As the days get shorter and the air gets colder, we find ourselves spending more time inside the house, which means entertaining the kids in an enclosed space. But where to start? How about the room where countless memories begin: the kitchen! And what better way to ensure those countertops are sharable and safe learning spaces for youngsters than adding a Little Partners Learning Tower to the sous chef station?
Our Learning Towers will become your go-to item for fun indoor activities this season and beyond. A Learning Tower enables smaller children to reach counter height so that you can work together in the kitchen. It’s a collaborative accessory that helps families make the most of those formative years by opening up adult-height spaces where you spend so much time.
With autumn rapidly approaching and your Learning Tower at the ready, all you need now are a few seasonal recipes that are kid-friendly and reward everyone with a tasty treat. The following list will meet their ability level while teaching them new skills to open up your child’s world and mind. Let’s get cooking!
Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow
We had to kick off this list with a pumpkin-flavored goodie. After all, nothing says “fall” quite like a bowl of pumpkin spice puppy chow! It’s a tailgating staple as well as a crowd-pleaser among kids. This easy recipe is ideal for littles who are new to the kitchen scene, and it yields 12 servings in less than 15 minutes.
Puppy Chow
8 C. Chex cereal
1 C. Milk chocolate chips
¼ C. Butter
½ C. Peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice
2 C. Powdered sugar
Put the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Stir. In a separate bowl, toss the Chex with the pumpkin pie spice and drizzle with the chocolate mix. Stir well.
This next part has your kiddo’s name written all over it: add 1½ C. of the powdered sugar to a gallon baggie and pour the cereal in. Close it tight, hand it to your child, and get the dance party going! Shake until combined, add the remaining ½ C. of powdered sugar, reseal, and shake again. This seasonal snack goes a bit stale after a few days, so finish it off ASAP (something tells us that won’t be a problem!).
Apple Cider Whoopie Pies
If pumpkin isn’t your favorite fall flavor, it must be apple, and we’ve got a ridiculously good recipe for apple cider whoopie pies. Think of it as an apple cider donut, only better. Hard to imagine, we know, but in terms of recipes for kids to make, this soft, cookie-like sandwich filled with cream cheese frosting takes the cake.
Pies
1¼ C. Apple cider
1½ C. All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Kosher salt
1½ tsp. Ground cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground ginger
½ tsp. Nutmeg
6 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 2 Tbsp. melted
½ C. Packed dark brown sugar
1 Egg
¼ C. Apple butter
¼ C. Granulated sugar
Filling
6 oz. Cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 Tbsp. Confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp. Pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350º. Bring apple cider to a boil on the stovetop and reduce to ¼ C. (about 15-20 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Now your tiny assistant can help with tossing in the dry ingredients! Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar (about 3 minutes). Add egg, apple butter, and cider. Your toddler can add the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix!
Place 2-Tbsp. balls of dough 1½ inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes and rotate the sheets halfway through. When cool, brush with 2 Tbsp. melted butter before tossing them in a bowl of ¼ C. granulated sugar. Blend filling ingredients, and everyone can frost them and assemble the completed whoopie pies!
Mini Soft Pretzels with Cheesy Dip
This simple savory recipe comes together fairly quickly. Kids can practice using a rolling pin to flatten out the dough and even shape the pretzels with mom or dad’s help. Don’t forget the cheese dipping sauce, which can be made in a jiffy at home or bought at the grocery store. Either way, the result is a salty, cheesy bite of bread you’ll want to share at your next football watch party or PTA fundraiser.
Pretzels
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 C. Water + 1 Tbsp.
3 Tbsp. Baking soda
1 Small egg
1 Tbsp. Butter, melted
¼ tsp. Salt
Cheese Dip
1 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. Flour
½ C. Milk
¾ C. Grated cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400º and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring 8 C. water plus the baking soda to a boil on the stove and reduce heat to a simmer.
Your child can then stretch out the crescent roll triangles with a rolling pin on a clean countertop, thanks to their Learning Tower! Form a 12-inch-long rope from the dough; arrange it into a circle, with the dough overlapping a few inches from each end. Grab each end and twist to create a pretzel shape. Repeat for remaining triangles, and dunk one pretzel at a time into the simmering water for about 8 seconds; transfer them to the baking sheet and brush with a mixture of the egg and 1 Tbsp. water.
Bake 12-14 minutes and brush with melted butter before salting—a great opportunity for your kiddo to provide the finishing touch!
For a cheesy dip, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add 1 Tbsp. flour, continuously stirring. Add milk and stir until it boils and thickens. Add cheese to melt and combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Peanut Butter “Spider” Cookies
With fall comes Halloween, and these spooky peanut butter spider cookies are the perfect treat. This recipe is delightfully creative, and kids get to build the critters by hand with candy and chocolate. You’ll have 15 cookies to decorate together.
Spider Cookies
1 Stick (1/2 C.) butter, at room temperature
½ C. Brown sugar
½ C. Creamy peanut butter
¼ C. Maple syrup
1 Egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1½ C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Kosher salt
15 Mini peanut butter cups.
15 Milk Duds
1 C. Milk chocolate chips, melted
Mini candy for eyes
Preheat the oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter in a large bowl with a mixer until it’s fluffed. Stir in maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract.
Add flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Scoop rounded balls of dough (about 1 Tbsp.) and place them on the baking sheet several inches apart.
Bake 9-11 minutes until set but with a soft center—they’ll keep baking on the sheet as they cool.
Now for the spider assembly with your little cooking partner! While they’re still hot, top each cookie with an upside-down mini Reese’s peanut butter cup for the spider’s body and a Milk Dud candy for the head. Melt the chocolate chips, pour into a plastic bag, and cut the corner of the bag to draw on legs and ice the cookies. Bonus points if you stick on some candy eyes! Let the cookies sit before digging in so that the toppings can set properly.
Welcome Autumn with Little Partners
These four fall recipes for kids to make will sweeten your kitchen memories together, as will a Little Partners Learning Tower. Your child is going to love being just as tall as the grownups, and you’re going to love the many intelligent safety features of our Little Partners bestseller.
We only use the highest quality building materials that meet Greenguard Gold Certification standards, and our partnership with the Forest Stewardship Council protects our planet for generations to come. The Learning Tower challenges kids to better themselves while developing their cognition in the process, but they just see it as a dynamic toy. It’s a sustainable choice in children’s furniture with a warranty that lasts a lifetime.
And your Learning Tower isn’t just a kitchen must-have: it’s also useful in other areas of the house, giving your child the boost they need to play, learn, and thrive with their siblings or parents. Bring home this game-changer and see what fun there is to be had. Happy autumn!