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The 22 Best Cookbooks For Kids Who Love To Cook

Think of how great life would be if your kid could get dinner on the table.

By Sarah Weinberg, Kristin Salaky and Alexis Morillo
the 18 best cookbooks for kids who like to cookpinterest icon
Alyssa Gray

So your kid wants to cook, huh? We've got you covered—well, actually, these cookbooks do. All of them are made just for small folks who have little to no experience in the kitchen. Think of how much better life will be once your kid can get the whole family's dinner on the table! These books include easy-to-follow recipes that cover a range of food groups, so even the pickiest of eaters will find something they like when flipping through the pages.

Along with delicious meals, many of these cookbooks come with an educational aspect in the form of fun facts paired with recipes. Ever been asked by your kid where pizza came from? There's a book for that. Have they ever bugged you to let them eat sweets for breakfast? There are some recipes for that too! All that's left to do is make sure they have all the appropriate kitchen tools they need to take on these recipes.

Check out these kids cooking kits or these play kitchen sets for more ways to get your children involved in the kitchen safely. And for even more kid-friendly recipes to try out at home, check out Delish Kids.

1

Harpercollins Super Good Baking for Kids

Super Good Baking for Kids
1

Harpercollins Super Good Baking for Kids

Now 29% Off
$16 at Amazon

This bright and colorful cookbook by celeb chef Duff Goldman will help kids and adults alike create what Duff does best: delicious sweet treats. There are dessert pizzas, unicorn cupcakes, and thoughtful baking lessons and fun facts throughout. 

2

Hearst Home Kids The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook

The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook
2

Hearst Home Kids The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook

Now 45% Off

This cookbook features more than 150 super fun recipes for young cooks, from cheddar apple skewers to chicken fingers. Every recipe is totally foolproof and easy to follow, and includes bright color photos. The book also features games and food trivia to keep kids entertained! 

More into baking? Check out the newly released Food Network Magazine: The Big, Fun Kids Baking Book.

3

American Girl: Around the World Cookbook

American Girl: Around the World Cookbook
3

American Girl: Around the World Cookbook

Now 31% Off
Credit: Amazon

A map at the beginning of this American Girl cookbook acts at the table of contents, laying out which dishes will be spotlighted and from which countries. The recipes span the globe, and each one has a short description about its history or ingredients.

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4

The Delish Kids Cookbook

The Delish Kids Cookbook
4

The Delish Kids Cookbook

Now 27% Off

Over 100 recipes that kids will love and parents will approve of! Mini Boston cream pies and waffle iron grilled cheese are some of the snacks you can look forward to, plus there's fun facts and food history sprinkled throughout the pages.

5

Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie

Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie
5

Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie

Credit: Amazon

Edna Lewis was a prominent Black chef who championed the southern cuisine, fresh ingredients, and farm-to-table before it was cool. Illustrations along with stories and songs about Edna and food guide kids through this book. Plus, there are five special recipes sprinkled throughout.

6

MasterChef Junior Cookbook

MasterChef Junior Cookbook
6

MasterChef Junior Cookbook

Now 42% Off
Credit: Amazon

This collection of recipes was inspired by all the young cooks who've appeared on Masterchef Junior...and it's meant to inspire all the young cooks who haven't. In addition to the 100 recipes, there are tips and timeless pieces of advice sprinkled throughout.

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7

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook
7

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

Now 48% Off
Credit: Amazon

It's not that all the recipes in this book are easy to make, but at the very least they'll get Harry Potter-loving young ones interested in being in the kitchen. Recipes include knickerbocker glories and rock cakes.

8

Clarkson Potter Milk Bar: Kids Only

Milk Bar: Kids Only
8

Clarkson Potter Milk Bar: Kids Only

Now 13% Off

This cookbook is packed with recipes from Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi. Since she's also a MasterChef Junior judge, she knows exactly which recipes to suggest so that kids have fun baking in the kitchen—these include things like strawberries and cream cupcakes and choco crunch cookies. YUM. 

9

Cool African Cooking: Fun and Tasty Recipes for Kids

Cool African Cooking: Fun and Tasty Recipes for Kids
9

Cool African Cooking: Fun and Tasty Recipes for Kids

Credit: Amazon

Cool African Cooking is one of many installments in the Cool World Cooking series of children's cookbooks. The recipes (like chapati flatbread) are all kid-tested and include step-by-step instructions and pronunciation guides.

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10

The Forest Feast for Kids

The Forest Feast for Kids
10

The Forest Feast for Kids

Now 40% Off
Credit: Amazon

All the recipes in The Forest Feast for Kids are vegetarian, and they're all beautifully illustrated. The watercolor pictures aren't unlike what you'd find in a fairy tale book—they're just accompanying instructions to make pizza and smoothies instead of stories about princesses and castles.

11

Pizza!: An Interactive Recipe Book

Pizza!: An Interactive Recipe Book
11

Pizza!: An Interactive Recipe Book

Credit: Amazon

You as an adult could certainly make the pizza recipe in this book, but it's best for triggering a kid's imagination and doing it together. Pull-down and pop-out features allow children to "mix" and "slice" the pizza while reading. As the description says, it's adult-free, knife-free, oven-free, and mess-free.

12

Cookies!: An Interactive Recipe Book

Cookies!: An Interactive Recipe Book
12

Cookies!: An Interactive Recipe Book

Now 11% Off
Credit: Amazon

For little ones with a sweet tooth, there's this: a dessert take on the "Cook in a Book" interactive series. The illustrator has made pancake and taco versions, too.

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13

The Silver Spoon for Children: Favorite Italian Recipes

The Silver Spoon for Children: Favorite Italian Recipes
13

The Silver Spoon for Children: Favorite Italian Recipes

Now 21% Off

There is no better way to start cooking Italian food with your little one than with this book right here. Pizza margherita, rigatoni with meatballs, focaccia bread—you name it. This book's got it.

14

Delish: Eat Like Every Day’s the Weekend

Delish: Eat Like Every Day’s the Weekend
14

Delish: Eat Like Every Day’s the Weekend

Now 45% Off
Credit: Amazon

Your young ones will want to eat nearly every recipe in our cookbook, and there are a good chunk of easy to make recipes, too. Our suggestion? Flip right to the unicorn bark, grilled cheese dippers, and cheeseburger cups.

15

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs
15

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

Now 48% Off
Credit: Amazon

You could send your kid to cooking school, or just buy them this book. It's packed with simple recipes, tips, and important food education—like the difference between bittersweet and milk chocolate chips. And the kid reviews on the back cover are hilarious: "It's 98% good. The tomato sauce is really yummy," said 11-year-old Rebecca.

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16

American Girl Cooking

American Girl Cooking
16

American Girl Cooking

Now 36% Off
Credit: Amazon

Admittedly, this cookbook doesn't really have anything to do with the American Girl dolls. But if the logo gets your kid interested in cooking, who really cares? Every recipe has a picture—important for newbies!—and reviewers say preteens can easily prepare the grub by themselves.

17

Cook Me a Story

Cook Me a Story
17

Cook Me a Story

Now 36% Off
Credit: Amazon

For the fairy tale-obsessed kiddos, there's this cookbook. Every recipe is inspired by a classic children's story, like Goldilocks and the Three Pears, Cinnarella, and Plumbelina. Cute, no?

18

The Family Dinner

The Family Dinner
18

The Family Dinner

Now 51% Off
Credit: Amazon

This is a bit more of a cookbook to use with your children instead of straight-up hand to them. There are boxes of tasks that kids can do to help meal prep, plus conversation starters for the dinner table. Because "How was school today?" gets old.

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19

The Everything Kids' Cookbook

The Everything Kids' Cookbook
19

The Everything Kids' Cookbook

Now 10% Off
Credit: Amazon

From The Everything series comes this kid-friendly cookbook. The authors didn't try to dumb down grown-up food; instead they gave kids exactly what they want—recipes for mac and cheese, s'mores, pancakes, French fries, and more. There are 30 food-themed puzzles within the pages of the book, too.

20

This Cookbook is Gross

This Cookbook is Gross
20

This Cookbook is Gross

Credit: Amazon

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Kids love gross things, and this book has plenty of them. Well, they're actually delicious things (chocolate, cheese sticks) masquerading as gross ones (dirt, mice). The warning on the back tells you all you need to know, though: "Vomit Warning: Not Suitable For Boring Grown-Ups!"

Headshot of Sarah Weinberg
Sarah Weinberg
Deputy Editor

Sarah Weinberg is the deputy editor at Delish and has covered food, travel, home, and lifestyle for a number of publications, including Food Network Magazine and Country Living. She's originally from the Bay Area, has an unhealthy affinity for the Real Housewives of Anywhere, and harbors strong feelings about fruit salad.

Headshot of Kristin Salaky
News Editor

Kristin Salaky is the news editor at Delish.com covering viral foods, product launches, and food trends. Before joining Delish, she worked as an editor at insider.com and as the front page editor for talkingpointsmemo.com. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Ohio University in 2015.

Headshot of Alexis Morillo
Associate Editor

Alexis Morillo is the Associate Editor at Delish.com where she covers breaking food news and viral food trends.

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