It’s 3 p.m. and the kids are hungry...but they’re turning up their noses at Pirate’s Booty and string cheese. Not to worry: You can easily whip up some of these quick, simple snacks that they’re sure to brag about to their friends. We’re talking cocoa peanut butter granola, homemade cheese crackers, stovetop popcorn and beyond. Read on for 26 ideas that just might make your picky eaters ask for seconds.
26 After-School Snack Recipes Your Kids Will Love
Homemade Cheez-Its, anyone?
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Published Mar 22, 2024
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast and a flurry of Italian seasonings and dried herbs make this pizza-inspired snack delectably savory. The recipe calls for cashews, almonds and walnuts, but use whatever nuts the kids will actually eat.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Give last night's noodles new life with the help of a few protein-packed eggs (and a whole lot of Parmesan cheese). Spaghetti, fettuccine and bucatini are recommended, but you can use leftover penne, elbows or ziti instead in a pinch.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, one pan
This one-pan gem can be snacked on solo, served over yogurt or doused in milk. The kids will love the granola's cinnamony, slightly sweet flavor and irresistible crunch.
4. Birthday Cake Rice Cereal Treats
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
You're only six ingredients away from an edible party. A slathering of melted white chocolate and rainbow sprinkles elevate this timeless treat without too much extra work on your part. Plus, they can be made ahead with ease.
5. 10-Minute Macaroni and Cheese in a Mug
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
When in doubt, this cheesy, buttery delight always hits the spot—even as an after-school snack. The macaroni cooks in the microwave in mere minutes, so you won't need to wait forever for a pot of water to boil.
6. Ritz Crackers with Whipped Honey Ricotta and Bacon
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Salty, creamy, crispy: This snack checks all your picky eaters' boxes. Start the bacon in a cold skillet to render as much fat out as possible; this will get you supremely crunchy results. Alternatively, you can candy the bacon in a bit of brown sugar and maple syrup.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This after-school snack recipe may be a bit time-consuming, but we promise it'll be worth the extra work. Your kids are guaranteed to gobble up these tender mashed potato fritters. Skip the olives if they won't eat them (but not the mozzarella).
8. Overnight Coconut Cream Pie Oats
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes (plus chilling)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, vegan
Minimize your stress by prepping their after-school snack the night before. All you have to do here is whisk the ingredients together, put the mixture in a mason jar and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, the kids can top the oats with fresh berries and dig in.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Are your kids into pickles? If so, they'll love this mouth-puckering, tangy snack mix that's equal parts vinegary, buttery, cheesy and herbaceous. Bonus: It can be stored in an airtight container for about a week.
10. Chai Oatmeal
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Medjool dates make this after-school snack recipe just sweet enough without piling on the refined sugar. As for toppings, take your pick of almond butter, pumpkin seeds, almonds, rose petals, date syrup and cinnamon.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Malted milk powder transforms ordinary sugar cookies into nutty, toasty masterpieces. If your kids are into fruit, add crushed, freeze-dried berries to the dough for a photo-worthy twist.
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
The store-bought kind is shaking in its boots. These flaky little bites take about half an hour to make and can be kept in the pantry all week. Need we say more?
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <30 minutes
Hummus is always a fantastic afternoon snack, but we predict that kids will devour this sweet potato version that’s works with both sweet and savory dippers. All you need is a food processor or blender to pull it off.
14. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Blueberry Cauliflower Smoothie
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook
Cauliflower makes this beautifully hued smoothie as creamy as a milkshake (and they’ll have no idea they’re actually drinking something nutritious). Best of all, you won't have to turn on the oven or stove to make them an after-school snack.
15. Cocoa Peanut Butter Granola
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
OK, this after-school snack recipe calls for a lot of chocolate. (We're talking cocoa powder, cocoa nibs and chopped dark chocolate.) But if the alternative is a bowl of store-bought kids’ cereal, this lower-sugar version is a fabulous option.
16. Sausage-and-Egg Breakfast Dumplings
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Breakfast food in the afternoon is always a treat, and these dumplings are extra fun because they come with two savory dipping sauces. Keep a batch stashed in the freezer, then pop them into the microwave or toaster oven to reheat as needed.
17. Stovetop Popcorn
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
The microwave stuff has nothing on stovetop popcorn. Not only is it cool to watch (and hear) it pop, but you can season it with whatever your kids love. (We're partial to butter, garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper.)
18. Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, gluten free, beginner-friendly
Psst: These unhealthy-looking little guys are actually packed with fruit. Not only do bananas lend natural sweetness to every bite, but they also make the muffins incredibly moist. Almond and oat flours keep the after-school snack recipe gluten free.
19. Snickerdoodle Almond Butter Granola Bars
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Believe it or not, absolutely no baking is required to make these sweet granola bars. However, they will need to chill in the fridge for at least two hours before being sliced, so make them on a lazy Sunday to serve the kids throughout the week.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
There’s nothing even remotely unhealthy in this “dessert,” and it comes together in less than five minutes. Freeze the Greek yogurt before scooping it onto the bananas to make it more reminiscent of ice cream.
21. Dreamy Almond Butter Chia Pudding
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Ditch the squeeze pouches for this fun-to-eat after-school snack recipe. If your kid would prefer a silky-smooth texture, microwave the almond butter for about 30 seconds before adding the rest of the ingredients.
22. Zesty Three-Cheese Snack Mix
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Leave it to store-bought ranch seasoning to make the most lip-smackingly delicious snack mix of all time. A mix of Chex cereals, nuts, pretzels and cheese crackers gets coated in butter and dusted with ranch seasoning and Parmesan cheese for good measure.
23. Cake Batter Dip
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, no cook
Remember Dunkaroos? Your kids won’t—they’ll just think you’re a genius. To make the raw flour in the cake mix safe to eat, microwave the mix on high in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F throughout.
24. Thick Italian Hot Chocolate
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
This hot chocolate is so thick that you need to eat it with a spoon instead of drinking it. However, you can omit the cornstarch if you want to keep it in liquid form. You can also sub semisweet or milk chocolate for bittersweet to make the dessert more kid-friendly.
25. Smashed Edamame Avocado Salad
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Avocado salad gets an even healthier upgrade with the addition of crushed edamame. Serve it over toast, in lettuce cups or with chips for dipping. (And nix the wasabi paste and grated ginger if your kid isn't a fan of spicy foods.)
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, make ahead
When it comes to after-school snack recipes, this is one that everyone can agree on. Keep this easy cookie dough pre-rolled in the freezer, then whip it out whenever you want to feel like the best parent in the universe.
