Christmas Eve is the perfect time to get little helpers into the kitchen. Fun christmas recipes for kids turn the day into an activity, not just a meal. When food looks playful and easy to grab, children are much more excited to eat it.
In this guide, I am sharing simple christmas recipes for kids that are fun to make, cute to look at, and easy to serve as kid friendly christmas eve food:
- Pizza faces
- Reindeer rice krispies treats
- Christmas fruit kabobs
- Sugar cookies
- Puff pastry hot dogs
You can use these ideas for an afternoon snack table, a kid friendly dinner, or a little party before bed.
Savory Kid Friendly Christmas Eve Food
These savory ideas are perfect when you want christmas recipes for kids that fill little tummies before all the sweets and desserts.
Pizza Faces
Pizza faces are one of the most creative christmas recipes for kids. You use small pizza bases or flatbread and let the children decorate their own faces using cheese, vegetables, and toppings. Olives can be eyes, pepper slices can be smiles, and sweetcorn or mushrooms can be hair.
This is classic kid friendly christmas eve food because it is hands on and fun, but also simple for you to prepare.
Why you will love it:
- Great way to get kids to eat more vegetables
- Each child can create their own design
- Easy to bake a whole tray in the oven at once
👉 Full recipe: Pizza Faces
Puff Pastry Hot Dogs
Puff pastry hot dogs are another easy option for kid friendly christmas eve food. Small sausages or hot dogs are wrapped in strips of puff pastry and baked until golden and flaky. You can cut the pastry to look like little blankets or even shape them as mini Christmas trees if you like.
Among all the christmas recipes for kids, this one is perfect for picky eaters. Most children love anything with pastry and sausage.
Why you will love it:
- Uses ready made puff pastry to save time
- Fun finger food that kids can dip in ketchup or mustard
- Works well for parties, buffets, or a simple Christmas Eve dinner for kids
👉 Full recipe: Puff Pastry Hot Dogs
Sweet Christmas Recipes For Kids
These sweet treats are playful and festive, ideal for dessert or an afternoon activity. They are classic christmas recipes for kids that even very young helpers can enjoy.
Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats
Reindeer rice krispies treats are cute, crunchy, and perfect for little hands. You make a rice krispies and marshmallow mixture, cut it into shapes or bars, and then decorate with pretzel antlers, chocolate or candy eyes, and a red candy nose.
This is one of the most adorable christmas recipes for kids, and it looks amazing on a holiday dessert table.
Why you will love them:
- No complicated decorating skills required
- Kids can help press the mixture into the pan and add the faces
- Ideal as kid friendly christmas eve food for movie nights
👉 Full recipe: Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats
Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are a must in any list of christmas recipes for kids. You bake simple cookies and then set up a decorating station with icing, sprinkles, and small candies. Children can decorate stars, trees, gingerbread people, or any shapes you like.
These cookies can be served as kid friendly christmas eve food after dinner, or packed up as gifts for grandparents and friends.
Why you will love them:
- Simple dough that you can make ahead
- Decorating keeps kids busy and happy
- Easy to customize with different colors and shapes
👉 Full recipe: Sugar Cookies
Lighter Christmas Recipes For Kids
Not every treat has to be heavy or full of sugar. These christmas recipes for kids use fresh fruit and fun shapes to keep things a little lighter.
Christmas Fruit Kabobs
Christmas fruit kabobs are colorful and fresh, but still exciting for children. You thread pieces of fruit onto skewers to create Christmas patterns, such as red and green stripes or small tree shapes. Grapes, berries, kiwi, melon, and pineapple all work really well.
This is a great way to offer kid friendly christmas eve food that balances out all the chocolates and cookies.
Why you will love them:
- Naturally sweet and full of color
- Very easy to prepare in advance
- A fun way to encourage kids to eat more fruit
👉 Full recipe: Christmas Fruit Kabobs
How To Build A Kid Friendly Christmas Eve Food Table
You do not need to prepare everything in this list. Here are a few simple ways to combine these christmas recipes for kids into a menu.
Option 1: Kid friendly dinner plate
- Pizza faces
- Puff pastry hot dogs
- Christmas fruit kabobs on the side
This mix gives you kid friendly christmas eve food that feels like a party but still has some balance.
Option 2: Afternoon activity and snack
- Sugar cookies for decorating
- Reindeer rice krispies treats
- Christmas fruit kabobs
Children can help decorate cookies and reindeer treats, then snack on fruit while they work.
Option 3: Movie night platter
- Puff pastry hot dogs
- Reindeer rice krispies treats
- A bowl of Christmas fruit kabobs
This is one of the easiest christmas recipes for kids combinations for a relaxed evening in front of a Christmas movie.
Tips For Cooking With Kids On Christmas Eve
To make these christmas recipes for kids fun instead of stressful, try a few simple tips:
- Prepare in stages
- Measure ingredients before you invite children to help. This keeps things calmer and makes your kid friendly christmas eve food easier to assemble.
- Give each child a job
- One can sprinkle cheese on pizza faces, another can add eyes and noses to reindeer treats. Clear tasks help the process go smoothly.
- Cover the table
- Use baking paper or a plastic cloth so cleaning up icing and crumbs is fast and easy.
- Accept imperfect shapes
- The charm of christmas recipes for kids is that they look homemade. Crooked cookies and funny pizza faces are part of the fun.
Making Christmas Recipes For Kids Feel Special
Even simple kid friendly christmas eve food can feel magical with a few extra touches:
- Serve snacks on a Christmas tray or board
- Use fun napkins, straws, and small plates
- Play Christmas music while you cook and decorate
- Let kids choose one recipe from your christmas recipes for kids list every year as a tradition
These small traditions help children remember the food and the feeling of Christmas Eve, not just the presents.
FAQs :
What are some Christmas foods for kids?
Kid-friendly Christmas foods are fun, familiar, and easy to eat. Popular ideas include mini sliders, mac and cheese, pigs in a blanket, cheesy pasta bake, chicken tenders, fruit salad, veggie sticks with dip, and sweet treats like decorated sugar cookies, brownies, or Rice Krispies treats.
What to make with children for Christmas?
Choose hands-on recipes with simple steps and lots of decorating. Great options are sugar cookies (kids can frost and sprinkle), gingerbread people, Rice Krispies Christmas trees, no-bake truffles, yogurt parfait cups, or a “build-your-own” snack board with crackers, cheese, fruit, and nuts.
What is the easiest Christmas dinner?
The easiest Christmas dinner is one that’s mostly hands-off and uses simple sides. Try:
Sheet pan meal: sausage with peppers and potatoes, or salmon with roasted veggies
Simple roast: herb-roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans
Shortcuts: store-bought rolls, pre-made dessert, and one easy sauce or gravy
This keeps prep low while still feeling festive.
What to make for supper kid friendly?
For a kid-friendly supper, aim for mild flavors and easy-to-hold portions. Ideas include mini burgers or sliders, baked pasta, homemade pizza, chicken and roasted potatoes, tacos, or a breakfast-for-dinner night with pancakes and fruit. Add a simple veggie side and a fun dip to make it more exciting.