Your little ones can offer more help than mess in the kitchen–you just have to let them be.
Sweet treats, both literally and figuratively, await you and your toddler in the oven. Baking with toddlers is delightful because as you bond with them and they grow more comfortable in the kitchen, you’re also getting something delicious out of it! For many moms, the mere thought of imagining their toddler holding a whisk and a bowl makes them anxious. But remember, they’re just starting to grow and learn. The mess and the mistakes are all part of that process.
With the right approach, baking could become a hobby your toddler will cherish forever. Mixing the batter, pouring it into pans, and frosting the results–getting them involved in any part of the baking process can turn an ordinary kitchen session into a fun and educational experience for both of you. Here are basic baked goods to minimize stress and maximize fun when baking with your toddler:
Muffins
To kick things off, muffins are the fluffy little wonders that are about as easy as it gets. With ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and milk, plus a bit of baking powder or baking soda, your little one can enjoy measuring and pouring without worrying too much about precision. The best part? It does not require additional equipment or complex techniques, which means that the after-bake cleanup won’t be a hassle for you! The only thing to watch out for is overmixing. Simply mix until the ingredients are combined, and your muffins will be good to go!
You can add flavor to your muffins by including fruits, nuts, or spices. Muffins have a versatile taste that can be paired with a range of flavors and tailored to your liking or dietary needs. You can mix in juicy blueberries for blueberry muffins, scatter chocolate chips for chocolate chip muffins, or grate carrots for carrot muffins.
Quick Breads
Think of quick breads as the denser, less forgiving cousins of muffins. They both use the same techniques and ingredients. Specifically, both make use of baking powder or baking soda to help the batter rise, but that’s also where the similarities start to break down. For one, quick breads have a thicker batter, which can be quite sensitive. These batters are then usually baked in loaf pans, making them heartier and more uniform in texture than the bite-sized muffins.
But don’t worry—just like muffins, quick breads can be easily paired with fruits, nuts, or spices to add some flavor! You can mix in juicy berries like raspberries or blueberries, add nuts like walnuts or pecans, or stir in spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. It all boils down to the taste profiles you prefer.
Doughs
Another baked good that’s great for kids to help with is dough. Doughs are similar to quick breads in that they involve the same basic ingredients of flour, a liquid, and a leavening agent, plus the same technique for preparation, which is mixing. However, they’re more different than similar.
Dough recipes can use yeast or chemical leaveners and require kneading to develop structure and elasticity. Plus, these yeast-leavened doughs need rising time to “poof” or rest. While dough requires more time and effort, it’s satisfying to see them turn out soft and kneadable and then shape them into more forms than just what fits in a pan. Let your little one have fun with it!
Like muffins and quick breads, dough tastes great with additional ingredients and even covers a wider range of baked goods. From savory pepperoni to vegetables, you can use dough for classic treats like flaky croissants or buttery danishes, up to hearty options like chewy pizza. With enough creativity, dough can be transformed into any baked treat suited to you and your toddler’s preferences.
Cookies
Cookie recipes often involve precise measurements of ingredients, like creaming butter and sugar, and specific baking times. Don’t skip past the cookies, though! The good news is that many cookie recipes are simple and easy to make.
Classic cookies like chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies are called drop cookies because their ingredients are simply dropped onto a cookie sheet after mixing. If you want cookies that you can cut or shape, try cutout cookies or bar cookies. The most straightforward cookie recipe is the no-bake cookie—this way, you won’t need an oven! Of course, if you’re up for it, you can always undertake the more complicated recipes. Just let your toddler handle the fun part of icing and decorating!
Cakes
Cakes often require more steps and a greater number of ingredients and elements—but don’t worry! The basic ingredients are quite similar and generally easier to measure and mix. Although the steps may be numerous, they are usually not complex for a child. The process involves regular mixing, pouring, and decorating, but on a larger and richer scale.
One-bowl cakes, such as classic vanilla and chocolate cakes, require only one bowl to mix all the ingredients. In contrast, sheet cakes are baked in a single pan and are often simpler in terms of layering and decoration. Cupcakes are another great option, as they are more manageable for a toddler’s little hands. When baking cakes with kids, it’s best to choose simple recipes that minimize steps and use easy-to-handle ingredients. Pre-measuring the ingredients can also simplify the process!
Beyond the recipes, focus on having fun with your little one! It’s not the best introduction for them if you first bring them into the kitchen and put them under pressure, no matter how small. It might even take more than just patience to finish a baking project with them. If this happens, it’s okay—there are more mother-toddler activities than just one!
