18 Fun and Festive Treats to Make with Kids

Whether you’re whipping up a sweet snack for your family movie night or baking a treat to leave for Santa, kids of all ages will be excited to make these holiday desserts.

October 27, 2022

By: Kristie Collado

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Lucy Schaeffer

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Make Some Memories

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 brownies to easy candies and 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.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Christmas Tree Cookies

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!

Get the Recipe: Gelt Peanut Butter Blossoms

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!

Get the Recipe: Holiday Monster Cookies

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.

Get the Recipe: Christmas Brownie Trees

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.

Get the Recipe: Miniature Yule Log Yodels

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.

Get the Recipe: Cornflake Christmas Wreaths

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.

Get the Recipe: Four-Flavor Sheet Pan Holiday Cookie

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!

Get the Recipe: Christmas Reindeer Brownies

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.

Get the Recipe: Oreo Balls

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.

Get the Recipe: M&M Magic Bars

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!

Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Cheesecake Pops

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.

Get the Recipe: Cherry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies

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.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Hanukkah Gelt

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!

Get the Recipe: Candy Melt Trees

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.

Get the Recipe: Christmas Cookie Dip

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.

Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Confetti Christmas Cookies

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.

Get the Recipe: Holiday Haystacks

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.

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Blossoms