Tips for Baking with Kids

Simple tips for baking with kids at home. Great for both beginners and experienced bakers. Includes a list of easy recipes to get you started.

Lately, we’ve been spending more time cooking and baking as a family in the kitchen. Each child has been taking a turn to prepare simple meals and snacks for the family.

It’s actually quite nice to have ample time to cook – and teach – instead of the frequent rush that is our daily life with three kids in school and two working parents.

Laying a foundation for a healthy family food culture starts with a willingness on your part to invest the time in teaching kids to bake.

Since we’re all staying home these days, I thought these tips for baking with kids could be helpful. Let’s get started!

It’s never too early to get kids in the kitchen. Our kiddos started around age two, when they stood on a chair and ‘helped’ me measure. Getting an early start was smart, though. Soon they were cooking for us!

Here they are making their favourite recipes over Spring Break:

Over on the popular website Kitchn I wrote about baking with kids and shared our favourite recipe for homemade crackers.

And the food education has only continued since then, as has the fun!

Tips for Baking with Kids

For years, I’ve been an advocate of getting kids in the kitchen, insisting that teaching kids about food can begin in the grocery store or the garden, but the real magic happens alongside you, cooking and baking.

Today’s tips for baking with kids have worked well for me and my three little ones. However, all children approach baking from different angles, so you’ll need to observe and figure out what works well for your child.

Ready to get started? Read these tips for baking with kids first.

  • Assign tasks at their ability level.
  • Supervise and direct. Keep calm!
  • Take your time. Don’t rush any one.
  • Accept that learning involves making mistakes. Don’t expect perfection from your little bakers.
  • Let go of the little things. Try to relax and let the small stuff slide. It’s just food; so what if it’s uneven, wobbly, or a bit burned?
  • Have fun! Let them taste, snack and nibble along the way. Let them lick the bowl and beaters!

6 Easy Steps for Baking with Kids

  1. Decide what to make. Cookies are always welcome in my house. Lately we’re baking Monster Cookies, Oatmeal Muffins and Power Bites. Start with recipes that have an immediate result (nothing overnight…chilled for hours).
  2. Read through the recipe. All the way to the end. It helps you avoid unpleasant surprises, like the dough needing to be chilled overnight, or the recipe calling for a piece of equipment you don’t have.
  3. Scrub hands and put on aprons. It’s not absolutely necessary that they have an apron, of course, but it does protect the clothes and make the children feel like they’re really bakers. Washing the hands is a MUST!
  4. Divide up and assign tasks. Assign tasks that they can successfully complete, and won’t frustrate them. Also, if you have more than one child, you don’t want them arguing over tasks. If one child can measure dry ingredients, then another child can measure liquids, etc.
  5. Assemble the Ingredients and Tools. Having everything within reach before you begin will help you bake safely and efficiently.
  6. Clean up together. Don’t skip this essential life skill! It’s vital to learn the importance of cleaning up at an early age.
Chocolate Beet Snack Cake

Favourite Baking Recipes

Over the years of baking with kids, we’ve experimented a lot, but we usually come back to our favourites. Oatmeal muffins, cheesy crackers, chocolate cake and much more…these recipes have shaped their childhood.

And it’s more cooking than baking but these Spinach Crêpes with Blueberry Compote are my kids absolute favourite breakfast.

Happy Baking!

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