As working parents of a multisport 12-year-old (Carolyn) as well as 12- and 10-year-olds with food allergies (Penelope), we know the importance of making sure that we have plenty of healthy snacks around that our kids will actually eat. Not only do we pack school lunches for our kids every day, but we also need to send in snacks—sometimes several, if they have after-school activities on the docket. Enter these make-ahead, big-batch snack recipes. Not only are they kid-approved, they’re also easy to make and ensure that our entire family—adults included!—have healthy, tasty snacks we can send to school or snack on ourselves when hunger strikes.
-Carolyn Malcoun, Associate Editorial Director, and Penelope Wall, Assistant General Manager
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
This is one of my favorite EatingWell recipes of all time; it’s based on a customizable granola bar formula. I use unsweetened shredded coconut in place of the pecans to make it nut-free. Sometimes brown rice syrup can be hard to find, but it’s worth seeking out. I’ve tried substituting with honey and it technically works, but the texture is more sticky and crumbly and the taste is much sweeter. I also think using mini chocolate chips is key in this recipe. —Penelope
Homemade Ranch Dip
My husband and I are big on crudités and dip for snacking. From carrot and kohlrabi sticks to mini bell peppers and cucumber, we’re happy to dip just about anything in homemade ranch. Our daughter does too! I like to swap plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt for the mayonnaise for some extra protein and tangy flavor. —Carolyn
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
This recipe has such a lovely texture, and the allergy mom in me loves that it’s egg-free. I use regular milk in place of the almond milk to keep it nut-free, but you could use any milk of your choice. Just don’t skip the chocolate chips! Well-wrapped, it keeps for up to 4 days at room temp—if it lasts that long. Just slice what you need each morning. —Penelope
Roasted Buffalo Chickpeas
My entire family—from my sporty daughter and husband to my menopausal self—are looking to add more protein to our diets, and this protein-packed snack is a real winner. Not only do we snack on them by the handful, but they’re a great crunchy topper to lunchtime salads. —Carolyn
Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark
This is a snack I keep on hand for after school and after camps. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and the kids think it’s actually ice cream. I will let them hold onto that illusion for as long as possible. —Penelope
Double-Tahini Hummus
Another delicious dip for crudités is this smooth and delicious hummus recipe. The method may be slightly fussy but I promise you it’s worth the effort. We dip cut-up veggies and pita chips in it, or use it as the base of these Chicken Hummus Bowls. —Carolyn
Pumpkin Blender Muffins
This is hands-down my kids’ favorite snack: they request these muffins almost weekly during the school year (with the chocolate chips, of course). I love that everything goes right in the blender. The base is oats, so this is an easy way to get in whole grains without anyone even noticing. I have had some success omitting the eggs and using a whole can of pumpkin instead—it just makes for denser muffins, but my kids don’t seem to mind and it means everyone can eat them since my son has an egg allergy. Fair warning: they never last till the end of the week. —Penelope
Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
My daughter loves to bake, so she’s always stirring up random concoctions. This is one of her go-to recipes. It’s simple enough that she has been making it without supervision since she was a little kid. We usually add chocolate chips to make them extra special. —Carolyn
Rosemary-Garlic Pecans
I love to snack on nuts—particularly buttery pecans. But sometimes plain nuts are just, well, plain. Enter these seasoned pecans. Not only does the combo of rosemary and garlic make them super savory, but roasting them in the oven makes the nuts a little more crunchy. —Carolyn
Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
Last summer I wanted to zhuzh up our usual banana bread recipe so I added a layer of brown sugar and cinnamon to the middle. We loved it so much, I suggested that we officially create a recipe for EatingWell. This version includes nuts in the streusel, which adds nice texture, but you can definitely omit them (or sub sunflower seeds or pepitas) if you’re sharing this with someone with a nut allergy. —Carolyn
Peanut Butter–Banana Chocolate Bark
Like many other people, we snagged bags of Reese’s peanut butter-and-chocolate-dipped banana slices from Costco but, if I’m being honest, we weren’t the biggest fans. We thought the flavor was really bland. So I made a batch of this bark instead and it was so much tastier. I hope you agree! —Carolyn
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