As long summer days stretch on, your kiddos might start getting a little bored with their usual activities.  At The Original Pancake House, one of our favorite things to do with the kids during the dog days of summer is to have a little fun in the kitchen.  Cooking with your kids can be a great activity and of course is very rewarding for everyone as the whole family will enjoy eating the culinary creations.

We’ve come up with a few of our favorite recipes to cook with the kids. And best of all, these easy food recipes for kids work well for a breakfast or snack on the go all year round!

Donut Hole Breakfast Skewersenhanced-6707-1405526973-39

These little skewers are easy, quick, and fun for little hands to assemble!  Plus, they make for a great breakfast-on-the-go for busy mornings or when the kids head back to school this fall!  In this example we used strawberries and blackberries, but any fruit will work.  Try a variety of different fruits and see if your kids can make a rainbow!

Ingredients:

Donut holes
Strawberries
Blackberries
Skewers

Directions:

Have kids assemble fruit and donut holes skewers according to preference.  Try serving with salted caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and shredded coconut for an extra fun treat.

 

Honey Nut Cheerio Snack Bar

We love these little bars because they are fun and easy for kids to help make and we end up with a great stash of healthy snack bars for an afternoon at the pool or a quick breakfast!  Try substituting with any type of fruit, nut, or cereal for this recipe to mix it up.honeynutcheeriosbars-13

Ingredients:

1/4 cup creamy unsalted butter (half of one stick)
1/4 cup honey (light-colored corn syrup may be substituted and will keep the bars firmer at room temp than using honey)
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios

1 cup raisins, optional (1 cup  honey-roasted peanuts, 1 cup chopped almonds, or 1 cup trail mix may be substituted)
1/2 cup chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, optional
Pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt for sprinkling, optional

Directions:

  1. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
  3. Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.
  4. Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir
  5. Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir. On this third and final burst, mixture will become quite bubbly and foamy; use caution when removing from micro because this is boiling hot caramel and can cause burns.
  6. Stir in the vanilla using caution because mixture could bubble up.
  7. Stir in the cereal.
  8. Stir in the optional raisins (or nuts).
  9. Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top.
  10. Optionally, sprinkle evenly with sunflower seeds and salt (the salt cuts some of the sweetness and I recommend it).
  11. Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until bars are completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
  12. Bars will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend storing them in the fridge rather than room temp because they soften and get loose.

Bon appetite and enjoy cooking with your kids!