Children love the holidays, probably more than adults! There’s the excitement of Santa Claus, presents under the tree, festive songs about reindeer, matching family pajamas, and winter break from school. With the kids at home and feeling festive, it’s fun to enlist them for help in the kitchen. They, of course, prefer to bake cookies, but there are other recipes they can have some fun making, or at the very least, that they can just enjoy eating.
We looked through our Food Monster App and put together a list of 15 recipes the kids will enjoy during the holidays. Most are desserts, but there are also some breakfast, snacks, dinner, and beverage recipes that we just know they will love too!
1. Strawberry Santas
Source: Strawberry Santas
Sometimes during the holidays, you need to serve a treat for kids of all ages. Holly Bertone‘s Strawberry Santas are just that. They even have little strawberry Santa hats! They are made to be dairy-free and vegan and are naturally gluten-free. It’s a Christmas dessert and a sweet treat for all!
2. Thanksgiving-Inspired Rice
Source: Thanksgiving Inspired Rice
Children love rice! It’s easy for even the youngest to eat and it’s a good way to sneak in some healthy ingredients to their holiday dinner. Nutty brown rice, sweet corn, tart dried cranberries, and zesty citrus flavors all come together to create this special occasion Thanksgiving Inspired Rice from Back to the Cutting Board that’s worth celebrating.
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3. Holiday Pumpkin Milk
Source: Holiday Pumpkin Milk
It’s that time of the year when you just want to sit by a fire, wrapped in a blanket, and drink something that tastes like the holidays. This Holiday Pumpkin Milk by Nikki and Zuzana is a delicious dairy-free, caffeine-free, chemical-free, whole-food plant-based treat.
4. Holiday Gingerbread Cookies
Source: Holiday Gingerbread Cookies
Holly Jade‘s Holiday Gingerbread Cookies are super easy to make and taste delicious. They are crisp ginger cookies that are perfectly spiced, decorated with homemade vegan royal icing which drys out at room temperature. This is a classic recipe for Christmas that everyone will enjoy. Even pop a few on a plate along with a glass of dairy-free milk for Santa, we’re sure he’ll want more than one!
5. Holiday Spiced Doughnuts With a Cinnamon Chocolate Glaze
Source: Holiday Spiced Doughnuts With a Cinnamon Chocolate Glaze
Jennifer Harmon‘s Holiday Spiced Doughnuts are filled with a blend of warm holiday spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. They’re then topped with a cinnamon chocolate glaze to add a little more sweetness.
6. Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Waffles
Source: Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Waffles
Sara Grandominico‘s vegan Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Waffles are so soft and perfectly sweet and spiced! Healthy, grain-free, and naturally sweet. The banana flour gives such a great thick, dense, almost chewy texture.
7. Easy Banana and Nutella Puff Pastries
Source: Easy Banana and Nutella Puff Pastries
Holly Jade‘s Easy Banana and Nutella Puff Pastries are most definitely a treat you won’t want to miss making. Only three easily accessible ingredients. Who wouldn’t want a pastry parcel filled with hazelnut chocolate spread with slices of banana?
8. Almond Cinnamon Holiday Cookie Stars
Source: Almond Cinnamon Holiday Cookie Stars
Lili Basic Capaccetti‘s delicious Almond Cinnamon Holiday Cookie Stars have a rich aroma of almonds, orange, cinnamon, and vanilla. They are great for anybody with dietary restrictions and intolerances and also for anybody who wants to try something a bit different when baking for Christmas. These may be healthy but they are also very delicious and have all those lovely flavors you would want in a Christmas cookie.
9. Pumpkin Pie With Gingerbread Cookies
Source: Pumpkin Pie With Gingerbread Cookies
There’s nothing better than those classic warm spices. Jessica Bose‘s Pumpkin Pie With Gingerbread Cookies has cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. The spices are paired with brown sugar, molasses, and pumpkin. And with gingerbread cookies! What could be better?
10. Hot Chocolate
Source: Hot Chocolate
Olivia Budgen‘s dairy-free Hot Chocolate is a healthy (and more yummy) alternative to the common packaged powdered mixtures. This recipe is made using 100 percent, fresh, whole plant foods making it very healthy. It is so rich, decadent, and creamy!
11. Gingerbread Cupcakes Topped With Date Icing
Source: Gingerbread Cupcakes Topped With Date Icing
Jesse Jane Lee‘s vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes Topped With Date Icing are sweet treats that are full of healthy ingredients like blackstrap molasses, dates, chia seeds, and coconut oil. These cupcakes are bound to be a hit with both friends and family!
12. Winter Wonderland Gingerbread Cake
Source: Winter Wonderland Gingerbread Cake
Imagine this luscious moist Winter Wonderland Gingerbread Cake loaded up with cream cheese icing and a hot cup of vegan hot chocolate on a cold snowy winter night. This cake by Gretchen Price is a dream come true!
13. Simple Gingerbread Houses
Source: Simple Gingerbread Houses
Holly Jade‘s Simple Gingerbread Houses would be perfect gifts for Christmas, as a centerpiece at your festive dining table or to enjoy making and eating, they are scrumptious! The gingerbread is perfectly spiced with ginger and has a lovely crunch, which is exactly what you want in a ginger cookie.
14. Red Lentil Veggie Nuggets
Source: Red Lentil Veggie Nuggets
This Red Lentil Veggie Nuggets recipe by Lindsey Auerbach is one that the whole family will love! Make these for fun snacks or cute sides. You can serve them either warm or cold, with some ketchup or honey-mustard sauce on the side for dipping.
15. Lentil and Beet Meatballs With Pasta
Source: Lentil and Beet Meatballs With Pasta
Kids just love spaghetti and meatballs, and this vegan Lentil and Beet Meatballs With Pasta recipe by Jyothi Rajesh is so much healthier than the traditional version. Beets are truly one of the most under-appreciated vegetables. They are nutrient-rich, provide a mesmerizing color to whichever dish you add them to, and are extremely versatile. For this recipe, the crimson vegetable, along with red lentils, onions, spices, and bread crumbs, are formed into veggie meatballs.
