Whether you’re looking for breakfast ideas before the kids head off to the bus stop, back to school treats to pack in their lunch boxes, after school snacks or meals for kids, or a treat to wrap in a care package for your college student, I’ve got ideas for every palate (yes, even the most persnickety will find something here!).
More Favorite Fall Recipes
- Back-to-school also means apple season! Try one of my 19 delicious apple recipes.
- Pumkpin is the other official flavor of fall, and I have 13 tasty pumpkin desserts to choose from.
- Don’t forget pears! It’s one of my favorite fruits for late summer and fall, and I have 18 pear desserts.
If you’re looking for a project for your little ones, baking is an excellent way to teach children about math and science, but also about what it takes to make delicious food and how a recipe comes together. My sons love to be in the kitchen, and you can see me bake with my (very much grown up) sons in my new show, Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network.
How to Use A Kitchen Scale (Video)
When back-to-school comes, it’s time to start thinking about fall baking. To prepare, watch this video on how to use kitchen scale. It’s one of the most important tools in the kitchen to improve your technique with precise measurements. And check out my YouTube Page for all my tips to get ready for the fall baking season!
Snacks for Kids
Cake
The story of my life with sweets started with an auspicious meeting with Twinkies. I would never presume to create anything as iconic as the original, but these homemade Twinkies are freakin' delicious.
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This chocolate microwave mug cake is one of those cakes you’ll rely on when you need to indulge at midnight. Just you and a crazy-satisfying mug of chocolate cake. I added Caramel-Peanut ice cream to the top, because who eats chocolate cake at midnight without ice cream?
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For the layer cake pictured here I baked my yellow cake recipe in two 8×3” cake pans. Bake for about 45 minutes, or when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. The recipe can also make a triple layer 8-inch cake or a 9×13-inch sheet cake.
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Makes one 9-inch square cake
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Based on recipes from Zoë Bakes Cakes.Classic, white cake, with a big messy pile of perfect strawberries resting on passion fruit buttercream. It is super easy to put together, but looks like sunshine and happiness, so no one will care that you didn't have to work that hard.
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All of the components of the classic German torte without the fuss. This cherry chocolate cake has layers of dark chocolate cake, fresh whipped cream and sweet cherries spiked with Kirschwasser.
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With hot chocolate as its inspiration, this hot chocolate cake has layers of Devil’s food, slathered with a deep, dark, luscious chocolate icing, that is like whipped ganache, but better, then I topped the whole thing in homemade marshmallows.
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Cookies
These chocolate chip cookies are the result of what I learned making countless batches for decades. I also explain what the ingredients do to a cookie and how baking can change them. You can tweak your cookies to be just how you like them using my cookie guide toward the bottom of the post.
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These graham crackers are named after the flour, not my husband, whose name is also Graham. Graham flour is a whole grain flour that’s more coarsely ground than regular whole wheat flour. It is what these childhood favorites were originally made with and gives them their classic flavor and texture.
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These gigantic cookies are best served warm and slightly underbaked, so you get the feel of toasty, just shy of raw, cookie dough. The secret to this recipe lies in the giant balls of dough; if you make them smaller, they won’t have the same consistency.
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What's a more classic treat than peanut butter cookies? This easy recipe is full of tasty peanut butter and has the look, taste and feel we have all come to love from a peanut butter cookie.
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Muffins
Perfect blueberry muffins are studded with fruit, with blueberries in every bite. It should have a crunchy streusel top and be tender inside. These blueberry muffins deliver on all of these.
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Bars & Brownies
These are the brownies I made for a care package for my son, Charlie, and his roommates at college. I made four different kinds because each of the boys wanted their favorite brownie. It's an easy way to please a crowd!
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These bars are a perfect back to school treat, or for anytime really. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, which means you can eat them year-round!
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My favorite rice crispy bars are both crispy from the cereal and soft and chewy from the marshmallows. The trick is to barely cook the marshmallows, otherwise they harden as they cool, almost like a candy.
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Fruit Desserts
I stock my freezer with these delicious strawberry hand pies for a fast and easy treat. The pies are sweet and just a little tart, making them perfect little homemade breakfast pastries
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The Perfect Apple Pie is from Cenk Sönmezsoy's The Artful Baker, and trust me, I don't hand out that description without great consideration. The pie is jammed packed with super thin slices of apples, so that it is dense. If you take the time to stack them, you'll see the clean lines of apple when you cut into it. This pie takes a little longer to make, but the results are worth every second.
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This is a mashup of blueberry cobbler and strawberry shortcake because I wanted them both on the 4th of July. The flaky biscuit is my muse and at the heart of this made-up holiday dessert. I added fresh thyme, because it is all over my garden and planted right next to the strawberries (I’ve successful grown one strawberry so far, the rest have been rabbit food), so they seemed destined to be together.Be sure to read the notes section for extra tips before you begin!
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This is really a rustic blueberry pie, made without a tin and given a more romantic name. It’s simple, delicious, easy and contains little more than plump, sweet-tart blueberries. A galette need not be complicated, you can use fresh and/or frozen blueberries.
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Bread
This cinnamon star bread looks complicated and fancy, so you'll be surprised at just how simple it is to make!
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I am obsessed with jalapeno cheese bread! It is so easy to make and totally delicious. It's perfect for the Big Game!
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These cinnamon rolls are pillowy soft thanks to a roux called tangzhong. If your oven is busy during the holidays, you can make these rolls in your slow-cooker. If you prefer to bake them in the oven I've included traditional oven instructions in the notes section. Fair warning: the cream cheese icing recipe below makes A LOT because my family likes to have extra on the side!
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Quick Breads & Biscuits
I've spread Nutella on just about everything, but one of my favorites is freshly baked banana bread. In an "aha! moment" I decided to swirl the nutella right into the batter and bake them together. I'm not claiming to have discovered this combo, but I believe this may be the tastiest pairing ever there was.
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This pumpkin bread is perfect for fall. Roasting your own pumpkins elevates the flavor, and it is packed with fall spices for perfect snack or weekend brunch.
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This biscuits recipe uses the perfect combination of all-purpose and cake flour, buttermilk and cold butter to produce tender, flaky biscuits every time.
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Full of flavor courtesy of big chocolate chunks and tangy dried sour cherries, these generously sized vanilla-glazed scones make mornings a whole lot better. Feel free to customize them with dark, milk, or white chocolate chunks, or even a mix! I have to admit that I like a lot of chocolate in my scones; if you’re more reasonable than I am, use the smaller amount of chocolate chips or chunks listed in the ingredients list. While you can skip the glossy vanilla glaze, I think chocolate’s natural partner, vanilla, shines here, literally and figuratively.The dry ingredients, with the butter mixed in, will hold in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days, and you can prepare the cherry and chocolate mix in advance as well. This makes it easy to bake off the scones in the morning while you’re waiting for the coffee to brew.
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Pudding
Make your own vanilla wafers, or use a box from the store—either way you will love this quintessential southern recipe. You can top it with perfectly whipped cream or torched Swiss meringue (optional).
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Pot de crème, which is essentially as decadent as creme brûlée, without the crack of caramel resting on top. The texture is like silk and the taste is lightly sweet, with just a slight bitter edge from the burnt sugar in the butterscotch. Check the recipe notes for a pumpkin version!
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This was the most popular recipe at a restaurant where I was a pastry chef. It's a blend of comforting banana bread and decadent chocolate ganache, all baked together in a warm pudding.
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Breakfast
Whenever I bake this homemade granola the smell brings me back to my childhood living on a commune in Vermont. It's so delicious, I can't wait for you to try it!
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The perfect popover is crisp on the outside, tender and airy on the inside and at its very best when served right from the oven. This is a super easy and yet very impressive recipe, that even a first time baker can master and feel like they've made magic. Recipe is from Sarabeth's Good Morning Cookbook.
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Breakfast Cookies are the answer when you need a healthy breakfast but you're running out the door! Make these ahead of time and you won't need to skip the most important meal of the day.
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This delightful apple Dutch baby (also known as a German pancake) is a perfect way to start a weekend morning. It is incredibly easy and requires just a few simple ingredients. Top it off with caramelized apples and you have decadent breakfast or brunch item in no time. You'll find a peach version in the notes below.
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As you all may know from watching Zoë Bakes, my family has opinions. I made these pancakes for my husband, Graham, and son, Charlie. Graham loved the whole kernels of corn with their pop of texture and flavor. Charlie, on the other hand, loved the flavor but wanted the texture to be more uniform AND he suggested I add blueberries. So, I made them again to his taste and he LOVED them. So, I present to you, sweet corn pancakes in two ways. The blueberry version can be found it in the notes section below.
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My kids love crepes, and I suspect yours will too. This recipe is simple and delicious, and can be topped with almost anything.
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People often use my easy bread recipes from the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day series to bake with kids and it really couldn’t be easier. They will love watching the dough bubble up on the counter as they wait for it to rise before biting into a slice of bread they’ve made themselves.
Cake is another perfect idea for kids, check out my book Zoë Bakes Cakes for tons of easy cake ideas kids will love to make with family and friends. Zoë Bakes Cookies is another great option!
Of course, who can resist a perfect cookie (especially children!)?! Do you remember my lovely friend Sarah Kieffer’s book, 100 Cookies? There are so many delicious recipes in this book that are perfect for baking with kids. Sarah also has a brand book called Baking for the Holidays but the recipes are really great for any time of year. Grab a copy as we head into the holiday season and let your kids help make a plan for cookie swaps and incredible pastries for all your upcoming festivities.
You have so inspired me to bake! I love watching Zoe Bakes on the Magnolia Channel. I love that you explain the how and why when mixing and adding ingredients. The first recipe I am going to try is your BeeHive Cake. My husband has a birthday coming up and he loves all the flavors in this cake. I’ll be sure to let you know how it all turns out! So nice to see that Charlie and Henri enjoy being in the kitchen with you! By the way, I love your eye glasses! Care to share the brand?
Hi Lorraine! Thank you so much for your kind words. Most of Zoë’s glasses are from See Eyewear. https://www.seeeyewear.com/ So excited to hear you’ll try the Beehive Cake and we can’t wait to see how it turns out. Happy baking!
I love to bake but right at the sametime I discovered my love for baking I was diagnosed with Graves Disease so that means NO gluten ):. I found your gluten free baking cookbook I had no idea who you were I just loved the cover of the book and thought maybe I could learn how to make bread that doesn’t taste like a shoe and now here you are on the Magnolia network. As I’m lying here watching you bake this amazing bread I said “wait a minute, I think I have her book” tomorrow I will bake some bread, tomorrow I will try something from your cookbook (: wish me luck!! And Thank you for just being YOU, I love watching you bake.
Hi Margaret,
Thank you for the lovely note, I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but hope you are still able to enjoy the GF treats!
Thanks, Zoë