The 10 Best Cookbooks For Kids

Updated August 04, 2020 by Gia Vescovi-Chiordi

This wiki has been updated 20 times since it was first published in April of 2017. Cooking is one of the most important skills you can pass on to your offspring. Most experts agree that kids who participate in meal preparation at an early age often eat healthier, cook more dishes at home later in life, and are more willing to try new foods. These easy-to-understand books turn gastronomy into an engaging activity that will benefit them for their entire life. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki. If you'd like to contribute your own research to Ezvid Wiki, please get started by reviewing this introductory video.

1. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

2. Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes

3. Super Simple Baking for Kids

4. Taste of Home Kid Approved

5. ChopChop: The Kids' Guide to Cooking Real Food

6. The Star Wars Cook Book

7. MasterChef Junior Cookbook

8. The International Cookbook

9. Kid Chef: The Foodie

10. Teens Cook

Special Honors

Dumb Ways JR Boffo's Breakfast Parents looking to get their little ones interested in cooking via fun games will appreciate the entertaining Boffo's Breakfast, which will get them thinking about ingredients and prep and cooking methods. By making breakfast for a silly character named Boffo, players can chop and grate ingredients, add sloppy items such as eggs and milk, stir the mix, cook it, add seasonings, and experiment over and over again. There are 20 different food items to choose from, as well as a range of kitchen tools to play with. This app is geared towards kids aged 3-6 and can be played without an internet connection. dumbwaystodie.com

Forks Over Knives App If you're a busy parent looking for a simplified way to make wholesome, healthy meals for your family, consider downloading the Forks Over Knives App. It allows users to discover over 400 hearty and decadent meals from over 50 leading chefs, with new recipes added weekly. Because it makes preparation simple with step-by-step instructions, it's easy to employ your youngster as a handy helper and involve them in the cooking process. forksoverknives.com

Editor's Notes

August 01, 2020:

The right cookbook will inspire a youngster and teach them vital skills they'll need later in life as well as encourage creativity and innovation. When updating this list we wanted to maintain the balance it had between simplified and challenging volumes with selections that ran the gamut in age and skill. To that end, we decided to remove Do It Myself, which is a good selection for preschoolers, but will quickly be outgrown and features information that can be accessed elsewhere, like online with video tutorials or apps.

We also said goodbye to DK Complete Children's Cookbook, a solid option that nevertheless has received complaints about omitting key steps, not being clear enough in the directions, and using weight in grams for ingredients like fruit, which can be confusing for kids. We replaced it with The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs from America's Test Kitchen. This comprehensive selection does a nice job of striking a balance between being kid-friendly yet challenging and teaches techniques and skills that will come in handy as children continue their cooking journey.

While American Girl Baking is an exemplary book, we didn't want to leave boys out, and so we supplanted it with the equally enticing Super Simple Baking for Kids. Appropriate for first-timers without being overly simplistic, this one is great for kiddos with a sweet tooth, but also includes savory breads, pretzels, and more. It starts with the basics and each recipe calls for no more than ten ingredients to keep things accessible.

Finally, we added the MasterChef Junior Cookbook. This one is best for children who are really driven to hone their cooking skills, and like Kid Chef: The Foodie, it simplifies things without dumbing them down too much. These are not for beginners, but rather ambitious budding chefs who aren't afraid of a challenge. They can also help adults who want to learn basic cooking skills. If you're looking to get one of these selections as a gift for your young one, consider pairing it with a personalized apron to help cement their pride and keep their clothes tidy in the process.

February 27, 2019:

Cooking can be an extremely satisfying activity for the young and old alike. There is something about pulling a perfectly-cooked cake or roast out of the oven, preparing an unbroken poached egg with just the right amount of gooeyness in the center, or slam-dunking a new recipe that just warms the soul. In order for children to be able to do that though, they need a cookbook matched to their age and abilities. For the younger kids out there, say in the 6 to 9 age range, DK Complete Children's Cookbook and The Star Wars Cook Book are the best options. If you have a really young progeny under the age of 6 who wants to try their hand in the kitchen, the Do It Myself is a suitable option. If you have young family members in the 9 to 12 age range, then we recommend you take a look at Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes, ChopChop: The Kids' Guide to Cooking Real Food, The International Cookbook, and Kid Chef: The Foodie. American Girl Baking straddles the age ranges and features simple recipes for a 7-year-old, as well as advanced dishes for a 12-year old. Taste of Home Kid Approved is another option that makes a good choice for households with children of various ages, since it encourages them to work together and specifies tasks perfectly suited to their expected ability levels. Those with older kids in the home who may one day be moving out on their own in the not too distant future will want to buy Teens Cook, since it teaches them to be more self-sufficient in the kitchen.

Last updated on August 04, 2020 by Gia Vescovi-Chiordi

Born in Arizona, Gia is a writer and autodidact who fled the heat of the desert for California, where she enjoys drinking beer, overanalyzing the minutiae of life, and channeling Rick Steves. After arriving in Los Angeles a decade ago, she quickly nabbed a copywriting job at a major clothing company and derived years of editing and proofreading experience from her tenure there, all while sharpening her skills further with myriad freelance projects. In her spare time, she teaches herself French and Italian, has earned an ESL teaching certificate, traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and unashamedly devours television shows and books. The result of these pursuits is expertise in fashion, travel, beauty, literature, textbooks, and pop culture, in addition to whatever obsession consumes her next.


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