Christmas Recipes for Kids

Find healthy, delicious Christmas recipes for kids from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

Rating: Unrated
13
The secret to the sparkling flavor of these delicately crumbed muffins is the strips of lemon zest finely ground into the sugar. Enjoy the muffins warm right from the oven.
By Marie Simmons

Banana-Bran Muffins

Rating: Unrated
36
By the end of the week, any bananas left in the fruit bowl are past their prime--just right for these moist bran muffins. Add a handful of dark chocolate chips to entice children to enjoy a fiber-rich treat.
By Patsy Jamieson

Nonna's Spaghetti & Meatballs

Rating: Unrated
5
The meatballs and sauce are cooked in the slow cooker for this traditional Italian spaghetti and meatballs recipe. You could also serve the meatballs over creamy polenta or on a sandwich with melted provolone.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
18
Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In this ingenious slow-cooker recipe, all you have to do is chop your veggies, then layer the ingredients (raw) into the crockpot. Serve with: Garlic bread and a green salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mini Brie & Apple Quiches

Rating: Unrated
2
We love the way Brie and apples taste together in these mini quiches. Mini phyllo cups make it swift and simple to create an elegant appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Nutty Pimiento Cheese Balls

Rating: Unrated
1
These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen. These brothers are following in their mom's footsteps with their own TV shows, books and website. Our favorite part of what they're up to: healthy makeovers of some of Paula's recipes! Recipe adapted from The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up, by Jamie & Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark (Ballantine Books, 2011).
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
12
In this easy vegetable side dish recipe, sweet potatoes are tossed with maple syrup, butter and lemon juice and are roasted until tender and golden brown. The delicious glaze that forms on these maple-roasted sweet potatoes transform this ultra-simple dish into something sublime.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Honey Oat Quick Bread

Rating: Unrated
14
This honey-oat bread has a pleasant flavor and divinely moist, tender crumb. It requires minimal mixing and cleanup, calls for ingredients usually stocked in the pantry, and is tasty yet healthful. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By Nancy Baggett

Garlic Chicken

Rating: Unrated
10
Whole garlic cloves are mild when simmered with chicken in a simple white wine-mustard sauce in this garlic chicken recipe. Serve with smashed potatoes with buttermilk and sautéed green beans.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Blueberry-Pecan Pancakes

Rating: Unrated
3
Dried blueberries give these pancakes a rich blueberry flavor and pecans liven up the texture with a bit of crunch.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato Mash

Rating: Unrated
7
The addition of delicious sweet potatoes gives a nutrient boost to mashed potatoes. Double it: Cook the potatoes in a Dutch oven rather than a large saucepan.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Rating: Unrated
2
Looking for a fun cooking project to do with kids? Make chocolate truffles! In this easy vegan dessert recipe, we make a chocolate ganache filling with peanut butter and coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make chocolate bark with the leftover chocolate and wrap it up together with a few truffles for a beautiful edible gift.
By Joy Howard

Inspiration and Ideas

24 Healthy Christmas Treats for Kids

24 Healthy Christmas Treats for Kids

These dessert and snack recipes feature plenty of seasonal flavors like peppermint and cinnamon.
Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Rating: Unrated
14
The slight acidity of buttermilk tenderizes and moistens baked goods while allowing you to cut way back on butter or oils. Here, it also lends a slight tanginess to the winning combination of bananas and blueberries.
Fork-Tender Pot Roast

Fork-Tender Pot Roast

Fried Apple Pie Rolls

Fried Apple Pie Rolls

Rating: Unrated
10
Strawberry-Orange Muffins

Strawberry-Orange Muffins

Rating: Unrated
16
Simple Roast Chicken

Simple Roast Chicken

Rating: Unrated
2

Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars

Rating: Unrated
4

These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.

All Christmas Recipes for Kids

Brown Sugar Broiled Grapefruit

Rating: Unrated
1
Grapefruit for dessert? Why not! In this broiled grapefruit recipe, grapefruit halves are topped with spiced brown sugar, caramelized under the broiler then topped with a dollop of vanilla-infused whipped cream.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

EatingWell Waffles

Rating: Unrated
6
These healthy waffles are made from a blend of whole-wheat and regular flour plus nonfat buttermilk and canola oil. Top with fresh berries or sliced peaches and yogurt for a satisfying start to any day.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Date-Oat Muffins

Rating: Unrated
2
Toasting the oats for this hearty muffin enhances their nutty flavor; orange zest contributes a citrus fragrance that plays well with the sweet dates.
By Patsy Jamieson

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Rating: Unrated
2
Traditional homemade gnocchi (little Italian dumplings) are made with just potato, flour, egg and salt. Be sure not to work the dough too much or the gnocchi will be tough. Toss them with your favorite sauce and dinner is served!
By Stacy Fraser

Quick Pickled Turnips

Rating: Unrated
1
Perk up your cheese plate or crudités platter with these crunchy, zesty pickled turnips or try them on a sandwich instead of cucumber pickles.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dried-Fruit Bars

Rating: Unrated
1
Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Overnight Oatmeal

Rating: Unrated
19
Here is an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast before facing the elements for a day of winter sports. You can assemble it in the slow cooker in the evening and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. The slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures an exceptionally creamy consistency. It is important to use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Apple Oatmeal

Rating: Unrated
3
In this healthy oatmeal recipe, cook apples into your morning oatmeal and you'll start the day right with whole grains and a serving of fruit.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pineapple Upside-Down Muffins

Rating: Unrated
9
Glistening like sticky buns, these unusual muffins are packed with wholesome ingredients--vegetables, fruit and whole grains--so you can feel good about serving them to your family. If you prefer to make simple carrot muffins for lunchboxes or breakfasts-on-the-go, omit the topping; sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped nuts over the muffins before baking, if desired.
By Patsy Jamieson

Two Simple Herb-Roasted Chickens

We've included a basic herb combination in this recipe for roasting two chickens at once, but season your chicken with whatever herbs you like. Though we like to roast two chickens at once, you can also easily halve all the ingredients and just roast one.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Banana Bread French Toast

Rating: Unrated
2
Take banana bread to the next level when you soak it in a classic French toast batter and fry it for an impressive (but oh so easy!) breakfast or brunch. Top with chopped walnuts, sliced bananas and maple syrup for extra decadence.
By Breana Killeen

Healthy Hot Chocolate

This healthier cup of hot chocolate uses low-fat milk, natural cocoa powder and just enough sugar to sweeten things up without going overboard on calories. As an added bonus, the milk provides a healthy serving of protein and calcium, which you won't get from sugar-loaded powdered hot-chocolate mixes prepared using water. Spice it up with an add-in like orange zest, cinnamon or vanilla for a delicious twist on this classic treat.
By Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.

Celeriac & Parsnip Mash

Rating: Unrated
1
Tangy and aromatic, celeriac (or celery root) has long been a staple in French cooking. Here, it's combined with parsnips and russet potatoes for a side dish worthy of your favorite bistro--or trattoria, because we've relocated the dish south, from Paris to Tuscany, using olive oil and Parmesan cheese. The potato is kept separate from the celeriac and parsnip because it gets gluey when pureed in a food processor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Soft Whole-Wheat Dinner Rolls

Rating: Unrated
5
Finding tasty, healthy, whole-grain dinner rolls in the supermarket or even at a local bakery can be a challenge. Here's a not-too-big dinner roll you can feel good about serving for the holidays or any special occasion.
By Katie Webster

Banana Bran Muffins

Rating: Unrated
3
Banana bran muffins are great to have on hand for breakfast on-the-go!
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Apple Cider Chicken

Rating: Unrated
3
Fresh apples and apple cider add fall flavor to this quick chicken sauté.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cheesy Potato Casserole

Rating: Unrated
3
The original version of this cheesy potato casserole stars canned soup, full-fat sour cream, a stick of butter and a crust of crushed potato chips. We lightened it considerably by using a homemade white sauce instead of canned soup and swapping nonfat Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Crushed corn flakes replace the potato chips. All in all, we slashed 200 calories, 25 grams of fat (12 grams saturated) and 170 milligrams of sodium per serving. Dig in!
By Carolyn Malcoun

Pumpkin Pancakes

Rating: Unrated
4
This healthy whole-grain pumpkin pancake recipe produces fluffy cakes with a beautiful orange hue from pureed pumpkin and light crunch from toasted pecans. If you want to experiment with different types of whole grains, replace up to 1/2 cup of the whole-wheat flour with cornmeal, oats and/or buckwheat flour. Or add extra fiber and omega-3s by adding up to 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.
By Stacy Fraser

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie

Rating: Unrated
1
This irresistible diabetic-friendly peanut butter cookie recipe contains no flour. For Christmas or special occasions, imprint them with cookie cutters to fit the season instead of the star-shaped cutter.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Hot Chocolate

Rating: Unrated
1
Our hot cocoa is rich and chocolaty without the overly sweet taste of some packaged mixes. We give it a luxurious froth with a whisk or blender--or use a cappuccino frother if you have one.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Healthy Pancakes

Rating: Unrated
5
EatingWell reader Kathy Moseler of Barrington Hills, Illinois, contributed this convenient recipe to our Kitchen to Kitchen department. The pancakes are made with 100 percent whole-wheat flour and get an additional fiber boost from flaxseed meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Rating: Unrated
7
These rolls are wonderfully fluffy and packed with cinnamon flavor--you'd never know they're gluten-free. Plus, with only one rise time, this recipe is quicker to make than other yeasted doughs.
By Devon O'Brien

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Rating: Unrated
4
This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Banana-Nut-Chocolate Chip Quick Bread

Rating: Unrated
7
This banana quick bread is full of chocolate chips and toasted heart-healthy walnuts so you get a taste of nuts and chocolate in each bite. This version reduces the fat substantially and uses nonfat buttermilk to make the results extremely moist and tender.
By Stacy Fraser
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