There’s something about a holiday with built-in candy that makes kids suddenly very interested in helping out in the kitchen. And Easter is the perfect excuse to let them—the recipes tend to be forgiving, the decorating is half the fun, and the results are almost always cute enough to photograph before they get devoured.
Beyond the adorable factor, cooking together sneaks in some real skills: following a recipe builds reading comprehension, measuring ingredients is stealth math practice, and handling dough or batter gives little ones sensory input they’d otherwise get from, well, way messier activities. It works whether your kid is a toddler “helping” by dumping pre-measured cups or a grade-schooler who’s ready to crack eggs solo.
These Easter recipes (sourced from some of our favorite food creators) are designed to be fun for kids across ages and skill levels (and yes, delicious enough that you’ll want to eat them too).
A few tips before you get started:
Start simple. Stick with short ingredient lists and straightforward steps — think chocolate nests, rice crispy treats shaped like eggs, or basic sugar cookies. The fewer the steps, the longer their attention holds.
Let them go wild with decorating. Sprinkles, mini eggs, pastel frosting, edible glitter. Easter is basically a craft project that happens to be edible. Set out a spread and let them make choices.
Prep for safety (and sanity). Pre-measure what you can, keep little hands away from the oven and sharp tools, and accept that flour will end up on the floor. That’s just the deal.
Use cookie cutters strategically. Bunnies, chicks, eggs, whatever! Themed cutters turn even basic dough into something exciting. Kids get a huge kick out of the shapes alone.
Breakfast
1. The cutest pancakes you ever did see
Kids can help mix the pancake batter in this recipe by @slimmingstevie, then assemble and decorate the bunny. Give them mini cookie cutters and let them cut up the fruit, too.
2. Easter bread French toast
Whether leftover or fresh bread, French toast casserole is a great idea for Easter breakfast. You can prep it the night before, too. Let kids get their hands messy and dip the bread in the egg mixture. Just be sure they wash their hands after!
Snacks
3. Melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter eggs
Peanut butter eggs like these from @laurens_latest are a delicious Easter classic. Let kids measure and mix ingredients, roll the peanut butter mixture into egg shapes, and decorate the top with sprinkles.
4. Peep-inspired Rice Krispie treats
The fun twist on this classic recipe from @soyummy gives kids an opportunity to fill their treats with even more treats, like sprinkles or M&M’s.
5. Easter berry smoothies
This recipe from Busy Little Chefs is simple to make and feels like a treat even though it’s actually pretty healthy overall (if you just ignore that little topper, anyway).
Lunch
6. A hummus pot with carrots
You and your kids will be happy with this easy-to-make, filling, and adorable snack from @palmettokidsdentistry.
7. Easter-themed fruit salad
Not only will they love to eat it, they’ll be thrilled to use their cookie cutter skills to make it.
Dinner
8. Smashed baby potatoes
This recipe from @eitan makes an excellent side for Easter dinner. Kids will enjoy smashing the potatoes, and they can choose their own toppings to sprinkle on when they’re done.
9. An entire leg of lamb
This enthusiastic three-year-old chef at @ilirian_cooks proves that kids can help prepare your main
10. A Cadbury egg trifle
Kids get to design the look of this recipe from @slowroasted themselves as they layer the treats and decorate the top.
