Gift guide
Quite a few of us at Cool Mom HQ have kids obsessed with baking, Master Chef Junior, Top Chef Jr., and Nerdy Nummies, to name a few. And on the top of their holiday wish lists? Cooking and baking supplies made just for them. No complaints here. If you've also got a budding chef in your life, you've got to check out these holiday gifts for kids who love to cook. They're perfect.
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$39
If they're going to be a real chef one day, they're going to need their very own Hedley and Bennett apron, which we see chefs wearing on all the big TV cooking shows. This brand, favored by top chefs around the country, makes their renowned aprons in kid sizes. If you ask us, though, it be pretty darn adorable to have matching parent-and-kid aprons, so you should probably get one for yourself too. Right? ($39-59, Hedley & Bennett)
$55
The DIY cake kits at Cakest are intended to be an easy way for parents to pull off an impressive birthday cake for their kids, but Cakest sent one to our editor Kate so that her daughter, a passionate baker, could try one out (thanks, Cakest) and it turned out amazing! The kits come with step-by-step instructions and all of the ingredients and tools you need to make a professional looking cake -- and it was actually easy to do without parental oversight. In fact, when Kate's daughter shared the basketball cake she created with her team, they suggested she open her own bakery! ($55, Cakest. Get free shipping with the code FREESHIP)
$9.47
If your baker wants to make more than just one cake, have them hone their baking skills using Baking Class: 50 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Bake by one of our favorite authors of cookbooks for kids, Deanna F. Cook. Like her previous, best-selling Cooking Class (which we and our kids love), Baking Class is fun, clear, colorful, and teaches kids real baking skills without talking down to them the least bit. They'll pour over this book and walk away having learned great versions of all the basics, from pie dough to biscuits. As it should be. ($9.47, Amazon)
$12.95
Harry Potter + baking? We're all in, and so are our kids. If these happen to also be the two obsessions your child has at the moment, you can't miss with these Harry Potter aprons and spatulas representing each of the houses at Hogwarts. Magic in the kitchen awaits! ($12.95-39.95, Williams-Sonoma)
Related: 5 cookbooks for kids who actually want to learn how to cook -- or are willing to try.
$9.99
Nearly all the Cool Mom kids -- ranging across age -- are hooked on MasterChef Jr., so the new MasterChef Jr. cookbook, packed with their favorite winning recipes, is sure to be a holiday hit. It's 50% off right now, too, which basically makes it a gift to yourself too. Inexpensive and the kids cook killer meals for you? A holiday win. ($9.99, Amazon)
$5
This Sous Chef tee we spotted at Target makes it ultra clear who's in charge in the kitchen. Plus, it's under $5 right now. How can you not get it? ($4.20, Target)
We love subscription gifts because your kids gets something new in the mail each month or quarter, and with cooking kits they get to learn basic cooking techniques that help them get better over time. And once they start learning how to cook well, you're going to love having them in the kitchen alongside you at dinnertime. Kits from KidStir includes kitchen tools, recipes, and educational info about good nutrition, which also helps get kids excited about eating well. (Prices vary depending on duration of subscription, Kidstir)
$99.95
For kids who are old enough to handle kitchen knives safely -- and are really serious about cooking -- a set of Wüsthof Gourmet junior-sized cooking knives is an amazing gift. And, right now, you can also get it at an amazing price. This set is more than 50% off at the moment, so snag it while you can! These will last them until culinary school. ($99.95, Williams-Sonoma)
$69.95
If your young cook is super into flavor concoctions, they'll love mixing up their own ice cream flavors with this Parlor Ice Cream Mixing Set. Throw some ice cream -- homemade if your mini chef is advanced -- on the marble slab and fold in the toppings for next level flavors that only a a future pastry chef -- or, your know, a child -- could come up with. Mmm. ($69.95, Uncommon Goods)
$11.60
Winner for punniest cookbook has to go to BB-ATE, coming soon for Star Wars fans (aka, all kids). The food in this book is all about breakfast, with recipes for Han Soloatmeal, Admiral Ackbars, and more. If brunch (at the Mos Eisley Cantina) is your kid's thing, this is the cookbook to get them. We'd toss in a BB-8 waffle maker for even more fun. ($11.60, Amazon)
A few of us have shared stories of how our kids have absolutely loved taking cooking classes -- and how we've absolutely loved that they've come home requesting new (healthy!) meals. Most Whole Foods stores have cooking lessons for kids, or you can search for smaller companies near your home that offer kids cooking classes. Either way, we feel sure that it'll be a gift they'll remember. (Prices vary; photo by Sarah Gilbert on Flickr Creative Commons)
