Kids Recipes

Our kids all love to cook and that makes for great family time in the kitchen.  Here are some simple recipes that kids can make and will love to eat.  All are fully recommended by our kids and they were all made several times by our twelve-and-under (at the time) crowd of carnivorous kids.  Now they are all adults and still love to make these recipes.

Three ingredient best cookies ever

• Wheat thin crackers

• Peanut butter

• Candy-making chocolate (Ghiradelli is best)

Melt chocolate by placing it in a sauce pan and placing that pan in a larger pan with a few inches of water in the bottom, over low heat.  

Make sandwiches by spreading peanut butter on a Wheat Thin cracker and placing another Wheat Thin on top.  

When chocolate has melted, plop a couple of the sandwiches into the chocolate, push then under and turn with a fork so that they are completely covered.  Then remove and place on wax paper to cool.

Note: A box of Wheat Thins will make 60 or 70 sandwiches.  Covering them will require a pound of chocolate or a little more.  This is Pete's contribution to Christmas sweets every year and they are great and simple.

Mother’s Day Pie

Your little kids can make this and it is better than just edible – it’s good!

Crust

• 20 Oreo cookies – do not use the Double Stuff, the cookie part is what matters

• ½ stick of butter - melted

Put the Oreos in a plastic Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.  It your kids don’t enjoy that part, I can’t help you.  

Pour crushed Oreos into a mixing bowl, add melted butter and mix.  Spread the Oreo and butter mixture on the bottom and edges of a pie pan and pat until evenly spread.  Place in freezer for a half hour or so to firm it up.

Filling

• 1 package of Jell-O instant pudding, your favorite flavor

• Milk

• Cool Whip or some similar frothy product devoid of nutrition

Make the pudding according to package directions.  Pour half of the pudding into the pie crust.  Add a couple of large dollops of Cool Whip to the remaining pudding and mix, then pour that on top of the pudding that is already in the pie crust to make a different color layer.  If there is still room, add more Cool Whip on top for a third layer.  Put the pie in the fridge for a half hour or so.

Garnish, etc.

To really make this look great, use a grate (see what I did there?).  Shave some more Oreos over the top of the pie after adding the Cool Whip.  Other possible garnishes include about any kind of chocolate hard enough to work through a cheese grater.  Watch your fingers, though!  

One seasonal alternative is Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.  They add both color and mint flavor.  Who am I kidding? Girl Scout cookies are not seasonal, we never get rid of last year’s before the new ones come.  It is a good thing they are full of preservatives.

Parfait option (see photo)

Forget the pie crust and put the layers in clear glasses for a fun dessert.  Add a couple of raspberries or strawberry slices for fun, flavor and color.

Three ingredient crock pot chocolate cake

• One dry chocolate cake mix

• One can of cherry pie filling

• 1 tsp almond extract

Pre-heat a 4 quart crock pot for ten minutes at medium heat.  Lightly butter the inside to prevent 

the cake from sticking.  

Mix the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on medium for two hours.  

Honest, it is that simple.  The kids can make it and trust us, it is really good, especially with some vanilla ice cream.