From Easter Rice Krispie treats to chocolate bark, these Easter treats for kids are a must-try
If spring’s favorite holiday has snuck up on you this year (us too!), we’ve got you covered with a gaggle of easy-to-make Easter treats for kids. From breakfast to dessert, there’s a recipe for everybunny. Don’t forget to check out these simple Easter ideas for your backyard hunt!
If you're looking for healthy Easter treats for kids, try these genius carrot-shaped bars from Crayons & Cravings. They’re loaded with carrots and broccoli (plus some cheese to entice the little ones!), and make the perfect afternoon snack.
Making your own peanut butter eggs might sound complicated, but they're surprisingly simple to make with the help of this easy-to-follow recipe from Food Fanatic. You can use egg molds, or just form them into balls with your hands.
How adorable are these cupcakes from Pastry Affair? You can use store-bought cupcakes as the base, then go to town decorating them with frosting, marshmallows, and coconut.
A unique spin on Easter treats for kids, this frozen banana pop idea screams spring. You’ll need yogurt, pastel-colored sprinkles, and a fruit squeeze. Find out how to get the coating just right by visiting Hello Wonderful.
Your favorite snack mix just got an Easter makeover. Filled with Reese’s peanut-y goodness in every bite, this puppy chow from Life Love and Sugar is simple to make and will be a family favorite.
We think these candy kabobs are super sweet. You can use a selection of your kids’ favorite gummy treats and Peeps— the whole process should take 20 minutes or less. And, if you’ve got wee ones, be sure to cut off the pointed end of the kabob before adding the Peep. Grab the rest of the how-to over at The Baker Mama.
This sweet pudding cup is so easy; it’ll make you look like a Pinterest pro. Grab pudding cups (the bunny face shows up better on vanilla), googly eyes, pom poms, and a couple of other basic art supplies before letting your kids make their very own Easter Bunny. Get the tutorial over at Passion for Savings.
Crisp, buttery, and so easy to make! We love this simple idea courtesy of Western Star via My Foodbook. They're easy to make and will make you look super creative. Plus, there's no limit to the decorating possibilities. Try crushed Easter eggs, edible glitter, freeze-dried berries, or anything else your kids love.
This Easter Chocolate Bark from Scrummy Lane is one of the best Easter treats for kids. This is such an easy recipe that you can customize it with whatever toppings you'd like.
—with additional reporting by Aimee Della Bitta and Taylor Clifton
The synthesized pop music. The colorful neon clothes. The totally tubular language adults needed a key to—like—decipher. We love everything about the ’80s, especially ’80s food and candy. Take a trip down memory lane with some of our gastronomical favorites from the most rad decade you ever lived through.
The only thing better than watching the Smurfiest show around on Saturday mornings was sitting down to do it with a bowl of Smurf-Berry Crunch in your lap. Total kid bliss.
Your kids enjoy theirs with every topping under the sun. But when FroYo debuted on the scene the flavors were the main (and only) feature, and TCBY was where you went to get it.
Pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening ... you remember it. While Bagel Bites were largely popular well into the '90s, they had their birth in the good ole '80s, and we're darn proud of that. There was nothing quite rushing home, popping some Bagel Bites in the oven, and subsequently burning the roof of your mouth with piping hot cheese.
There was no shortage of sugary drinks in the '80s, but none so exciting as Hi-C's repackage of their Citrus Cooler into Ecto Cooler. You could watch your fave episodes of The Real Ghostbusters and sip the drink in all its glory.
You could never quite figure out what this guy was and why he wasn’t the star of one of your favorite video games. These are just a few of many deep kid thoughts you had over bowl after bowl of this crunchy corn cereal.
The original packing for this popular '80s candy looked like it walked right off the set of Saved by the Bell. But you liked it because the cool checkerboard wrapping matched your Vans.
You probably passed by this one when you were rummaging through the freezer on the hunt for popsicles. But this diet food fad of the ’80s wasn’t lost on moms.
They may not have looked like much, but Fruit Wrinkles were a pretty tasty snack for the '80s. A sister product to the famed Fruit Roll-Up, the bite-sized bits were supposed to look like wrinkly fruit.
A true cross-marketing colossus, Pac-Man cereal fed '80s kids’ Pac-Man fever—literally. Between the cereal, the song and the game, kids could eat, sleep and breathe Pac-Man… for a few years anyway.
As if pudding wasn’t awesome enough already, the marketing gurus over at Jell-O made it into a popsicle in the ’80s. Rich, creamy and touted as healthy, these were a go-to fave any time of year.
Squeezeits made lunch and snack time worth it. The plastic, juice-filled bottles came in tons of flavors and were guaranteed to stain your mouth, all while giving you a sugar high.
Everyone's favorite salad dressing that became a drench-everything-in-it dip became a tortilla chip. Ad spokesman Jay Leno encouraged our obsession with the tagline: "Crunch all you want, we'll make more."
A lunchbox staple and must-have, we folded, twisted and tucked the sticky, chewy fruit roll-ups into the right size to stick it to the roof of our mouth for hours after lunch ended. It really did make fruit fun.
No soda machine? No problem! One bite into a Dr. Pepper piece of bubble gum sent a burst of the spicy cola out of the gum's liquid center to quench your thirst.
So what if they turned your fingers bright orange and left a cheesy residue all over your hands––Planters Cheez Balls were an easy, airy snack and they came in giant canisters which meant no fighting with your siblings over who got to eat the most.
Your unassuming toaster oven became an instant bakery when you popped in a frozen Toaster Strudel and out came a flaky pastry filled with warm fruit goodness that you got to top with sugary icing. Breakfast was served indeed.
Move over candy cigarettes, kids of the '80s got more than a mouthful pretending Big League Chew was tobacco. How many of you actually packed an entire bag of the shredded gum into your lower lip?
Anyone else in awe that the sweet shell of an ingenious Gobstopper changed colors multiple times before arriving at its sour center? Entertainment for hours.
If kids today only knew how hard it was to get the straw into the original packaging of a Capri Sun. But the Wild Cherry juice in the metallic pouch really added some punch to school lunches and snack time.
In retrospect, Lunchables were like the PlanetBox of the '80s. Circular disks of bologna, squares of neon orange cheese, crackers to stack 'em on and a dessert and drink all tucked perfectly secure into their own compartments.
Ahhh, Handi-Snacks. We all pretended to be master chefs spreading that hard blob of cheese ever so gently across a buttery cracker without breaking it. In an effort to be eco-friendly, the red stick is no longer included, but a petition is trying to bring it back.
More like a punishment than a treat, Jolly Rancher Fire Stix sticks set your mouth on fire—and cut your tongue once you sucked on them long enough to turn them into a sharp shard.
If you ate all your veggies, you were promised a thick slice of thawed Sara Lee All Butter Pound Cake that every kid of the '80s came to know and love as an after-dinner dessert.
Hot Pockets were the ultimate DIY after-school snack. You slid the pizza into that silver sleeve from the space age and watched mind-blowing microwave technology do its thing.
You may still have one of these teeny-tiny pebble-like candies stuck in one of your molars today. You got to pour them straight in your mouth––and if you were really crazy, you slid open BOTH sides of the box to get a mix of each flavor at once.
The decade started with a real bang in 1981 when General Mills got the first patent for a microwave popcorn bag. Sure, it wasn't the perfect pop every time, but the convenience factor outweighed the frustration of unpopped kernels.
The weekday morning struggle is real—getting everyone out the door, fully dressed, with everything they need on time is a miracle in itself. Turn the chaos into calm with these make-ahead breakfasts for kids. We’ve found putting in extra time the night before or on the weekend will make your mornings run smoother. Scroll down for breakfast inspo that’ll make your mornings easier.
This Creamsicle Chia Pudding from A Taste of Madness is one of the most delicious make-ahead breakfast recipes for kids. Your family will be wanting seconds of this one.
The kids will love this apple pie oatmeal smoothie from The Stay at Home Chef—it tastes like apple pie in a glass! The recipe keeps the sugar to a minimum, making it a healthy way to start the day.
We’ve seen a million twists on muffin tin eggs, but you’ll definitely want to try this one from The Cheerful Kitchen. With veggies, cheese and ground beef, it’s filling enough to keep little bellies satisfied until lunchtime.
This granola from Joy Food Sunshine is super easy to make and will make your mornings a breeze. You can serve it up as cereal, sprinkle it over yogurt with some berries or just gobble it up by the handful.
These breakfast burritos from The Suburban Soapbox can be prepared on the weekend and stashed in the freezer for up to a month. Just pop them in the microwave and they’ll be your savior on stressful mornings.
Make a batch of these muffins from My Food Story on the weekend, and you’ll be set for the whole week. The chocolate chips make them an instant hit with the kids, and the wholesome ingredients make them a win for parents too.
If your little ones like oatmeal, then you’ll want to give overnight oats a try. This version from Sue Bee Homemaker is bursting with berries and adding a sprinkling of chia seeds ups the nutritional benefits even more.
Skip the Egg McMuffins and try out The Charming Detroiter’s genius make-ahead breakfast sandwiches instead. Your little foodies will have a new favorite breakfast.
For an impressive breakfast totally worth the (night before) effort, you’ve got to try this recipe from Seasonal Cravings. With layers of fruit and chia pudding, it’s as healthy as it is eye-catching.
You can make this breakfast casserole from The Cookie Rookie on the weekend, and the leftovers will be just as tasty heated up throughout the week. The dish is stuffed with kid-fave ingredients like ham, cheese and crusty bread to start your day off on a delicious note.
Norwegian recipes are projected to take the world by storm in 2022, so why not grab a few kid-friendly options before the year is here? Characterized by fish and game, meals from Norway are a new adventure into trying out new taste buds. From waffles for dessert to brown cheese meatballs, these Norwegian meals are a fun way to try something new.
You can finally use that heart-shaped waffle iron for something other than Valentine's Day! Traditional Norwegian waffles are served as dessert, topped with sour cream, lingonberries and brown cheese (trust us, it's amazing). This simple dessert comes together quickly with The Stay at Home Chef's recipe.
Norwegian cardamom buns make a wonderful breakfast bread or side dish with your dinner meal. The fluffy buns take some time to prepare, but only 15 minutes to bake. Make sure to use this simple recipe from Tara's Multicultural Table.
Move over Swedish meatballs, Norway is here to take the scene by storm. Flatter than its Swedish neighbor, these Norwegian meatballs from Hank Shaw are served with a delightful gravy no kiddo can shy away from.
A staple dish in Norway, this flatbread recipe is super tasty with a healthy serving of butter. Easy to make, Vintage Dish & Tell's recipe will quickly become a family fave.
A bigger commitment than traditional spud recipes, these Crispy Norwegian Potatoes from Moms Who Think is worth the elbow grease. The seven ingredients come together in a big portion that can feed eight and pairs perfectly with a meaty dish on a cold night.
A holiday favorite, Lefse is sure to entice your littles. The tortilla-like dish can be enjoyed with everything from savory toppings to sweets like cinnamon, sugar and butter. Ramshackle Pantry's recipe uses just five ingredients and while it does take some time, it brings this Norwegian speciality to life!
This tasty dish from Sailing Selkie uses leftover crispy Norwegian Ribbe and transforms it into an even more delicious meal. Paired with Bao buns, littles will love sinking their teeth into the soft and steamed bread. Want the OG Ribbe recipe? Sailing Selkie has that too!
Want to kick your meatballs up a notch? Try this Norwegian Brown Cheese Meatballs recipe from North Wild Kitchen! Made with meat, spices and the famed brown cheese popular in the region, this comfort food goes great with a side of potatoes.
Norwegian butter cookies are a must for any time of the year (even though they're technically a holiday fave). The light and cakey treats take just 20 minutes of prep time (perfect for your kids limited time span) and topped with pretty pearl sugar. Grab the recipe from Adamant Kitchen!
Pudding, butter and cinnamon sugar? That's Norwegian pudding! This sweet recipe from A Farm Girl's Dabbles brings the Norwegian classic to your own table as a simple meal or sweet treat.
Great for breakfast or brunch, this tart cake will make you look fancy. The brightly colored rhubarb will instantly dress up your dessert table and the almond pack the perfect crunch. Check out The View from Great Island's simple recipe here!
With the texture of a cream puff, this Kringle is irresistible. This traditional dessert is made with ingredients you likely already have on hand to come together to form a buttery dough, glaze and is topped with almonds. Want to try it out? Check out Good Cheap Eats.
Have you ever wanted to become part of your fave holiday tale, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!? Thanks to Vacasa, now you can!
North America’s leading vacation rental management platform has teamed up with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to bring the Grinch’s mountain top cave to life for a limited time. The best part? The nightly rate is just $19.57 in honor of the 1957 book release date.
Located “Three thousand feet up, up the side of Mt. Crumpit,” (but actually outside Boulder, Utah) guests will be able to enjoy all the Grinch’s accoutrements. Some of the amenities in the multi-level 5,700 square foot cave include Who-pudding and Who-hash, armoire with green furry pants, music room with the Grinch’s organ and one crazy coffee pot!
The cave boasts a kitchen, study, master bedroom and guest bedroom and guests will have access to Vacasa’s 27/7 guest support, professional cleaners and a dedicated local team.
So how do you book the Grinch’s cave? Head to vacasa.com/grinch starting Dec. 3 (or earlier if you want a 3D tour!) to book a stay between Dec. 13 and 23. Make sure to mark your calendar- the limited stays will undoubtedly fill up on the dot.
With a return to normal slowly becoming a reality, American’s shopping patterns are telling a unique story. It’s no secret that over the past year, everyone’s shopping habits changed drastically, but the biggest indicator that we are turning a corner comes from one place: pudding.
Instacart’s Pudding Pack Index is “an index for normalcy through the lens of groceries.” Apparently, typical lunchbox items that include pudding, fruit snacks and granola bars and how often they are being purchased serves as an indicator of just how “normal” things are. Keep reading to see how.
Instacart has broken the pandemic down into categories and compares how the sales of certain items coincided with normalcy.
April 2020: Sales for items in the index dropped 48% lower than pre-pandemic base levels.
Jun. 2020-Feb. 2021: Sales climbed to 20% below the pre-pandemic baseline
Mar.-Apr. 2021: The index climbed to the highest rate since the start of the pandemic.
May 2021: Index is just over 9% below the “normal” pre-pandemic rate.
The Pudding Pack Index serves as a barometer a return of normal, and we well on our way. “Parent or not — you should pay attention to the Pudding Pack Index,” says Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart’s Trends Expert and Senior Product Manager. “When parents are adding pudding packs to their cart, it means they’re also starting to head back to the office, drop their kids off at school, and take vacations. Parents represent a cross-section of American culture on every level and when life is normal for parents, it’s normal for almost everyone else, too.”
We always end up with extra marshmallow bunnies and chicks around Easter, so why not put them to good use? We’ve gathered up a bunch of ideas—everything from hot chocolate to a science experiment. Keep reading to find out the best ways to use up those PEEPS before they go stale.
1. Jimbo Pants PEEPS®
PEEPS®
Peeps dipped in chocolate and sprinkles? Yes, please! Give those extra bunnies a gourmet upgrade with this easy recipe from Master Chef JR judge, chef, author and founder of Milk Bar, Cristina Tosi.
How cute are these swimming PEEPS from The First Year? Plus they’re super easy to make using Jell-O, Cool Whip and a dash of food coloring—your kids can help out throughout the process.
We love Shared Appetite’s idea of turning PEEPS into a pretty pastel-colored milkshake. Sure, it’ll give your kids a major sugar rush, but Easter only comes around once a year, after all! Click here to get the recipe.
Send your PEEPS on a garden adventure with this clever dessert idea from Chic ‘n Savvy. Kids can even decorate the pudding cups themselves with Oreo “dirt” and candy “carrots.” To get all the details, click here.
You won’t need to restock the pantry with marshmallows after Easter. Making brightly colored s’mores with PEEPS is much easier than you might think and the sugary crunch adds a little something special. Click here to check out the quick how-to from Eclectic Recipes.
Now you can squish these PEEPS to your heart’s content without the sticky aftermath. Still Playing School’s fabulously fun recipe repurposes those PEEPS into safe edible play dough for mouthy tots.
If your little ones love crafting gingerbread houses during the holidays, then they’ll have a blast making a sweet birdhouse for your leftover PEEPS , too, like these from Kitchen Trials. Using coconut, melted chocolate and candies, the decoration options are endless.
What happens when you microwave a PEEP? This experiment is perfect for inquisitive scientists who love to collect data down to the last decimal. Click here to check out the procedure over at Lemon Lime Adventures.
This delicious popcorn from Grain Changer is the ultimate springtime treat. Drizzled with white chocolate and melty PEEPS , chances are it’ll disappear in no time.
You’ve been through every PEEPS project, and you still have more left over (that’s the nature of PEEPS). Use what you have left to make the most vibrant wreath anyone has ever seen. Head over to craft blog Tried and True for the instructions.
We love this idea that's all over Instagram where you use leftover PEEPS to create fun dioramas. Use PEEPS to recreate a scene from a favorite movie or an important event in history!
Take some inspiration from Two Sisters Crafting to repurpose your PEEPS (and other leftover candy) into a unique seasonal centerpiece. Grab artificial blooms from your local craft store and get creative.
We’re suckers for fudge, and this genius recipe from Crafty Cooking Mama is bound to be an instant favorite. It’s super simple—just melt a few ingredients together in the microwave and then refrigerate it for a few hours. You’ll be blown away by how delicious it turns out.
Create your own homemade minute to win it game! Inspired by family fun blog Not Consumed, see how high you can stack your PEEPS in an allotted amount of time. Winner takes all the PEEPS!
Don't let the bright colors make you forget that PEEPS are really just cute marshmallows. What better way to enjoy the fluffy goodness than by adding them to a mug of hot chocolate?
We love this oh-so-colorful way to use up PEEPS by making them into Rice Krispy treats. Just use them as you would marshmallows in your favorite recipe, separating colors to make a rainbow!
Krispy Kreme is making dessert a little sweeter for fans by transforming three of America’s classic desserts into delicious doughnuts. Krispy Kreme’s new Dessert Doughnuts Collection will be available for a limited time at participating shops across the U.S., starting Jun. 8. The collection features doughnut versions of three classic dessert favorites including Banana Pudding, Coconut Cake and Mississippi Mud Pie.
Banana Pudding Doughnut: A doughnut filled with banana pudding, dipped in light yellow icing, and topped with Kreme and three mini vanilla wafer cookies.
Coconut Cake Doughnut: A coconut flavored cake doughnut topped with cream cheese icing and dipped in shredded coconut.
Mississippi Mud Pie Doughnut: A doughnut filled with Chocolate Pie Kreme, dipped in chocolate icing, topped with cookie and graham crumbles, and finished with a marshmallow drizzle.
Want to try your luck and get your kids to eat like the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day? From a warm, savory stew to sweet, soft snack bars, we found eight easy Irish food recipes you can enjoy with your little leprechauns. Sláinte!
The perfect recipe for St. Patrick's Day breakfast, Grits & Pinecones Irish Potato Boxty will become a family fave. The savory breakfast is made from a combo of mashed potatoes, raw grated potatoes, eggs, milk, flour and baking powder and enjoyed piping hot. Don't forget the green onions! Get the recipe here.
Though not a St. Patrick's Day-specific recipe, Dublin Coddle is still a tasty way to celebrate the day. The one-pot dish involves sausage, potatoes and onions and is a hearty meal for the entire fam. Get the recipe here.
A twist on what we Americans normally think of as pudding, Irish Lemon Pudding is a bit more like cake and baked custard––but no less delicious. Made with ingredients you probably have on hand, this citrus-flavored dessert is the perfect way to top off your St. Patrick's Day feast. Get the receipe here.
There's no need to skip the potatoes this St. Patrick's Day! Colcannon is an Irish mashed potato recipe that involves cooked cabbage and onion and is a great way to squeeze in some veggies while the kids aren't looking. Check out Eating Richly for an easy and tasty recipe.
St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be quite the same without Irish Soda Bread, and lucky for you, blogger Alexandra Hedin makes hers in the form of a super yummy scone. Serve one to your little leprechaun for breakfast, or do a batch up proper for an after-school tea party. Either way, these will be a favorite with your whole crew. Get the recipe here.
Chock-full of carrots, potatoes, and tender meat: You really can't go wrong with a good Irish stew. Super satisfying no matter the weather, Recipe Girl has an easy version you can re-create at home.
When you think food on St. Patrick’s Day, you think corned beef and cabbage. This version is perfect for your busy life, because all you have to do is place the brisket in the slow cooker, top with the veggies and walk away. Bonus: this version swaps out carb-loaded potatoes for extra veggies! Here’s where you’ll find the ingredients.
In Ireland, flapjacks don’t come served with maple syrup and strawberries. Instead, they come in the form of a tasty, crunchy-yet-chewy oat bar. You can use any sort of oat or grain, from millet to chia seeds, and if you want to go dairy-free, opt for coconut oil instead of butter. We are drooling over the version Imen McDonnell features on her blog, Farmette, and in her Irish cookbook, The Farmette Cookbook.
So, your picky eater won’t touch corned beef and cabbage with a four leaf clover. Well, whip up a batch of green mac ‘n’ cheese for a little St. Patrick’s Day cheer, instead. Filled with good stuff like spinach, peas and lots of cheese, when you serve up this dish, there’s still a chance to say Erin go Bragh! Get the recipe here.
Foil eggs, jelly beans, and chocolate bunnies take up prime real estate in most Easter baskets. PEEPS are another popular non-chocolate treat.This year, PEEPS is rolling out seven new varieties.
We take pride in seeing that parents who were given PEEPS in their Easter baskets as kids are now passing those traditions on to their own family,” said Caitlin Servian, Brand Manager for PEEPS. “We strive to meet the perfect balance of history and innovation by continuing to offer our classic PEEPS Chicks and Bunnies, while also bringing new and exciting products to our fans.”
To take things one step further, fans craving even more flavor can top their stack of bunny pancakes with the PEEPS® Pancakes & Syrup Flavored Marshmallow Chicks, which offer the same authentic taste of pancakes in fluffy marshmallow form. These Marshmallow Chicks are available at retailers nationwide and on the PEEPS & COMPANY® website.
These PEEPS combine a classic chcolate dessert with sweet, fluffy marshmallow. This treat is sure to be a welcome addition to any chocolate-lover's basket.
Root Beer Float Flavored Marshmallow Chicks combine the refreshing taste of a frosty mug of root beer and extra scoops of vanilla ice cream into one incredibly delicious sweet treat.
PEEPS® Froot Loops™ Flavored Pop
PEEPS
PEEPS teamed up with Toucan Sam this Easter to bring you this sweet treat. For a limited time only, these Froot Loop flavored marshmallow pops, featuring four colorful chicks, will only be available at Target and Walmart stores.
PEEPS® HOT TAMALES® Fierce Cinnamon Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
PEEPS
These PEEPS combine a spicy cinnamon flavor with a sweet fluffy marshmallow! These PEEPS are available exclusively at the Kroger Family of Stores.
These chicks are bursting with raspberry flavor and are lightly dipped in delicious crème fudge. These PEEPS are available exclusively at Target.
PEEPS® Individually Wrapped Marshmallow Chicks for Egg Hunt
PEEPS
Your Easter Egg hunt will be a hit when you hide these individually wrapped PEEPS Marshmallow Mini Chicks. These are available exclusively at Walmart.
PEEPS® Flavored Jelly Beans
PEEPS
Enjoy two classic Springtime sweets at once! The iconic PEEPS Marshmallow flavor and colors are brought to life in Jelly Bean form to create an Easter basket essential. Flavors include Strawberry, Lemon, Blueberry and Marshmallow.
