12 Scrumptious Appetizers for Kids to Munch On

We all know how kids throw tantrums when it comes to eating. They get very picky when it comes to food and feeding them is not an easy task. Also, parents need to make sure that the kids are getting proper nutrition from the diet. The initial years of a kid’s life are very crucial as he grows the most during this time. Diet is one of the most important factors to consider for determining the growth and health of a child. Being a parent, you would want your kid to get the most nutrition so that his mental, physical, and psychological growth is not compromised at any level. An easy way to make kids eat is to serve them regular food in an interesting way so that they get excited about eating it. We present to you twelve delicious yet easy-to-cook appetizers for kids that they will love and never say no to. Your kid will start loving the homemade food and would not crave for processed foods. You can make healthy eating a fun task for your kid with these awesome recipes.

Easy and Yummy Kid-Friendly Appetizers

Feeding children is a task in itself – you literally have to be on your toes to catch them and feed them. However, it is very crucial that you introduce all kinds of foods with different tastes and textures at an early stage. It is believed that eating habits inculcated in the child during the initial years stay with him/her forever. If you do not feed them healthy foods at an early stage, they will refrain from eating them their entire lives. So, try using interesting ways to make boring food tastier and more presentable for your kid.

The recipes provided below are made with basic ingredients but will render appropriate nutrition to your child. If these appetizers look good and interesting along with being tasty, you will never face the issue of running behind your kid to feed him food. These recipes can also be great thanksgiving, Christmas or birthday appetizers. Win their hearts with these yummy meals. Your kid will never get enough of these recipes.

1. Asian Meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 lb. lean pork, ground
• 2/3rd cup minced green onions
• 1/3rd cup minced Chinese cabbage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4th cup flour
• Oil

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Method

• Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add soy sauce and sugar to the mixture and whisk again.
• Add green onions and lean pork along with some salt and the flour. Knead it thoroughly.
• Once you get a dough-like consistency, make small balls (1-inch diameter each) and keep it aside on a plate.
• Heat the oil on high flame until it gets hot.
• Once the oil is hot, gently leave the meatballs into the oil with the health of a slotted skimmer.
• Make sure the balls are cooked from all side. Keep turning the balls with the skimmer.
• Once cooked/fried, get the balls out of the oil and place them on paper towels to drain any extra oil.
• Serve this delicacy with a sauce of your choice.

2. Baked Crostini

Ingredients

• 1 baguette (or a sourdough bread of your choice)
• Approximately 1/4th cup olive oil
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• Garlic salt

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Method

• Slice the baguette into slices, around half an inch thick.
• Take a mixing bowl and put some olive oil and minced garlic into it.
• Spread this mixture of olive oil and minced garlic onto each slice of the bread.
• Lightly season these slices with some garlic salt.
• Keep the bread slices on a baking tray lined with some baking paper.
• Bake the bread for around 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.
• The dish is ready when the edges of the bread start turning light golden-brown.
• Choose your favourite topping and enjoy the delicious baked crostini.

3. Caramel Corn

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 cup of popped popcorn
• 1 cup of peanuts or cashews
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Method

• Start by preheating the oven at 250 degrees.
• Take a large mixing bowl and add peanuts or cashews to it. Mix thoroughly.
• Take a baking tray and line it with aluminium foil. We’ll use it for baking.
• Take another baking sheet and line it with wax paper/butter paper. We’ll use it for cooling the popcorn.
• Heat the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and a pinch of salt until it starts boiling.
• Take the mixture off the flame.
• Add vanilla and baking powder to it. Mix well.
• Take the popcorn, peanuts/cashew nuts in a large bowl.
• Pour the caramel mixture on the popcorn. Keep stirring the mixture well as it tends to harden as it cools.
• Spread the mixture on the baking tray with aluminium foil.
• Bake it for around 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 250 degrees.
• Take the popcorn out of the oven and put it on the baking tray lined with a wax sheet/butter paper.
• Serve the popcorn when it cools down and store the rest in an air-tight container.

4. Cheddar Cheese Sticks

Ingredient:

• 2 tablespoons of softened butter
• 2/3rd cup flour
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4th teaspoon salt
• 1/8th teaspoon white pepper
• A pinch of cayenne
• 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Method

• Take a mixing bowl and put butter, flour, cheese, breadcrumbs, and seasonings to it.
• Mix it well using a fork or a spoon.
• Add milk to the mixture and keep stirring till you get a thick dough-like consistency.
• Roll the mixture on a flat surface using a rolling pin into a thick rectangle.
• Cut strips from the rectangle in your preferred shape and size.
• Bake the rolls in a preheated oven at 325 degrees, until they get a nice golden-brown colour. It should take around 15-20 minutes to get the desired colour and texture.

5. Cheese and Garlic Breadsticks

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of active dry yeast
• 1.5 cups of warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1/2 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/4th cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4.5 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4th cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Method

• Dissolve some yeast in warm water and add milk, sugar, butter (3 tablespoons), salt, and flour to it. Mix well till the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
• Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it into a ball. Put the dough into a bigger bowl and keep it aside for around 45 minutes.
• The dough will rise and become twice its size. Divide it into 32 equal pieces and roll into small balls with your palms.
• Then, roll these balls into cylindrical shapes and place them on a baking tray.
• Cover the tray with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying. Keep them aside for another 15 minutes, so that the dough is aerated well.
• Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
• Take Parmesan cheese and garlic salt in a bowl and mix them.
• Brush this cheese and salt mix on to the breadsticks and put them in the oven.
• Bake for around 10 minutes and the breadsticks are ready to be served with your favourite sauce.

6. Chicken Strips With Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4 oz. each, total 1 lb.)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup oil for frying

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Method

• Put flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag and shake it vigorously to mix it.
• Heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry the chicken.
• Dip the chicken strips in some milk and then put them into the plastic bag.
• Take them out and fry them in the preheated oil until a golden-brown colour is achieved.
• Serve with honey mustard sauce.

7. Chinese Tacos

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4 oz. each, total 1 lb.) OR 1 lb. minced chicken
• 12 to 15 wonton wrappers
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup oil for frying

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 1 minute per batch

Servings: 3 servings

Method

• Cook the meat of your choice and shred it using a food processor.
• If using minced meat, cook it in some water first.
• Take the cooked meat in a bowl and add chopped celery, mushrooms and cabbage.
• Add white pepper, soy sauce, and curry powder and mix well.
• Trim off the corners of the wontons wrappers to get a circular shape.
• Place 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture in it.
• Wet the edges of the wonton wrappers and bring the edges together in the centre to make a dumpling.
• Place all the dumplings on a tray lined with some parchment paper.
• Take a deep-frying pan and heat oil in it on high flame.
• Fry the dumplings in a batch of 2 to 5, depending upon the size of the pan.
• When the dumplings turn golden brown, take them out of the pan and serve hot.

8. Chocolate-Covered Grapes

Ingredients

• 8 oz. dark chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate chips/ chocolate bar)
• 8 oz. white chocolate (morsels/ bar)
• 2 lbs. large red seedless grapes
• 2 lbs. large green grapes

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Method

• Take the firmest grapes out of the bunch of grapes and keep them aside.
• Put the dark chocolate in a bowl and melt it by keeping the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds.
• Heat the chocolate for another 30 seconds (or more), so that all the chocolate melts.
• Dip one grape at a time into the molten chocolate and coat it halfway.
• Repeat the process with red grapes and coat them with white chocolate.
• Place these grapes in the refrigerator to freeze the chocolate.
• Once the chocolate is firm, transfer it to a serving bowl and let your kid enjoy it.

9. Cranberry Apple Wonton Cups

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized fuji or cameo apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4th cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8th teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 30-32 wonton wrappers
• 1/4th cup melted butter

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 30 servings

Method

• Start by preheating the oven at 350 degrees.
• Spray a mini muffin pan with a cooking spray.
• Brush one side of each wonton wrapper with melted butter and place it into a muffin cup.
• Bake these wonton wrappers for 10 minutes. Leave them to cool down for some time.
• Dice the peeled apples into half-inch cubes and add lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon into it.
• Boil this mixture in a little bit of water.
• Then, add cranberries to it.
• Make a paste using flour and water. Add this paste to the mixture of apples and cranberries.
• Put this mixture into the wonton cups and bake them in the oven for another 15 minutes.
• Take them out and garnish with some confectioners’ sugar before serving.

10. Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/4th cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Paprika or cayenne pepper

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 3 servings

Method

• Take a pan and put water in it.
• Place the eggs in the pan such that the water level is about an inch above the eggs.
• Heat the pan till the water starts boiling. Then, switch off the flame and cover the pan with a lid.
• After 20 minutes, take the eggs out of the water and let them cool.
• Peel off the shells of the eggs and slice them into halves, lengthwise.
• Squeeze out the yolks of these boiled eggs and collect them in a mixing bowl.
• Add mayonnaise and mustard to the yolk and mix them using a blender.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Put this yolk mixture into the hollow boiled eggs and sprinkle a pinch of paprika on them.
• The beautiful deviled eggs are ready to be served.

11. Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

Ingredients

• 4 large Russet potatoes
• 1/4th cup oil
• 2/3rd cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4-6 servings

Method

• Start by preheating the oven at 375 degrees.
• Wash all the potatoes and pat them dry using a paper towel to get rid of the moisture.
• Cut each potato into equal wedges. Slicing one potato into 6 wedges is ideal.
• Put the potato wedges into a mixing bowl and add drizzle some oil over it.
• Take another mixing bowl and put Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme into it and mix well.
• Then, sprinkle this mixture onto the wedges and mix well.
• Make sure all the potatoes are well-coated with the mixture.
• Take a tray and line it with a greased baking sheet. Put the wedges on the sheet and bake for 35 minutes.
• Turn the potatoes upside down to get a golden-brown colour on the other side as well.

12. Honey Lime Melon Balls

Ingredients

• 3/4th cup oil
• 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4th cup orange juice
• 1/4th cup honey
• A dash of salt
• 1/8th teaspoon paprika
• 1 cantaloupe
• 1 honeydew melon
• 1 medium-sized seedless watermelon

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Method

• Take a jar and put the oil, lime juice, and orange juice into it.
• Add honey, paprika, and salt.
• Cover the top of the jar and shake it to mix the juices. Your honey-lime dressing is ready.
• Cut the fruits (cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and watermelon) into halves and remove their seeds.
• Scoop out small balls out of the fruits using a fruit scoop.
• Put these balls into a mixing bowl and pour the honey-lime dressing onto them.
• Make sure the dressing coats all the fruit balls.
• Keep the fruits in the refrigerator for around an hour and serve with toothpicks.

Nutrition is a vital part of a kid’s growth. This task of feeding them all kinds of nutritious foods can be made easier by presenting the food to them in a way that is irresistible to them. With these palatable recipes at your convenience, you will never struggle to think about what to do to make your kid eat his meal. The best part is that the ingredients to all the recipes are found in every household. If not, you can easily get them from the market. The next time your child says no to homemade food, try making one of these yummy recipes at home.

Also Read:

Child-Friendly Vegan Recipes
Cooking Without Fire Recipes for Children
Healthy and Yummy After School Snacks for Kids