Healthy Apple Recipes to Cook with Kids

Looking for easy ways to get your child into the kitchen more? Here are over 15 healthy apple recipes to cook with kids! Sweet, crunchy, and delicious, apples are a great ingredient to get kids excited about cooking and learning new skills in the kitchen. Below, I’ll highlight several ways kids can easily get involved in our favorite recipes featuring apples. Whether you are using up apples from an apple picking adventure or grabbing a few different kinds at the grocery store, cooking with apples is the perfect way celebrate the Fall season.

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Can my kids help chop apples?

Yes! Starting as young as 2 or 3, children can use a child-safe knife to prep apples for recipes or just for a snack. However, whole apples aren’t safe for kids to help cut because they are so large and tough to get through. Here is how I cut apples into manageable-sized slices so that they are easy to get through with a child-safe knife: Stand an apple up and cut down around the core to get four large pieces. Place the cut side down and cut each of the large pieces into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices. From there, children can work with one sliced at a time and chop across the apple slice to cut into a dice. Remind the child to keep the apple slice cut-side down on the cutting board to keep it stable.

Is your child getting tired or losing interest in chopping the apples? That’s ok! Have him help transfer the apples you chop to a bowl or other container or give him another easy job while you finish chopping.

Check out my blog post: Teaching Knife Skills to Toddlers and Kids (Safety and Basics) for more info on using a child-safe knife. My favorite kid knives and other products can be found in my Amazon store. (Affiliate link) Also, head to my post, The Best Cooking Tools for Kids, to see all my other product recommendations, including knifes and produce choppers.

How can I teach my child to use a grater?

You might come across this task when searching for apple recipes to cook with kids. Grating apples is a great way to incorporate apple flavor into oatmeal, cookies, muffins, and many other recipes. To have your child help use a box grater, hold the apple with one hand and have the child place a hand on top of yours. With the other hand, have the child also hold the top of the grater with you. Explain that we want to keep our fingers aways from the “little teeth” on the grater. The child doesn’t have to help you shred up the whole apple but it is great for her to get the experience of doing some of it. Also, if it makes you and your child feel more safe and confident, Cut-Resistant Gloves are great to use.

Easy Apple Recipes to Cook with Kids:

Apple Breakfasts and Baked Goods:

Apple Pie Breakfast Cookies

Baking these wholesome cookies up for breakfast or snack time will make your house smell like heaven. Apples and cinnamon are just so good together, aren’t they? Kids love to bake to clear a little time in your schedule and make this recipe to have on hand for weekday snacks. My biggest tip for baking with kids: have everything ready to go before they even know you are going to cook together. Take out all the ingredients, tools, prepare the pan if using one, grab some water, a few towels, read through the WHOLE recipe, and take a deep breath. The more prepared you are, the better!

Get the full recipe HERE.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts (or muffins!)

These healthier treats don’t technically have apples but in case you pick up some apple cider during a Fall activity, these are the recipe to make! They happen to be vegan and lower in sugar too! So yummy! Get the full recipe HERE.

Apple-Cinnamon Snack Cake

Apples, cinnamon, honey, and oats…the perfect combination for a sweet and nutritious Fall treat. This Apple-Cinnamon Snack Cake is great to bake-up post apple picking or whenever you have a couple apples to use up. Kids will love helping stir together this easy, one-bowl recipe with you. Get the full recipe HERE.

Baked Cinnamon Apples with Pie Crust Cookies

Want to enjoy the delicious taste of apple pie without all the work? Healthy Baked Cinnamon Apples is a recipe simple enough for kids to help cook for Thanksgiving or any holiday meal. Refined sugar free and easy to make dairy-free and gluten-free too, you can make this recipe work for any dietary needs. While the apples are roasting, kids will have so much fun cutting store-bought  pie dough (or any leftover homemade pie dough you might have) into shapes with cookie cutters and sprinkling them with a little cinnamon-sugar. Top with a little ice cream or Greek yogurt and you have the best, easy dessert that your family will love.

 

Apple Snacks and Snacktivities:

Sweet Apple Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips

Celebrate Fall with this fun and healthy snack for kids! Sweet Apple Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips is a great recipe to get kids into the kitchen. Use up those all of those apples from your family apple picking outing or just buy a few varieties from the store. This easy dip and chip combo is low in added sugar, but tastes like apple pie!

Dips that are great with Apples:

 

 Dipping apples into a nutritious spread can be one of the most balanced and delicious snacks for kids. Of course, your favorite peanut butter or other nut/seed butter is always an easy go-to, but if you want some other ideas, I have two great recipes on my site. Healthy Brownie Batter Dip is my take on chocolate hummus. It’s made with beans and much lower in added sugar. If you want a yummy peanut butter alternative, try this Homemade Granola Butter. It’s great on a sandwich, but also so so good with apples.

Apple “Mess”

We call this apple “mess” because well, there’s not a better way to describe it..it’s a fun, delicious mess! No real rhyme or reason to it…just chopped apples, nut or seed butter, and whatever toppings you can dream up. Here we used peanut butter and sprinkled on mini chocolate chips, dye-free sprinkles, and hemp seeds. You could add shredded coconut or finely chopped nuts as well. This is a great snack or treat to make when you want to practice those knife skills. Eating the “mess” is fun too! Use food picks, chopsticks, or toothpicks to pick up each apple piece.

We love these adorable veggie pics by Nutridashe.

Want to keep chopping? Try making a fruit salad like this recipe for “The Hungry Caterpillar” Fruit Salad.

Green Apple Pie Smoothie

The perfect way to expose those little green skeptics to some spinach! The sweet flavors of apples and cinnamon make this smoothie irresistible. Have your little one add the ingredients into the blender with you, especially when adding the greens. That way she can know that even if she may not like spinach plain, she might like it combined with other flavors.

Recipe:

1/2 frozen banana
1 small apple, cored and chopped
2 big handfuls baby spinach or kale
1/4 cup organic rolled oats and/or 2 tablespoons almond butter (also a 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt works well for added protein and creaminess)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
Handful of ice

1. Add everything to a blender and blend until very smooth.
2. Add extra ice or milk as needed.

 

Apple “Nachos” with Healthier Chocolate Sauce

This fun snack is similar to the “Mess” recipe above but easier to eat with your hands and share with a crowd. This is one of my favorite easy apple recipes to cook with kids because it takes seconds to put together. I also had to share this recipe for healthier chocolate sauce with you because it is delicious on apples and so many other things (a fruit dip, drizzled on pancakes and waffles, on top of yogurt…). It is made from 3 basic, wholesome ingredients and so easy to make!

Healthier Chocolate Sauce

• 2 tablespoons melted coconut butter* or coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or to taste)
• Pinch of fine sea salt

1. Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Don’t leave out the salt…it really brings out the chocolate flavor. Rewarm if starting to solidify.
2. Can store in fridge and rewarm when you want to use it.

*coconut butter solidifies at room temp and is great for making your own chocolate.

I also have a really delicious Healthier Caramel Sauce for apples in my cookbook, Kid Kitchen.

Apple and Celery Mess and Apple “Donuts”

      

Two recipes from my free ebook, Easy Snacktivities. Click HERE for more info.

 

Applesauce Recipes to Cook with Kids:

Homemade No-Added-Sugar Applesauce

Applesauce is such a great apple recipe to cook with kids. Don’t know what to do with all those apples after apple picking? Make applesauce! Kids can get in some great knife skills practice by chopping the apples or sometimes my kids really like using a crank-style apple peeler/slicer. The one we use is in my Amazon store here.

Vanilla-Cinnamon Pear Applesauce

So simple but so flavorful! Our favorite way to eat this applesauce is on top of plain Greek-style yogurt for a no-sugar-added snack or breakfast. This recipe can easily be doubled and frozen in small jars to have on hand.
Makes 2½ cups

2 apples, cored and chopped
2 pears, cored and chopped
½ lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 teaspoon vanilla powder or ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1.     Add the apples and pears to a pot and squeeze the juice of the half of lemon over the top. Add the cinnamon sticks and a ¼ cup of water. Cover pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. 

2.     After fruit has released some of its juices, about 15 minutes, uncover the pot and continue to simmer over medium to medium-low heat. Stir every so often to make sure the fruit isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.

3.     Once the fruit is completely soft and mashes easily, about an additional 15 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir in the vanilla.

4.     Using a hand-held stick/immersion blender, blend cooked fruit to desired consistency. If using a traditional blender or food processor, allow applesauce to cool slightly, then transfer to blender and blend.

5.     Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Another recipe we make all the time is the Easy-Peasy Veggie Loaded Applesauce by The Natural Nurturer. Not only is it super easy to make and delicious, but it is a great way to add extra veggies into your family’s day.

I also have a recipe for Cranberry Applesauce. It’s so great for Thanksgiving or if you have any extra fresh cranberries to use up.

 

Savory Apple Recipes to Cook with Kids:

 Autumn Harvest Soup

Apples add just the right about of sweetness to this cozy fall soup. I love that this recipe includes lots of seasonal veggies like carrots and squash as well. Here are some easy ways kids can help make this recipe: chopping the apple, adding ingredients to the pot, stirring (with careful supervision), and helping blend it up at the end. We love this soup packed up for lunch or anytime of day at home. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds for a yummy crunch! Get the full recipe HERE.

Kid-Friendly Chopped Salad

This savory dish is one of my kids’ favorite side dishes. Chopped apple and some honey in the tangy dressing makes it super sweet and kid-friendly. Get the recipe HERE.

 

 

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