The Best Cookbooks for Young Kids

kids cooking — My First Cookbook – It came with accessories!

I’ve been wanting to write about kid’s cookbooks for a while now. I love cooking and have accumulated a bunch of cookbooks over the years.

My first cookbook was sturdy and came with brightly colored plastic measuring cups. I was probably around 7 or 8. I remember proudly making recipes with my new cups. I couldn’t tell you what recipes they were today, but I remember having lots of fun!

As an adult, I have the classics, like Joy of Cooking and Mastering the Art of French Cooking, celebrity chef cookbooks (if you need to use up some cheese, butter, and cream, then Paula Deen is for you!), and my tried and true go-to cookbooks (Cook’s Illustrated Best Recipe, Steve Raichlen How to Grill).

But I don’t have any children’s cookbooks.

My daughter is just a little too young to appreciate cooking. However, this past birthday she helped me frost and decorate her birthday cupcakes with great glee and I realized it was time (oh boy!) for her first cookbook. So I set to work researching kids’ cookbooks. Here are some of my favorite cookbooks for young kids. They are straightforward, simple, and all about fun!

The Best Cookbooks for Young Kids

My Very First Cookbook: Joyful Recipes to Make Together was just released in October 2020 and has already garnered multiple positive reviews. I bought it for Ava this Christmas. It targeted just the age I was looking for: 3-year-olds with short attention spans who love to help. I like that My Very First Cookbook has simple recipes like Mac and Cheese, Cheesy Eggs, and other staples that everyone should know how to make. The book also has some fun pages with jokes, questions to ask your friends and family, and several blank recipe pages to create your own recipe! This cookbook is recommended for children ages 3-8.

sesame street lets cook kids cookbook for young kids

If your child is a fan of celebrity chefs then Sesame Street Let’s Cook! is for them! Kids are motivated to cook with their favorite friends from Sesame Street. This cookbook is recommended for kids ages 2-5. Some recipes include Cookie Monster’s Favorite Cookies, Oscar’s Scrappy Trash Hash, and Elmo’s Mac & Cheese Bits. Let’s Cook includes an introduction with the ABC’s of healthy cooking, and lots of color pictures to hold kids attention. The print version is spiral bound, which is my favorite type of cookbook: easy to turn pages and sturdy for little hands.

the disney princess cookbook for young kids

I love everything Disney, and The Disney Princess Cookbook is no exception. I used to work with the Disney Food & Beverage Team in Orlando, and anything Disney food related just makes me happy! This cookbook features Disney Princess favorites such as Tiana’s Baked Caramel French Toast and Snow White’s Apple Dumplings. The publisher recommends this book for children ages 6-8, however, the recipes are simple enough that they are fun for my 3 year old with help from mom. She especially enjoys talking about her favorite princesses and looking at the illustrations.

While doing research on kid’s cookbooks, America’s Test Kitchen was the first thing I googled. The New Best Recipe by America’s Test Kitchen is my go-to cookbook. Their recipes are known for being tested over and over until the recipe is perfected. Each recipe has a detailed explanation about why and how you cook a certain way to get a certain result. I’ve learned more than I ever thought about food science and chemical reactions just by reading their recipes! I love them so much I immediately had to see if they have a children’s version. I was pleased to find that they had several!

America’s Test Kitchen: My First Cookbook is aimed toward children ages 5-8. Some of the different chapters include After School Snacks, Holidays & Celebrations, and Sweet Treats. There are lots of step by step pictures showing kids making the recipe. This book has the thoroughness and quality I love about my grownup version, while also staying engaging for young kids.

America’s Test Kitchen: The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs is recommended for children 8-12. It has an extensive how to section at the beginning teaching kids how to whisk, crack eggs, plate food, etc. with lots of pictures. The book has over 100 recipes! I will definitely remember this book when Ava is older, or recommend to a friend with older kids!

stir crack whisk bake cookbook for young kids

Stir Crack Whisk Bake is also by America’s Test Kitchen (can you tell I love them?) and is a board book for little foodies up to age 2. It’s an interactive book that goes through the process of making a cake (without all that messy real food!) Ava enjoys reading this but at 3 is quickly aging out of this book. I bought it mostly for when her newborn brother is a little older.

Little Helpers Toddler Cookbook is probably the most age appropriate cookbook for my daughter as it’s targeted towards children ages 1-4. It features very easy and kid friendly recipes like Easy Alphabet Soup and Rainbow Smoothies.

The Silver Spoon for Children – I checked this out of the library back when I was childless and loved reading through all the favorite Italian recipes. The Silver Spoon is the classic Italian cookbook. It’s like the Italian Joy of Cooking – THE definitive cookbook all around cookbook. The children’s version of the book is actually very sophisticated and has surprising delicious recipes. Although it’s aimed for older children around 7-10, I’m actually excited to buy this one for myself! And when the kids get a little older I’ll be happy to share 🙂