Photo: Matt Armendariz
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Kid-Friendly Holiday Treat Ideas
If you’ve got little ones at home then you already know: There is nothing you can do to get your kiddos to sit still, use an "inside" voice or stop bouncing off every piece of springy furniture in the house during the holidays. The only solution? Channel all that holiday spirit into fun tasks that will keep them busy! We love crafty activities like DIY salt dough ornaments and purpose-driven projects like homemade edible gifts for everyone on your list, but there’s something extra special about baking together. The laughter, the memories, the sweet treats that become tradition: there’s nothing better than bringing everyone together in the kitchen during the holidays. That’s why we love these recipes. From cookies and cupcakes to easy candies and couldn't-be-simpler miniature yule logs, these are the family-friendly projects you’ll love to make (and share!) year after year. Looking for the perfect recipe to get you started? Try these sugar cookies. Each one depicts a miniature holiday scene: a bed of freshly fallen snow with a perfect Christmas tree in the middle. The best part of these impressive treats? They come together quickly and easily with store-bought candy, icing and cookies. All you need to do is let your inner artist shine.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz
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Gelt Peanut Butter Blossoms
Peanut butter blossoms take on a delicious holiday transformation that's perfect for celebrating Hanukkah. Each cookie is coated in festive sprinkles and pressed with a chocolate gelt coin (a traditional Hanukkah present) while still warm. Soft and chewy, with melted chocolate in the center, these cookies are sure to get you in the spirit!
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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
3 / 22
Quick and Easy Peppermint Fudge
This quick and easy peppermint fudge from Ree Drummond is a festive, no-fuss treat perfect for kids to help make—and even better to eat!
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Photo: Renee Comet ©
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Holiday Monster Cookies
These giant, saucer-sized cookies are packed with festive candies, peppermint chunks, salty pretzels and white chocolate chips, so they really live up to their name. Serve them as part of a cookie swap, for dessert on Christmas Day or as the special treat left for Santa — with a really big glass of milk!
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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
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Christmas Brownie Trees
A simple brownie recipe becomes extra special with the addition of green frosting and candy. We bake the brownies in round cake pans to make cutting triangle shapes easy, with no trimmings or waste.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz
6 / 22
Miniature Yule Log Yodels
Yule log cake, also called buche de Noel, is a quintessential Christmas dessert that's usually fairly complicated to make. That's why we created these easy miniature versions that call for Yodels, so all you have to do is build your logs and frost them — no baking required.
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Photo: Lucy Schaeffer
7 / 22
Cornflake Christmas Wreaths
Cornflakes get dressed for the holidays when mixed with a green marshmallow coating. Shaped into individual wreaths and topped with festive candies, these crunchy treats are a fun no-bake project.
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Easy Chocolately Holiday Cookies
These easy chocolatey holiday cookies are a kid-friendly favorite, packed with rich cocoa flavor and perfect for festive decorating fun.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz
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Snowy Pinecones
With their crunchy cereal exteriors and creamy peanut-butter-and-chocolate-hazelnut centers, these wintery pinecones are a delicious and easy way to keep your little ones busy—without turning on your oven.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz
10 / 22
M&M Magic Bars
This quick and easy bake sale classic goes over the top for the holidays — we've loaded the bars with your favorite Christmas candies.
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Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher
11 / 22
Christmas Tree Cheesecake Pops
Trimming the tree gets a whole new meaning when it comes to decorating these adorable cheesecake pops. Freezing the cheesecake slices overnight is the key to easy dipping. Your kids will love adding their own special touch and decorating their trees with sprinkles and frosting to resemble lights, bulbs and even snow!
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Four-Flavor Sheet Pan Holiday Cookie
With a single recipe you can fill your holiday cookie plate with four different varieties of treats. All it takes is a few tubes of store-bought dough and some festive chocolate candies.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
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Christmas Reindeer Brownies
Colorful candy, marshmallows and wafer cookies transform fudgy brownies into a fun Christmas treat. They are easy enough for everyone to help make — and are sure to be the talk of your dessert spread!
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Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher
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Oreo Balls
A five-ingredient treat for the chocolate sandwich cookie enthusiast...what's not to love? These truffles encase a soft cookie filling with a chocolatey shell. They're fun to decorate with cookie crumbs or sprinkles, depending on the occasion.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
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Cherry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies
These colorful pinwheel cookies are so much fun to make. Little ones will love rolling the logs of cookie dough into holiday sprinkles. Older kids can help slice the cookies, revealing the spiral design.
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Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher
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Homemade Hanukkah Gelt
These homemade Hanukkah gelt just might be your new holiday tradition! You only need a mini muffin tin and some gold sprinkles. We like the richness of bittersweet chocolate, but you can easily swap in your favorite type.
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Candy Melt Trees
Kids of all ages will feel like pro decorators with these easy homemade cupcake toppers. Just pipe in a zigzag motion over a pretzel stick, sprinkle with nonpareils and let the candy melts set. It’s that easy!
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Photo: Stephen Johnson ©
18 / 22
Christmas Cookie Dip
This creamy dip will remind you of the spoonfuls of cookie dough everyone loves to sneak out of the mixing bowl. Its light, fluffy texture pairs well with a variety of fun dippers.
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Photo: Renee Comet ©
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White Chocolate Confetti Christmas Cookies
Want to add a touch of holiday magic to your cookies? Break out the red and green sprinkles. These treats look festive with their holiday colors and white chocolate drizzle but they’re easy to make. The cookies come together in a few simple steps (measure, mix, scoop, flatten and bake) and the white chocolate decoration is a cinch — just microwave until smooth and then drizzle over the cookies with a spoon.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz
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Holiday Haystacks
These chocolate treats technically aren’t cookies but we’re certain that Santa would approve if he found a few of these left out on Christmas Eve! A welcome addition to any holiday cookie plate, these no-bake goodies come together fast — and with just 6 ingredients.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz
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Eggnog Blossoms
This is the perfect recipe for bigger kids who want to learn to bake from scratch. You’ll find that, as long as you keep a watchful eye and handle the cookie sheets going into and out of the oven, older kids will be able to tackle just about everything else. Let them measure and mix, shape and roll the dough and carefully press the unwrapped candies into the warm cookies.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz
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Holiday Dirty Soda
Dirty soda, which originated in Utah and was popularized by the Mormon community (which prohibits the consumption of coffee and tea but not soda), includes soda of choice mixed with a flavored syrup, then an added splash of half-and-half or other creamer to mimic the iconic swirling of dairy mixing with coffee or tea. Our recipe rings in the holiday season with the festive flavors of peppermint and vanilla in a homemade vanilla-mint syrup. Just add your favorite cola and half-and-half, garnish the glass with a bit of store-bought chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes and accessorize with a cheerful straw and a whole candy cane. The syrup makes enough for four drinks, but feel free to double it for a holiday party or to drizzle the extra into hot chocolate for a punch of mint flavor. For the best presentation, we recommend making the drinks one at a time for your guests.
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