29 easy baking recipes for kids of all ages

If you’re looking for easy baking recipes for kids, you've come to the right place. From cakes to cookies, muffins to brownies, these easy bakes are great for children of all ages.

Teaching kids how to bake is a great way to get them thinking about where their food comes from and how it's made. Plus with all the mixing and cake decorating, it’s an excellent way to practice critical skills like coordination and counting. You might want to invest in a baking set for kids to get them even more enthusiastic.

"Getting your child involved in baking is so important to set them up for later in life and learn key life skills as they age. It is a great opportunity to have bonding time with your child – you can talk about what you are doing and ask them what was their favorite part," says Ruth Chubb of Three Bears Cookery Club.

"Every child develops at a different rate and helping them with these things and teaching them how to do things for themselves will really help their development and increase their confidence. As they get older and feel more confident in the kitchen you can encourage them to do these things with you in the background to help when needed."

Ruth says that there is a multitude of skills that children learn through baking, such as: 

• How to follow a recipe, by reading it through together and following each step.
• Learning their numbers by helping weigh out ingredients.
• Learning what the mass of ingredients looks like visually, what does 200g flour look like compared to 200g butter?
• Helping them be safe; talking through the dangers in the kitchen, not so they are scared to cook but so they learn how to be careful when handling hot things or when using a knife for example.
• Improving communication skills by talking through the ingredients, and asking questions about what they like, don’t like, and what it reminds them of.
• Imagination; discussing how it is going to look, and how we will decorate the cake or cookies.
• Increasing confidence; making a recipe from ingredients to it coming out of the oven, is a huge confidence boost that they have made something from just a few ingredients, congratulate them, share it with friends and family, or take a picture and send it to the grandparents or auntie.

Easy baking recipes for kids

1. Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

These charming old-school fairy cakes from the doyenne of baking, Mary Berry, are a wonderful choice to do with younger kids. It's a back-to-basics recipe, whereby the kids can learn how to make a cake sponge and a simple icing made from icing sugar and water. Top with whatever your sweets of choice are – we do love a Dolly Mixture here for its range of flavors and looks, but you're welcome to freestyle!

Get the recipe: Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring out ingredients
• Stirring the cake mix
• Helping to make the icing
• Spooning the icing
• Decorating the tops with sweets

Skills learnt: 

• Basic maths
• How to make a cake mix and icing
• The art of decoration

2. Butterfly cakes

Makes: 10 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

"This is a great recipe to make with your kids, not only are you making the cake mixture and buttercream but it's a good way to introduce knife skills to older children. For younger children, help them with scooping out the middle and cutting in half to create the butterfly wings," says Ruth Chubb.

Get the recipe: Butterfly buns

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring out ingredients
• Helping to make buttercream including sifting icing sugar
• Filling the cakes with buttercream and jam
• Assembling the 'butterfly wings' and decorating with icing sugar

Skills learnt: 

• Counting 
• Following a recipe
• Creativity

3. Annabel Karmel's chocolate orange brownies

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Kids cooking queen Annabel Karmel is here to help your kids get their bake on with this handy picture-led recipe, perfect for them to follow solo, so a good chance to step back and see if they can do so without your guidance. The classic brownie is given a makeover with the addition of fresh orange juice and zest. 

We recommend cooking for slightly less time than you might think for a squidgy, fudgy brownie but, if you happen to like them firmer and more cake-like, leave them in the oven for an extra 5 mins. 

Get the recipe: Annabel Karmel's chocolate orange brownies

Tasks for the kids:

• Measuring the ingredients on the scales
• Squeezing the oranges for juice
• Stirring ingredients
• Melting the chocolate and butter in a pan over warm water (with your supervision if they're at the younger end of the age group)
• Lining a tin with baking paper
• Sifting the dry ingredients

Skills learned:

• Juicing fruit
• How to melt baking ingredients
• Maths skills
• Following instructions
• Independence

4. Chewy chocolate oat squares

Serves: 24 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 35 mins

Somewhere in between a cake and a flapjack, this is an easy traybake perfect for your kids to get stuck in to making – it's pretty much a 'chuck it all in and stir it together' recipe, so a good one for older kids to have a go at making independently.

Get the recipe: Chewy chocolate oat squares

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring out ingredients
• Adding everything to the bowl and stirring and folding to combine, including whisking the egg and sifting over the flour.
• Drizzling over the melted chocolate
• Decorating with chocolate

Skills learnt: 

• Numbers
• Creativity
• Independence – it's one they can do with little supervision

5. Annabel Karmel's apple and sultana muffins

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Annabel Karmel combines the classic flavour pairings of apples and dried fruit with cinnamon and ginger to make this fruit muffin. You'll need to grate the apples and deal with the oven, but most other tasks can be handed over to your bundle of joy. Plus, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing they're getting one of their five a day when they eat them later.

Get the recipe: Annabel Karmel's apple and sultana muffins

Tasks for the kids:

• Measuring ingredients on the scales
• Mixing with a wooden spoon
• Spooning cake mix into cases
• Sprinkling sugar

Skills learned:

• Adding and taking away numbers
• Flavour combination and pairings
• Understanding what spices are and how they work to add flavour

6. Homemade chocolate digestives

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Sure, a packet of choc digestives is a marvellous accompaniment to a cuppa, but imagine just how much more marvellous they are if you and your kids have made them by your own fair hands. They're also a lovely one for an edible gift, packed in a Kilner jar and tied with colourful string.

Get the recipe: Homemade chocolate digestives

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring out ingredients
• Forming a dough
• Rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies
• Dipping the biscuits in melted chocolate

Skills learnt: 

• How to make a basic cookie dough
• Using a rolling pin
• Using cookie cutters

7. Sticky marshmallow and chocolate tray bake

Serves: 16 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Ideal for younger children who may well have a short attention span, this is a quick recipe that they can practise their stirring skills on. The traybake will go down well with fans of rocky road or chocolate crispy cakes (and we've yet to meet someone who isn't a fan of either…).

Get the recipe: Sticky marshmallow and chocolate tray bake

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring the ingredients
• Breaking up the chocolate for melting (older kids can learn how to melt it too with adult supervision)
• Stirring all the ingredients together and pouring into the baking tray

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• Stirring and pouring
• Experimenting with flavours and ingredients – they could switch out the rice krispies for cornflakes or cocoa pops, for example

8. Rolo cookie cups

Makes: 12-16 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

A great one for younger kids to do with parents, or for older kids to go solo on for some independent baking. These cookies have a mere six ingredients, with the iconic chocolates taking centre stage – though the Rolos could be switched for Maltesers, should you prefer. Perfect with a cup of milk as an after tea treat.

Get the recipe: Rolo cookie cups

Tasks for the kids: 

• Cracking and whisking the eggs
• Weighing the dry ingredients
• Forming the dough 
• Rolling the dough into balls
• Adding in the Rolo chocs after baking

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• How to make dough
• How to roll dough in to shapes

9. Annabel Karmel's banana butterfly cakes

Makes: 8 | Prep time: 20 mins| Cook time: 20 mins

A step up from the basic cupcake, these fairy cakes have mashed bananas in the batter, and kids can learn to master the 'fairy' element of cutting off the tops and making them into two wings, before dusting them with icing sugar. The frosting also contains that South American food of the Gods, dulce du leche. An excellent one to do when preparing for a birthday party or other celebration. They'll be able to show off a treat – and quite rightly so.

Get the recipe: Butterfly banana cakes

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring the ingredients
• Sifting the flour, beating the egg, mashing the banana, and combining and mixing all the elements of the cake mix
• Spooning the mix into the cases
• Mixing the ingredients for the icing
• Piping the icing and 'constructing' the finished cakes

Skills learnt:

• Using a piping bag
• Maths
• Baking with fruit
• Creativity

10. Porridge bars

Serves: 8 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1 hr

An excellent one for the kids to understand the nutritional value – because these healthy bars are packed with dried fruit, oats, and a variety of seeds. Mixed nuts for an extra protein hit are also an option if there are no allergies. There'll be great satisfaction in them knowing they've made their own breakfast or lunch box snacks – and they can show off to their schoolmates. A winner all around.

Get the recipe: Porridge bars

Tasks for the kids:

• Weighing out ingredients
• Mixing the wet and dried ingredients together
• Chopping the apricots (using kid's scissors for children at the younger end of the spectrum)

Skills learned:

• Understanding nutrients – talk to them about which food groups the ingredients belong to and the benefits they have to our brains and bodies
• Maths skills
• Scissor skills

11. Animal cookies

Makes: 10-12 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

These ginger biscuits are the cutest of cookies, and can be cut into any animal shape you like, depending on what cookie cutters you have at your disposal – though we really are partial to these sheep (who look like they're up to no good!). It makes the icing nice and easy too, though you can add a few drops of food colouring – pink for pigs, brown or black for cows, you get the idea…

Get the recipe: Animal cookies

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring the ingredients
• Beating together the wet ingredients and stirring in the dry ingredients
• Forming a dough
• Rolling out the dough
• Cutting out the dough
• Helping to make the icing
• Icing the biscuits

Skills learnt: 

• Numbers and measurements
• How to make dough
• Using a rolling pin and cookie cutters
• How to make icing
• Piping icing
• Creativity

12. Easy chocolate cupcakes

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

What's not to love about a chocolate cupcake? They're a great one to make for a birthday party and all the better if the kids have had a hand in baking them. They'll love having a bash at piping the buttercream, and who cares if it looks a little, er, rustic. It will all add to the charm.

Get the recipe: Chocolate cupcakes

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring out ingredients
• Whisking the milk, egg and vanilla together
• Piping the buttercream on to the cakes after cooking

Skills learnt: 

• Numbers and measuring
• Piping skills
• Creativity
• Understanding ingredients – what goes into making a sponge

13. Hearty Smarties chocolate cake

Serves: 12 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

A great one for a simple birthday cake that the kids can be involved in making. They'll understand what goes into making a chocolate sponge and a ganache (though you can always just switch this for Nutella to make things easier) and will love decorating the top with Smarties (or any other - ideally colourful - choc of choice). We've decorated a heart shape, but they can freestyle however they live with their design.

Get the recipe: Hearty Smarties chocolate cake

Tasks for the kids:

• Measuring out ingredients
• Stirring the cake mix
• Pouring the cake mix into a baking tin
• Helping to make the chocolate ganache
• Spreading the ganache over the top of the cake and in the centre
• Decorating the cake with Smarties

Skills learnt: 

• Numbers and measurements
• Understanding how to make a sponge cake
• Decoration
• Creativity

14. Maltesers cookies

Makes: 14 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

An excellent recipe choice for making with kids, not only because they're easy, but because they'll be thrilled to prepare a bake stashed with their favourite chocs. And they get to bash them to bits too, which is always fun… Older kids can do this one pretty independently with minimum supervision.

Get the recipe: Maltesers cookies

Tasks for the kids: 

• Bashing the Maltesers into crumbs with a rolling pin (in a freezer bag)
• Cracking and whisking the egg
• Measuring the other ingredients
• Mixing the cooking dough with a wooden spoon
• Rolling out the dough and making into balls

Skills learnt: 

• How to make cookie dough
• Using a rolling pin
• Numbers and measuring

15. Weetabix cake

Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Yes, really, you can make a cake from your favourite breakfast cereal. This sweet, fruity loaf is a bit of a departure from the usual chocolatey bakes that kids favour, and will expand their baking skills. It's also healthier than your average bake (ssshhh, don't tell them) with heaps of naturally sweet dried fruit and bananas, which reduce the amount of sugar needed.

Get the recipe: Weetabix cake

Tasks for the kids: 

• Crushing the Weetabix
• Mixing the Weetabix with milk
• Greasing the baking tin with butter
• Mashing the banana
• Mixing in the dried fruit

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• Cooking with dried and fresh fruit
• Cooking with cereal
• Experimenting with flavours – swapping the cereal or the fruit

16. Yogurt cupcakes

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

These delightful cupcakes are a bit unusual with the addition of yogurt (or soured cream also works well) in the cake mix. It might not look quite as professional as the photo if the kids decorate, but it will still taste pretty good, and make them feel ever so proud, too.

Get the recipe: Yogurt cupcakes

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring the dry and wet ingredients
• Mixing all the ingredients together
• Filling the baked cakes with raspberry jam (with some assistance!)
• Decorating the cakes with butter icing

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• Different ways to create a cake sponge
• Combining ingredients
• Decoration
• Creativity

17. Chocolate caramel cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Prep time: 15 | Cook time: 15

These rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with a mix of caramel sauce (we recommend dulce du leche, though you could also use condensed milk) and melted chocolate, which elevates them to the next level of taste. It's pretty simple to put together too. A delight of a recipe the kids will love helping with.

Get the recipe: Chocolate caramel cupcakes

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring out the ingredients
• Adding all the sponge ingredients to a bowl and beating together the mixture
• Spreading the topping on
• Decorating with Smarties or other sweets

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• Beating together a cake mix
• Decoration
• Creativity

18. Pastry pretzels

Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

"A great way to introduce making pastry to your child, this is a good one for older children who feel confident making cakes and want to try something else.  Younger children can still help and will enjoy rolling out the pastry," says Ruth Chubb.

Get the recipe: Pastry pretzels

Tasks for the kids: 

• Weighing out the flour and butter
• Crumbling the butter into the flour
• Kneading the dough
• Rolling out the dough
• Sprinkling over the cheese

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• How pastry is made
• Kneading
• Using a rolling pin

19. Rainbow cupcakes

Makes: 10-16 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

This is one to do with a parent rather than independently, but there are lots of tasks the kids can get involved with, most fun of all being dying the sponge with all the different food colourings. An excellent bake for a party, or for them to show off a little as the school bake sale. The recipe even has a handy guide to how to create different shades with different combos of food colour.

Get the recipe: Rainbow cupcakes

Tasks for the kids: 

• Weighing out and mixing ingredients for the sponge
• Dividing the raw cake mix and colouring them all in food bags
• Mixing together the buttercream ingredients
• Piping the buttercream and adding sprinkles

Skills learnt: 

• Colouring a cake mix
• Understanding how to create a rainbow sponge
• Making buttercream
• Creativity
• Counting and measuring

20. Annabel Karmel's farm animal cupcakes

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

These adorable animal cupcakes look fabulously effective without much effort and, because the decoration – there are sheep, dogs, and pigs to create – is not exactly overly intricate, the kids can do it with a bit of supervision. It's a basic cupcake, topped with buttercream, and uses marshmallows, chocolate buttons, and biscuits to create sweet animal faces. A brilliant one for a kid's party.

Get the recipe: Annabel Karmel's farm animal cupcakes

Tasks for the kids: 

• Stirring the cake mix
• Mixing the icing
• Decorating the tops

Skills learned:

• Creativity
• Writing with icing

21. Mini Victoria sponges

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

A classic in cute cupcake form. A Victoria sponge is a simple bake, that kids can get involved in almost all aspects of creating. Serve them at a garden party, take them to a bake sale, or make for grandparents or other family and friends to appreciate. A delight all round.

Get the recipe: Mini Victoria sponges

Tasks for the kids: 

• Weighing out the ingredients
• Beating all the ingredients together in a bowl
• Spreading the baked cakes with jam and cream
• Dusting with icing sugar

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• How a basic sponge is made
• How to decorate a cake
• Spreading with a (blunt) knife

22. Rainbow vegetable pizza

Makes/serves: 4 | Prep time: 40 min | Cook time: 30 mins 

"If you are looking for more of a savoury bake this is perfect, a fun way to encourage your child to eat their veggies too.  Develop their hand eye coordination by placing the veggies on the pizza base and creating this fun rainbow pizza. Older children can chop up their veggies and create a fun rainbow effect on their pizza," says Ruth Chubb.

Get the recipe: Rainbow vegetable pizza

Tasks for the kids: 

• Kneading the pizza dough
• Rolling out the pizza dough
• Combining the ingredients for the tomato sauce
• Sprinkling over the grated cheese
• For older kids – carefully slicing the vegetables under supervision
• Creating rows of veggies on top of the pizza

Skills learnt: 

• How pizza dough is made
• Kneading and rolling
• Knife skills (for older kids)
• Making tomato sauce
• Cooking with veggies
• Creativity

23. Peanut butter and jam slices

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Peanut butter and jam are a match made in heaven, in any food scenario, but especially this one. The kids will learn how to use peanut butter in a sponge and spread the jam before baking. It's got vibes of a Bakewell tart, but is possibly even better… 

Get the recipe: Peanut butter and jam slices

Tasks for the kids: 

• Weighing out ingredients
• Greasing the baking tin
• Sifting the flour
• Spreading the jam over the dough

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• Making a cake mix
• How to use jam and peanut butter in cooking

24. Custard thumbprint biscuits

Makes: 20 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

So-called because you stick your thumb into the dough to create a well to fill with jam before backing – which is a great task in itself for the children. These simple biscuits are a great one for older children to have a bash at baking independently.

Get the recipe: Custard thumbprint biscuits

Tasks for the kids: 

• Greasing the baking tin
• Weighing out the ingredients
• Combining dry and wet ingredients for the dough
• Sifting the flour and custard powder
• Making the thumbprints and adding in jam

Skills learnt: 

• How to make the dough for a biscuit
• Cooking with jam
• Counting and measuring

25. Jazzy shortbread biscuits

Makes/serves: 14 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

There are only five ingredients here, so a great one for older kids to make on their own, and who doesn't love something topped with sprinkles, like a jazzy sweet? Little children can also get heavily involved in this bake, so it's a winner all round. Don't be shy with the sprinkles, either.

Get the recipe: Jazzy shortbread biscuits

Tasks for the kids: 

• Weighing out the ingredients
• Combining all the biscuit dough ingredients
• Rolling out the dough
• Cutting out the cookies with cutters
• Melting the white chocolate (for older kids)
• Topping with sprinkles

Skills learnt: 

• Making a simple cookie
• Melting chocolate
• Decorating
• Creativity
• Using a rolling pin and cookie cutters
• Counting and measuring

26. Baked bean muffins

Makes: 12 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Baked beans and cheese are a great marriage and there are more interesting uses for them than just on toast.

Get the recipe: Baked bean muffins

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring out ingredients
• Combining ingredients
• Grating cheese (older kids)
• Opening the can of beans (older kids)

Skills learnt: 

• Counting and measuring
• Cooking with cheese
• Grating
• Using a can opener
• Understanding how muffins are made

27. Giant M&M cookies

Makes/serves: 12 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Using either peanut or regular M&Ms, depending on your preference and any allergies, these simple cookies are a total winner and one for older kids to bake without much in the way of assistance. The M&Ms could be swapped for Smarties or slightly crushed Maltesers as well.

Get the recipe: Giant M&M cookies

Tasks for the kids: 

• Measuring and combining the ingredients
• Creaming the butter and sugar together and beating the egg and other ingredients
• 'Dropping' spoonfuls of dough onto a baking tray

Skills learnt: 

• How a basic cookie is made
• Creaming sugar and butter together
• Understanding baking times for different outcomes – i.e baking for slightly more time for a crisper biscuit

28. Chocolate fridge cake

Serves: 8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: No bake

An excellent bake that isn't a bake – because it requires no cooking, and therefore can be made fully independently. There are also handy picture instructions for kids to follow. A good one for them to have a go at when there's a school bake sale to show off their wares to a wider audience! 

They could add other elements, such as crushed Maltesers or M&Ms and glace cherries, or swap the Digestives for another biscuit – ginger nuts work well, for example. 

Get the recipe: Chocolate fridge cake

Tasks for the kids: 

• Bashing the biscuits into chunks
• Melting the chocolate (older kids)
• Stirring the mixture
• Pouring into a tin to set in the fridge

Skills learnt:

• How a fridge cake is created
• Melting chocolate
• Using a rolling pin to break up biscuits

28. Annabel Karmel's English muffin pizzas

Serves: 4| Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

This is a good one for slightly older children to learn knife skills, as there are a lot of veggies to chop and dice. Onions might be slightly out of their remit, but they can learn to slice courgettes, pepper, and mushrooms – though you may need to supervise and take over for the finer chops. It's also a good way of teaching them about food groups and what goes into a balanced meal and getting them to make their own lunch. 

Get the recipe: Annabel Karmel's English muffin pizzas

Tasks for the kids:

• Slicing vegetables
• Washing vegetables
• Grating cheese
• Decorating the pizza faces

Skills learnt:

• Knife skills
• Food hygiene
• How to make a balanced meal
• Knowledge about food groups

29. White chocolate rocky road

Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: No bake – leave in the fridge for 2 hrs

Rocky Road is always a winner. This white choc version is a particular hit with kids who will learn lots about flavor combos. Swap out the apricots and cranberries for other dried fruit like raisins and glacé cherries, if their taste buds prefer, and use milk choc if that's their chocolate of choice. 

Get the recipe: White chocolate rocky road

Tasks for the kids:

• Breaking up and weighing chocolate
• Crumbling biscuits
• Weighing fruit and marshmallows
• Stirring the mixture

Skills learnt:

• Counting (they'll need to count out the dried apricots)
• Understanding weight (the marshmallows are light so need much more volume than other ingredients)
• How to combine ingredients

Related Features:

If your child is intrigued by the kitchen and wants to expand their cooking repertoire we've got a great selection of child-friendly recipes to choose from, sections into different age groups and abilities from recipes for kids aged 3-6 years old to recipes for kids aged 7-11 years old and even breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes for kids aged 12 years and over.