9 Best Cooking Kits for Kids That Love Food
Updated: Apr. 23, 2024
If you have a mini chef in your midst, check out these kids cooking sets, including subscription-based kits and one-time purchases.
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Ready the grocery list and preheat the oven! We found the best cooking gift for your child: kids cooking sets. Whether they’re interested in the science behind cooking or simply the sweet and salty snacks that come from it, your little ones will love these kids cooking sets.
Parents and caretakers can appreciate this wholesome educational entertainment, too. Hey, the grownups might even get a good meal out of it! Have a loved one with a little one? These kids cooking sets double as a sweet care package to send to a friend.
The Best Kids Cooking Sets
- Best Subscription: Baketivity
- Best on Amazon: MasterChef Junior
- Best for Kids of All Ages: Raddish Kids
- Best for Beginners: WeeSprout The Little Chef Tool Kit
- Best for Baking: Williams Sonoma Bake and Create Set
- Best for Decorating: Sweetology
- Best Global: eat2explore
- Best Science-Based: KiwiCo Yummy Crate
- Best Educational: I’m the Chef Too!
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Best Subscription Kids Cooking Set
Baketivity
Gifts for little bakers and foodies alike, coming right up! Whether they have a craving for something sweet or want to become a master at mealtime, Baketivity boxes arrive with pre-measured ingredients and easy instructions perfect for kids ages 4 to 14 to follow. In addition, Baketivity tops our list of kids cooking sets for its all-in-one approach. Every month (or three, or six months), your little helper will unbox step-by-step instructions, pre-measured ingredients and a video to guide their creative time in the kitchen. Think fun recipes like green slime donuts, pretzel twists and monkey banana bread.
But wait, there’s more! Subscribing to Baketivity’s cooking or baking club grants access to an entire library of kid-friendly culinary experiences like live baking classes every month and a chef hat and apron. Not into the whole subscription thing? Single kits are available as a one-time purchase too. Also, the boxes are a creative way to bond and produce something scrumptious for those little bakers.
Pros
- Inspires baking skills
- Large selection of baking or cooking kits
- Includes pre-measured dry ingredients
- Gluten-free options
- Subscription service available
- Access to a library of cooking experiences with a subscription
Cons
- Baking tools and accessories sold separately
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Best Kids Cooking Set on Amazon
MasterChef Junior
We can’t think of a more appropriate kids cooking set to inspire creativity in the kitchen than the Gordon Ramsay-approved MasterChef Junior kit. Packed with three award-worthy recipes and all the tools to hone their cooking skills, they’ll whip up show-stopping grilled cheese and tomato soup in no time—minus all the stress of well, you know, actually being a contestant on the show.
Bonus: The tools boast non-slip silicone grips to keep little fingers safe in the cooking process. However, pre-measured ingredients aren’t included, and it’s best for ages 6 and older. Additionally, help build out your kiddo’s kitchen utensil repertoire with these kids baking supplies.
Pros
- Inspired by award-winning recipes
- Variety of cooking tools included
- Includes a make-your-own recipe card
- Officially licensed by MasterChef Junior
Cons
- Ingredients not included
- Subscription service not available
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Best Kids Cooking Set for All Ages
Raddish Kids
This is like a cooking class in a box. Raddish Kids teaches children from ages 4 to 14 how to prep meals across a variety of cuisines, with new lessons delivered each month. Ingredients aren’t included, but each box contains three recipe guides, along with a grocery list, a kitchen project and a brand-new kitchen tool. By the way, have you seen these kids’ charcuterie boards?
Pros
- Cooking and baking clubs available
- Boxes include a grocery list and a kitchen tool
- Includes culinary skills lessons
- Subscription service available
Cons
- Ingredients not included
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Best Beginner Kids Cooking Set
WeeSprout The Little Chef Kit
Whether your little helper is just getting started in the kitchen or wants to take their passion to the next level, gift them The Little Chef Kit cooking and baking set. Complete with 13 kid-safe meal prep utensils, we can’t think of a cuter gift for kids who like to cook.
Think pint-sized oven mitts, a rolling pin, cutting board, tongs and an apron tucked neatly inside a wooden gift box. Plus, there are three recipe cards to kick-start their journey and three blank recipe cards to jog their creativity. Your next sous chef, coming right up!
Pros
- Includes 13 cooking and baking utensils
- Tools have rounded edges for safe handling
- Comes with recipe cards to get kids started
- FDA-approved materials
- Multiple color options available
Cons
- Doesn’t include ingredient kit for cooking
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Best Kids Cooking Set for Baking
Williams Sonoma Bake and Create Kit
Calling budding pastry chefs! Inspire 6-year-olds and beyond to whip up their own baked creations with the Bake and Create Cookie Kit. Stocked with essential tools needed to create gourmet cookies (think cookie cutters, a rolling pin, frosting bags and piping tips), they’ll love having their very own set of baking tools when creativity strikes. Psst! Something else the little ones will love? A cookie of the month club.
Pros
- Complete set of cookie-making tools
- Sugar cookie recipe included
- High-quality tools that will last
- Includes a storage box and apron
Cons
- Ingredients not included
- Subscription service not available
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Best Kids Cooking Set for Decorating
Sweetology
This one is for families with a strong sweet tooth. Sweetology is all about inspiring bonding through cake- and cookie-decorating. They offer multiple kids cooking sets, including a cookie- and cupcake-decorating box, a cake-decorating kit and a gingerbread house-decorating kit.
Plus, kits include the bakery item and all the tools for decking it out in sprinkles and frosting. Subsequently, it’s the sweetest way for kiddos to spend time with family or friends—literally! Bonus: Online decorating classes and parties are also available for double the fun.
Pros
- Ingredients for bakery items and decorating tools included
- Multiple decorating kit themes
- Ideal for birthday parties, sleepovers and evenings with family
- Customizable kits
Cons
- Subscription service not available
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Best Global Kids Cooking Set
eat2explore
Introduce little helpers to different cultures via food with this culinary adventure. Each eat2explore box has recipes and ingredients for making international dishes, all geared toward children. Moreover, they can explore a country, a continent or the whole world through tastebuds.
If you subscribe to Taste of Home magazine, you might recognize the eat2explore holiday desserts box from a printed gift guide! Check out these other food subscription boxes for grownups as well.
Pros
- Build-your-own boxes available
- Recipe cards and educational activity sheets included
- Gluten-free and vegetarian options available
- Subscription service available
Cons
- Ingredients not included
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Best Science-Based Kids Cooking Set
KiwiCo Yummy Crate
KiwiCo is all about inspiring the next generation through science and innovation. The company offers multiple subscription boxes, including the Yummy Crate for children ages 6 to 14. Through a STEAM-based approach, as KiwiCo puts it, the boxes encourage kiddos to get their hands dirty.
Furthermore, the cooking crates are available for monthly delivery and include three recipe cards, a specialty cooking tool, two hands-on projects, a children’s magazine about food and a shopping list. Also, creatives will appreciate these craft kits for kids.
Pros
- Science-based cooking education
- Recipes, tools and projects included
- Three Yummy Crate options
- Subscription service available
Cons
- Ingredients not included
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Best Educational Kids Cooking Set
I’m the Chef Too!
This is one of the best kids cooking sets for little ones looking for serious adventure. The creator of I’m the Chef Too! is a teacher who bakes concepts like reading, science, math and art right into her recipes. The kits make learning tasty, thanks to projects like Erupting Volcano Cakes, which explains geology and chemistry to pint-sized chefs. After all, the best kids cooking sets should inspire creativity and confidence in the kitchen!
Pros
- Science-based cooking kit
- Variety of fun, kid-friendly themes
- Ingredients included
- Subscription service available
Cons
- Not allergy-friendly
How We Stirred Up the Best Kids Cooking Sets
To help you find the absolute best kids cooking sets for your little helper, we researched just about every option available today. We searched for all-inclusive kits that offer kitchen utensils, pre-measured ingredients and virtual culinary experiences, to sets that simply introduce kiddos to the world of cooking via their very own tools. Importantly, we found options for budding bakers, creative chefs and beginners alike. Bonus points went to kits that send pre-measured ingredients or a grocery list. Other considerations like cost and available subscriptions were also kept top of mind. With that, we stirred up nine stellar options for every little chef. Time to get cooking!
Additional research contributed by Kim Bussing
Originally Published: December 31, 2020
