You won’t run out of snack ideas with this HUGE list of snacks for kids. We have everything from healthy snacks to make-ahead snacks to quick snacks on the go. Plus, we have added extra bonus recipe for these easy 10-Minute Air Fryer Zucchini Bites!
2-Ingredient Snack Ideas
These 2-ingredient snack ideas are the perfect solution for hungry kids needing something FAST. You know, for when they are “starving” and can’t wait any longer. These are my go-tos for when I can’t plan ahead for snack time. I almost always have these ingredients in my pantry or fridge and they can be pulled out at a moment’s notice.
Hummus + Veggies (or crackers) Yogurt & Granola Veggies & Ranch Dressing Chips and Salsa
- Cottage cheese + pineapple (or peaches or cherry tomatoes)
- Apples + peanut butter
- Bananas + Nutella (or peanut butter)
- Animal crackers + Nutella
- Chips + Homemade Salsa
- Ham + cheese (rolled up)
- Easy Homemade Hummus + veggies
- Veggies + Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Yogurt + Homemade Granola
- Popcorn + shredded cheese
- Bagel + cream cheese
- Dried fruit +nuts
- Ritz crackers + sliced cheese
- Graham crackers + Cream Cheese Frosting (we like using leftover frosting from other treats)
Healthy High Protein Snack Ideas
High protein snacks are perfect for kids active in after school sports. These snacks will give them an energy boost that will last through practice and sustain them until dinnertime. The energy bites and protein balls can even be frozen so they can be brought along in the car and eaten on the way to practice!
PB & J Energy Bites Ham Roll Ups with Pickle Chocolate Protein Balls Hard Boiled Eggs
- Ham Roll Ups with Pickle
- Ants on a log (celery+peanut butter+raisins)
- Deviled Eggs
- PB & J Energy Bites
- Shrimp Taco Bites
- Chocolate Protein Balls {No Bake}
- Hard Boiled Eggs
Veggie Snacks
When my kids get home from school, they are ravenous. They have had a long day and will literally eat anything I put in front of them. That’s why after school is the PERFECT time to give them a good amount of vegetables. You can simply give them a vegetable tray to pick from or you can try one of these other fun veggie snacks:
Zucchini Pizza Bites Veggie Pizza Squares Sweet Potato Fries Baked Zucchini Chips
- Zucchini Pizza Bites (see below)
- Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
- Veggie Pizza Squares
- Cucumber Sandwiches
- Mexican Street Corn Cups
- Virginia Chunk Sweet Pickles
- Avocado Quesadillas
- Baked Zucchini Chips
- Sweet Potato Fries and Dip
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries
Fresh Fruit Snacks
I don’t know about you, but usually it isn’t too difficult getting my kids to eat fresh fruit. They love coming home to a cup of berries or sliced apples but sometimes it’s fun to kick it up a notch and surprise them with one of these tasty fruity treats:
Homemade Applesauce Acai Bowls Fresh Fruit with Fruit Dip Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
- Microwave Baked Apples
- Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits
- Fresh Fruit with Fruit Dip
- Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
- Apple Fries with Caramel Cream Dip
- Fruit Pizza
- Phyllo Cups with Fruit
- One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
- Homemade Applesauce
- Acai Bowls
- Canned Peaches
- Peach Caprese Salad Skewers
- Grilled Fruit Kabobs
Savory Finger-Snacks
If we are having a later dinner or the kids get home from school early, I like to give them a snack that is a little more substantial. These snacks are served warm and can all be eaten with their fingers so you don’t have to dirty and plates or silverware. Most of these snack ideas can be made ahead of time and frozen so you can just pull out what you need and warm them up when the kiddos get snack-y.
Homemade Soft Pretzels Mozzarella Sticks Easy Chicken Flautas French Bread Pizza
- Chicken Flautas
- Homemade Soft Pretzels with Easy Cheese Sauce
- Grilled Cheese
- Shredded Beef Taquitos
- Crisp Bean Burritos
- Homemade Mozzarella Sticks
- Cheesy Italian Bread
- French Bread Pizza
Quick Dips
Sometimes the best snack is a bag of chips and some tasty dip. These dips can all be made in a matter of minutes and they can be made ahead of time for later snacking. Just pull out some chips or crackers and let the kids go wild.
Chili Cheese Dip Easy Creamy Corn Dip Easy Spinach Dip Jalapeño Greek Yogurt Dip
- Easy Creamy Corn Dip
- Easy Spinach Dip
- 5-Minute Dill Pickle Dip
- Doritos Dip
- Nacho Cheese Dip
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip
- Jalapeno Greek Yogurt Dip
- Chili Cheese Dip
- Bean Dip
Popcorn and Snack Mixes
These snacks are perfect for lunch boxes or to satisfy the after-school munchies. They can be separated out into individual snack-sized baggies or served in a large bowl to feed a crowd. These are my favorite snacks when friends come over after school. I can just set a big bowl out and let each kiddo take what they like. Every single one of these is a kid-pleaser and some of my favorite snack ideas!
Classic Chex Mix Peanut Butter Popcorn Almond Joy Chex Mix Christmas Crunch
- Peanut Butter Popcorn
- Almond Joy Homemade Chex Mix
- White Chocolate Popcorn
- Classic Chex Mix
- Sweet Chex Mix Recipe
- Muddy Buddies
- Christmas Crunch
Sweet Treats
Sometimes it’s fun to indulge and give the kids something a little more sweet for their afternoon snack. These are all treats they can run in and grab and run back outside to burn off the sugar rush. These are also great ones to pack in lunch boxes as a “lunch dessert” (as my kids call it).
Rice Krispie Treats Granola Bars Fiber Crunchies Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Granola Bars
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Rice Krispie Treats {5-Minute Microwave Recipe}
- Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
- Belly Button M&M Pretzel Kisses
- Scotcharoos
- Tigger Tails (Disneyland Copycat)
- Pumpkin Pasties
- Peanut Butter Bon Bons
- Fiber Crunchies
- Avalanche Bark
- Crock Pot Peanut Clusters
After-School Cookies
When it comes to snack ideas, cookies are some of my very favorite. I am a little biased because I, myself, just love cookies. I also like cookies as a snack because you can limit each kiddo to just one or two and then send them on their merry way. They are also nice and portable and can be taken in the car to be eaten on the way to after-school activities.
Graham Cracker Cookies with Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Butterscotch Chips Healthy Oatmeal Cookies Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
- Easy No Bake Cookies
- Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – Only 3 Ingredients!
- Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
- Graham Cracker Cookies with Coconut
- Snickerdoodles Cookies
- Magic Cookie Bars
- Dipped Ritz Cookies
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
- Oatmeal Cookies with Butterscotch Chips
- Molasses Cookies
Cool Smoothies
Smoothies are a great snack for the summertime or for those months when the kids are in school and it is still HOT outside. Kids love coming inside and slurping on a fresh, cold smoothie. They are refreshing and a great way to get those fruit servings in.
Banana Berry Smoothie Golden Detox Smoothie Orange Julius Green Smoothie
- Green Smoothie
- Piña Colada Smoothie
- Banana Berry Smoothie
- Golden Detox Smoothie
- Creamy Peach Smoothie
- Mango Avocado Smoothie
- Orange Julius
- Tropical Banana Smoothie
- Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Smoothie
Miscellaneous
Here are some more snack ideas that I couldn’t quite fit into one of the categories above. They are the last on this list but certainly not least! In fact, my kids #1 favorite snack is Spam Musubi. You can’t go wrong with any of these tasty snack ideas.
Tea Sandwiches Spam Musubi 5-Minute Slushies Charcuterie Board
- Tea Sandwiches
- Spam Musubi
- 5-Minute Slushies (aka DIY Slushy Magic)
- Charcuterie Board
- California Rolls
- Bran Muffins
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
- Homemade Tomato Juice
Air Fryer Zucchini Pizza Bites
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized zucchini
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1/3 cup pizza sauce
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup pepperoni or to taste
- fresh parmesan to taste
Instructions
- Cut zucchini into slices cross-wise, appx 1/2" thick (or as thick as you would like them).Spray your air fryer rack with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place zucchini slices evenly on the rack and sprinkle with salt. If you have racks that stack, you can stack 2-3 layers, otherwise you may have to cook in batches.
- Cook in your air fryer at 375-degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from air fryer and spread a little pizza sauce on each slice.
- Add cheese, pepperoni, and fresh parmesan cheese and return to the air fryer.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes at 375-degrees or until cheese is melted. Serve hot. Tip: For extra flavor, dip your cooked pizza bites in some homemade ranch dressing. Yum!
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Natalie says
Oh, I love these zucchini pizza bites. I’m making something similar with eggplant. My son loves it. I bet he’s going to love the zucchini version too. Excited to make him this. Thanks for all the great ideas.
Lisalia says
I appreciate this awesome list of snack ideas now that school is in session. Hungry kids all school year long. AND I am thrilled about the zucchini bites. Not only did my kids eat them all, but I felt so good knowing that all the zucchini popping up in every corner of my garden is not only eaten – but ENJOYED enthusiastically by my kiddos. Thanks for great recipes all the time. I always trust whatever you post. They ALWAYS turn out great and family friendly!!