30 Holiday Treats to Make with Your Teen
“Ms. P, Merry Christmas! These cookies are for you!”
My 8th-grade student then spent 5 minutes describing the weekend he spent with his mom, baking all their family favorites. He clearly loved the tradition and spending time with his mom. Remembering his excitement made those cookies even sweeter.
Even though teens may act like they don’t want to be around their parents, they do. And it’s time together that’s not focused on school or grades. Since the product of baking is so delicious, it’s usually pretty easy to convince teens to participate.
Baking not your thing? I have 8 more ways to spend time with your teens. Either way, schedule some quality time with your teen this holiday and make some sweet memories together!
30 Holiday Treats to Make with Your Teen
Sneak in some education
Before we hit the list, remember that you can impart a few lessons while baking. Make a shopping list and take them shopping with you. Price out the ingredients and figure out how much each cookie or cupcake will cost.
Adjust a recipe up or down to work on those fractions and conversions. What’s ½ of ¾ cup? (Psst – it’s 6 tablespoons. I know my metric readers just rolled their eyes hard.)
I bake with my preschoolers and we talk about what different ingredients do in the final product and why we follow different steps with ingredients. It can be pretty basic, but still effective.
Let’s face it -sometimes baking doesn’t work out. I bake a lot and still have mistakes. Like the year I had to make THREE pecan pies before I made one that set.
If the baking goes well – awesome! If it doesn’t, it’s a way to show your teen how to deal with failures. A laugh, maybe some tears, and then Plan B. Or Plan C. Model the behavior you want to see in your own teen.
Cookies
- Decorated Sugar Cookies
- Drop Style Chrismas Cookies
- Easy Lace Cookies (gluten-free)
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Kris Kringle Cookies
- Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
- Santa’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Candy
- Candy Cane Fudge
- Christmas Crack
- Christmas Marshmallow Pops
- Grinch Popcorn
- No-Bake Oreo Truffles
- Peppermint Cocoa Spoons
- Peppermint Crunch White Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers – scroll waaaaay down for this one!
- Perfect Chocolate Fudge
- Rolo Pretzel Sandwiches
Cakes and Cupcakes
- Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes
- Christmas Light Cake
- Christmas Lights Cupcakes
- Classic Cheesecake
- Easy Reindeer Cupcakes
- Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon Icing
- Grinch Cupcakes
- Peppermint Fudge Cake
- Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Cupcakes
- Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cake
- Yule Log (Buche de Noel)
Have your teen look over this list as well and pick out a few recipes to try together. It’s never too late to start new traditions and make memories!
Which holiday treats do you make with your family this time of year? Let me know in the comments below!
Related Posts: 9 Ways to Bond with your Teen over Winter Break, Christmas Gifts that will Make your Teen a Better Student, 9 Christmas Movies to Watch with Your Teen