If you have a mini chef in your midst, check out these kids' cooking kits. They make a great gift for the budding foodie!
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The Best Cooking Kits for Kids That Love Food
Updated on Jan. 06, 2025
Ready the grocery list and preheat the oven! We found the best cooking gift for budding chefs. Whether they’re interested in the science behind cooking or simply the sweet and salty snacks that come from it, your little ones will love these kid-friendly cooking sets.
“Meal kits are one way children can become more interested in the kitchen,” says Amy Reed, MS, RD, CSP, LD, Pediatric Dietitian and Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Some of these kits are usually delivered in a larger box and many children will have excitement about getting a box, which then creates excitement for what is inside. This excitement may lead to children trying something they would not have normally tried. Many of the meal kits will allow children to start performing some basic cooking techniques with a parent’s supervision.”
Parents and caretakers can appreciate this wholesome educational entertainment, too. Hey, the grownups might even get a good meal out of it! After thorough research and review, these are our top three options. (They also double as a sweet care package to send to a friend!)
Best Subscription
Baketivity
Pros:
- Inspires baking skills
- Large selection of baking or cooking kits
- Includes pre-measured dry ingredients
- Gluten-free options
- Subscription service available
- Access to a library of cooking experiences with a subscription
Cons:
- Baking tools and accessories sold separately
Gifts for foodies and little bakers alike? Coming right up! Whether they have a craving for something sweet or want to become a master at mealtime, Baketivity boxes arrive with pre-measured ingredients and easy instructions perfect for kids ages 4 to 14 to follow. In addition, Baketivity tops our list of kids’ cooking sets for its all-in-one approach. Every month, your little helper will unbox step-by-step instructions, pre-measured ingredients and a video to guide their creative time in the kitchen. Think of fun recipes like green slime donuts, pretzel twists and monkey banana bread.
But wait, there’s more! Subscribing to Baketivity’s cooking or baking club grants access to an entire library of kid-friendly culinary experiences like live baking classes every month and a chef hat and apron. Not into the whole subscription thing? Single kits are available as a one-time purchase, too. Also, the boxes are a creative way to bond and produce something scrumptious for those little bakers.
Senior Shopping Editor Caitlyn Fitzpatrick tested the brand’s cake pop kit, which makes roughly a dozen chocolate cake pops with rainbow sprinkles. “I love that all of the dry ingredients come pre-measured, so it’s just a matter of cutting open each one and pouring into the appropriate mixing bowl,” says Caitlyn. “My daughter is too young to join me in the kitchen right now, but I would absolutely break out a Baketivity baking kit with her. I think she’d get a kick out of the included chef hat and apron, and, of course, the finished result would be super tasty.”
Best for All Ages
Raddish Kids
Pros:
- Cooking and baking clubs available
- Boxes include a grocery list and a kitchen tool
- Includes culinary skills lessons
- Subscription service available
Cons:
- Most ingredients not included
This is like a cooking class in a box. Raddish Kids teaches children from ages 4 to 14 how to prep meals across a variety of cuisines, with new lessons delivered each month. Ingredients aren’t included, but each box contains three recipe guides, along with a grocery list, a kitchen project and a brand-new kitchen tool.
Senior Shopping Editor Caroline Lubisnky tested three boxes, including one for cheesecake, which was her favorite. “Each box includes a patch corresponding to the box theme, the recipes themselves, table talk cards, and a few kitchen tools or accessories that can help make the recipe,” says Caroline. “In this case, they gave me measuring spoons and a squeeze bottle to decorate my cheesecake.”
She notes that younger children likely can’t make the ‘star bake’ on their own (which is the more lengthy/complicated recipe), but a middle schooler or 5th grader might be able to. Younger kids can definitely still enjoy the recipes, but they’d need adult assistance.
“I’d recommend this kit for curious kids (and their parents) who are keen on baking or cooking,” she says.
Best Global
Eat2Explore
Pros:
- Quality, easy-to-follow educational materials
- Includes global recipes, spices and a tool
- Great packaging
- Build-your-own boxes available
- Gluten-free and vegetarian options available
Cons:
- Recipes can be time-consuming
- Must shop for most ingredients
Introduce little helpers to different cultures via food with this culinary adventure. Each eat2explore box has recipes and ingredients for making international dishes, all geared toward children. Moreover, they can explore a country, a continent or the whole world through taste buds.
“I was really impressed with how detailed and educational the pamphlets within the box were—especially with the activity booklet,” says Content Director Nicole Doster, who tested the box. “The box I tested was all about Ukraine, and a thoughtfully designed booklet walked me through the geography, history and culture with easy-to-follow visuals and QR codes for more info.”
Nicole’s box contained three recipes: Ukrainian meatballs with mushroom gravy, stuffed cabbage in tomato sauce and pierogi with braised cabbage. Each recipe serves four.
“I decided to make the pierogi (varenyky) which was one of the more detailed recipes. It’s worth noting that since these recipes are aiming to be more authentic, they call for more steps. For example, making pierogi dough from scratch. I’d say that most of these are weekend project recipes as they take a few hours to complete,” she says.
“Once diving into the recipe, the instructions were easy to follow. I appreciated that the box supplied a cookie cutter to help shape the pierogi dough and the included spices helped make the cabbage and sour cream pop. Each step had a skill level rating, which makes it easy for adults to divvy out takes to younger cooks. Overall, the dish tasted good, and I learned a lot along the way.”
What to Look for When Shopping for Kid-Friendly Cooking Sets
Amy recommends making sure that your meal kit includes educational instruction cards with pictures demonstrating the steps. She also mentions that if you have a fussy eater, you should opt for kits that avoid uncommon ingredients.
“We want kids to try new foods, but recipes that are too exotic may not be successful,” she says. “Some of the twists on favorites may be macaroni and cheese with vegetables added, making fries out of various kinds of vegetables or making a homemade pizza crust.”
Additionally, she notes that it’s important to identify what kind of meal kit you’re looking for. “There can be a few different types of meal kits for kids. Some include recipes and utensils to make the food, some may include recipes only, and others may include food as well,” she says. “Determine what is best for your family. If you already have a kitchen stocked with cooking equipment, then choose a kit that provides recipes or food.”
How We Stirred Up the Best Cooking Sets for Kids
To help you find the absolute best kids’ cooking sets for your little helper, we researched just about every option available today. We searched for all-inclusive kits that offer kitchen utensils, pre-measured ingredients and virtual culinary experiences. We found options for budding bakers, creative chefs and beginners alike. Bonus points went to kits that send pre-measured ingredients or a grocery list. We also kept other considerations like cost and available subscriptions at the top of our minds.
After researching, we called in samples for a handful of our top contenders for firsthand testing. Several staffers tried the kits in their home kitchens and gauged quality, ease of use, value and, of course, taste! Only three kits met our rigorous standards.
Why You Should Trust Us
I’m a former Shopping Editor for Taste Recipes and an expert at curating the internet’s best gifts, kitchen appliances, cleaning gear and viral home buys. I’m constantly testing products for “best” lists, I Tried It reviews and gift guides. If there’s a viral product taking the internet by storm, you can count on me to give an honest review.
For this piece, we also spoke to Amy Reed, MS, RD, CSP, LD, Pediatric Dietitian and Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She provided additional insight on what to look for in kids’ cooking kits.
FAQs
At what age should a child start cooking?
There are many steps involved in cooking, so you can start the safer ones, like mixing, with your child when they’re 1 to 2 years old (depending on if your specific child seems mature enough to handle it). At ages 3 to 5, they can use measuring spoons and mash up potatoes. At 6 to 8, they can use a small knife or grater with supervision. At 9 to 12, they can use a peeler, open cans and follow an easy recipe like scrambled eggs.
At what age can a child use an oven?
With close supervision, a child can start using an oven at 10 to 12 years old. You can let them set the temperature, put a tray into the oven and monitor when it’s time to take it out.
What is a good age to start baking?
Children as young as 1 to 2 years old can assist you in mixing cake batter or decorating a cupcake. From there, their skills will get more advanced, so they’ll be able to measure out the ingredients, crack an egg and even put the pan into the oven. Get them involved when you feel comfortable (and on a day when you have extra time for instruction and cleanup as they learn).
What should kids learn to cook first?
If you don’t want to jump right to the stovetop, you can use the microwave or toaster. Let your child cook toast or oatmeal for breakfast. When they’re ready for the stovetop, try eggs, pasta or stir-fry. And the oven is a fun place for baked goods, so whip up some cookies or banana bread together (and pretend not to see when they sneak a lick of the batter!).
