RECIPES: 5 kid-friendly snacks that are tasty for adults, too

If you’re cooking with a toddler, measure out the ingredients ahead of time and place them in small bowls so they can mix and add without worrying about an accurate amount. And pull out extra measuring spoons, cups and spatulas so they can have something in their hands while waiting. (These are also useful if they throw the adult utensils on the floor.)

Let your kids choose the flavors they want in their snack. Giving them agency will keep them more invested and more likely to try the final result. All of the recipes below allow for easy swaps of different ingredients.

Keep in mind your kids’ abilities. Toddlers shouldn’t pop popcorn, for example, but they can stir in flavorings and help press snack bars into molds. Bigger kids can measure, handle the food processor with supervision and pull food in and out of the oven. To keep things extra simple for all ages, none of the ingredients below require a knife for chopping.

Credit: Kate Williams

Credit: Kate Williams

RECIPES

These five kid-friendly snack recipes are just as tasty for adults.

Cherry and Walnut Snack Bars

The snack bar section of the grocery store seems to grow exponentially, but they’re all basically variants of the following: granola, nuts, sugary cereal held together with more sugar, protein covered in chocolate, and dried fruit. The easiest to make at home are those made from dried fruit and nuts. Simply combine your kids’ favorites, in the proportions listed below, with a scoop of rolled oats and blend together in a food processor. Press into bars, chill and serve.

1 1/2 cups raw walnuts

1/2 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1/2 cup rolled oats

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Use enough paper or foil so that there is a 1-inch overhang on the sides of the pan.

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely minced, about 10 (1-second) pulses, then run the processor until the mixture begins to clump up around the blade, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

Remove from the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into 12 bars. Wrap each bar in wax paper or plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 12 bars.

Per bar: 262 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 5 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 18 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 191 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Kate Williams

Credit: Kate Williams

Raspberry-Mango Smoothie Pops

DIY frozen pops are a parental secret weapon. They’re quick and easy to throw together and, especially for smaller kids, are completely magic. Just about anything can be turned into a cold treat, but I especially like turning yogurt and fruit smoothies into frozen pops. The extra bit of fat and protein from the yogurt gives them a creamier texture and makes a more filling snack. Using your favorite frozen fruit means the pops will freeze quicker. You can offer smoothie pops for breakfast and feel like a really cool parent.

1 1/2 cups plain whole milk yogurt

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste

Assemble your frozen pop molds or 8 (3-ounce) paper cups and wooden pop sticks.

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (Depending on the strength of your blender, you may need to pulse the mixture in order to blend.) Taste and add more honey if desired.

Transfer to the molds and tap the molds on the counter to remove air bubbles. Add the handles or wooden pop sticks, then freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Remove from the molds and serve.

Makes 8 (3-ounce) smoothie pops.

Per serving: 74 calories (percent of calories from fat, 24), 2 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 6 milligrams cholesterol, 22 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Kate Williams

Credit: Kate Williams

Sweet and Savory Puppy Chow

Puppy chow (or muddy buddies, depending on whom you ask) is typically a very sweet mixture of Chex cereal, chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar. It’s an easy snack for even the smallest kids to help prepare but tends to be a little cloying for adults. I like to throw in some salty mix-ins — pretzels and potato chips — to provide a bit of flavor and textural contrast, while still keeping the spirit of the original recipe intact. Feel free to play as you’d like. While the original recipe uses peanut butter, you can easily adapt the dish to use any other nut or sunflower seed butter (no-stir versions work best) to accommodate allergies.

1 (12-ounce) box Rice Chex cereal

1 cup mini pretzels

1 cup plain kettle chips

1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup no-stir nut or sunflower seed butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Combine the cereal, pretzels and kettle chips in a large bowl.

Combine the chocolate chips, nut butter and unsalted butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate and butter are melted, about 2 to 3 minutes total. Pour over the cereal mixture. Stir thoroughly to evenly coat the cereal mixture with the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until the chocolate is cool and tacky, about 15 minutes.

Divide the cereal mixture between two (1-gallon) zip-close bags. Add 1 cup powdered sugar to each bag. Seal the bags and then shake until the cereal is thoroughly coated in the sugar. Season to taste with salt. Serve or store in the bags at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months.

Serves 16.

Per serving: 485 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 7 grams protein, 67 grams carbohydrates, 29 grams total sugars, 4 grams fiber, 21 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 304 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Kate Williams

Credit: Kate Williams

Sesame Seaweed Snacks

Crisp, umami-rich Korean seaweed snacks (or gim) offer a bridge between adult and kid palates. They’re easy — and much cheaper — to make at home and adapt to your family’s favorite flavors. Poke around the grocery aisle and you’ll find flavors as varied as teriyaki or white cheddar. Keep things simple with a one-two punch of sesame: toasted oil and seeds. A sprinkle of sugar balances out the brininess of the seaweed and a bit more salt lets the flavor of the sesame come through. Give the seaweed a long, slow toast in a low oven to get it ultra crisp. Keep an eye on it; let it bake until it’s bright green and translucent to turn it from chewy to crisp, which could take up to 2 hours.

4 sheets untoasted nori

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Place 2 large wire racks on 2 baking sheets.

Use scissors to cut each nori sheet into 4 squares and transfer to the racks. Brush both sides of the nori with sesame oil (depending on the brush you use, you may have extra oil remaining), then sprinkle the rough side with the sesame seeds, salt and sugar.

Transfer to the oven and bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until crisp, translucent and bright green, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cool and serve.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 78 calories (percent of calories from fat, 92), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace total sugars, trace fiber, 8 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 163 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Kate Williams

Credit: Kate Williams

Flavored Popcorn

One of the quickest snacks to DIY is flavored popcorn. It takes less than 10 minutes to pop kernels yourself, then no time at all to toss the popcorn with whatever seasonings you — and your kids — would like. The popping step is best done by an adult, but stirring and mixing are fun for even the youngest kids. I like to dig around in the pantry for fun flavors; everything from the cheese powder in boxed macaroni and cheese to hot cocoa mix makes a good topping. Using oil or ghee instead of butter, which contains a fair amount of water, to toss the popcorn with the flavoring prevents the popcorn from turning soggy.

2 to 4 tablespoons powdered seasonings, such as hot cocoa mix, cheese powder, ramen soup flavoring or finely ground freeze-dried fruit

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil, for popping

1/2 cup popcorn kernels, divided

3 tablespoons melted ghee, olive oil or vegetable oil, for tossing

In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the seasoning and salt.

Combine the coconut oil and 3 to 5 popcorn kernels in a medium saucepan with a lid. Place the lid on, leaving a very small crack open, and set over medium-high heat. When the kernels pop, add the remaining kernels and cook with the lid still slightly cracked, shaking frequently, until you hear a pop only every few seconds. This should take 3 to 4 minutes; adjust the heat as needed to keep the kernels popping consistently.

Immediately pour the popcorn into a large bowl. Gradually drizzle over the melted ghee while stirring to evenly coat the popcorn. Sprinkle the seasoning over the popcorn and stir to coat. Stir in additional seasoning and salt if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Per serving (using 4 tablespoons Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix for the seasoning): 262 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 4 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total sugars, 4 grams fiber, 14 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 23 milligrams cholesterol, 323 milligrams sodium.

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