34 Fun Christmas Recipes to Make with Kids
Updated: Dec. 15, 2022One of the best parts of the holiday season is creating festive treats with the kids! Our fun Christmas food ideas include cookies, candies, snack mixes and more.
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Santa Claus Cookies
Store-bought peanut butter sandwich cookies become jolly Santas with white chocolate, colored sugar, mini chips and red-hot candies. —Mary Kaufenberg, Shakopee, Minnesota
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Chocolate Reindeer Cookies
Here’s a fun Christmas food idea for your holiday spread. These treats are perfect for getting kids involved. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Homemade Marshmallow Pops
Homemade marshmallows are fun to eat on a stick or to stir into your favorite hot chocolate. Their melt-in-your-mouth texture appeals to the young and the young at heart. —Jennifer Andrzejewski, Grizzly Flats, California
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Buddy the Elf Bark
Drawing inspiration from one of our favorite holiday movies, this Buddy the Elf dessert incorporates ramen noodles with chocolate, candy and everyone’s favorite—marshmallows. —James Schend, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
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Chocolate, Peanut & Pretzel Toffee Crisps
My "crispers" are the ultimate combination of salty and sweet. They never last long because—trust me—they're addictive! Make the recipe the way it's written or sprinkle on any treats you like. —Jennifer Butka, Livonia, Michigan
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Holiday Thumbprint Cookies
Speckled with chopped nuts and topped with a candied cherry, these tender cookies will disappear fast. They’re fun to make, too! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Tootsie Roll Fudge
When my husband came home with 50 pounds of Tootsie Rolls he bought at a discount store, I had to figure out a way to use them—so I came up with this Tootsie Roll fudge recipe! A red or green M&M’s candy atop each piece makes them extra jolly. —Carolyn McDill, Ohatchee, Alabama
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Peppermint Twists
Serve your family and friends this delicate twist that showcases one of the most popular Christmas flavors…peppermint! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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White Chocolate Party Mix
You won't be able to stop eating this irresistible white chocolate party mix. The light, sweet coating is great over cereal, peanuts, pretzels and M&M's. —Norene Wright, Manilla, Indiana
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Easy Reindeer Cookies
One year my son wanted to buy everyone in his class a present. I suggested we bake them a treat instead. We made these festive cookies using a cookie mix, pretzels, chocolate chips and Red M&M’s. —Gretchen Vandenberghe, Toledo, Ohio
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Holiday Ribbon Gelatin
Layers of red and green make this festive salad a favorite during the Christmas season. Kids are sure to find it fun to eat, and adults will enjoy the combination of sweet-tart flavors.—Jenny Hughson, Mitchell, Nebraska
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Banana Pancake Snowmen
Both kids and adults will love these yummy pancakes. Invite your little ones to help decorate their snowmen and they'll jump out of bed in a hurry! —Phyllis Schmalz, Kansas City, Kansas
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Oreos and Candy Cane Chocolate Bark
There are incredible surprises in this festive bark, including dark chocolate, candy canes and cream-filled cookies. We keep a big supply ready for gift-giving. —Robin Turner, Lake Elsinore, California
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Peanut Butter Christmas Mice
With their black licorice tails, candy noses and peanut ears, these chewy "mice" were always a hit at classroom parties. My children are in their teens now, but they still ask me to make these cookies for the holidays. —Nancy Rowse, Bella Vista, Arkansas
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Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies
Using prepared cookie dough gives you a nice head start to your own little forest of Christmas trees. Get the kids involved in this holiday craft to keep them busy making memories.—Sue Draheim, Waterford, Wisconsin
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Ornament Popcorn Balls
These gooey-sweet treats are great for dressing up the tree with a little more than the classic popcorn string. And they're yummier and fun for the family, too. — Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
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Easy Truffles
Our smooth, creamy bonbons are so divine you may be tempted to save this recipe for a special occasion. But with just a few ingredients, they're easy to make anytime. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Coconut Yule Trees
People say they love my coconut macaroon-like Christmas trees because they look so festive. Once decorated, these trees light up a room—just like the real thing. —Michelle Retterer, Marysville, Ohio
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Polka-Dot Macaroons
Macaroons studded with M&M's are easy to mix up in a hurry. That's good, because believe me, they never last long. —Janice Lass, Dorr, Michigan
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Reindeer Brownies
My son, Jeremy, is 36 but acts as if he's 5 when he sees these brownies—I've been making them for more than 30 years! My daughter, Jayme, and my four grandchildren love them, too. If you're short on time, a boxed mix works just fine. —Jeannine Schneider, Fremont, California
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Jelly-Topped Sugar Cookies
On busy days, I appreciate this quick-to-make jelly-topped cookie. Top each sugar cookie with your favorite flavor of jam or jelly. —June Quinn, Kalamazoo, Michigan
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Gingerbread Buddies
These cookies were ideal for a winter get-together I hosted. I like to share these crunchy treats on the way home from cutting our fresh Christmas tree.—Shelly Rynearson, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
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Yummy Cracker Snacks
These treats are my family’s favorite. In fact, it seems no matter how many I make, they always disappear too soon! —D. Weaver, Ephrata, Pennsylvania
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Filled Chocolate Spritz
I like how the creamy mint filling peeks through between the layers of these sandwich cookies. A chocolate drizzle on top is a flavorful finishing touch. —Marilyn Blankschien, Clintonville, Wisconsin
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Cranberry Shortbread Stars
My family loves shortbread and I love cranberries, so I decided to put the two together to make cranberry shortbread cookies. The star shape is a festive addition to my holiday cookie tray. —Sonya Labbe, West Hollywood, California
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Eggnog Cookies
This cookie's flavor fits right into the holiday spirit—pick your favorite cookie cutter shapes to make them even more festive! —Myra Innes, Auburn, Kansas
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Touch-of-Gold Christmas Trees
You can decorate these pretty Christmas trees with other types of sprinkles if you don't have the gold dust. The filling alone makes the cookies special and so delicious! —Linda Sweet, Cornwall, New York
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Potato Chip Clusters
Just three offbeat ingredients add up to one unique, delectable, no-bake treat. These super easy, sweet-and-salty candy clusters make for merry munching during holiday trips or parties. They travel well in containers without melting or getting soft. —Donna Brockett, Kingfisher, Oklahoma
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Peppermint Meltaways
This recipe for peppermint meltaways is very pretty and festive-looking on a cookie platter. I often cover a plate of these peppermint cookies with red or green plastic wrap and a bright holiday bow in one corner. And yes, they really do melt in your mouth! —Denise Wheeler, Newaygo, Michigan
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Homemade Gumdrops
Your friends and family will remember these chewy, fruity candies long after they’ve licked the last bit of sugar off their fingers! They’re a great gift any time of year. —Christin Holt, Kingsburg, California
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Gingerbread Sandwich Trees
Fun and festive, these cookie sandwich trees will be a huge hit with kids of all ages. They're a super-cute holiday treat! —Steve Foy, Kirkwood, Missouri
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Fudgy Mint Cookies
Chocolate lovers will get a double dose when they bite into this cakelike cookie. The cookies are especially popular served alongside a big scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream! —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota
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Chocolate-Strawberry Pretzel Cookies
Every year I come up with a new recipe, and this is one that's been requested over and over. Who would ever guess how good pretzels are in cookies? —Isabel Minunni, Poughkeepsie, New York
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Reindeer Snack Mix
Rudolph and his pals will be dashing, dancing and prancing to gobble up this savory snack mix. Humans also will enjoy the buttery, perfectly seasoned and wonderfully crunchy combination. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Originally Published: November 20, 2017
