20+ Kid-Friendly TikTok Recipes You Need to Try Tonight

Make a batch of mac and cheese even faster with these TikTok recipes.
Make a batch of mac and cheese even faster with these TikTok recipes.
9/30/21 - By Elizabeth Ligameri

Move over Pinterest, hello TikTok. If you feel like you’ve browsed every recipe that Pinterest has to offer and you’re still looking for new ideas of things that your kids will eat, consider TikTok recipes.

The TikTok recipes that go viral like the famed TikTok feta pasta recipe or TikTok mac and cheese recipes are actually often amazing time savers for busy families in need of a dinnertime (or snacktime) cooking hack. These recipes make use of the microwave a lot, as well as handy tools like the popular Instant Pot and air fryer. We also love that these TikTok recipes are a complete celebration of food and introduce kids to new flavors that might just expand those picky palates. Bonus: Most of the 20-plus recipes we've selected to highlight below require few ingredients and little cleanup. Find more treats and cooking ideas in our Easy Recipes Guide for families.

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We divided our favorite TikTok recipes into four family-friendly cooking categories: dinner, lunch, pizza (because pizza deserves a category of its own!), and dessert.

First up, family dinnertime:

Dinner TikTok Recipes for Families

1. One Sheet Chicken and Potatoes 

Chicken thighs and drums with potatoes combined with a delicious marinade and all cooked on one sheet pan? What more could you ask for to ease family meal prep time!? This one has a little bit of heat, but shouldn’t be too hot for most kids. You can always tone it down for a sensitive palate.

2. Hidden Veggie Pasta 

If you’re like most parents, you might struggle with making sure the kids get enough vegetables throughout the week. Simply add this hidden veggie pasta sauce into the regular pasta sauce and voila, veggies without a fuss!


Make this maple butter rotisserie chicken dish with just one pan. Photo by @nutrientmatters

3. Maple Butter Rotisserie Chicken with Potatoes and Broccoli 

The name alone of this dish makes my mouth water! Super simple to make and everything in this TikTok chicken recipe can be made in one pan, making cleanup a breeze.

4. Pasta for the Whole Family

Perfect for feeding a large family or for those potluck gatherings, this cheesy TikTok pasta recipe goodness is sure to have everyone coming back for seconds!

 
Dish up a veggie salad for a hearty but healthy family meal. Photo courtesy of Kalea Martin.

5. Warm Kale and Chicken Salad

This is such a colorful plate (eat the rainbow!) that it might just entice your child to eat their vegetables. If your little one doesn’t care for kale, substitute for another leafy green or even pasta for a heartier meal.

 
Those viral TikTok feta pasta recipes are surprisingly family-friendly. Photo courtesy of @iamafoodblog

6. TikTok Feta Pasta Recipe

There are dozens of baked feta pasta recipes out there: it's delicious, maybe a little bit unique, comes together quickly, and is a pretty good-looking crowd-pleaser. We've linked to that most famous TikTok recipe, but consider one of these feta pasta recipes if you want to customize it for your family's preferences.

TikTok Recipes for Pizza Lovers

7. Pizza Cutouts 

Turn ordinary round pizza into fun characters and shapes with this TikTok recipe hack just for kids. Take a cookie cutter to the pizza crust, and then assemble as usual. There's hardly any extra work for you, but your child will get a kick out of eating a dinosaur or butterfly pizza.

8. Pizza as a Waffle 

A mini waffle maker is not limited to just making waffles! Your kids will get a kick out of little personal sized pizzas that look like waffles, and you will be patting yourself on the back for a quick, easy to clean up meal.

RELATED: Best TikTok Dances for Families

 
Roll-up pizza is fun and easy to make. Photo by @arimonika

9. Roll-up Pizza

Exchange the traditional pizza slice for a roll-up. Now there's no more worrying about the cheese falling off the slice before it ever reaches your child’s mouth. Add cheese and other toppings to the dough, roll up, bake, and then dip in the pizza sauce. The size is perfect for small hands and can even be used as a quick after-school snack.

10. Tortilla Pizza

This recipe was created because the author was tired of spending a fortune every time her large family wanted pizza. Using tortilla as the pizza crust provides a thin, crisp crust—and it's a lot easier on the wallet than other pre-made pizza crusts when feeding a crowd.

11. Garlic Toast Pizza

Thick slice garlic bread transforms into rich pizza slices in this TikTok recipe. What makes this particular recipe unique is that it gets baked in an air fryer. If you don’t have an air fryer, simply bake in the oven or toaster oven.

Best Dessert TikTok Recipes for Kids

12. S'mores Skillet 

Genius dessert hack alert. This recipe for s'mores is baked in the oven in a few minutes, making it easier and less messy than s'mores around a campfire but just as yummy! Layer and melt the chocolate and marshmallows in a dish. Pull from the oven and use graham crackers to dip into the gooey dish.

 
Turn a yellow box cake into a decadent dessert. Photo courtesy of cici.soriano

13. Tres Leches Cakes

This one does involve a decent amount of ingredients, but is still fairly easy and straightforward to make and starts with a cake mix box. The yellow cake mix, strawberries, and cream are a winning combination.

14. Hot Chocolate Bomb

Hot chocolate bombs are such fun treats for both kids and adults and are easy to customize. We've outlined the basic recipe in the past: Coat a round silicone mold with chocolate and then fill with whatever goodness you want to find in your drink (marshmallow is traditional, but you do whatever makes your taste buds happy), but we love this easy TikTok recipe, too.


Oreo fan? Crush and roll those black and white cookies into faux sushi for a sweet treat. Photo courtesy @siennas.sweets

15. Oreo Sushi

Only two ingredients are needed for this clever and adorable dessert recipe. Kids can help with this one, too. Test out your skills with chopsticks, or just use your fingers to enjoy this treat.

16. Mickey Mouse Pretzel 

This pretzel adds a touch of Disney magic to a boring old pretzel recipe. This salty (or sweet) treat will put a smile on the faces of Disney lovers both young and old.

TikTok Recipes for Kid-Approved Lunch

We always appreciate more ideas for making school lunch, weekend lunch, snow day lunch, school holiday lunch...yeah, so here are our favorite TikTok recipes for lunch for kids!

RELATED: 25 Easy Breakfast Ideas for Kids

 
Here's a cute bento box lunchtime idea for kids. Photo courtesy @therobertscasa

17. Healthy Bento Box

This one has it all: fruit, veggies, grains, protein, and a sweet crunchy treat. This mom packs a colorful, tasty lunch that will give her child enough energy to make it through that day.

18. Egg Waffles 

Make it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this egg dish makes use of a mini waffle maker to deliver a fun new shape and texture to your usual scrambled eggs. You'll be cleaning fewer pans, too! Add a side of fruit for a little flavor boost.

19. Mac and Cheese 

This cooking hack helps you make that box of macaroni and cheese lunchtime staple a little quicker, and it's just so completely genius that we don't know why we didn't think of it!

 
Mug mac and cheese comes together faster than ever.

20. Mug Mac and Cheese

Even easier? Make homemade mac and cheese for the kids right in the microwave with this mug mac and cheese TikTok recipe.

21. Rainbow lunch 

Add a little whimsy to your child's afternoon with this rainbow colored lunch. Your little one will be delighted to eat so many brightly colored foods.

22. Peanut Butter Ramen Recipe

Of all the viral ramen recipes on TikTok, this one may be our favorite for tweens and teens. Simply add peanut butter and Sriracha to your next batch of ramen for an irresistible nosh. Leave the hot sauce out if cooking for tots or younger kids.