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20 Sweet & Salty Snacks To Keep Your Kids Entertained All Summer Long

School's out!

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caramel sauce, honey, and roasted peanuts get tossed with popcorn and baked until crisp and crunchy
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

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School’s out! Summer is here and the kids are home, which means, no matter how many activities you plan and camps you sign them up for, boredom will come, and with boredom comes snacking. Tackle both issues at once by bringing your kids into the kitchen with you to help make some of their favorite snacks and grow their cooking confidence. Whether you have a salty- or sweet-snacker, getting your kids involved in the kitchen is a great way to keep them entertained, and help them connect more with the food that they eat, expanding their palate and pleasing even the pickiest of eaters. With this in mind, we’ve gathered 20 snacks that are kid-friendly and tasty enough to keep your pint-sized chefs entertained this summer.

Looking to replicate some of their drive-through favorites at home? We’ve got plenty of fast-food copycats like our copycat Wendy’s chocolate frosty, our animal-style fries, and our Auntie Anne’s cinnamon sugar pretzel nuggets. But the copycats don’t stop there. Your kiddos are sure to love our copycat Kudos Bars and copycat pizza Hot Pockets.

We all know that summer gets hot; so cool the kids down with some of our favorite frozen treats. Our Dr. Pepper floats, fruit popsicles, and banana split pops are sure to help cooler temperature, and heads, prevail. And don’t stop there. We’re bringing fruit forward in this summer snack lineup with treats like our yogurt toast and Sour Patch grapes.

Whether your kids go crazy for puppy chow, popcorn, or more savory snacks, we’ve got you covered this summer. So take a break and let the kids do the cooking. It’s your summer too!

1

Fruit Popsicles

fruit popsicles
Andrew bui

In the heat of summer, nothing satisfies quite like a fruit popsicle. This classic strawberry version is big on fruit flavor and not too sweet.

Get the Fruit Popsicles recipe.

2

Salted Honey Peanut Caramel Corn

caramel sauce, honey, and roasted peanuts get tossed with popcorn and baked until crisp and crunchy
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Popcorn lovers are going to go (pea)nuts for this one. Store-bought caramel sauce, honey, and roasted peanuts get tossed with popcorn and baked until crisp and crunchy in this perfect snack.

Get the Salted Honey Peanut Caramel Corn recipe.

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3

Sour Patch Grapes

red, yellow, and green colored sour patch green grapes on a light pink background
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

In this recipe, Jell-O packets get a touch of citric acid added to them to boost that necessary tart flavor, before lemon-coated grapes are tossed in the Jell-O mixtures. The result is a sweet-tart bite that just might rival your favorite candy.

Get the Sour Patch Grapes recipe.

4

Delish The How-To Cookbook for Young Foodies: 75 Skills + Recipes That'll Make You a Great Cook for Life

Delish The How-To Cookbook for Young Foodies: 75 Skills + Recipes That'll Make You a Great Cook for Life

Looking for more recipes for your kitchen-loving kiddo? Check out our How-To Cookbook For Young Foodies for tons of recipes, tips, and skills to help them grow their confidence and abilities in the kitchen.

Get the How-To Cookbook For Young Foodies.

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5

Pizzadillas

quesadillas that look like pizzas
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

This isn't just a quesadilla filled with mozz and pepperoni. It's topped with the works and looks JUST like an actual pizza. Plus, it's so easy to make, and even easier to customize. The result is an extra-cheesy appetizer or easy, kid-friendly snack that your family will ask for again and again.

Get the Pizzadillas recipe.

6

Auntie Anne’s Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Nuggets

auntie anne's sweet cinnamon pretzel nuggets with cream cheese dip
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

The joys of making these copycat mall-favorite pretzels is that they require basic ingredients you likely already have: flour, yeast, milk, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. They’re plush, buttery, and very sweet with a hint of salt.

Get the Auntie Anne’s Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Nuggets.

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7

Shirley Temple Floats

bubbly ginger ale, sweet grenadine, and creamy vanilla ice cream with a maraschino cherry
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If you're looking for the perfect low-lift summer treat, you really can't beat a float, and this one that combines everything you love about a Shirley Temple with creamy vanilla ice cream is tops.

Get the Shirley Temple Floats recipe.

8

Taco Night Popcorn

popcorn with taco seasoning
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If you're looking for more of a salty snack than a main dish, then upgrade your taco Tuesday with this taco-inspired popcorn. You might think that we're using taco seasoning here, but the secret ingredient is even better—crushed Doritos.

Get the Taco Night Popcorn recipe.

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9

Copycat Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty

copycat wendys frosty delish
Andrew Bui

The Wendy’s Frosty is a cross between a milkshake and a soft-serve ice cream. Our version is thinner, but it has the same satisfying fluffiness, mild chocolate flavor, and you can still enjoy it with a spoon.

Get the Copycat Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty recipe.

10

Mac & Cheese Pizza Bites

mac and cheese with pepperonis in a muffin tin shape

Held together by pepperoni, these mac & cheese bites are a pizza lover's dream. Creamy mac, pepperoni, and plenty of Parm combine to create a best-of-both-worlds treat.

Get the Mac & Cheese Pizza Bites recipe.

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11

Pigs In A Blanket

pigs in a blanket with a mustard dippings sauce
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

While this party appetizer might seem straight forward, this recipe truly nails it. I added an extra ingredient to this last-minute app that may seem basic, but really takes this recipe over-the-top in my book. Whether you make them completely classic or with a creative twist, follow these top tips to ace this staple snack

Get the Pigs In A Blanket recipe.

12

Copycat Kudos Bars

copycat kudos bars topped with chocolate and candy
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

Kudos Bar were chocolatey, peanut buttery, crisp yet chewy, after-school snacks that took the 90s by storm. While you can’t find them in stores anymore, my no-bake copycat Kudos Bars are even better than I remember. The secret lies in the gooey, caramel-like sauce and using both rice cereal and oats for that beloved crispy texture.

Get the Copycat Kudos Bars recipe.

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13

Animal-Style Fries

animal style fries
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Here at Delish, we love a fast food copycat. And that goes double for this In-N-Out dupe. Our Animal-style fries are just as good, and quick as the original with crispy golden shoestring fries covered with American cheese slices, grilled onions, and creamy Thousand Island-esque dressing.

Get the Animal-Style Fries recipe.

14

Copycat Pizza Hot Pockets

cheese and pepperoni stuffed in baked dough
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

Is there anything more nostalgic than a bubbling, cheesy Hot Pocket? As an easy game day appetizer or quick but satisfying snack, these pockets of saucy, pizza-inspired goodness are hard to beat.

Get the Copycat Pizza Hot Pockets recipe.

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15

Banana Split Pops

banana split pops
Chelsea Lupkin

These banana split pops take the classic dessert and break it down into a convenient, hand-held snack. Featuring frozen bananas, a hard chocolate coating, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry, these sweets are a summer snacking dream.

Get the Banana Split Pops recipe.

16

Air Fryer Pizza Rolls

air fryer pizza rolls
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Good news for Pizza Roll lovers everywhere. The fastest way to make them is also the best way to make! Your air fryer cooks them up in just 8 minutes while making them the crispiest they've ever been.

Get the Air Fryer Pizza Rolls recipe.

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17

Cookie Lovers Popcorn

cookie lovers popcorn

This salty-sweet, super easy snack is as adorable as it is delicious. Popcorn combines with white chocolate, food coloring, and a mix of Oreos and mini chocolate chip cookies for true cookie lovers dream.

Get the Cookie Lovers Popcorn recipe.

18

Yogurt Toast

yogurt toast topped with berries and maple syrup
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDEBERG; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

Think of this super simple snack as a classed-up French toast. Our yogurt toast involves topping bread with a shortcut egg-yogurt “custard” and your choice of topping to create a slightly sweet, fancy-ish treat with barely any effort.

Get the Yogurt Toast recipe.

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19

French Bread Pizza

french bread pizza
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: HADLEY SUI

We've all been there: You're craving homemade pizza, but you want it fast—no time to deal with rolling out finicky pizza dough. The solution? Grab a loaf of French bread and get ready for the pizza hack of a lifetime.

Get the French Bread Pizza recipe.

20

Cookie Brittle

cookie brittle
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Here’s an even faster, easier way to make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. Cookie brittle is crispy, buttery pieces that are baked as one big piece and broken into bites after baking rather than needing to scoop out individual portions.

Get the Cookie Brittle recipe.

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