Healthy Homemade Snacks for Kids | School Lunch Snack Ideas

In this post, I’m sharing 5 of my favorite easy and healthy homemade snacks for kids. These are convenient snacks that you can easily grab and go, or pack in their lunch boxes for school. I promise your kids will love these super delicious snack ideas! Full recipes posted at the end of this post.

Why make homemade snacks?

Mornings in our house are nothing short of a mini-marathon. With four kids to get up, dressed, fed, and out the door, every school day starts at full speed. Breakfast needs to happen, lunches need to be packed, and before we know it, we’re off.

For years now, I’ve mostly steered clear of the snack aisles at the grocery store. In my opinion, many pre-packaged snacks are more about convenience than nourishment—and they add up fast, both in cost and in waste.

Now, don’t get me wrong—there’s a time and place for quick, store-bought snacks. But most of them are loaded with fillers and just don’t keep my kids full for long. Plus, we go through those little wrappers at lightning speed! I feel so much better when I can pack their lunches with filling, nutrient-dense snacks that don’t come straight from a factory.

No judgment at all for families who rely on store-bought options—every parent does what works best for them! But if you’re here, reading this, chances are you feel the same way I do.

1. Homemade Granola Bars

You truly cannot go wrong with this seedy, chewy, no bake granola bar recipe! It’s hard to eat just one!

First, melt together butter, honey, and brown sugar to create a syrup. Turn off the heat and then mix in the cinnamon, vanilla, almond butter, and salt.

Next, add in the oats, rice cereal, seeds of choice, and top with chocolate chips! I like to press these down into a parchment lined large pullman loaf pan (affiliate link) and store in the fridge. After it hardens up, you can cut them into slices. I like to store them in the fridge to keep them fresh.

2. Fudgy Snack Bars with Walnuts and Pecans

Another easy homemade snack we love are these fudgy snack bars! They taste like a little fudgy brownie but they are made with only 6 ingredients: walnuts, pecans, dates, cocoa powder, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Ok 7 if you include the pinch of salt!

All you have to do is combine all of those ingredients in a food processor, reserve the chocolate chips for the very end. Pulse the ingredients and then process it until it becomes like a dough. Be careful to not over process this as it can begin to release the oils from the nuts. (affiliate link)

Finally, press into a parchment lined small loaf pan (affiliate link) and let it harden in the freezer. When it’s hardened up, slice into squares. Store in the freezer.

4. Carrot Applesauce Muffins with Whole Wheat

These whole wheat muffins come from 100 days of Real Food. I love this recipe and have been making it for years. These muffins turn out very soft, cakey, and full of flavor. I used freshly milled flour with hard red wheat berries and kamut. Feel free to use any whole wheat flour! I love this muffin tray for easy removal! (affiliate link)

5. Stovetop Popcorn

Lastly, stovetop popcorn is one of the simplest and most underrated homemade snacks for kids. It’s delicious! It’s cheap! Kids shove it in their mouths!

On high heat, heat up a tablespoon of coconut oil in this Whirley Pop pan. Add 1/4 tsp salt. Add 1/2 cup popcorn kernels and turn the crank on the pan as the popcorn pops. Pour into a bowl and season as desired. I like to use Nutritional Yeast for a cheesy flavor. (affiliate links)

I hope you loved this roundup of homemade snacks for kids! Grab the printable recipes for Granola Bars and Fudgy Snack Bars below.

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