Bring on the sprinkles, rainbows and fun-sized treats! Whip up these adorable baking recipes with the kids this weekend.
34 Fun Things to Bake at Home with Bored Kids
Updated on Sep. 16, 2024
Pinwheel Pops
My mom used to make pinwheels every Christmas, and I still love them. They are so colorful, and perfect for sharing in gift boxes. —Jill Heatwole, Pittsville, Maryland
1/34
3/34
Mini Brownie Treats
Total Time
35 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I like to take these quick and easy treats to potlucks and family gatherings. They're always well received! —Pam Kokes, North Loup, Nebraska
4/34
Pink Cupcakes
Total Time
55 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My daughter loves all things pink, so this recipe was just right for her birthday. Even my teenage son (not a fan of pink) ate his share too. —Paulette Smith, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
5/34
Chocolate-Glazed Doughnut Cookies
Total Time
50 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My little nieces love to help decorate these doughnut-shaped cookies. They top them with sprinkles, chopped pecans or crushed candy canes. —Jolie Stinson, Marion, Indiana
7/34
Homemade Butterfly Cake
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Impress guests by making an adorable and delicious cake. It is actually easy to put together.—Bonnie Jost, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
8/34
Pear-Berry Breakfast Tarts
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When my kids were small, I could never get pancakes on the table while they were all still hot. Then I got the idea for these breakfast tarts. They're a good and simple recipe for any busy family. —Joan Elbourn, Gardner, Massachusetts
9/34
Rainbow Cake with Clouds
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Some cakes stand on their own without icing. For this bright Rainbow Cake, use a little whipped cream to make fluffy clouds. —Janet Tigchelaar, Jerseyville, Ontario
10/34
Cheesecake Pops
Total Time
2 hours
Servings
45 cheesecake pops
From the Recipe Creator:
This is a very quick, easy and fun dessert for any occasion. The possibilities are endless with these cute bites. Customize them for any occasion by using different toppings. —Evelyn Moore, Elk Grove, California
11/34
Homemade Confetti Cake
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This is a moist and fluffy vanilla cake with lots of sprinkles and a whipped vanilla buttercream. It's almost impossible not to feel happy when you see the fun pop of rainbow confetti! —Courtney Rich, Highland, UT
12/34
Caramel Apple Bites
Total Time
40 min
Servings
about 3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Kids can help make these perfect fall bites by dipping the baked cookies in caramel and nuts. It's a fun food craft for all of us. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
13/34
Cake Mix Bars
Total Time
25 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I take this dessert to work for Friday pick-me-ups. It's one of my favorite yellow cake bar recipes. I love to share them because they're so easy to eat, easy to make and easy on the wallet. —Amy Rose, Ballwin, Missouri
14/34
Owl Cookies
Total Time
50 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I came up with these cookies as a treat for my kids’ class parties. Not only do they look cute, but they are also delicious.—Starrlette Howard, Ogden, Utah
16/34
Strawberry Muffin Cones
Total Time
40 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This is a delightful, fun way to serve a cupcake. I share these with the neighborhood kids and they love the ice cream cone look and ease of eating. Adults who try them say snacking on them makes them feel like kids again. —Barb Kietzer, Niles, Michigan
17/34
Root Beer Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When it's too difficult to take along root beer floats on a picnic, take these cookies instead! I've found the flavor is even better the next day. The hard part is convincing my family to wait that long before sampling them.—Violette Bawden, West Valley City, Utah
18/34
Rocky Road Cookie Cups
Total Time
35 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Traditional rocky road ice cream has nuts, marshmallows and chocolate. Using prepared cookie dough makes it easy to put the flavors together in these fast, kid-friendly rocky road cookis. —Charlotte McDaniel, Jacksonville, AL
19/34
Lemon Butter Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 13 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These tender cutout cookies have a slight lemon flavor that makes them stand out from the rest. They’re very easy to roll out compared to other sugar cookies I’ve worked with. I know you’ll enjoy them as much as we do. —Judy McCreight, Springfield, Illinois
20/34
Miniature Peanut Butter Treats
Total Time
30 min
Servings
3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe is one of my family's favorites, and I make the treats a lot, especially at Christmas. I have three children and eight grandchildren, and every one of them loves those "peanut butter thingies," as the grandchildren call them! —Jodie McCoy, Tulsa, Oklahoma
21/34
Candy Cupcakes
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Rich chocolaty cupcakes include a cream cheese surprise. Get kids in on the fun by letting them help decorate. ‐Mrs. Walter Jacobson, Ashland, Ohio
22/34
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Here's proof that peanut butter and chocolate just belong together. These peanut butter blossom cookies are an easy family favorite and never fails to make my children smile. —Tammie Merrill, Wake Forest, North Carolina
23/34
Chocolate Cutout Cookies
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
about 5 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I love gingerbread cookies, but my grandchildren don’t like the ginger flavor. Now I use chocolate and watch them smile as they take that first bite of these chocolate cutout cookies. —Nancy Murphy, Mount Dora, Florida
24/34
Oreo Cupcakes
Total Time
40 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Kids and adults alike will find these Oreo cupcakes irresistible. If you want to pipe the frosting, be sure to thoroughly crush the cookies. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
25/34
S’mores Brownies
Total Time
50 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My family simply adores my daughter's fudgy s'mores brownies. The cinnamon-graham cracker crust and the dark chocolate brownies bring our passion for s'mores to a whole new level! —Jennifer Gilbert, Brighton, Michigan
26/34
Confetti Cake Batter Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Mom and I took up cake decorating. Funfetti was our favorite cake, so we used the mix to make cutout cookies. Plain or decorated, they’re a fave at parties. —Danielle DeMarco, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
27/34
Jelly Bean Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
It's a family tradition for my grandmother and me to make these colorful cookies every year for the holidays. —Cheyenne Fink, Pleasantville, Pennsylvania
28/34
Miniature Castle Cakes
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
6 cakes
From the Recipe Creator:
You can easily make several of these pretty palaces with a boxed cake mix, canned frosting and a few common confections. Grab a goblet of milk and enjoy one with your prince of princess. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
29/34
Apple Pie Bites
Total Time
35 min
Servings
16 appetizers
From the Recipe Creator:
These little bites are fun for kids to make. Simply wrap strips of pastry around apple wedges and shake on some cinnamon-sugar. Then just bake and watch them disappear! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
30/34
Frosted Butter Cutout Cookies
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
about 8 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I have fond memories of baking and frosting these cutout cookies with my mom. Now I carry on the tradition with my kids. It's a messy but fun day!
—Sandy Nace, Greensburg, Kansas
31/34
Waffle Cookie
Total Time
15 min
Servings
32 cookies (8 batches)
From the Recipe Creator:
The recipe for these cookies is the easiest to find in my book because the page is a beautiful mess covered with fingerprints, flour smudges and memories of more than 30 Christmases! I made these with my daughters, and now I make them with my granddaughters. —Judy Taylor, Quarryville, Pennsylvania
32/34
Berry Brownie Pizza
Total Time
35 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
How could you not love pizza for dessert? A fudgy brownie base is layered with a whipped topping sauce, then covered with fresh strawberries, chopped nuts and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. —Karen Heleski, Ubly, Michigan
33/34
Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I layer a creamy, coffee-flavored filling between buttery shortbread, then dip the sandwiches in chocolate. Guests always love them.—Bertha Seyer, Oak Ridge, Missouri
34/34
Jelly Donut Cake
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Cake. Doughnuts. Now you don't have to choose between the two. Impress your family with this easy jelly-filled cake. Try your best to center the jelly in the middle of the half-filled Bundt pan so that it will not leak out the edges of the cake.—Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
