Thanksgiving is a time for family, gratitude, and of course, delicious food. If you have little ones at home, involving them in the cooking process can be a fun and educational experience. I’ve researched the most popular recipes on Pinterest and Tik-tok to compile this list for you.
Here are 8 kid-friendly Thanksgiving recipes that your children will enjoy preparing and eating:
1. Veggie Platter Turkey
Create a turkey-shaped veggie platter with colorful vegetables like bell peppers, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. Use olives for the eyes and a carrot slice for the beak. Not big on raw veggies? Your turkey platter can be made of whatever snacks your family will eat, whether that is cheese and crackers or a fruit platter. Just get creative and have fun!
2. Cheesy Crescent Roll Leaves
Cut store bought crescent roll dough or puff pastry with leaf-shaped cookie cutters. Brush with melted butter or olive oil and top them with your choice of cheese, paprika and parsley. This recipe takes fewer than 10 minutes to create and these pretty fall leaves will dress up your breadbasket nicely this Thanksgiving.
3. Slow Cooker Maple and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
These slow cooker maple glazed carrots are delicious, sweet, warm, and so satisfying for your favorite fall meals. You are going to love the easy prep and the comforting flavors that this yummy side dish brings to the table. Start by adding 2 pounds of baby carrots into a 6-quart slow cooker. Then add 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup of real maple syrup. Mix to combine and top with 1/3 cup of cubed salted butter. Place lid over slow cooker and cook on “high” for 3 hours OR on “low” for 5-6 hours. If possible, stir the carrots 1-2 times while cooking. To thicken the glaze, remove the lid for the final 30 minutes of cooking and switch to “high.” Since this is essentially a dump and go recipe, let your kids help by measuring out the ingredients and adding them to the crock pot.
4. Corn Casserole
This is the absolute very best corn casserole you will ever eat. It’s such a perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner and is extremely easy to make. In a large bowl, combine 1 can of drained corn, 1 can of cream corn, 1 cup of sour cream, 1 box of jiffy corn muffin mix, 1/2 stick of melted butter, 1 egg and (optional) 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese. Mix it all together and spread into a greased baking dish. Bake it at 350F for 45-60 minutes or until it’s cooked through. Kids love this recipe! My household prefers it without the cheese, but it tastes yummy either way.
5. Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake
I came across this viral recipe on Tik-Tok and couldn’t wait to try it. If you are a sweet potato fan, then you would love this cake. It is so good and really easy to make. My son and I had a great time baking this and I hope you try it this holiday season. In a large bowl, combine 1 box of yellow cake mix, 1 cup of sour cream, 4 eggs, 3/4 cups of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and give everything a good mix. Once everything is well combined, add one cup of mashed sweet potatoes. I wanted my cake to be more orange so I added 2 drops of orange food coloring though this step is completely optional. In a separate bowl add one cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/2 cup of crushed pecans (optional). In a 9×13 pan, add half of your cake batter and then sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture on top. Add the remaining cake batter and use a butter knife to lightly swirl the layers together. Bake the cake on 350F for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. For the glaze, combine 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons of milk and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the vanilla glaze and allow it to set before serving.
6. Acorn Doughnut Holes
These bite-sized treats capture the essence of the season and are so fun to make with your kiddos. Take store bought donut holes and dip them into melted Nutella or chocolate frosting, then dip them into fall themed sprinkles. Place a stick pretzel, broken in half into the top of the “acorn” and let them cool on wax paper.
7. Chocolate Turkeys
This is another Tik-Tok recipe that totally grabbed my attention and will be sure to impress your Thanksgiving guest. I’ve provided a link to the Tik-Tok video to help you follow along, but the recipe is pretty simple and only requires a few ingredients. To make this dessert, wash and completely dry fresh strawberries. Take pretzel sticks broken in half and add a mini marshmallow to the end. In a bowl melt milk chocolate until it is a smooth consistency. Use a small amount of melted chocolate to attach the marshmallow to the strawberry; this will make the legs of our turkey. Use toothpicks or a popsicle stick to dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to cool in the refrigerator. 
8. Cranberry Sauce Popsicles
Turn leftover cranberry sauce into popsicles. Simply pour the sauce into popsicle molds and freeze for a sweet and tangy treat.
These are great ideas Shante!