Simply combine butter, sugar and evaporated milk and bring to a boil on the stove. Once this has cooked for about 4 minutes, take it off the heat and stir in chocolate chips, marshmallow fluff and whatever mix-ins you want.
This versatile recipe is one of the easiest Christmas treats for kids to make – and it also makes a wonderful hostess gift or teacher gift!
Hot chocolate is one of the most perfect holiday treats for kids – and this copycat Disneyland hot chocolate recipe is the ultimate one. I promise, you have never had hot chocolate like this!
Made with heavy cream, condensed milk, cocoa powder and chocolate chips, this is basically like drinking a cup of cocoa from Santa himself. It’s easy for kids to help make and there’s basically no way they won’t absolutely love it.
Need an extra boost for the grown-ups? Add some salted caramel vodka, peppermint schnapps or some Kahlua for the coziest Christmas cocktail.
Move over Chex mix, there’s a new snack mix in town. This one is made with Chex, Cheerios and Honeycomb cereal plus pretzels and a sweet-and-salty coating.
This is one of my favorite easy Christmas treats for kids to help with because it is so, so simple to make – and they gobble it up!
This is a great snack mix to bring to a holiday party or to bag up in festive gift bags and give as gifts.
This next recipe isn’t exactly a Christmas dessert for kids, but your kids will love making it! It just might become a new holiday tradition.
This Magic Reindeer Food is a mix of some very special ingredients, including sprinkles, mini marshmallows, oats and chocolate chips (psst…I won’t tell if you just use anything you have on hand in your house).
On Christmas Eve, sprinkle it outside your house so Santa’s reindeer can see the sparkling sprinkles and find your house. Once they land, it is the perfect tasty snack for a hard-working reindeer!
I love to give this as a gift to kids and families we might be visiting during the holidays. Your Elf on the Shelf could also deliver it ahead of the big day!
Prepare for all this memory-making with my holiday baking essential ingredients list. It will help you stock up now on all the pantry staples and other ingredients you’ll need to spend Christmas in the kitchen this year!
If you make any of these holiday treats, make sure to let me know! Follow me over @lolohomekitchen on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes. Also, be sure to snap a photo if you make any Lolo’s stuff and tag #lolohk. I love to see what you are creating!
Our best tips for quick and tasty recipes, ideas and more, right to your inbox.
| PRIVACY | TERMS | ACCESSIBILITY
