Baking with Kids

Baking with kids can be a fun, bonding activity. It can also teach kids many skills and keep them busy when they need ‘entertainment’ at home. Baking with kids can be the centre of many wonderful memories and family traditions.

Yes, it is messy and requires patience, but keen little bakers should be encouraged. The problem with eager bakers is the volume of baked goods in the house, the cost of baking and the relatively short attention span of the youngest bakers.

Apart from the obvious safety precautions, my best tip for baking with children is to make half the batch. Half the fun is in the baking, let this be the focus. There are a number of benefits to doing this:

The biscuit recipe below is adapted from a family favourite recipe that my aunt makes for special occasions. I have upped the fibre and reduced the sugar content. These biscuits are easy to make with toddlers and young children. This recipe makes 30 biscuits but I also halved it further to make just 15 biscuits. And I cooked them in the air fryer no less, for just 10 minutes at 170 °C.

When these biscuits come out of the oven (or air fryer), they will be soft to the touch but they do firm up once cooled. A softer biscuit is necessary for toddlers and small children.

When baking with kids, there is no need for special kitchen tools but a safe stool or learning tower is recommended. That said, child-sized kitchen tools such as aprons, whisks and spatulas make for wonderful birthday or Christmas gifts. They may also make the tasks more manageable for small hands.

I do hope this recipe makes it into your family favourites binder. If you don’t have one yet, take a look at my ‘Together Let’s Make’ recipe journal for sale in my Nutr-e-books shop.