5 Kid Friendly Recipes for Thanksgiving

Our round-up of the best kid-friendly Thanksgiving recipes that can be shared with the whole family. We specifically found recipes that are easy to make, designed for little kid’s palettes but still delicious enough for adults to enjoy. 

November is here! That means it’s time to start planning for the holidays. First up, Thanksgiving. We love Thanksgiving because it’s a chance to come together with your whole family and give thanks for the year. However, Thanksgiving (and the holidays in general) can be a stressful time, especially for parents with little kids. 

We’re always reminding ourselves that it’s OK if our kids don’t eat everything around the holidays. Most holiday food only comes out once a year so kids are unfamiliar with the dishes. 

While the food brings us together, the holidays are about so much more than what’s on the table. 

Having said that, we still want you to be able to cook dishes that even your littlest Birdies will love. Today we’re sharing holiday dishes that everyone can enjoy together (so you don’t end up cooking extra food, just for the kids.)

Keep reading for our favorite kid-friendly Thanksgiving recipes, from side dishes to desserts. 

And here are some Thanksgiving printables and coloring pages that will keep the kids entertained while you cook!

5 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Thanksgiving

Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (even on Thanksgiving!) but with all the meal prep and cooking on Thanksgiving, we often end up skipping breakfast. If you have little kids, you already know this will lead to snacky, grumpy Birdies. To combat this, make sure to start the day with these kid-friendly Thanksgiving pancakes. 

These fluffy pumpkin pancakes only have 5 ingredients and can be on the table in 20 minutes. They’re the perfect way to start the day. Follow along with the recipe from Baby Foodie.

Pro tip: you can make these in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A healthy alternative to sweet potato casserole that even your little ones will enjoy (sweet potatoes are a common ingredient in baby food purees, meaning they tend to be a dish little kids are used to/like eating). 

The best part about this kid-friendly Thanksgiving recipe is that it only takes 20 minutes to prepare. We love this recipe from Yumna at Feel Good Foodie.

Healthy swaps: Try swapping the whole-fat milk for coconut milk. Coconut milk helps make this recipe dairy-free while providing beneficial fats that our kids need for growing! You can also swap the butter for a non-dairy alternative if your family is vegan, or if your Birdies have a dairy intolerance.

Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

While mac and cheese isn’t normally on the menu for Thanksgiving, this kid-friendly recipe is going to be all your family can talk about this year. It’s already most little kid’s favorite food, so if you want to make something they’re guaranteed to enjoy, this is the perfect option. 

You can make this recipe ahead of time, just don’t bake it yet! Instead, pop it in the oven about 30 minutes before you want to eat. 

If you want a dairy-free version that’s just as creamy and delicious, this is our family’s favorite. 

Sauteed Shredded Brussel Sprouts

If you want to sneak in a classic Thanksgiving vegetable that your kids might actually love this year, we recommend giving these shredded brussel sprouts a try. 

I know what you’re already thinking… brussel sprouts, for kids? Yeah right… However, this recipe balances the bitterness of the brussel sprouts with lemon and honey making them much more palatable for little kids. Plus the shredded brussel sprouts are much easier to cook and eat. 

Even if your Birdies don’t love them… we can promise that you will! 

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes

While pumpkin pie is a classic, a lot of little kids struggle with it. Let’s face it, pumpkin pie is one of those dishes that you either love or hate. For an alternative that’s kid-friendly for this Thanksgiving, make these mini pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. And since they’re ‘mini’, they’re a much better portion size for kids. 

You can also prep these 24 hours before you plan to frost them! 

Follow along with this recipe here from Amy at Yummy Toddler Food.

There’s a lot you can do to help your kids enjoy the food around the table this Thanksgiving! Make sure to give them little portions and don’t worry if they don’t finish. Keep their favorite snacks on hand and encourage them to give the new foods a try. 

If they don’t love it, that’s OK! Most of these foods are pretty new to them. Plus, they might surprise you with what they actually do like. 

Remember that Thanksgiving is about gathering together as a family to give thanks! It’s not *really* about the meal. If your family wants pizza – eat pizza! Whatever you do and however you choose to celebrate, thank you for letting us be a part of it. 

This year for Thanksgiving, we’re grateful to each and every one of YOU.

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