Satisfy the Sweet Tooth with Four Easy Dessert Recipes for Kids

Not many kids or adults can resist the lure of dessert at the end of a meal. It’s delicious, and it gives the family a few more minutes to linger at the table for a chat before it’s time to clean up.

To make this family moment even more enjoyable, shake up your post-meal routine with a fun and easy dessert recipe for kids and adults to make together. You can prepare the treats ahead of time and have them ready to serve after dinner. 

The best part? You don’t need many ingredients or special equipment to make kid-friendly sweets. Everything you need to make easy desserts at home is probably already in your pantry. And by involving your young chefs in the preparation, you’ll give them an opportunity to help out the family and build their confidence in the kitchen.

Satisfy your sweet tooth and enjoy quality time together by serving up one of these decadent sweet treats. You and the kids will undoubtedly find something you love from this list of tasty kid desserts to bake together.

Give Them Something Good! 

Whether you’re looking for an easy dessert recipe with a few ingredients or a no-bake option your kids can mix up on their own, we’ve got you covered:

Dirt and Worms Pudding Cups

Do your young ones love exploring all that lives within the topsoil in the backyard? If so, try this sweet combination of rich pudding, chocolate sandwich cookies, and gummy worms that will turn “ick” to “delish”! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 package (3.9 ounces) of instant chocolate pudding (4 servings)
• 8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 ½ cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 16), divided in half
• 20 gummy worms

DIRECTIONS

Your kids can easily put together this recipe with a bit of supervision from you. Younger children may need some help with measurements but should be able to handle everything else. 

1. Have the kids put the cookies into a sandwich bag and smash them carefully with a rolling pin.
2. Help the kids whisk together the milk and instant pudding in a chilled bowl for about 2 minutes until thoroughly combined.
3. Place pudding in the fridge for about 5 minutes to thicken.
4. Add thawed whipped topping and stir until smooth. 
5. Fold in half of the crushed cookies.
6. Spoon pudding into 10 individual pudding cups or ramekins. 
7. Sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbs over the pudding, then top each serving with 2 gummy worms. 
8. Chill for a minimum of 60 minutes until ready to serve.

VARIATIONS

Try experimenting with other pudding and cookie combinations, like butterscotch with graham crackers, vanilla with chocolate chip cookies, or banana pudding with peanut butter cookies. You can also swap out the gummy worms for gummy bears or top with crispy rice, marshmallows, pretzels, or small chocolate candies. See where your kids’ imaginations take them!

No-Bake Cookies

Some people call this easy no-bake kid’s dessert recipe icebox cookies. Others call it haystacks. Whatever name you decide to go with, it’s sure to be delicious. 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups white sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy, depending on how you like the texture)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Kids of all ages can help make these cookies, but you’ll want to be in charge of melting and mixing the ingredients in the saucepan or closely supervising older children as they use the stove to perform this step. Everyone can have fun stirring the ingredients and scooping the cookie dough onto a baking sheet. Waiting for these chewy morsels to chill in the refrigerator isn’t easy, but it’s so worth it. Best keep an eye out for cookie snatchers!

1. Line a cookie sheet or baking tin with parchment paper or waxed paper.
2. Combine cocoa, sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Stir for 60 seconds before taking it off the heat and placing it on a burn-resistant surface.
3. Add in the oats, peanut butter, and vanilla, and mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Allow the mixture to cool for 1 minute.
5. Scoop a generous teaspoon of dough and drop it onto the lined cookie sheet.
6. Chill in the fridge until set, and enjoy!

VARIATION

Want a little more crunch with your cookie? Swap out 1 cup of oats for 1 cup of crispy chow mein noodles. 

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Make this family favorite at home with an easy, kid-friendly recipe that uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box devil’s food cake mix
• ½ cup butter (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup butterscotch chips
• ½ gallon vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS

Your kids can help with every step of the assembly process while you take charge of the oven and the mixer (if you opt for using one instead of mixing by hand).

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
3. Combine cake mix, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
4. Fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips.
5. Roll dough into 2-inch balls and place them onto the prepared cookie sheet about an inch apart. 
6. Bake for 10 minutes until the cookies are set but still soft. 
7. While baking the cookies, put the vanilla ice cream into the refrigerator to soften.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.
9. Once the cookies are completely cool, work quickly to place a scoop of ice cream between a pair of cookies to form a sandwich. Press down, then smooth the ice cream with a spoon so that it is even with the cookies. Put the finished sandwich onto a chilled cookie sheet. Repeat until you’ve used all the cookies.
10. Leave the cookie tray in the freezer for about 90 minutes until the sandwiches harden.

Finished ice cream sandwiches can be stored in a freezer bag or plastic container for up to two weeks. 

VARIATION

Not a chocolate lover? Substitute vanilla or strawberry cake mix for the devil’s food, then combine the finished product with your favorite flavor of ice cream. You can also exchange the butterscotch or chocolate chips for nuts or roll the sandwiches in sprinkles for extra color. When it comes to dessert, there are no rules, so get creative and have fun!

Blueberry Muffins

Dessert for breakfast? Or breakfast for dessert? It won’t matter when you and the kids whip up a batch of these quick, simple, and fruity baked treats. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups pancake mix
• ⅔ cup milk
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed and drained

DIRECTIONS

Young chefs can help with measuring, mixing, and prepping the muffin tins, but an adult needs to put the batter in the hot oven to bake. 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
2. Grease the muffin tins with butter or vegetable oil or use paper liners instead.
3. Add all the ingredients except the berries to a large bowl and mix until just combined. The batter will look a little lumpy.
4. Fold the blueberries gently into the batter without crushing them.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
6. Bake until golden (about 13–18 minutes).

VARIATIONS

Swap blueberries for blackberries or strawberries. If you’re in the mood to really indulge, frost the muffins with cream cheese icing and transform them into yummy cupcakes.

Do you want more opportunities to explore the kitchen with your kids? Food is one of the most inviting ways to discover the world. Why not celebrate the cuisine of Eid al-Fitr or try festive cookie recipes from around the world? Or invite your kids to dive into a favorite ritual of many parents around the world by looking at how various cultures use different methods to brew coffee. 

You can also invite your children to explore new and exciting cultural discoveries every month with our World Edition subscription box. Every shipment includes stories, souvenirs, and hands-on activities to inspire curiosity and global connections.