"One of my favorite holiday memories is going to my grandmother’s house to bake pies and other Christmas treats when I was a child. I can still vividly remember the feeling of sitting in her small kitchen with its 1970s appliances and rolling out dough on her circular kitchen table.
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Looking back, I have to give her credit for including me in such an ambitious baking feat every year. Granted, she is an excellent baker, but still, doing anything with kids makes it 1000 times more complicated. Maybe someday my kids and I will bake pies together too, but for now, I’m sticking with something a little easier and more kid-friendly for the tiniest of hands to help. Read on for 40+ fun (and easy!) Christmas treats to tackle with your little one(s) this year.
1. Reindeer Cookies
Reindeer cookies would be perfect to leave out for Santa and his reindeer this year. Your family will be singing “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer…” the whole night.
2. Melted Snowman Cookies
These melted snowmen are too cute to pass up! Your little ones will love this creative and tasty treat.
3. Christmas Popcorn
Cozy up with your favorite Christmas movie this season with Christmas popcorn in your hands. It’s festive, it’s sweet, and I know Buddy the Elf will approve.
4. Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
There are a lot of adorable Christmas treats to choose from, but we think these reindeer might just be the cutest of the bunch! With chocolate covered pretzels, candy eyes and M&Ms, you can transform tasty Rice Krispies treats into these merry reindeer—with at least one Rudolph, of course.
5. Milky Way Teddy Sleds
What’s fantastic about this recipe is that while it requires minimal ingredients, time, and effort, you’re still presenting little ones with such a cute, tasty, and holiday-inspired spin on candy canes and candy bars. If you want to put a smile on family and friends’ faces, these teddy sleds also make perfect little sweet treats to share!
6. Christmas Tree Brownies
We certainly have plenty of Christmas Tree-shaped treat recipes to offer, but if your kids can’t get enough chocolate, then try these soft fudgy brownies for a satisfying dose of chocolate delight.
7. Homemade Peppermint Oreos
The only thing better than a festive sleeve of Oreos is making them yourself—and these chocolate cookies made of crushed Oreos, filled with a creamy Oreo and peppermint filling, and coated with crushed peppermint candy will not disappoint.
8. Christmas Tree Meringues
Making Christmas tree meringues is fun for the kids. Your little ones will get to practice their hand-eye coordination while using a pipette to make the Christmas tree swirls.
9. Grinch Thumbprint Cookies
A charming-looking cookie to make with your little sweetheart who wishes they could soften the Grinch’s grouchy Christmas spirit with something sugary and sweet. They’ll especially appreciate the honor of placing each little red candy heart on top for the finishing touch.
10. Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie Treats have always been a favorite in my household, but making them into cute and festive Christmas trees makes them even better.
11. Healthy Nutella Sea Salt Truffles
If you handed me a jar of Nutella with a bow on it, I would gladly count it as a Christmas treat. However, Nutella sea salt truffles definitely take this simple ingredient to a whole new level. Tasty and beautiful—I might be making this recipe all winter long.
12. Santa Hat Cupcakes
In just a few simple steps, you can take your plain (but still delicious) cupcakes and turn them into a festive treat!
13. Vanilla Snowman Cupcakes
For little ones who love a happy snowman and prefer vanilla to chocolate, this is the perfect cupcake recipe for a winter afternoon. They’ll love being able to decorate the snowmen’s faces with marshmallows, sprinkles, and candy—and they might even have some creative ideas of their own for what kinds of faces to make.
14. Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
I don’t know about you, but gooey, chocolatey goodness always has a place on my Christmas wishlist. Not only are these crinkle cookies delicious, but they also freeze well so there’s no reason not to make an extra batch (we won’t tell if they don’t actually make it to the freezer)!
15. Candy Cane Cookies
If your favorite seasonal flavor is peppermint, you’re not going to want to pass up these candy cane cookies! They’re the perfect combination of sweet vanilla and bold peppermint. Plus, they’re adorable.
16. Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
If decorating Christmas cookies has always been one of your traditions, or if it’s one you’re wanting to start, this sugar cookie recipe is just what you need for a perfect baking day.
17. Christmas Bark
Warning: You’ll find yourself coming back for “just one more piece” of this Christmas bark more often than you’d like to admit. But, spoiler alert: It’s worth it.
18. Christmas Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars
For anyone trying to take pre-made slice and bake cookies up a notch without too much extra kitchen work, it’s worth baking them into these homemade gooey chocolate chip cookie bars. You’re getting the best of both cookie worlds, really—festive sugar cookies balanced out by yummy chocolate chip ones.
19. Christmas Cupcakes
Buttercream frosting is my favorite when it comes to topping a cupcake. I love how each cupcake is uniquely decorated with different patterns. It makes this special treat look so elegant. Plus, there’s less mess when it comes to decorating with only one color of frosting.
20. Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
No Christmas cookie collection is complete without pinwheel cookies, and of the many recipes out there, we think this one with radiant green and red swirls and sprinkle coating will be especially captivating for little ones’ eyes—and mouths!
21. Christmas Cutout Sugar Cookies
Who knew cookies could be AIP, gluten-free, and made without refined sugar? These cute Christmas tree sugar cookies are perfect for anyone in your family who needs substitutions. It doesn’t have to be in the shape of a Christmas tree either—a snowman or an ornament is just as fun!
22. Easy Gingerbread Cookies
The holidays simply wouldn’t be the same without gingerbread cookies. This is the perfect recipe to make them soft and chewy.
23. Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies
When it comes to cookies, the only combination better than chocolate and peppermint is soft and crunchy. Lucky for us, this recipe provides all of that in one!
24. Christmas Butter Cookies
One of my favorite traditions as a kid was leaving out cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. If your little ones love doing that too, try making these butter cookies this year—they happen to be Santa’s favorite (we’re sure of it).
25. Snowball Cookies
If you ask me, I’d rather have a snowball cookie fight than an actual snowball fight. However, I might just eat them instead. Using a small cookie scoop gives you the perfect shape for the cookies.
26. Reindeer Cupcakes
If you want to put a smile on your little one’s face for the whole day, try making these reindeer cupcakes together.
27. Chocolate Heart Candy Canes
If you have a Grinch in your family, make chocolate heart candy canes to make their heart grow three sizes larger. Don’t worry, they’re good for the whole village, too.
28. Easy Snow Ice Cream
If you’re in a place that receives snowfall this holiday season, you can invite a snowy treat into your kiddo’s hands with this cute ice cream recipe whose base is—you guessed it—fresh snow! Swap in green and red sprinkles on top for extra Christmas spirit.
29. Cookie Cutter Peppermint Bark
These cutout peppermint bark treats are not only going to be a family favorite, but they also make for a great holiday gift!
30. Christmas M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
When you want to celebrate the holidays but don’t want to give up your favorite cookie, all you have to do is add a festive touch!
31. Grain-Free Santa Hat Brownie Cookie Cups
These brownie cookie cups are adorable, but we also love that they’re grain- and gluten-free. This is the perfect recipe for everyone.
32. Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
This recipe may be the only present we need this year. Treat everyone in your house to their favorite Little Debbie cakes that taste even better than store bought.
33. Christmas Poke Cake
Sometimes it’s just more fun to make a whole cake together, and this is a super easy one that combines the fun of Jell-O with your favorite white cake mix. The resulting fluffy cake with its fruity filling and creamy whipped topping makes for a dreamy winter treat that your whole family can enjoy.
34. Marshmallow Christmas Wreaths
If your little one would love the idea of creating something gooey and green, then these marshmallow wreaths will be a hit. Whether you decide to melt the marshmallows with cornflakes or another favorite cereal, this is a simple recipe that littles can lend a helping hand to.
35. Andes Mint Cookies
This is a recipe I couldn’t wait to try! It’s a tradition in my family for my mom (I mean, Santa) to put a package of Andes mints in everyone’s stockings, and this recipe was a perfect use for them.
36. Peanut Butter Blossoms
My family knows by now that if these cookies aren’t on the roster for our annual baking day, there’s a good chance I won’t show up. They’re a timeless treat that deserve to be appreciated year after year.
37. Christmas Chex Mix
We can’t think of a better way to spend an evening this holiday season than whipping up a batch of this Chex Mix before cuddling up on the couch and watching a holiday movie together.
38. Easy Oreo Gluten-Free Snowman Cookies
These cookies are simple to make, adorable, and will make everyone in your house sing “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” Do with that what you will.
39. Stained Glass Window Cookies
Without a doubt, this is the prettiest recipe on our list. Your little ones will feel like they’re working on an art project when making these cookies.
40. Stacked Sugar Cookie Christmas Trees
After working hard decorating the Christmas tree, reward yourself and your little ones by heading to the kitchen to whip up a batch of edible (and ultra-cute) cookie trees.
41. Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Lemony cream cheese makes these gingerbread whoopee pies extra special. Kids will love putting them together, too!
42. Nutter Butter Snowmen
These nutter butter snowmen couldn’t be cuter—or more delicious. Whip up some of these with your little ones after working hard playing in the snow.
43. Double-Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies
The only thing better than chocolate is double chocolate. Combine that with crunchy peppermint and frosting, and you’ve got a cookie everyone will love.
44. Christmas Mint Oreo Fudge
If it’s the vibrant colors that pull your kiddo toward their dessert of choice, then this bright green decadent fudge laced with mint Oreos, white chocolate chips, and Christmas M&Ms is definitely a winning choice to create together.
45. Campfire S’mores Snowflake Shortbread Cookies
“Marshmallows roasting on an open fire”… that’s not how the song goes, is it? Regardless, we’ll be making s’mores by the fire this Christmas. Instead of the classic graham cracker, substitute it with a shortbread cookie instead. Add shredded pretzels for extra crunch, and you’ve just created the yummiest concoction.
Jaclyn Voran, Contributing Writer
Jaclyn joined The Everymom team as a Contributing Writer in 2020. She brings a strong editorial background as a freelance writer, including being published in The Atlantic. She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Kansas.
Patty Schepel, Editorial Intern
As the editorial intern, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.