21 Kid-Friendly Snack Recipes To Keep in Your Back Pocket

Snacks are key to keeping your kids happy and healthy. Whether after school, during soccer games or at playdates, a small bite helps your kiddos power through the day. While baked goods, like chocolate chip cookies, are always welcome, you're likely looking for snacks on the healthier side — and yes, there really are healthy snacks that your kids will love. Below, we've assembled a mix of recipes that include everything from sweet treats to savory bites, both classic versions and lightened-up remakes. Bonus? Many of these options are portable, making them perfect for car rides, park trips, and lunch boxes! Molly's DIY granola bars are the perfect example. She fills the granola bars with wholesome ingredients like oats, nut butter, dried fruit and seeds, but adds in chocolate candies for a fun and colorful touch! Make a big batch on the weekends and enjoy these all week long.

Get the kids more involved in the kitchen by having them make their own skewers! Layer up an assorment of fruits, and whip up Kardea's yogurt dip for serving on the side. By making their own kabobs, kids are much more likely to eat their fruit!

We cracked the boxed-cheese-cracker code with this super simple recipe. The dough comes together quickly in a food processor, which makes it easy to have on hand! Keep in mind that the dough does need to be chilled before baking, so start making these in advance for an after-school snack.

Kardea's frozen yogurt bark is great to keep on hand for sweet treat cravings that aren't too indulgent. Simply swirl strawberry jam into yogurt, then top with your favorite fruits and freeze until firm! A few dark chocolate shavings never hurt, either.

These muffins tick off all the boxes for a kid-friendly snack — they’re perfectly sized, easy to bring along and delicious. The fact that they’re full of wholesome ingredients such as oats, spinach and zucchini is an unexpected bonus. Made almost completely in a blender, they’re super-fast to pull together and they bake in under 15 minutes.

No, these apple snacks are not actual donuts. But, with fun toppings and a circular shape, they're more appealing to kids than plain old apple slices. Use yogurt, nut butter, or chocolate-hazelnut spread as the "frosting," then let the kids go crazy with adding sprinkles, chopped fruit, or granola!

This is what every snack bar should be: sweet and juicy from 3 kinds of dried fruit, crisp from oats and sunflower seeds and super easy to make in the food processor. The bars get their sweetness from dates and maple syrup, without using refined sugar. The dried fruit keeps the bars moist for 5 days, so bake a batch Sunday afternoon for a full school week of snacking.

These bite-size pizza rolls are like your favorite freezer aisle after-school snack but even better (yeah, we said it). We stuffed ours with crumbled Italian sausage, pepperoni, pizza sauce and, of course, plenty of cheese, then fried them so their wonton skin wrappers get super crisp. We dare you to compare.

You’d probably never guess the secret ingredient in these cookies if it wasn’t in the name of the recipe — which means your kids will never know! Cottage cheese is the star in these otherwise classic chocolate chip cookies, and it works to transform them in three impressive ways. First it boosts the cookies’ protein content, an excellent and unexpected nutritional bonus. Second, it acts as a fat replacer, allowing the dough to stay rich and tender with about half as much butter. Finally, these cookies bake up chewy and fluffy thanks to the moisture content the cottage cheese brings.

Molly says, "This is the bar form of one of my favorite cookies, the monster cookie! The monster cookie originated in Michigan and contains oats, peanut butter and candy-coated chocolates, and traditionally does not have flour. I love the chewy consistency and nutty flavor from the oats and peanut butter. It's kind of like a more indulgent granola bar!"

Sure, you could just heat up frozen mozzarella sticks. But DIYing with your air fryer is so darn easy and allows you to make them ranch flavored — plus, it cuts down on extra oil. Pro tip: make a double batch and stash them in your freezer in a resealable freezer bag so they're waiting for you when you need them most.

As Ree says, these apple stackers "are so much fun to make and even more fun to eat." Core and slice an apple into rings and let the kids top decorate each slice with peanut butter, granola and a cinnamon-sugar topping. Once the slices are finished, stack 'em up and snack away!

The flavors of summer and strawberry shortcake have found their way into a crunchy treat that's perfect for kiddos. We decreased the amount of marshmallows (AKA sugar) and stirred in some almond butter and freeze dried strawberries. Each sweet-tart bar is a generous size, too!

Muffins aren't just for breakfast! Molly likes to bake these mini versions that can easily fit in her kids hands. Plus, with fresh blueberries, they're packed with nutrients! Pack a few in a bag and have them ready for an after school pick-me-up.

Cute, easy and full of fresh fruit — what more could you want in a snack for your littles?! Ree's yogurt bites come together in a flash and are frozen in a mini muffin tin for easy portions. She uses strawberry yogurt, but feel free to use whatever your kids prefer!

This healthy version of puppy chow is just as satisfying as the original sweet snack but has less added sugar. The chocolatey coating includes almond butter instead of the traditional peanut butter, and we toss the coated cereal with unsweetened coconut instead of confectioners’ sugar to finish. It just may become your new go-to quick snack.

Melissa says, "After school, my girls are super-hungry, so I steer them toward a savory snack. These polenta mini-pizzas are a treat that I feel great about giving them. And, I can tailor them according to their tastes (and what I happen to have in the pantry)!"

Kardea's cereal treats are a delight for young eaters and grown-ups, too! Taking inspiration from both campfire cook-outs and childhood moments, she combines chocolate bar pieces with cinnamon cereal and dehydrated marshmallows. It's a fun, colorful snack to save for special moments, like movie nights or hiking trips!

Making your own crackers are easier than you think! These cheesy snacks are made with flour, water, butter and shredded Cheddar, then baked until golden brown. Molly uses everything bagel seasoning for a fun punch of flavor, but you can omit them for picky eaters.

Whether you like your chocolate chip cookies crispy or chewy, these sweet treats are the definition of cozy comfort food. They’re the best of both worlds, soft in the center and crispy on the edges. They’re not difficult to make either — our simple chocolate chip cookie recipe doesn’t require any special equipment, so it’s easy to whip up any day of the week and is a great project to tackle with kids.