Holiday baking with kids gives SWFL families a simple way to slow down and make real memories in the middle of a busy season. When you invite your child into the kitchen to stir, roll, and decorate, they’re learning practical cooking skills, basic math, and healthier habits while you create favorite holiday treats side by side.
Why is holiday baking with kids worth the mess?
Local chefs agree that holiday baking with kids is one of the easiest ways to bond as a family and introduce children to the kitchen.
“It is a great bonding thing. It gets the kids introduced to the kitchen,” said Charlie Ragle, owner of the Kitchen Social in Naples. “It is kind of paint-by-numbers for cooking, where they learn it is not that difficult to make some really delicious food at home that is a lot healthier.”
Chef Uffe Mikkelsen of Sur La Table in Naples loves seeing kids cook with their parents. “Cooking is such a nice activity. It is not just watching a movie,” he said. “You get to be with the family. With cooking, you learn the foundation of where we come from.”
Beyond the warm memories, baking with kids teaches:
- Kitchen confidence – measuring, stirring, and following steps.
- Math skills – fractions, counting, and time.
- Healthy habits – seeing what goes into their favorite treats.
- Responsibility – cleaning up and working as a team.
Most important, your child gets to enjoy something they made with their own hands, which makes them proud and more willing to try new foods.
What easy holiday recipes can kids help make?
When you’re cooking with kids, start with foods they already love. That keeps them interested and makes success more likely.
Ragle recommends simple holiday appetizers. “Holiday appetizers are fun to make as they are very simple and can be very delicious,” he said. “A really popular appetizer for kids to make is Beef Wellington bites. It is an elegant food that is easy for kids to do.”
Kids at Kitchen Social also enjoy more unusual recipes, like bacon jam, because they feel special and “grown up” when they serve them.
In Cape Coral, young cooks at Chef’s in Progress have made everything from double-crust apple pie to hot chocolate bars with all the toppings. Some of their favorite traditions include:
- Cookie marathons – one family baked hundreds of cookies to share with neighbors and friends.
- Gingerbread projects – gingerbread men and even gingerbread Christmas trees.
- Helping with the main meal – teens pitching in to cook ham or sides for Christmas dinner.
To make holiday baking with kids easier, try:
- Prepping ingredients before you invite kids into the kitchen.
- Assigning age-appropriate jobs like stirring, sprinkling, rolling dough, or cutting simple shapes.
- Choosing one “star” recipe instead of trying to do everything in one day.
- Building in cleanup time so kids learn that part of cooking, too.
How can we make healthier holiday treats?
Holiday baking with kids doesn’t have to mean a sugar overload. Local chefs suggest balancing the sweets with lighter, more nutritious options.
Ashley Okerstrom, owner of Cooking Queens Creations, which provides in-home meal prep in Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties, loves to make protein balls with kids. “They are one of the easiest holiday treats to make with kids,” she said. “They are healthy and totally customizable. You can use nuts, different butters; you can make them gluten-free. There are lots of different festive flavors to use like peppermint or chocolate chips. You can put whatever you want in them, and they are done in 10 minutes. Kids love to roll them out.”
Chef Shabo Emara of Shabo’s Bistro in Naples also encourages families to think about healthier options. “They can make cookies, but we have to do it in a healthy way,” he said. “With this new generation, they are not eating healthy foods, and we need to convince them to cook in healthy ways.”
He loves making cinnamon rolls and apple pie with his son. “The most important things are things that can bring the family together,” he added.
Simple ways to make your holiday baking with kids a little healthier include:
- Swapping some white flour for whole wheat or oat flour.
- Reducing sugar slightly in cookies and bars.
- Adding fruit or nuts for fiber and healthy fats.
- Offering a “healthy tray” with protein balls, cut fruit, and cheese alongside cookies.
During a season full of treats, having a few better-for-you options can help your child enjoy the holidays without overdoing it.
Where can families bake and cook together locally?
Families in Collier and Lee Counties have many options for cooking with kids, whether at home or around town.
In Naples, Kitchen Social and Sur La Table both offer hands-on classes where kids and parents can cook side by side, especially around the holidays. In Cape Coral, Chef’s in Progress runs year-round cooking classes for children, giving them a chance to practice skills they can bring back to their own kitchens.
If you’d rather stay home, you can still create a “class” feel in your own kitchen:
- Pick a theme night like “cookie lab,” “pie day,” or “appetizer party.”
- Set up stations for rolling, decorating, and packaging treats.
- Invite grandparents or neighbors to taste-test and share stories about their holiday recipes.
For more local inspiration, look for kid-friendly cooking events on the Southwest Florida family events calendar.
How does holiday cooking connect kids to culture and tradition?
Holiday baking with kids is also a powerful way to share your family’s culture and values.
Rabbi Ariel Boxman in Naples loves to make traditional Hanukkah treats with her two young sons. “It is one way for them to connect with Judaism,” she said.
“Jelly donuts are a big one,” she explained. “We like making the mini ones. You make a batter and drop it in the oil, and then we use a syringe to fill them with jelly. The reason we eat those is that Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, and we remember the oil. So, we eat a lot of oily food.”
Her boys also enjoy shredding potatoes, adding egg, and frying latkes. Sometimes they make a healthier version with zucchini or sweet potato. “I find it to be very educational in a fun way,” Boxman said. “My boys learned fractions just by cooking with me. And I love that it is hands-on. I don’t care how messy they get. It is tactile. They get their hands in it, and then they are so proud of what they make. We make our traditional foods and share them with our neighbors.”
You can create similar traditions in your home by:
- Choosing one or two “must-make” recipes every year that belong to your family story.
- Telling the history of each dish while you cook together.
- Writing down recipes with your child so they can pass them on one day.
- Sharing extra treats with neighbors, teachers, or friends.
Whether you’re frying latkes, rolling protein balls, or decorating dozens of cookies, holiday baking with kids in SWFL can become one of your family’s favorite traditions—full of memories, skills, and delicious bites you’ll all look forward to year after year.
Holiday Recipes to Try From Local Chefs
Beef Wellington Bites
From Charlie Ragle, owner of The Kitchen Social in Naples
Ingredients
For the Bites
- 4 ounces white button mushrooms, stem ends trimmed, long stems separated from caps
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon sherry or white wine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, cut into 20 squares
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 4 thin slices prosciutto, cut into 5 pieces crosswise (20 pieces total)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Beef tenderloin, cut into 20 (1-inch) cubes
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives (for garnish)
Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1–2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. - Make the mushroom mixture.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, shallot, and thyme to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the mushroom mixture and sherry and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released from the mushrooms has mostly evaporated, about 7–8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside to cool slightly. - Prepare the puff pastry.
On a lightly floured surface, cut the puff pastry into 20 squares if not already cut. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each pastry square with the egg wash. - Assemble and bake the pastry bases.
To each pastry square, add one piece of prosciutto. Gently press about 1 teaspoon of the mushroom mixture into the center of each square.
Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. - Cook the beef.
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over high heat.
Sprinkle the beef cubes with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, then toss with the Dijon mustard to coat.
Add the beef to the hot skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat. - Make the Creamy Horseradish Sauce.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, honey, and Dijon mustard. Taste and season with salt and pepper. - Assemble the Beef Wellington Bites.
Transfer the baked pastries to a serving platter. Add one piece of beef to the center of each pastry, gently pressing down to nestle the beef into the pastry.
Drizzle each bite with the Creamy Horseradish Sauce and garnish with the chopped chives. Serve immediately.
Potato Latkes
Recipe by Rabbi Ariel Boxman
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded potato
- ¼ cup grated onion
- 6 saltine crackers, or as needed, crushed
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or as needed
Instructions
- Mix the latke batter.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded potato, grated onion, crushed saltine crackers, beaten eggs, salt, and black pepper. Mix until well combined. - Heat the oil.
In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, pour in enough vegetable oil to reach about ¼ inch up the sides of the pan. Heat until shimmering. - Form the latkes.
Working in batches, scoop spoonfuls of the potato mixture, first pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl to remove excess liquid. Carefully drop the mounds into the hot oil and slightly flatten each latke with the back of a spoon to create an even thickness. - Fry until golden and crisp.
Cook the latkes in batches until browned and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning. - Drain and serve.
Transfer cooked latkes to a paper towel–lined plate to drain excess oil. Season with additional salt if desired and serve warm.