America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
ATK Kids

Recipes Kids Can Make for Mother’s Day—Plus, Edible Gifts!

America’s Test Kitchen Kids moms share the recipes they hope their kids will whip up for them on Mother’s Day. And, we share our recipes for edible gifts kids can give to moms and mother figures.
By

Published May 6, 2021.

Recipes Kids Can Make for Mother’s Day—Plus, Edible Gifts!

Moms: We know how it goes. Your kids offer to cook for you on Mother’s Day, but you usually end up chopping, sautéing, and stirring instead of reading, catching up on your favorite TV series, or however you choose to celebrate Mother’s Day. We’re here to help make sure you get some valuable “you” time this year—and that you won’t need to step foot in the kitchen, unless you want to! We asked moms on the America’s Test Kitchen Kids editorial team what they’re hoping their young chefs will cook up this Mother’s Day. Here are the recipes they’ll be not-so-subtly slipping to their kids or partners. (Plus, our favorite recipes that make great gifts for moms and mother figures.)

Suzannah McFerran, Executive Food Editor (Mom to Aidan, 15, and Chloe, 11): I would love my kiddos to make me Breakfast Tacos with Bacon and a Kale-Pineapple Smoothie. They're both simple recipes that the kids have made before . . . and what's not to love about tacos in the morning!

From left: Breakfast Tacos with Bacon, Kale-Pineapple Smoothie

Ali Velez Alderfer, Senior Editor (Mom to Rafael, 4): I would love for my little one to make S'mores Rice Cereal Treats, because they’re a perfect snack for sharing while snuggled up under a blanket watching a movie together. Plus, the recipe is pretty simple and my 4-year-old can make it with just a little help from his dad. (Bonus: They don’t require stovetop cooking—just a quick zap in the microwave!)

He could also very easily make Strawberry Lemonade for me, and it would be a perfectly refreshing treat to enjoy while laying out on my hammock, reading a book while he plays on his swing set!

From left: S'mores Rice Cereal Treats, Strawberry Lemonade

Molly Birnbaum, Editor in Chief (Mom to Olive, 4, and Toby, 18 months): I'd want my kids to make me Scrambled Eggs and toast for breakfast on Mother's Day. BUT, ideally, my husband would need to take them to the grocery store (or, even better, a local farm!) to pick up the ingredients before they start cooking. They'd take a long and meandering drive there, maybe stopping to pick up some fresh grapefruit juice, too. And then maybe stop again and play in a playground (or two!). And while they're on their epic adventure to find fresh eggs and bread, I would drink coffee in bed with a newspaper and, once I finish the newspaper, a novel. I might even listen to a podcast! Or take a shower! And then, once they've returned and I've had some priceless alone time, I'll probably end up making the scrambled eggs myself anyway, but then we'd all eat them together.

Scrambled Eggs

More Super-Simple and Mom-Worthy Recipes:

Delicious DIY Treats to Gift This Mother’s Day

Looking for do-it-yourself food gifts that kids can give to the special mother figures in their lives? Here are a few recipes they’re guaranteed to love.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies: Young chefs can bake off these fudgy, crackly-looking cookies for the chocolate lovers in their lives. This beginner recipe comes together in under an hour—and kids will have a blast making it (especially when it’s time to smash the bar chocolate with a rolling pin!).

DIY Raspberry-Chocolate Jam: Tart raspberries and bittersweet chocolate unite to make this jazzy jam, which cooks in just half an hour and keeps for up to two months. Kids can leave a note with some serving suggestions—it’s of course jam-tastic when spread on toast, but it’s also a tasty filling for sandwich or thumbprint cookies. Or, warm it up and dollop it over ice cream or pound cake!

DIY Sugar Cookie Mix: DIY mixes make for a genius Mother’s Day gift. Kids can combine the dry ingredients, pack it up in a cute container, and provide instructions for turning the mix into cookies—all you need is some butter and an egg! 

Cherry, Almond, and Chocolate Chip Granola: This kid-approved granola recipe is great for grown-ups, too: It’s not too sweet and is packed with the sweet and salty flavors of dried cherries, crunchy almonds, and semisweet chocolate. Each time they pour a bowl of the granola—or sneak a handful as a snack—they’ll think of the young chef who gifted it to them!

From left: DIY Raspberry-Chocolate Jam, DIY Sugar Cookie Mix

Fruit-Packed Recipes and Activities Kids—and Moms!—Will Love

This May, give the gift that kids can enjoy all summer long (with a little help from mom): the Young Chefs’ Club Fruit box! In this box, kids will cook (and eat!) their way through all kinds of different fruits, from raspberries and blackberries in Summer Berry Refrigerator Jam to pineapple in Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa. Plus, young chefs will learn about the science of maceration with a “berry” juicy experiment, become a fruit expert thanks to our Fruit Face-Off card game, and mix up their perfect fruit salad with any combination of sweet or savory ingredients. The Fruit box is available to purchase throughout the month of May and will arrive on your doorstep in June.  
Get the Box

This is a members' feature.