Easy Dessert Recipes for Kids to Help Make

Shila:  This Nutella fudge calls for 6 simple ingredients - and no baking is required! It's an easy dessert recipe for kids to make with minimal help. Just mix up a quick batter and wait for the chocolate to set in the fridge. From Tastes of Lizzy T

Alexandra F.:  Simple is often best and that is so true for this super easy banana bread recipe - the only one you will ever need to use up those too-ripe bananas. It is consistently delicious, even with various substitutions for food allergies, and I especially love that it only uses one bowl for a super-fast cleanup. I don’t even need to use a mixer! I have successfully substituted the egg for a 1/4 cup of applesauce + 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and butter for vegetable oil to make it egg and dairy-free. Still delicious! Mix chocolate chips into the batter for an extra special splurge. From Key Ingredient

Shila:  Mug cakes are easy desserts for kids, especially when you just need to serve one or two and don't want lots of leftovers! These little quick-fix chocolate cakes are microwaved in a coffee mug for about 1-2 minutes and come out looking and tasting great. From Table For Two

Alexandra F.:  I have tried a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years. A LOT. But, I only discovered the best chocolate chip cookies EVER a few years ago when my sister introduced me to this easy dessert recipe. I’m sure the rich Irish butter is key, but I’ve made this recipe using regular butter, too, and it is still the best. Don’t skip the step where you chill the dough in the fridge - your cookies will go flat in the oven rather than holding their perfect shape. Younger kids will need help browning the butter over the stovetop, but everyone can help roll the dough before baking! From Kerrygold

Vanessa M.:  These cookies are crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and stuffed full of sweet mix-ins that give them a taste as big as Texas! Kids love to help with this easy dessert recipe (lots of measuring, pouring and stirring), and it comes together quickly in one bowl for less clean-up! Drop cookies require no rolling or extra work. If you have nut allergies, skip the pecans and replace peanut butter chips with butterscotch chips. Also, I skip the chill time with no problem, and make the cookies smaller for kids. From The Food Charlatan

Lisa R:  Want to get your kids excited to have fruit for dessert? Have them help prepare these fun rainbow fruit skewers! Depending on the fruit you choose, you can also freeze them as a healthy summer treat. Kids love that this feels like a craft activity, and the colorful result! Parents love this as a way to keep kids busy while working on the rest of the meal, and it's an opportunity to help younger children learn their colors and practice sorting. From To Simply Inspire

Alexandra F.:  Lemon bars are such easy desserts to make. Really! Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with tin foil. Stir 1 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 cups of flour. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Combine two cups of sugar, 6 T. of flour, 6 eggs and 1 cup fresh lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for 25 minutes. Then, chill in the refrigerator overnight. To serve, lift the foil out of the pan and dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into squares.

Vanessa M.:  My kids beg to make this recipe together every time the weather gets chilly. DIY Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix makes a large batch of dry mix that keeps very well in a sealed container, so it is ready to mix with hot milk or water to make a delicious mug of Mexican hot chocolate anytime you need some warming up. My kids love all the measuring, pouring, and stirring that is involved! From Foodista

Shila:  If you have milk and ice cream, you can make milkshakes! And with a few creative mix-ins, you can blend up an endless variety of customized easy dessert recipes for kids. From adding in fresh fruit to toasting up marshmallows to topping them off with sweetened cereal (such as Cap’n Crunch or Cocoa Puffs), enjoy these very cool treats. From Food Network

Lisa R:  This rainbow fruit pizza is made using crescent roll dough, Greek yogurt and fruit. What a great summer treat for cookouts! This impressive yet easy dessert recipe is also relatively low in refined sugars. Kids love the colorful rainbow pattern. Parents love that it's a relatively healthy dessert, creates little mess, and can be used to teach kids about colors, patterns, and sorting. From Well Plated by Erin

Alexandra F.:  I'm not gonna lie, I got this idea from an episode of Daniel Tiger. After watching it about a gazillion times my toddler insisted we try it, and lo and behold, it was amazing! All you need to do for this easy dessert recipe is freeze bananas, then blend them. The result is a frozen treat with a consistency that is surprisingly like soft serve. The flavor is mild enough to be tasty even if you aren’t huge on banana, and for an extra special treat, mix in (or serve with) peanut butter, Oreo crumbles, chocolate sauce or M&Ms. Two bananas will make enough for 3-4 small servings. Break them up into chunks before freezing for easier blending.

Laila Talley:  One of our favorite easy dessert recipes for summer, these frozen chocolate bananas are a fun play date activity! Waiting 30 minutes for the chocolate to set is a good exercise in patience. Use wax paper or parchment paper to cover the freezer tray and work surface for easy clean-up. Make sure bananas are firm with only a few brown spots. From Epicurious

Shila:  For a colorful, delicious and secretly healthy recipe for kids, encourage them to make a fruit sorbet. All it takes is your choice of summer fruit (frozen or fresh), a simple syrup like honey or agave, and a small food processor to blend up a variety of easy dessert recipes that kids will love. From The Flavor Bender

Alexandra F.:  Gooey peanut butter, crunchy oats, and chocolate...yes, please! And, since this recipe doesn't use any flour, these cookies are super easy to make into a tasty gluten-free treat (though my kids and friends will tell you that they are amazing whether or not you are avoiding gluten). Best of all, the ingredients all go into a single bowl to make it both an easy dessert recipe for kids to make AND an easy cleanup. A stand or electric mixer will make your life easier since you will be mixing together some thick ingredients. From My Gluten-Free Kitchen

Alexandra F.:  I almost hate to recommend this recipe, as it has earned me so many accolades from friends that I am loathe to give away the secret. But alas, here it is, the best brownie recipe ever! These brownies are a perfect example of high quality ingredients making all the difference. I love this Rodelle cocoa powder and am sure it’s the main reason these brownies are so delicious. My kids make them all the time when friends come over and they always turn out great, even subbing in gluten free flour. You do need to melt butter and sugar over a stovetop so younger kids will need supervision. From Rodelle