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“Unicorn Poop” Rainbow Donuts

July 2, 2019 Leave a Comment

Inside: Kids will go wild for these “Unicorn Poop” Rainbow Donuts! Easy baked donut recipe with sugar glaze – a guaranteed hit for any occasion!

Kids will go wild for these "Unicorn Poop" rainbow donuts! Easy baked donut recipe with sugar glaze - a guaranteed hit for any occasion!

Rainbow Unicorn Poop Donuts

My family is crazy about donuts! (I blame this on my husband…they are favorite splurge day treat!)

However, I never tried to make my own donuts at home until just a couple years ago. But it’s surprisingly easy!

These unicorn donuts are one of my favorite homemade donut recipes because they are so colorful – the kids absolutely love them!

Rainbow donuts are fun to make for special occasions, like a unicorn themed birthday party. But since they’re pretty simple to make, they are a great everyday treat or baking project for kids too!

We use baking as a way to practice math and measurements with the girls – our friends at Huntington Learning Center gave us this idea.

The kids don’t mind math at all when there is a sweet reward at the end, plus they learn real-life practical applications that make measurements more exciting!

But enough about math…let’s get baking!

— Stacey

Rainbow Donuts Ingredients

For the Donuts:

  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
  • 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk 
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Neon food coloring (we used pink, blue, green, and purple)

For the Glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered icing sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Unicorn sprinkles

Kitchen Tools Used

  • Non-slip mixing bowls
  • Donut pan (these silicone donut pans are perfect for baking with kids because the donuts pop right out!)
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Wire cooling rack

Kids will go wild for these rainbow swirled Unicorn Donuts! Easy baked donut recipe with sugar glaze - a guaranteed hit for any occasion!

How to Make Swirled Rainbow Donuts

Keep reading for photo step-by-step directions. A free printable copy of our rainbow donuts recipe is available at the bottom of the post.

To Make the Rainbow Donuts:

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your donut pans with non-stick baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk, sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla. Stir to combine.

Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring as you pour.

Divide the donut batter into four smaller bowls. Use your food coloring (we used pink, blue, green, and purple) to make each bowl of batter a different color.

Fill each donut well with some of each colored batter, then use a butter knife to swirl the batter.

rainbow batter in donut pan

Repeat until the pan is full. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Let cool 10 minutes, then flip your donuts onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Repeat if needed, until all the batter is used.

baked rainbow donuts on wire cooling rack

To Make the Glaze:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk.

Place a piece of foil under the wire rack with the donuts to catch any glaze.

Slowly pour glaze over your donuts, until the tops are coated generously.

Add the sprinkles immediately after the donuts have been glazed. Allow glaze to set, then enjoy!

Kids will go wild for these rainbow swirled Unicorn Donuts! Easy baked donut recipe with sugar glaze - a guaranteed hit for any occasion!

Pin our Unicorn Donuts on Pinterest:

Kids will go wild for these "Unicorn Poop" rainbow donuts! Easy baked donut recipe with sugar glaze - a guaranteed hit for any occasion!

Grab your free printable copy of our rainbow donuts recipe:

Yield: 6 donuts

"Unicorn Poop" Rainbow Donuts

Kids will go wild for these rainbow swirled Unicorn Donuts! Easy baked donut recipe with sugar glaze - a guaranteed hit for any occasion!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Donuts:

  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
  • 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk 
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Neon food coloring (we used pink, blue, green, and purple)

For the Glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered icing sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Unicorn sprinkles

Instructions

To Make the Rainbow Donuts:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your donut pans with non-stick baking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
  3. In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk, sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
  4. Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring as you pour.
  5. Divide the donut batter into four smaller bowls. Use your food coloring (we used pink, blue, green, and purple) to make each bowl of batter a different color.
  6. Fill each donut well with some of each colored batter, then use a butter knife to swirl the batter.
  7. Repeat until the pan is full. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
  8. Let cool 10 minutes, then flip your donuts onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. Repeat if needed, until all the batter is used.

To Make the Glaze:

  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk.
  2. Place a piece of foil under the wire rack with the donuts to catch any glaze.
  3. Slowly pour glaze over your donuts, until the tops are coated generously.
  4. Add the sprinkles immediately after the donuts have been glazed. Allow glaze to set, then enjoy!
© Stacey Rodriguez
Cuisine: American / Category: Baking with Kids

More of our favorite donut recipes:

These chocolate dipped Winnie-the-Pooh Donuts are almost too cute to eat!

Winnie the Pooh Donuts

An easy shortcut recipe to make rainbow decorated air fryer donuts. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day or kids birthday parties!

Rainbow Air Fryer Donuts

Filed Under: Party Recipes Tagged With: desserts, donuts

Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag (with Video)

June 24, 2019 2 Comments

Learn how to make real homemade ice cream in a bag — a fun summer activity (and treat) for kids!

Learn how to make real homemade ice cream in a bag — a fun summer activity (and treat) for kids!

Ice Cream in a Bag

Have you ever made your own homemade ice cream? There are lots of gadgets and ice cream makers for sale, but you actually don’t need any fancy equipment to make ice cream at home!

All you need are 4 simple ingredients and a few basic supplies to make ice cream in a bag! That’s right, you can make real homemade ice cream in a ziplock bag!

This is such a fun summer activity for kids because they can take the bag outside and shake it around, toss it, etc. In other words, they’ll burn lots of energy!

And when it’s all done, they can cool off with the delicious and refreshing ice cream they made!

Learn how to make real homemade ice cream in a bag — a fun summer activity (and treat) for kids!

How it Works: The Science Behind Ice Cream in a Bag

The cool thing (see what I did there?) about making ice cream in a ziplock bag is that it is a science lesson too!

The ice in the ziplock bag has to absorb energy from its environment in order to melt. Adding salt to the ice lowers the freezing point of ice from 32°F to about 20°F, so the ice needs to absorb even more energy to melt.

The ice absorbs heat (energy) from the ice cream ingredients which it comes into contact with, as well as the outside environment. As the ice absorbs heat from your ingredients, the ice cream begins to freeze.

So not only is ziplock bag ice cream lots of fun, but you can feel good about this treat in particular because it has educational value too! Win-win!

— Stacey

Ice Cream in a Bag Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup

Supplies Used:

  • 1 gallon freezer bag
  • 1 quart freezer bag
  • Ice
  • ½ cup rock salt
  • Baggy Rack sandwich bag holder

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag

First, watch our quick 1-minute video to see how to make ziplock bag ice cream, then keep reading for photo step-by-step directions.

Click video to play:

Open a quart size bag and add sugar, half and half, vanilla extract and chocolate syrup. Seal the bag.

how to make ice cream in a ziplock bag

TIP: We love these handy Baggy Rack freezer bag holders because they keep the bag open and upright while we mix ingredients. There’s way less chance to make a mess!

Open gallon ziplock bag and fill halfway with ice. Sprinkle ½ cup of rock salt over the ice.

Place your quart sized bag inside the gallon bag and seal. 

shaking ice cream in a plastic bag

Double-check your bags to make sure they’re well-sealed. Shake the bags vigorously until ice cream forms. Enjoy!

Learn how to make real homemade ice cream in a bag — a fun summer activity (and treat) for kids!

We even made this fun step-by-step guide to make our ziplock bag ice cream:

ice cream in a bag instructions

Have you tried making ice cream with the ziplock bag method? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Free Printable Copy of Ice Cream in a Bag Recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

Learn how to make real homemade ice cream in a bag — a fun summer activity (and treat) for kids!

Learn how to make real homemade ice cream in a bag — a fun summer activity (and treat) for kids!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup
  • Supplies Used:
  • 1 Gallon Ziploc Bag
  • 1 Quart Ziploc Bag
  • Ice
  • ½ cup rock salt

Instructions

  1. Add sugar, half and half, vanilla extract and chocolate syrup to quart sized freezer bag and seal tightly.
  2. Fill gallon freezer bag halfway with ice. Sprinkle ½ cup of rock salt over the ice.
  3. Place your quart sized bag inside the gallon bag and seal. 
  4. Double-check your bags to make sure they're well-sealed. Shake bags vigorously until ice cream forms. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 28378mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 4g
© Stacey Rodriguez
Cuisine: American / Category: Recipes

More Kitchen Science and Sensory Play for Kids

If you liked this ziplock bag ice cream recipe, be sure to check out more of our favorite kitchen kids activities and sensory play recipes:

Edible Gummy Bear Slime

Jell-O Alphabet Sensory Bin

Filed Under: Kitchen Activities, Recipes Tagged With: desserts, Video

Shark Lollipops for Shark Week!

June 12, 2019 Leave a Comment

Use our clever candy-making trick to create these eye-catching and tasty shark lollipops! Perfect for shark week!

Use our clever candy-making trick to create these eye-catching and tasty shark lollipops! Perfect for shark week!

Homemade Shark Candy

It’s almost Shark Week and my daughter and her friends are so excited (it will be their first year watching), so I thought I’d contribute to the fun with some fun Shark themed recipes. Between our Shark OREOs and these Shark Lollipops, the kids are going to have a blast!

Honestly, I am still shocked at how easy these shark lollipops were to make!

I’ve avoided making homemade lollipops forever – I assumed it would be messy and difficult.

However, a simple candy-making hack proved me wrong!

Instead of making hard candy from scratch, we melted Jolly Ranchers! This recipe turned out to be super easy and (in my opinion) a lot more safe than trying to handle hot liquid candy.

Here’s the quick breakdown:

  1. Melt some Jolly Ranchers on a cookie sheet
  2. Add on some edible decorations
  3. Wait for your homemade lollipops to cool

That’s it! (But we have full step by step directions a little bit further in the post too, so you’ll be sure to get it right the first time!)

After you make these super simple shark lollipops you’re going to be looking for opportunities to make your own custom lollipops, especially considering how impressive they look! My friend could not believe that I made these and I think she was convinced that I was some sort of kitchen genius… nope! I just love a great kitchen hack!

These shark lollipops are perfect for Shark Week, but they would also work for a Finding Nemo theme or A Shark Tale movie night. Swap out the scary shark for gummy fish if you prefer (or if you’re having a hard time finding them).

I hope your kids love these super simple shark lollipops as much as mine did – and be sure to Pin this recipe for your future Shark snack planning!

~~~ Jennifer

Use our clever candy-making trick to create these eye-catching and tasty shark lollipops! Perfect for shark week!

Shark Lollipops Ingredients

  • 18 Jolly Ranchers, blue
  • Airheads Candy, blue, red, orange, and green
  • 6 Gummy Sharks
  • 6 Lollipop Sticks

Tip: this recipe makes 6 lollipops. Double or triple the recipe as needed.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

  • Cookie sheet
  • Non-stick silicone baking mat
  • Kitchen scissors

Use our clever candy-making trick to create these eye-catching and tasty shark lollipops! Perfect for shark week!

How to Make Shark Lollipops

1. Preheat oven to 275°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick silicone mats.

TIP: These silicone baking mats are one of our absolute favorite baking tools! They’re washable and re-usable, so you get to use them over and over (no paper waste!) and your baked goods or homemade candy pops right off them!

2. Unwrap the Airhead candy and cut thin pieces, about 2 inches long to resemble sea weed.

shark lollipop ingredients

3. On your prepared baking sheet, place 3 unwrapped Jolly Rancher candies in a rectangle shape, making sure they touch. Repeat this with all the candies. (Make sure to leave space to add the sucker stick)

melting Jolly Ranchers to make lollipops

4. Place the Jolly Rancher candies in the oven for about 4-5 minutes. Make sure to keep a close eye on them because you want to take them out just after they melt together.

Use our clever candy-making trick to create these eye-catching and tasty shark lollipops! Perfect for shark week!

5. Remove them from the oven and place a sucker stick on each one.

6. Let them set up for a few minutes until they aren’t hot but still tacky, then put 3-4 pieces of the sea weed and a shark on each one.

 

Be sure to pin our homemade shark lollipop recipe on Pinterest:

Use our clever candy-making trick to create these eye-catching and tasty shark lollipops! Perfect for shark week!

Grab your free printable for our shark lollipops recipe:

Yield: 6 lollipops

Shark Lollipops

Use our clever candy-making trick to create these eye-catching and tasty shark lollipops! Perfect for shark week!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 18 Jolly Ranchers, blue
  • Airheads Candy, blue, red, orange, and green
  • 6 Gummy Sharks
  • 6 Sucker Sticks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Unwrap the Airhead candy and cut thin pieces, about 2 inches long to resemble sea weed.

3. On a parchment lined baking sheet, place 3 unwrapped Jolly Rancher candies above each other making sure they touch. Repeat this with all the candies. (Make sure to leave space to add the sucker stick)

4. Place the Jolly Rancher candies in the oven for about 4-5 minutes. Make sure to keep a close eye on them because you want to take them out just after they melt together.

5. Remove them from the oven and place a sucker stick on each one.

6. Let them set up for a few minutes until they aren’t hot but still tacky, then put 3-4 pieces of the sea weed and a shark on each one.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 0g
© Jennifer Tammy
Cuisine: American / Category: Party Recipes

Are your kids excited for Shark week? Be sure to check out some of our other fun Shark-themed recipes, like our chocolate-covered Baby Shark OREOs or our Mermaid Smoothie Bowl. (Just call it a Shark Smoothie bowl…)

 

Filed Under: Party Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: candy, desserts

Baby Shark OREOs

June 3, 2019 Leave a Comment

Whether your kids are excited for Shark Week or they can’t get enough of that one particular super-catchy song, these Chocolate-covered Baby Shark OREOs are sure to be a hit!

Inspired by the super-catchy song, these Baby Shark Oreos are cute and fun to make! Perfect for Shark Week too!

Baby Shark OREO Cookies

Chocolate-covered OREOs are one of my easiest go-to party recipes.

I have a simple mold that I have used so many different ways and it’s always a hit! From Ladybug OREOs to Polar Bear OREOs, I love how easy it is to take a plain chocolate-covered OREO and dress it up for a theme.

These Baby Shark OREOs are super easy to make (the kids can even help) and can be served on their own or as an edible cupcake topper.

You can also make these chocolate-covered OREOs in advance, up to one week. Just keep them in the fridge to avoid melting.

I just love their goofy faces because they remind me of the Baby Shark song that the kids can’t stop singing lately!

If your kids are a little older, these Shark OREOs are perfect for Shark Week or for a Finding Nemo movie night, A Shark Tale theme, or Shark Boy and Lava Girl.

I hope your kids love this recipe and be sure to pin this post for your shark dessert inspiration! 

~~~ Jennifer

PS – Be sure to check out our homemade Shark Lollipops too!

Inspired by the super-catchy song, these Baby Shark Oreos are cute and fun to make! Perfect for Shark Week too!

Chocolate-covered Shark OREOs Ingredients

  • 12 regular OREO cookies
  • 1 1/2 cup Blue Wilton Candy Melts
  • 24 Wilton Candy Eyes
  • Wilton White Decorator Icing
  • Blue, red, and white Airhead candy

Tip: reduce the ingredients by half to make six OREOs. This recipe makes 12.

Kitchen Tools Used for this Recipe

  • Silicone cookie molds
  • Kitchen scissors (one of the most versatile kitchen tools – a must have!)
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Cutting board
  • Cookie sheet
  • Silicone baking mats

Inspired by the super-catchy song, these Baby Shark Oreos are cute and fun to make! Perfect for Shark Week too!

How to Make Shark OREOs

Heat the blue candy melts in a Wilton candy warmer or double boiler pan until completely melted and smooth, stirring often.

TIP: You can also melt in the microwave, following package directions. Be sure to use a microwave-safe bowl and handle with care, as the bowl may become hot too.

Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the melted candy in each cookie mold and jiggle to coat the bottom of each completely.

Place an OREO cookie in each mold, on top of the melted chocolate.

making Oreo shark cookies with blue chocolate and candy

Pour 1-2 Tablespoons additional melted blue candy on top of each cookie, up to the top of each mold.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

While your baby shark OREOs set, make the fins and mouths:

For the shark fins: cut out 36 (1 1/2 inch long) triangles from the blue Airheads. Set aside.

Cut out 12 shark mouths from the red Airheads candy.

Cut out as many “shark teeth” from the white Airheads candy as you desire.  Apply a small amount of icing to the back of each tooth and place on the red mouth.

making candy mouths for shark Oreo cookies

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

TIP: We love silicone baking mats because they are non-stick so all of our cookies and candies pop right off them. Plus they are washable so you can reuse them over and over!

Gently pop the shark Oreos out of the molds and onto your prepared cookie sheet.

TIP: If needed, repeat the candy melt and OREO process with the mold to make as many shark Oreos as desired.

To make the shark faces:

On the hardened OREOs, pipe 2 dots of icing on each cookie and place the eyes on the icing.  Press down gently.

Pipe icing on the cookie where each mouth goes and gently lay the teeth-filled mouths over the icing.  Press down gently.

decorating baby shark Oreos

For the top shark fin, gather 12 of the blue triangles and gently bend the upper tip to the right. This will give the fins a slight curve.  Apply icing across the bottom of each top fin and lay the top edge of the OREOss on top.  Press down firmly.

For the 12 left fins, apply icing across the bottom of each fin and attach to the left back edge of each Oreo cookie. Press down firmly. (If you would like a curve to the fins, stretch the tip of the triangle slightly down to the left).

For the remaining 12 right fins, apply icing across the bottom of each fin and attach to the right back edge of each shark cookie. Press down firmly. (If you would like a curve to the fins, stretch the tip of the triangle slightly down to the right).

Leave the shark cookies on the cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes for everything to set.

Pin our Baby Shark OREOs on Pinterest:

Inspired by the super-catchy song, these Baby Shark Oreos are cute and fun to make! Perfect for Shark Week too!

Grab your free printable for our Baby Shark OREOs recipe:

Yield: 12 cookies

Baby Shark OREOs

Inspired by the super-catchy song, these Baby Shark Oreos are cute and fun to make! Perfect for Shark Week too!

Inspired by the super-catchy song, these Baby Shark Oreos are cute and fun to make! Perfect for Shark Week too!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 regular OREO cookies
  • 1 1/2 cup Blue Wilton Candy Melts
  • 24 Wilton Candy Eyes
  • Wilton White Decorator Icing
  • 6 large blue Airhead candies
  • 2 large red Air Head candy
  • 4 large white Air Head candies

Instructions

  1. Heat the blue candy melts in a Wilton candy warmer or double boiler pan until completely melted and smooth, stirring often.
  2. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the melted candy in each cookie mold and jiggle to coat the bottom of each completely.
  3. Place an OREO cookie in each mold, on top of the melted chocolate.
  4. Pour 1-2 Tablespoons additional melted blue candy on top of each cookie, up to the top of each mold.
  5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.
  6. For the shark fins, cut out 36 (1 1/2 inch long) triangles from the blue Airheads. Set aside.
  7. Cut out 12 shark mouths from the red Airheads candy.
  8. Cut out as many "shark teeth" from the white Airheads candy as you desire. Apply a small amount of icing to the back of each tooth and place on the red mouth.
  9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Gently pop out the chilled Oreos onto the cookie sheet.
  10. (Repeat the candy melt and OREO process with the mold to make the final 6 OREOs.)
  11. On the hardened OREOs, pipe 2 dots of icing on each cookie and place the eyes on the icing. Press down gently.
  12. Pipe icing on the cookie where each mouth goes and gently lay the teeth-filled mouths over the icing. Press down gently.
  13. For the top shark fin, gather 12 of the blue triangles and gently bend the upper tip to the right. This will give the fins a slight curve. Apply icing across the bottom of each top fin and lay the top edge of the OREOss on top. Press down firmly.
  14. For the 12 left fins, apply icing across the bottom of each fin and attach to the left back edge of each Oreo cookie. Press down firmly. (If you would like a curve to the fins, stretch the tip of the triangle slightly down to the left).
  15. For the remaining 12 right fins, apply icing across the bottom of each fin and attach to the right back edge of each shark cookie. Press down firmly. (If you would like a curve to the fins, stretch the tip of the triangle slightly down to the right).
  16. Leave the shark cookies on the cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes for everything to set.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 68mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 0gSugar: 42gProtein: 0g
© Jennifer Tammy
Cuisine: American / Category: Party Recipes
Inspired by the super-catchy song, these Baby Shark Oreos are cute and fun to make! Perfect for Shark Week too!

Related: For more Shark Week fun, make our Chompin’ Shark Puppets too!

These chocolate-covered shark OREOs are so incredibly easy to make and are always a hit. Who doesn’t love chocolate-covered OREOs?!

For more fun OREO creations, check out our Ladybug OREOs or our Bear OREOs.

hocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

Filed Under: Party Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: cookies, desserts

25 Fun Father’s Day Food Ideas Kids Can Help Make

May 13, 2019 Leave a Comment

Inside: A collection of 25 super-cute Father’s Day food ideas that kids can make.

A collection of 25 super-cute Father's Day food ideas that kids can make.

25 Fun Father’s Day Food Ideas

The quickest way to a Dad’s heart is through his stomach!

These fun recipes just for Dad are simple enough for kids to help make – so they can truly be involved in the whole process!

There’s something for everyone: sports-themed treats, savory snacks that Dad is sure to love, and more!

We’ve divided these Father’s Day food ideas into two categories for easier navigating: sweet and savoy. Simply click on on the recipe name to go to the full directions.

Sweet Father’s Day Food Ideas

If dad has a sweet tooth, he’s going to go wild for these Father’s Day dessert ideas! There are so many clever treats here!

These clever Lawn Mower Rice Krispie Treats are a totally unique summer treat! Perfect for Dad's birthday party or Father's Day dessert.

Lawn Mower Rice Krispie Treats (recipe on In The Kids Kitchen)

 

These colorful grill cupcakes are the perfect dessert to make for your next summer barbecue or backyard party! Both kids & grown-ups will love them!

Summer Grill Cupcakes (recipe on In The Kids Kitchen)

 

pirate krispies

Pirate Cocoa Krispies Cupcakes (In the Kids Kitchen)

 

soccer oreos on The Soccer Mom Blog - Father's Day food ideas

Image: The Soccer Mom Blog

Soccer Ball Oreos (recipe on The Soccer Mom Blog) 

golf OREOS - Father's Day food ideas for kids

Image: Sugar Spice & Glitter

Chocolate Dipped Oreo Golf Balls (recipe on Sugar Spice & Glitter)

football brownies - Father's Day food ideas

Image: The Soccer Mom Blog

Football Brownies (recipe on The Soccer Mom Blog)

Father's Day recipes for kids

Image: Cookies & Cups

Baseball Rice Krispie Treats (recipe on Cookies & Cups)

Father's Day food ideas - basket ball OREO pops

Image: Snackworks

 

Oreo Basketball Pops (recipe at Snackworks) 

Father's Day dessert recipes

Image: Midget Mama

Baseball Cupcakes (recipe on Midget Momma) 

referee cookies

Image: Wilton

Referee Wafer Cookies (recipe by Wilton)

Nutter Butter football players - Father's Day food ideas

Image: The Soccer Mom Blog

Nutter Butter Football Players (recipe on The Soccer Mom Blog)

 

soccer field cake - Father's Day recipe

Image: The Soccer Mom Blog

Soccer Field Cake (recipe on The Soccer Mom Blog)

burger cupcakes - Father's Day food ideas

Image: Sugar Spice & Glitter

Burger Cupcakes (recipe on Sugar Spice & Glitter)

More Father’s Day Treats

  • “Gone Fishing” Cupcakes (recipe on Celebration Shoppe)
  • Football Cupcakes (recipe by Mommy’s Bundle)

 

Savory Father’s Day Dinner Ideas and Appetizers

Looking for Father’s Day menus ideas for dinner? Here are some delicious starters and main courses that dad is sure to love!

The perfect combination of sweet & spicy - Buffalo Chex Mix is addictively crunchy and the perfect party appetizer! Click for easy photo step-by-step instructions.

Sweet & Spicy Buffalo Chex Mix (recipe on In The Kids Kitchen)

 

Father's day dinner ideas

Bacon Wrapped Mac & Cheese Bites (recipe on In The Kids Kitchen)

 

baked spaghetti & meatballs

Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs (In the Kids Kitchen)

Eat pizza anytime anywhere with mess-free Pepperoni & Cheese Pizza Muffins! A fun recipe to make with kids as a snack, appetizer, dinner, party food & more!

Pepperoni Pizza Muffins (In the Kids Kitchen)

 

This easy, cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole is an quick and hearty weeknight dinner and a guaranteed hit with the whole family!

Pizza Pasta Casserole (In the Kids Kitchen)

 

Football pitas - Father's Day dinner ideas

Image: The Soccer Mom Blog

Football Pitas (recipe on The Soccer Mom Blog)

 

pizza sliders - Father's Day dinner ideas

Image: Sugar Spice & Glitter

Deluxe Pizza Sliders (recipe on Sugar Spice & Glitter)

 

Father's Day dinner ideas

Image: Delish

Football Pigs in a Blanket (recipe on Delish)

Keto cheese chips

Keto Cheese Chips (How 2 Do Keto)

More Father’s Day Meal Ideas

  • Football Baked Potato Bar (set-up instructions on See Vanessa Craft)

 

The quickest way to Dad's heart is through his stomach! Click for an awesome collection of 20 super-cute Father's Day Recipes that kids can make!

More of our favorite Holiday Recipe Collections for Kids

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  • 20 Most Unique Mac & Cheese Recipes
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Filed Under: Holiday Fun, Party Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: desserts, Father's Day, holidays

Ladybug Oreos

May 5, 2019 Leave a Comment

Chocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child’s day!

Chocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

Ladybug Chocolate Covered Oreos

There’s something about ladybugs — even though they are insects, everyone seems to love them! They’re one of the few bugs that are cute enough to inspire fun food ideas!

These ladybug Oreos are one of my favorite easy cookie recipes ever. Partly because they’re super sweet looking, but also because they taste delicious!

We don’t keep a lot of junk food in our house, but Oreos are one of my admitted “guilty pleasure” snacks. And the girls LOVE them!

We’ve made chocolate covered Oreos for many occasions and holidays, like these Snowman Oreos, but you can enjoy these Ladybug Oreos year round.

Chocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

These ladybug Oreos are a fun treat for after a meal or for kids parties. We also made a healthier version using fruit and just a touch of chocolate – Click here to check out our Strawberry Ladybugs!

Can’t you tell we love ladybugs? And chocolate! 🙂

— Stacey

strawberry ladybugs on The Soccer Mom Blog

Ladybug Oreos Ingredients

  • 1 (15.35 ounce) package Double Stuf Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
  • 1 (12 ounce) package red candy melts wafers
  • 1/2 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
  • 1 (6 ounce) package Oreo Thin Bites
  • Small edible eyes

Kitchen Supplies Used:

  • Non-stick silicone baking mat
  • Microwave safe mixing bowls
  • Frosting decorating bag

Chocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

How to Make Ladybug Oreos

Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions and prep tips. A free printable copy of this recipe is available at the bottom of the post.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or non-stick silicone baking mat. We love these baking mats because our finished treats pop right off them and you can wash and reuse over and over!

Melt red candy coating according to package directions. You can use a double-boiler or microwave-safe bowl.

TIP: If the candy is too thick to pour, add 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening (no water!) Stir well until smooth. You can add up to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil per bag of candy wafers.

How to make chocolate covered Oreos that look like ladybugs

Dip each cookie into the melted red chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. 

TIP: If any bubbles form in the chocolate on your Oreos, pop them with a toothpick for a smooth surface.

Place chocolate covered Oreo on baking sheet and press one Oreo Thin Bites cookie into the still-wet chocolate to make the ladybug’s head. 

making ladybug cookies with Oreos

Repeat with all Oreos and allow them to set completely before proceeding to the next step.

TIP: To speed the hardening process, place your tray of ladybug cookies in the fridge or freezer.

After the chocolate coating has hardened, you’re ready to move on to decorating your Ladybug Oreos.

Melt about half of the milk chocolate chips in the microwave – be sure to use a microwave safe bowl and heat in increments of 15 seconds, stirring between.

Scoop melted chocolate into a frosting decorating bag and cut off the tip. Draw a line straight down each cookie, from the edge of the “head” to the bottom of the cookie.

how to make ladybug Oreos

Add small dots of milk chocolate to the back and press unmelted milk chocolate chips into these spots.

Squeeze a small dab of melted chocolate onto the back of each candy eye and press onto the ladybug head.

Allow ladybug Oreos to set completely at room temperature or refrigerate for faster results. Store in an airtight container as room temperature.

Chocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

Be sure to pin our Ladybug Cookies on Pinterest:

Chocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

Grab a Free Printable Copy of our Ladybug Oreos Recipe:

Yield: 12 cookies

Ladybug Oreos

hocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

Chocolate covered Ladybug Oreos are a cute party dessert or lunchbox treat guaranteed to brighten your child's day!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (15.35 ounce) package Double Stuf Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
  • 1 (12 ounce) package red candy melts wafers
  • 1/2 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
  • 1 (6 ounce) package Oreo Thin Bites
  • Small candy eyes

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or silicone baking mat.
  • Melt red chocolate in a microwave safe bowl or double boiler, following package directions.
  • Dip each Oreo into melted red candy. Remove cookie, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. If air bubbles form, pop them with a toothpick. Place the cookie onto cookie sheet.
  • Immediately press one Oreo Thin Bites cookie onto each dipped cookie for the ladybug’s head. Allow to set completely before proceeding to the next step.
  • After the candy has set, melt about half of the milk chocolate chips in the microwave. Scoop melted chocolate into a thick plastic zip top freezer bag or frosting decorating bag with the tip cut away.
  • Draw a line with the melted chocolate across each cookie from the edge of the “head” straight down to the bottom of the cookie. Add small dots of milk chocolate to the back and press unmelted milk chocolate chips into these spots.
  • Using a toothpick, apply a small amount of melted chocolate to the bottom of each candy eye and press onto the ladybug head.
  • Allow cookie to set completely at room temperature or refrigerate for faster results. Store in an airtight container as room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 cookie

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 134Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 68mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
© Stacey Rodriguez
Cuisine: American / Category: Recipes

More of our favorite chocolate covered Oreos recipes:

Polar Bear Cookies are a frozen fun winter-themed kids treat or holiday party dessert! Easy chocolate dipped recipe to make with kids of all ages.

Polar Bear Oreos

A super easy Valentine's Day party treat, these Teddy Bear Oreos will steal your heart! Chocolate-dipped treats like these are perfect to make with kids because the cookies are already pre-made (no baking required!) and all you have to do is decorate (the fun part!!)

Teddy Bear Oreos for Valentine’s Day

Filed Under: Party Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: cookies, desserts, Oreos

Pirate Cupcakes with Cocoa Krispies

April 27, 2019 Leave a Comment

Who says you have to turn on the oven to make cupcakes? These Pirate Cupcakes made with Cocoa Krispies are an easy no-bake treat that’s full of chocolate flavor…and fun!

These Pirate Cupcakes made with Cocoa Krispies are an easy no-bake treat that's full of chocolate flavor...and fun!

Cocoa Krispies Pirate Cupcakes

These “no-bake cupcakes” are a great food activity for a kids’ party. Just prepare the cocao crispy “cupcakes” in advance and set out all the decorating materials on a party table.

My daughter and I prepped these together for a low-key Pirates of the Caribbean movie night and had enough left over the next day for a fun play date treat. They’d be great for Halloween or a Pirate birthday party – whether you prepare in advance or let the kids decorate at the party.

I love the contrast between the soft, sweet buttercream frosting and the crunchy chocolate crispy cupcake. Kids love those cute chocolate rocks and chocolate coins and they make a great edible table scatter for a party.

For another delicious pirate party snack, check out our easy Pirate Flag Sugar Cookies.

These Pirate Cupcakes made with Cocoa Krispies are an easy no-bake treat that's full of chocolate flavor...and fun!

Pirate Cupcakes Decorations

Feel free to use our suggested pirate cupcake decorations below, or customize with your own ideas!

  • Edible grass candy
  • Edible pearls
  • Gold rock gum
  • Chocolate rock candy
  • Clear rock candy
  • Pirate flag cupcake toppers

These Pirate Cupcakes made with Cocoa Krispies are an easy no-bake treat that's full of chocolate flavor...and fun!

How to Make Pirate Cupcakes with Cocoa Krispies

Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions. A free printable copy of our no-bake pirate cupcakes recipe is available at the end of the post.

Spray cupcake pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Place marshmallows and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments. Stir well in between each heating until melted.

melting marshmallows to make rice krispy treats

Pour in the cereal and mix until combined

Once, mixed scoop the rice krispy mix into the sprayed cupcake pans, press down on the top.

making chocolate rice krispy treats

Set aside to cool as you prepare the frosting.

TIP: The cupcakes need cool and set completely before decorating, so give yourself an hour to make this recipe. If preferred, you can make the marshmallow treats the night before.

For the frosting, in a standing mixer, combine all ingredients except the food coloring.

making chocolate rice krispie treats

If the frosting is still soft and doesn’t create stiff peaks, add in 1/4 C of powder sugar until you achieve a consistency you like.

Add the food coloring to your desired pigment.

green frosting on cupcake

Scoop the frosting into the piping bag and pipe onto the top of the cocoa cupcakes with a firm flick of the wrist to create a “leaf” effect.

Cut about 4-6 inches of the edible grass and then stick into the frosting, add the pirate flag and decorate as desired with the rock candy’s, gold gum and pearls.

Pin our easy no bake pirate cupcakes on Pinterest:

These Pirate Cupcakes made with Cocoa Krispies are an easy no-bake treat that's full of chocolate flavor...and fun!

Grab your free printable copy of our easy no-bake Pirate Cupcakes recipe:

 

Yield: 12 servings

Cocoa Krispies Pirate Cupcakes

Cocoa Krispies Pirate Cupcakes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cocoa Krispies Treats ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 4 cups mini marshmallows
  • 5 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal

Decorations:

  • 1 bag of edible grass (found at walmart in the easter section also can be ordered online)
  • 1 small bag of edible pearls
  • 1 small bag of gold rock gum
  • 1/2 pound of chocolate rock candy
  • 2-4 sticks of clear rock candy
  • 1 package of pirate flags

For the frosting:

  • 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter
  • 2 1/2 cups powder sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 drops of green food coloring

Instructions

  1. Coat muffin tin with non-stick baking spray.
  2. Add marshmallows and butter to a large microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until melted.
  3. Add cereal to melted marshmallows and stir to mix.
  4. Scoop the Cocoa Krispies mixture into your cupcake pans, pressing down on the top to even the surface.
  5. Allow to cool while you prepare the frosting.

For the frosting:

  1. Mix all frosting ingredients (except green coloring) using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer.
  2. If needed, add an extra 1/4 cup of powdered sugar to get a thicker frosting that will hold its shape.
  3. Mix in food coloring, a few drops at a time, until frosting is bright green.
  4. Scoop the frosting into the piping bag and pipe onto the top of the cocoa cupcakes with a firm flick of the wrist to create a "leaf" effect.
  5. Decorate with edible grass, pirate flags, and rock candy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 575Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 255mgCarbohydrates: 83gFiber: 1gSugar: 69gProtein: 3g
© Jennifer Tammy
Cuisine: American / Category: Party Recipes
These Pirate Cupcakes made with Cocoa Krispies are an easy no-bake treat that's full of chocolate flavor...and fun!

Do you know a little pirate who would love to make these no-bake cupcakes with you? What other themed desserts would you like to see us make?

For more delicious themed desserts perfect for a party, check out our pastel & gold unicorn cupcakes recipe or our Disney Cars Rice Krispie treats recipe.

These clever Cars Rice Krispie Treats will be a hit with your little race car driver! Cute kid-made dessert perfect for movie night or birthday party.

Filed Under: Party Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: cupcakes, desserts, pirate

Easy Watermelon Pudding Cups – Only 4 Ingredients!

April 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat! Only 4 ingredients!

Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat! Only 4 ingredients!

Watermelon Pudding Cups

I’m so excited to share this new recipe with all of you! 

I can’t get over how cute these watermelon pudding cups are —  I think these are just the most adorable desserts ever! Don’t they just look like summer in a cup?

These pretty party treats are perfect for backyard barbecues, birthdays, or even baby showers. It is also a fun recipe for kid to make themselves or with a little bit of help.

You can make these watermelon pudding cups two ways: with or without the watermelon flavoring. Since they look so much like watermelon already, I think it’s fun to add a couple drops of flavored extract so they taste like you’d expect.

However, if you’re not a fan of watermelon-flavored treats and simply like the look of this dessert, you can skip the extract. You can even make them dairy free with our homemade coconut pudding recipe. So many options to make them your own!

The best part about this recipe is how easy it is – only a few simple ingredients! 

Happy summer!

— Stacey

Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat! Only 4 ingredients!

Watermelon Pudding Ingredients

  • Coconut cream pudding mix (5.1oz boxes)
  • Green Jello mix (6oz box)
  • Pink food coloring
  • Chocolate chips

Optional Add-ins:

  • Watermelon extract
  • Watermelon gummy candies

Kitchen Supplies Used:

  • Small clear plastic cups

A free printable copy of this recipe with full ingredient amounts is available at the bottom of the post, below photo step-by-step instructions.

Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat! Only 4 ingredients!

How to Make Easy Watermelon Pudding Cups

A free printable copy of our watermelon pudding recipe follows these easy step-by-step directions.

Start by making green Jello and pouring a small layer into the bottom of each serving cup. Plastic cups work great for a big party, but you can use pretty glass parfait cups if making at home.

Green jello in the bottom of cup

Allow Jello to set in fridge. This should take about an hour or two.

TIP: Place cups on a cookie sheet for easier handling and moving to and from the fridge. This helps prevent spills too!

Make your pudding and color with pink food coloring til it’s just the right shade of watermelon pink. If adding watermelon extract, do so now. With both the food coloring and extract, I recommend starting with 1-2 drops and seeing how that goes. You can always add more if needed, but over-flavoring or coloring is harder to fix.

layered pink pudding and green jello

TIP: We recommend coconut cream pudding because it tastes amazing with watermelon extract. If you’re not adding the extract, you could use vanilla pudding or white chocolate pudding if you like those flavors better.

Layer pudding on top of the Jello and sprinkle with chocolate chips. 

Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat! Only 4 ingredients!

Garnish your cups with watermelon flavored candy if you like, then enjoy!

Be sure to pin our watermelon pudding cups on Pinterest:

Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat! Only 4 ingredients!

Grab a free printable copy of our watermelon pudding recipe:

Yield: 6 servings

Easy Watermelon Pudding Cups - Only 4 Ingredients!

Easy Watermelon Pudding Cups - Only 4 Ingredients!

Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat! Only 4 ingredients!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • Coconut cream pudding mix
  • Green Jello mix
  • Pink food coloring
  • Chocolate chips

Optional Add-ins:

  • Watermelon extract
  • Watermelon gummy candies

Instructions

  1. Pour green Jello into the bottom of each cup, about 1/4 of the way full.
  2. Place cups in fridge for about 2 hours, or until Jello sets.
  3. Prepare pudding according to box instructions. Stir in 2-3 drops of pink food coloring until pudding is a bright pink. If adding watermelon extract, do so now.
  4. Layer pudding on top of the Jello until each cup is almost full.
  5. Top with 4 to 5 chocolate chips - your watermelon "seeds."
  6. Garnish with candy watermelon for an extra sweet touch, if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 314mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 2g
© Stacey Rodriguez
Cuisine: American / Category: Party Recipes

More of our favorite homemade pudding recipes

Chocolate Cookie Pudding is TRIPLE the chocolatey goodness! Thick, creamy from-scratch chocolate pudding with crunchy cookies and chocolate shavings.

Chocolate Cookie Pudding

Dairy Free Coconut Pudding

Filed Under: Party Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: desserts

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

April 16, 2019 Leave a Comment

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the quintessential childhood food. They’re perfect for school lunches, after school snacks, and even dinner on “one of those days.” (No judgement here!)

To be totally honest, I still love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a grown-up! My husband makes the most amazing pressed PB & J sandwiches on croissant bread. YUM!!

That’s why I love these peanut butter and jelly cookies — they remind me of my favorite sandwich, in bite-sized form! Plus, they’re easy to make using pre-made pastry dough.

Imagine this: fluffy pinwheels of golden pastry dough, swirled with creamy peanut butter and sweet jam. Need I say more??

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

This is such a fun baking with kids project because there are a lot of things they can help do: spread the PB & J, roll the dough, place them on the cookie sheet, etc.

My oldest daughter’s tutoring director at Huntington Learning Center here in Houston explained that baking is one of the best ways to practice math at home. Measuring and sequencing are just two of the many skills that kids can learn and apply in the kitchen.

And in my humble opinion, baking is WAY more fun than math worksheets! I’m pretty sure that your kids would agree too!

So let’s get baking!

— Stacey

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies Ingredients

  • Pre-made puff pastry sheets
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Strawberry or grape jelly
  • Powdered sugar
  • Egg

A free printable copy of our PB & J Cookies recipe, along with full ingredient amounts, is available at the end of the post.

Kitchen Supplies Used:

  • Cookie sheet
  • Silicone baking mats
  • Rolling pin
  • Frosting decorating bag
  • Electric mixer
  • Non-slip mixing bowls

How to Make Easy Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Preheat oven to 400 °F and prepare a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or non-stick silicone baking mat.

Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat together the peanut butter, sugar, and egg, until creamy.

Unfold puff pastry onto a floured work surface.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll out puff pastry until it is about 20 inches wide.

How to make easy PB & J cookies

Spread peanut butter and jelly in alternating stripes, diagonally across pastry sheet.

TIP: Using frosting decorating bags makes this step a breeze!

Gently roll pastry starting with the shorter end, rolling across the long side.

Wrap dough roll in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

PB & J pinwheel cookie slices on cutting board

Once chilled, remove from plastic wrap and slice into about 18 slices.

Place cookie slices onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until cookies just start to turn golden brown.

Allow to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

If you love peanut butter and jelly as much as we do, stay tuned because we’re making peanut butter and jelly cupcakes next!

Be sure to pin our Peanut Butter Jelly Cookies on Pinterest:

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

Grab a Free Printable Copy of Our Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies Recipe

Yield: 18 cookies

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

Peanut butter and jelly cookies are a clever twist on a childhood favorite!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry (1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package), thawed but cold
  • 1 cup peanut butter, creamy
  • ½ cup jam (any flavor) *strawberry is pictured
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F and prepare a large cookie sheet.
  2. Beat together the peanut butter, sugar, and egg, until creamy.
  3. Unfold puff pastry onto a floured work surface.
  4. Roll out puff pastry until it is about 20 inches wide.
  5. Spread peanut butter and jelly in alternating stripes, diagonally across pastry sheet.
  6. Roll up pastry dough, starting with the shorter end, rolling across the long side.
  7. Wrap dough roll in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30 min - 1 hour.
  8. Remove plastic wrap and slice dough log into about 18 slices.
  9. Arrange cookie slices onto baking sheet.
  10. Bake 15-16 minutes.
  11. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
© Stacey Rodriguez
Cuisine: American / Category: Baking with Kids

More of our favorite easy cookie recipes

These pillowy soft strawberry cake mix cookies with creamy white chocolate chips are the perfect EASY Valentine's Day dessert! Only 4 ingredients!

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

These might look like regular M&M cookies, but look again! These cute and easy 4th of July cookies are actually made with our favorite cake mix cookie recipe - only 4 ingredients total and SO fluffy!

Patriotic Cake Mix Cookies

Filed Under: Baking with Kids, Recipes Tagged With: cookies, desserts

Candy Coated Jello Popcorn (with Video)

April 12, 2019 Leave a Comment

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring or Summer treat! It would also make a fun lunchbox idea for kids!

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring treat!

Jello Popcorn

At Christmas every year we get a big box of treats from my aunt and uncle. The girls LOVE to open the box and see all the goodies inside!

One of the treats that is included every year is chocolate and caramel coated popcorn. Oh my goodness…it is absolutely amazing!! 

We love chocolate covered popcorn so much that we make it at home regularly. It’s the perfect movie-night snack that both grown-up and kids alike enjoy.

Since flavored popcorn is such a hit in our house, I’m super excited to share this Jello popcorn recipe. It’s perfect for Spring or Summer because of the bright colors!

The Jello mixture forms a candy coating on the popcorn, so not only is it bright and festive, the Jello popcorn has a crave-able candy crunch.

You can customize this candy coated popcorn recipe by using any flavor of Jello you like. Wouldn’t it be fun to make for a birthday party or a baby shower?

Let’s get cooking!

— Stacey

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring treat!

Jello Popcorn Ingredients

  • 9 cups popcorn, popped
  • 9 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2-3 Tablespoons each: red Jell-O, purple Jell-O, yellow Jell-O
  • 3 Tablespoons white corn syrup
  • 3 tbsp water, as needed
  • Food dye, as needed

Tip: Be sure to use regular Jello (as opposed to sugar free) because the sugar is what makes that yummy candy coating!

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

  • Cookie sheet
  • Parchment paper or non-stick silicone mat
  • Medium saucepan

Keep reading for photo step-by-step directions. A free printable copy of this recipe is available at the bottom of the post.

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring treat!

How to Make Jello Popcorn

Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 300F. Spread 3 cups of popcorn out in an even layer on each cookie sheet. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 3 Tablespoons butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon white corn syrup and one color of the Jell-O powder. Bring to a boil.

TIP: If mixture is too thick, add a bit of water. You can also add food coloring to brighten. Both are optional.

how to make Jello popcorn

Boil for candy mixture for 3-4 minutes, over one cookie sheet of popcorn.

Candy coated popcorn on cookie sheet

Bake candy-coated popcorn for about 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Repeat with each color of Jell-O.

TIP: If you’re short on time, you can make one big batch of popcorn, all one flavor.

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring treat!

Try this next: make Jello popcorn balls by mixing melted marshmallows with your candy coated popcorn!

Be sure to pin our Jello Popcorn recipe on Pinterest:

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring or Summer treat!

Grab a Free Printable Copy of Our Jello Popcorn Recipe:

Yield: 9 cups

Jello Popcorn

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring treat!

Sweet and colorful — candy coated Jello popcorn is the perfect Spring or Summer treat!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 9 cups popcorn, popped
  • 9 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2-3 Tablespoons each: red Jell-O, purple Jell-O, yellow Jell-O
  • 3 Tablespoons white corn syrup
  • 3 tbsp water, as needed
  • Food dye, as needed

Instructions

  1. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or non-stick silicone baking mat and preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Spread out 3 cups of popcorn on each cookie sheet.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 3 Tablespoons butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon white corn syrup and one color of the Jell-O powder. Bring to a boil.
  4. Boil for 3-4 minutes then pour the candy mixture over one cookie sheet of popcorn.
  5. Bake popcorn 8-10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Let cool before handling.
  6. Repeat with each color of Jell-O.
© Jennifer Tammy
Cuisine: American / Category: Party Recipes

More of our favorite colorful recipes for kids:

Vibrantly colored Rainbow Jello Frosted Grapes are as pretty as they are delicious! This party treat is sure to be a hit with both kids and grown-ups alike!

Jello Frosted Grapes

How to make easy rainbow cookies with frosting clouds

Rainbow Cookies

 

Filed Under: Lunchbox Ideas, Party Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: desserts, snacks, Video

Mint Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream (with Video)

April 8, 2019 5 Comments

Dairy free & naturally-sweetened, and oh-so-delicious, this mint chocolate avocado ice cream is more like “nice” cream!

Dairy free & naturally-sweetened, this mint chocolate chip avocado ice cream is more like "nice" cream!

Avocado “Nice Cream”

Mint chocolate chip is one of my favorite flavors of ice cream. However, since I found out I was lactose intolerant in college, I’ve pretty much had to say bye-by to this summertime treat.

While there are some truly delicious dairy-free alternatives in the frozen aisle these days, I’ve yet to find a nondairy mint chocolate chip ice cream that passes the test for me.

So why not just make our own?!

One of the things you have to look-out for when shopping for non-dairy ice creams is the sugar content. Just because they’ve omitted dairy doesn’t mean they’re actually healthy! Some of those dairy-free ice creams still have a lot of sugar.

That’s why I love this homemade avocado ice cream — not only is it dairy-free, but it’s sweetened naturally with honey, and only lightly so! That’s why we call it nice cream!

It’s a guilt-free treat that the whole family will love!

–Stacey

Check out our quick recipe video to see how to make this Avocado Mint Chip recipe and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free recipe printable!

 

Dairy free & naturally-sweetened, this mint chocolate chip avocado ice cream is more like "nice" cream!

Avocado Ice Cream Ingredients

  • 2 avocados, pitted and halved
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • Pinch salt
  • 2-3 drops mint extract
  • 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Note: you can use mint extract or fresh mint – for fresh mint, use a small handful.

Kitchen Tools Used to Make this Recipe

  • High powered blender
  • Loaf pan
  • Ice cream scoop

A free printable copy of this recipe is available at the bottom of the post. Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions and video tutorial.

How to Make Avocado Ice Cream

Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Scrape avocado flesh into high-powered blender or food processor then add honey, coconut milk, salt, and mint extract.

avocados, coconut milk, and honey in blender

TIP: We suggest starting with 2-3 drops of mint extract because it is usually pretty strong, but you’re welcome to add more if you like your ice cream extra minty.

Blend until smooth and creamy.

Stir in chocolate chips by hand, then pour avocado ice cream batter into a small loaf pan. Use a silicone spatula to smooth the top of the ice cream.

Spreading avocado ice cream batter in loaf pan

Freeze 2-4 hours. Scoop as you would regular ice cream and enjoy!

Scooping no-churn avocado ice cream

Pin our avocado ice cream on Pinterest:

Dairy free & naturally-sweetened, and oh-so-delicious, this mint chocolate avocado ice cream is more like "nice" cream!

Grab a Free Printable Copy of Our Avocado Ice Cream Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Mint Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream

Dairy free & naturally-sweetened, and oh-so-delicious, this mint chocolate avocado ice cream is more like "nice" cream!

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados, pitted and halved
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • Pinch salt
  • 2-3 drops mint extract
  • 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Add avocados (flesh only), honey, coconut milk, salt, and mint extract to blender or food processor.
  2. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  3. Stir in chocolate chips by hand, then pour batter into a small loaf pan.
  4. Freeze 2-4 hours.
© Stacey Rodriguez
Cuisine: American / Category: Healthy Food

More of our favorite avocado recipes:

A nutritious (and delicious) alternative to greasy french fries, these Baked Avocado Fries are packed with vitamins and fiber. Plus they're easy to make!

Healthy Baked Avocado Fries

Filed Under: Healthy Food, Recipes Tagged With: desserts, ice cream, Video

Copycat Twinkie Cupcakes

March 28, 2019 Leave a Comment

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

Twinkie Cupcakes

Remember a few years back when they temporarily discontinued Twinkies? Am I the only one who felt a little sad about seeing them stop making one of the most nostalgic childhood treats of all time?

I grew up with my mom packing Hostess and Little Debbie treats in my lunch every day, so even though I don’t eat them regularly as an adult, they hold a special place in my heart. (We made these Santa Belly Ding Dongs for Christmas last year – another fun copycat recipe with a festive twist!)

Fortunately for all the Twinkie fans out there, their retirement was short-lived and they are now available in supermarkets again. 

However, we thought it would be fun to whip up a batch of Twinkies-inspired cupcakes. You know, just in case they ever decide to disappear on us again!

You guys…these are amazing!! The cupcakes are soft and moist (gotta love when you add pudding to baked goods!) and the frosting is beyond decadent. 

Now you can satisfy that Twinkie craving anytime with this fun and easy Twinkie Cupcakes recipe — they really do taste just like the real thing!

Even if you’re not crazy about Twinkies, I’ll venture a bet that you’d love these Twinkie Cupcakes. They’re that good!

From now on, this recipe is a keeper on our dessert recipe rotation!

Keep reading for full photo step-by-step directions, or scroll to the end of the post for a free printable copy of our Twinkie Cupcakes recipe.

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

How to Make Twinkie Cupcakes

I broke this recipe down into two sections: filling and cupcakes. The filling is listed first, and you’re welcome to make it first too if that’s easiest.

I usually bake the cupcakes and make the frosting either while they’re baking or cooling. That way everything is ready to go at the same time.

Kitchen Supplies Used

  • Muffin tin
  • Cupcake liners
  • Non-slip mixing bowls
  • Frosting decorating bag
  • Plastic syringe

Twinkie Filling Recipe

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup marshmallow creme
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 teaspoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine shortening, marshmallow, sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and mix until smooth.

TIP: Make the Twinkie filling while your cupcakes cool to save time. That way when your cupcakes are ready to fill, your frosting will be ready too!

Twinkie Cupcakes Recipe

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 1 small box vanilla instant pudding
  • 3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, instant pudding, and water in a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth.

Pour batter into cupcake liners until they are about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

When cupcakes are room temperature, poke a hole or cut a slit in the middle of each cupcake.

Filling cupcakes with Twinkie filling These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

Scoop your Twinkie filling into a frosting decorating bag or a plastic syringe and squeeze frosting into the hole in each cupcake.

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

Be sure to pin our Copycat Twinkie Cupcakes on Pinterest:

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

Grab a free printable copy of our Twinkie Cupcakes recipe:

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Twinkie Cupcakes

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

These fun Twinkie Cupcakes are a spot-on copycat of the childhood favorite!

Ingredients

Cupcakes Ingredients:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 1 small box vanilla instant pudding
  • 3/4 cup water

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup marshmallow creme
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 teaspoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the filling:

Combine shortening, marshmallow, sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and mix until smooth.

To make the cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and place cupcake liners in muffin tin.
  2. Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, instant pudding, and water in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
  3. Pour batter into cupcake liners until 3/4 of the way full.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  5. When cupcakes are room temperature, poke a hole or cut a slit in the middle of each cupcake.
  6. Scoop your Twinkie filling into a frosting decorating bag or a plastic syringe and squeeze frosting into the hole in each cupcake.
© Stacey Rodriguez
Category: Baking with Kids

More of our favorite cupcake recipes:

Tie-Dye Cupcakes

Inspired by the Dr. Seuss classic, these quirky Cat in the Hat Cupcakes are sure to be a hit with young readers! Perfect for school parties, birthdays, or celebrating Dr. Seuss Day!

Cat in the Hat Cupcakes

Filed Under: Baking with Kids, Recipes Tagged With: cupcakes, desserts

Carrot Patch Cupcakes

March 14, 2019 Leave a Comment

These clever Carrot Patch Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter party and they’re a breeze to make!

These clever Carrot Patch Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter party and they're a breeze to make!

Easter Bunny’s Carrot Garden Cupcakes

Let’s be honest here…frosting is the BEST part of cupcakes! 

My four-year-old is notorious for eating the frosting off her desserts, and pretty much nothing else. Donuts, cupcakes, cakes, you name it! 

That’s why we especially love these Carrot Patch Cupcakes – there is extra frosting inside to look like a carrot growing in the garden. Not only are they super cute, but there is so much yummy frosting!

You can whip these Easter Bunny Carrot Cupcakes up in a jiffy with a box cake mix, or if you would like to make them from scratch, we’ve provided a full recipe below.

Happy Easter my fellow frosting fans!

— Stacey

Related: Click here to see ALL of our favorite Easter cupcake recipes!

These clever Carrot Patch Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter party and they're a breeze to make!

Carrot Patch Cupcake Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the vanilla buttercream:
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3-4 cups icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
  • Orange Food Coloring
  • Edible green Easter grass candy

Tip: To save time, you can use a box cake mix shortcut. If you prefer from scratch, we’ve also included a classic chocolate cupcakes recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Kitchen Tools Used

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Easter grass cupcake liners
  • Muffin pan
  • Non slip mixing bowls
  • Electric mixer
  • Small microwave-safe bowl
  • Offset spatula
  • Frosting decorating bag

These clever Carrot Patch Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter party and they're a breeze to make!

How to Make Easter Carrot Patch Cupcakes

Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions to make these clever carrot patch cupcakes. A free printable copy of the recipe is available at the bottom of the post.

Preheat your oven and prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners. We found some super cute Easter grass cupcake liners on Amazon that are just perfect!

Bake your cupcakes, using your favorite recipe or a box mix if you’re short on time. We’ve included a classic chocolate cupcakes recipe in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

Once cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, use a knife or a frosting tip (shown below) to make a hole in the cupcakes. Be sure not to cut all the way through to the bottom, but leave some cake so that you have a small bowl in the middle of your cupcakes.

 

how to make frosting filled cupcakes

Prepare your orange frosting. You can use pre-made frosting as a shortcut, but I find that homemade buttercream holds its shape much better. We’ve got a recipe for you in the printable recipe below!

mixing orange buttercream frosting

Use a frosting decorating bag to pipe your orange frosting into the holes you cut in your cupcakes. Then make a swirl of frosting on top.

We left a border of unfrosted cupcake so it would resemble “dirt” around the carrot (frosting).

making carrot cupcakes for Easter

 

Place a few strands of edible candy grass into the middle of your frosting, so that they look like carrots in the garden. You may need to trim the candy grass to the right size.

These clever Carrot Patch Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter party and they're a breeze to make!

 

Allow frosting to set for a few minutes and enjoy!

Pin our Bunny Carrot Garden Cupcakes on Pinterest:

Grab your free printable copy of our Carrot Patch Cupcakes recipe:

If you like this recipe, rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Carrot Patch Cupcakes

These clever Carrot Patch Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter party and they're a breeze to make!

Clever Carrot Patch Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter party or a treat for the Easter Bunny!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3-4 cups icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
  • Orange Food Coloring
  • Edible Green Easter Grass

Instructions

To make the chocolate cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Line a muffin pan with themed cupcake liners.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.
  6. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
  7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

For the vanilla buttercream:

  1. Place softened butter into a bowl and beat in 2 cups of icing sugar. Add 2 Tablespoons heavy cream and vanilla.
  2. Add remaining icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Add orange food colouring, if using.
  3. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with no tip or a circular tip.
  4. Swirl the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
  5. 1. In a small bowl, combine the coloring and frosting and mix well.
  6. 2. Next, using a knife or a frosting tip, make a hole in the middle of the cupcakes.
  7. 3. Using a piping bag, fill the hole with frosting. Then pipe a dollop of frosting on top of the hole into a peak to look like a carrot top.
  8. 4. Stick 4 little pieces of the edible Easter grass into the carrot top.
Cuisine: American / Category: Baking with Kids

More of our favorite Easter recipes for kids:

These cute and cheerful Easter Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

Baby Chick Cupcakes

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant!

Easy Easter Egg Cookies

Filed Under: Baking with Kids, Holiday Fun, Recipes Tagged With: cupcakes, desserts, easter

Easter Egg Cookies

February 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

Inside: These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant! Keep reading for step-by-step photo recipe to make one of our favorite holiday desserts!

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant!

Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

Decorating Easter eggs is a tradition in our family, as I’m sure it is for many of you. After all of our eggs are decorated, we hide them in the yard and the kids hunt for them.

Then we eat egg salad sandwiches for a week! 

Don’t get my wrong, I love egg salad, but this year we thought it would be fun to decorate a sweet treat too! 

Decorated Easter egg cookies are a fun activity for the holiday week, a cute gift idea for family and friends, or you could even make a batch to leave as a thank you for the Easter Bunny!

We provide a sample pattern here so you can get some ideas, but the possibilities are unlimited! You can use any color fondant, add sprinkles, or even incorporate edible markers.

Decorating Easter egg cookies is just as much fun (if not more) as decorating traditional Easter eggs…and they definitely taste more delicious!

— Stacey

Related: For another fun Easter activity, check out our Easter egg potato stamping!

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant!

Kitchen Supplies Used

  • Your favorite sugar cookie dough (we used an instant mix)
  • Yellow fondant
  • Pink fondant
  • Purple fondant
  • Egg-shaped cookie cutter (2 1/2 – 3″)
  • Wilton #11 tip 
  • Rolling pin
  • Cookie sheet 
  • Non-stick silicone baking mat

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant! Click for photo step-by-step recipes.

How to Make Easter Egg Cookies with Fondant Icing

A free printable copy of our Easter Egg Cookies recipe is available at the bottom of the post.

We’ve also provided step-by-step photos to show how we decorated our Easter egg cookies, but feel free to use your own ideas and let your imagination run wild!

For Your Sugar Cookies:

  • The ultimate shortcut is to use pre-made sugar cookie dough – and there’s no shame in it! This leaves a lot more time for decorating!
  • Want to try a unique sugar cookie recipe? Click here for our favorite Lemon Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe!

First, prepare your cookies according to package or recipe and allow to cool completely.

Baking Easter egg sugar cookies

While your cookies cool, roll your fondant out to 1/4 inch thickness. 

We used our cookie cutter that we used to make our Easter egg cookies to cut a base layer of fondant to cover each cookie. We used yellow fondant for all, but you can mix it up or use your favorite color:

decorating Easter egg sugar cookies with pastel fondant

 

Use 2-3 other fondant colors to make decorations for your Easter egg cookies: stripes, polka dots, etc.

Cutting pink fondant icing into strips

If making stripes, don’t worry about getting the length just right before you place them on your Easter egg cookies. You can trim the edges after you put the stripes on the cookies:

decorating Easter egg sugar cookies with pastel fondant

To cut out perfect small circles to make polka dot Easter eggs, we used the wide end of a frosting decorating tip:

cutting purple fondant into circles to decorate sugar cookies

We then pressed our fondant decorations onto our base layer of fondant:

decorating Easter egg sugar cookies with pastel fondant

Pin our Easy Easter Egg Sugar Cookies on Pinterest:

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant! Click for photo step-by-step recipes.

 

Grab a free printable copy of our Easter Egg Cookies recipe:

Yield: 12 cookies

Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant! Click for photo step-by-step recipes.

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant! Click for photo step-by-step recipes.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 package sugar cookie dough
  • 8-9 oz. yellow fondant
  • 4-5 oz. pink fondant
  • 3-4 oz. purple fondant

Instructions

  1. Flour your work surface, as well as a rolling pin.
  2. Place sugar cookie dough on flour, then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
  3. Use an egg-shaped cookie cutter to make about one dozen Easter egg sugar cookies, or until all dough is used.
  4. Bake cookies according to the directions on packaging, or your favorite recipe.
  5. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
  6. Roll out your yellow fondant so that it’s about ¼ inch thick. Using the same egg-shaped cookie cutter, cut out one dozen egg-shaped fondant pieces.
  7. Press one egg-shaped fondant onto each cookie.
  8. Roll out pink fondant so that it’s about ¼ inch thick, then cut into strips about ½ an inch wide and 3 inches long.
  9. Place one pink fondant strip onto each cookie, on a slight curve. Trim any excess.
  10. Roll out purple fondant to about ¼ inch thick. Using Wilton tip #11, cut out 60 small purple circle fondant pieces.
  11. Place 5 purple circles on each cookie, just above the pink stripe. I recommend starting with the middle circle and working your way out - this ensures that the circles look even and centered.
© Stacey Rodriguez
Cuisine: American / Category: Holiday Fun

More of our favorite Easter recipes for kids:

These cute and cheerful Easter Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

Easter Chick Cupcakes

An adorable Easter-themed spin on a favorite party appetizer, these Deviled Eggs Chicks are sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike!Deviled Egg Chicks

Filed Under: Holiday Fun, Recipes Tagged With: cookies, desserts, easter

Baby Chick Cupcakes – The Easiest Easter Dessert!

February 18, 2019 4 Comments

Not a “Pinterest Mom”? No worries! These cute and easy Baby Chick Cupcakes are the perfect party treat that the rest of us can pull off!

These cute and cheerful Baby Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

Easter Chick Cupcakes

Though I make my living as a food and craft blogger, I’ll readily admit that my husband got all the talent when it comes to the kitchen!

I can handle simple recipes, but when it comes to making elaborate Pinterest-worthy party treats, well…my results sometimes look like they belong on an episode of “Nailed It!”

That’s why I love to share easy recipes that anyone can do – kids included! 

These bright yellow Easter Chick Cupcakes are super cute and super easy! Delicious from-scratch cupcakes and buttercream frosting, topped with adorable “chick” faces — kids will love to make them! And they are easy enough that kids really can make them!

— Stacey

Related: For another easy Easter recipe for kids, check out our Easter Egg Sugar Cookies!

These cute Easter Egg Cookies are easy for kids to make using a sugar cookie mix shortcut and colorful fondant! Click for photo step-by-step recipes.

Baby Chick Cupcakes Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

For the vanilla buttercream and decorations:

  • 2 cups butter
  • 8-10 cups icing sugar
  • 2-4 Tablespoons cream or milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Yellow gel food coloring
  • 4-5 maraschino cherries or orange candies for beaks
  • 48 mini chocolate chips
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

These cute and cheerful Easter Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

How to Make Easy Baby Chick Cupcakes

Keep reading for photo step-by-step directions to make our easy Easter chick cupcakes. A free printable copy of this recipe with full ingredients and instructions is available at the bottom of the post.

First you’ll want to prepare your cupcakes. We’ve provided a from-scratch recipe in the recipe card below, but you’re welcome to use store-bought, box mix, or your own favorite cupcakes recipe.

Here are some of our favorite cupcake recipes:

  • Candy filled piñata cupcakes 
  • Lime coconut cupcakes
  • Tie-Dye Cupcakes
  • Gluten free white cupcakes (with or without cherry filling)

Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting and decorating.

For the buttercream frosting:

We’ve also provided a from-scratch buttercream recipe in the recipe card at the end of the post. If you’re short on time, you’re welcome to use pre-made frosting.

However, we find that homemade buttercream is firmer and holds up better during decorating.

To decorate your chick cupcakes:

Start by generously covering all of your cooled cupcakes with yellow buttercream frosting.

Next, fill a small bowl with shredded coconut. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to your coconut flakes and stir to color them yellow. These will be the “feathers” on your chick cupcakes.

After frosting your cupcakes, roll them gently in the dyed coconut:

These cute and cheerful Easter Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

 

Add candy eyes and a candy nose to form your faces. We used chocolate chips and candied cherries, but you can use whatever you have available.

Pin this Easy Baby Chick Cupcakes recipe on Pinterest:

These cute and cheerful Baby Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

Grab your free printable copy of our Easter Chicks Cupcakes recipe:

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Baby Chick Cupcakes

These cute and cheerful Easter Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

These cute and cheerful Easter Chick Cupcakes are guaranteed to brighten anyone's day! Easy dessert recipe perfect to make with kids.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcake ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

For the vanilla buttercream and decorations:

  • 2 cups butter
  • 8-10 cups icing sugar
  • 2-4 Tablespoons cream or milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Yellow gel food coloring
  • 4-5 maraschino cherries or orange candies for beaks
  • 48 mini chocolate chips
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

To Make the Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake tray with your chosen liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Place the two eggs in a separate bowl and beat for 30 seconds before slowly adding in the white sugar.
  4. Once the egg and white sugar mixture is light and fully beaten, beat in the vanilla and oil.
  5. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix completely, then add half of the buttermilk. Repeat.
  6. Fill the muffin liners halfway full and bake 12-15 minutes and cool in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.

For the buttercream frosting:

  1. Combine the butter, sugar, 2 Tablespoons of cream and the vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Mix for 2 minutes and adjust the consistency with the addition of more sugar or cream.
  3. Dye the buttercream yellow with a small amount of yellow gel coloring.
  4. Place the coconut in a second small bowl and dye to the same color with the yellow dye.

To decorate:

  1. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and cut off the tip to be at least 1" wide.
  2. Pipe a big dollop of frosting in the middle of the cupcake, and then smooth it down into a dome shape using an offset spatula dipped in water.
  3. Roll the cupcakes in the dyed coconut to imply feathers.
  4. Add candy eyes and a candy nose - in our case, a small piece of candied cherry.
  5. Repeat for all remaining cupcakes.
© Jennifer Tammy
Cuisine: American / Category: Baking with Kids

 

More fun Easter cupcakes:

 

Filed Under: Baking with Kids, Holiday Fun, Recipes Tagged With: cupcakes, desserts, easter

Minnie & Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies

February 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

A fun Valentine’s Day cookie recipe, these Minnie and Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies will make any Disney fan’s day!

A fun Valentine's Day cookie recipe, these Minnie and Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies will make any Disney fan's day!

Mickey Mouse Valentine’s Day Cookies

We are a Disney family – we have been to Walt Disney World eight times and are currently planning our first trip to Disneyland Paris; we have themed movie nights complete with Disney recipes for kids and themed crafts; and we have more than a handful of Disney decor items in our home.

The mouse has taken over our house.

But even if your family isn’t as Disney-crazy as ours, your kids will probably still love these super cute Mickey and Minnie Mouse cookies as a sweet Valentine’s Day treat!

These cookies would be cute for Valentine’s Day or any Disney-themed party. I think they would also be cute as a classroom treat if your kid’s class will be having a Valentine’s Day party.

I hope your kids love these Disney-inspired cookies! If you make them, be sure to tag us on social media so we can see your creations!

— Jennifer

PS – Be sure to check out our Mickey Mouse donuts too!

A fun Valentine's Day cookie recipe, these Minnie and Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies will make any Disney fan's day!

Mickey Mouse Cookie Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/2 cups flour 
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tarter
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Royal icing ingredients:

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tarter
  • 3 cups powder sugar, plus extra as needed
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract 
  • Pink, black and red gel food coloring 

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

  • 1 large heart cookie cutter
  • 1 cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper
  • 4 frosting piping bags fitted with a number 2 tip
  • 3 squeeze bottles

How to Make Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies

A free printable recipe card is available at the bottom of the post, with full instructions. 

Keep reading for photo guide and our shortcut tips, or keep scrolling for the printable recipe card.

Shortcut Tips to Save Time:

  • While the royal icing method listed below is easier than it looks, it does take a bit of time to allow the cookies to dry in between steps. To save time, you can alternatively dip these cookies in melted chocolate or candy melts and garnish as desired with candies or writing icing.
  • You can also use pre-made sugar cookie dough instead of making these Mickey Mouse heart cookies from scratch.
  • If you need to make these sugar cookies in advance, I recommend either freezing the dough or the baked cookies, and then waiting to decorate them after thawing. (Freezing the decorated cookies can cause the frosting colors to run or the frosting to take on a different texture).

Photo Guide to Decorating:

Here’s a look at how we used royal icing to decorate our Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies:

how to make Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies for Valentine's Day

The steps to make Minnie Mouse Heart Cookies are similar, but you use pink frosting instead of red and finish with polka dots:decorated Minnie Mouse heart cookies

Grab your free printable copy of our Mickey Mouse Valentine’s Day Cookie recipe:

Yield: 24 cookies

Minnie & Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies

A fun Valentine's Day cookie recipe, these Minnie and Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies will make any Disney fan's day!

A fun Valentine's Day cookie recipe, these Minnie and Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies will make any Disney fan's day!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/2 cups flour 
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Royal Icing Ingredients:

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 3 cups powder sugar, plus extra as needed
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract 
  • Pink, black and red gel food coloring

Instructions

Cookie directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter, powder sugar, vanilla, and egg using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer.
  4. Gradually add dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing as you go.
  5. Lightly flour a cutting board and knead the dough just a few times until all the flour is combined.
  6. Dust the cutting board with flour again and roll out the dough to about 2 inches thick.
  7. Use your heart cookie cutter to cut out cookies until all dough is gone.
  8. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until a light golden brown.
  9. Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before placing them onto a different (cool) cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches of space between cookies.

Royal icing directions:

  1. Using a standing mixer, mix together the egg whites, powdered sugar, almond extract and cream of tartar until combined.
  2. If your royal icing mixture is still a little soupy, add in another cup of powder sugar (max 2 cups) until your icing starts to thicken.
  3. Continue to mix until white and stiff with peaks (about 5-7 minutes).
  4. Divide the icing among four small mixing bowls.
  5. Add a couple drops of pink gel coloring into one bowl, red gel into a second bowl, and black gel into the third bowl. Leave the fourth bowl plain (white).
  6. Stir your frostings until you have rich pink, red, and black icing. Add more food coloring as needed.
  7. Scoop a little bit of each color into their own piping bag, leaving the rest in the bowls.
  8. Add 1-2 tsp of water into each bowl of frosting, stirring until you have a thinner icing.
  9. Pour the thinned icing into squeeze bottles and set aside.

Decorating directions:

  1. Using the black piping bag (thick icing), pipe an outline around the top half of all the cookies, to make the "ears."
  2. Split your cookies into two groups: Mickey Mouse heart cookies and Minnie Mouse heart cookies. Outline half of the cookies with thick red icing and half with thick pink icing.
  3. Fill in the black outline on all of your cookies with the thinned black icing. Allow to set.
  4. Next, fill in the pink outlines with thinned pink icing and red outlines with thinned red icing. Allow to set.
  5. Using the white piping bag, draw polka dots on top on the pink icing. Allow Minnie Mouse heart cookies to dry fully (about 2 hours).
  6. Using the white piping bag, draw Mickey's buttons onto his pants (the red part of the cookies). Allow the Mickey Mouse heart cookies to dry completely (about 2 hours).
  7. Allow cookies to dry at least 12 hours before bagging or stacking.
© Jennifer Tammy
Cuisine: American / Category: Holiday Fun

Pin our Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies on Pinterest:

A fun Valentine's Day cookie recipe, these Minnie and Mickey Mouse Heart Cookies will make any Disney fan's day!

These Disney-inspired cookies are a sweet treat for your Disney-loving Valentine! Which is your favorite: Mickey or Minnie?

For more delicious Disney desserts, check out our Toy Story Green Alien Cupcakes or our Edible Chip Teacup from Beauty and the Beast.

Filed Under: Holiday Fun, Recipes Tagged With: cookies, desserts, Disney, Valentine's Day

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Hi there & welcome!

We're Stacey and Jennifer, and we're so glad you stopped by to visit! In the Kids Kitchen is our place to share inspiration to cook, play, and learn with your kids. From tips for teaching kitchen skills, to family-friendly recipes, kitchen crafts & sensory play, cookbook reviews, and more!

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