17 Easy Cookies That Make Kids Beg To Help You Bake

The flour hits the counter, and my son is there in an instant, dragging his stool over before the bowl is even out. On these afternoons, the kitchen floor usually ends up covered in white dust. I’ve had to learn that a messy floor is a small price to pay for a helper who feels proud of what they’ve made.

I look for recipes that are tough enough for small hands to stir and simple enough that we both actually enjoy the process. These 17 Easy cookies are the ones we bake when the goal is to spend time together rather than following a long list of difficult rules.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

We roll the peanut butter dough in sugar until it sparkles. Once they are baked, you press a chocolate kiss right into the middle. My son always tries to grab one before the chocolate has a chance to melt.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Crumbl Copycat Frosted Oreo Cookies

Crushed dark cookies turn the batter a cool grey color. They are big and heavy, just like the ones from a fancy bakery. We put the cookies in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Get the Recipe: Crumbl Copycat Frosted Oreo Cookies

Pistachio Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick cookies hide a bright green nut butter secret inside. You must keep the dough cold so the center stays inside while it bakes. Putting them together feels like hiding a treasure.
Get the Recipe: Pistachio Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie Monster Cookies

Blue food coloring makes the dough look like a bright cartoon character. We mix in many different broken cookies and chocolate chips. Kids get to decide how many treats to hide inside each one.
Get the Recipe: Cookie Monster Cookies

Amish Lemon Sugar Cookies

Small bits of lemon skin make the sugar smell very fresh and bright. These rise up tall and feel like soft pillows when you bite them. The dough is easy for small hands to squash and shape.
Get the Recipe: Amish Lemon Sugar Cookies

Crumbl Copycat Cookie Dough Cookies

Very large cookies are topped with a thick swirl of vanilla frosting. Safe-to-eat bits of cookie dough are sprinkled over the top. Learning to use the frosting bag is the best part of the afternoon.
Get the Recipe: Crumbl Copycat Cookie Dough Cookies

Air Fryer Chocolate Chunk Cookies

The air fryer cooks these in just a few minutes while making a quiet humming sound. We melt the butter first to give them a toasted taste. The edges get crunchy while the middle stays soft.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies

A box of cake mix helps these finish very quickly. Bright sprinkles bounce all over the table when we pour them in. We like to see how many different colors we can find in one cookie.
Get the Recipe: Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Extra brown sugar keeps every bite soft and chewy. Kids can help by dropping white chocolate chips into the dough. The sound of the mixer usually brings everyone into the kitchen.
Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Hershey Chocolate Kiss Cookies

A special flour ensures the treats do not crumble or break when you pick them up. We count the chocolate kisses together before pressing them into the warm centers. This is a fun way to bake without gluten.
Get the Recipe: Gluten Free Hershey Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Pumpkin and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Using a cake mix makes baking very fast when you are hungry. The batter turns bright orange as soon as you start stirring it. The dough is light and very easy for kids to mix.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Joy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sticky coconut makes the dough thick and very fun to stir. Sliced almonds are pressed on top for a big crunch. It takes a lot of focus for a child to put the almonds right in the center.
Get the Recipe: Almond Joy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

Eating these feels like having a brownie in the palm of your hand. We whisk the eggs until they are bubbly to make the tops look shiny. The top of the cookie cracks into a pretty pattern while it bakes.
Get the Recipe: Fudgy Brownie Cookies

Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

You use your thumb to press a hole in the middle of the dough for the jam. The red fruit filling bubbles up like a tiny volcano in the oven. It is fun to see the small fingerprints left behind by helpers.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Marshmallow Cookies

Chocolate dough is wrapped around a marshmallow like a little blanket. You have to pinch the edges tight so the middle does not leak out. Finding the stretchy center feels like a magic trick.
Get the Recipe: Marshmallow Cookies

Gooey S’mores Cookies

Big marshmallows on top get puffy and brown in the heat. Crushed graham crackers look like sand on the baking sheet. Kids can help by tearing the sticky marshmallows into small pieces.
Get the Recipe: Gooey S’mores Cookies

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Cocoa turns the dough the color of chocolate milk, and we add tiny marshmallows. We drizzle melted chocolate over the top so they look like a real drink. We sit at the table and wait for the chocolate to get firm.
Get the Recipe: Hot Chocolate Cookies

Choose one tonight and let the messy, delicious chaos begin.