37 Cooking Gifts for Junior Chefs (Updated Nov-22)

Young children of all sizes love to help out in the kitchen. The smaller ones get a real sense of achievement from supervised cooking, while older ones get great satisfaction from producing recipes on their own for the whole family to enjoy.

Junior chefs can be even more inspired and creative with culinary gifts designed to help develop cooking skills and to be safe and easy for little hands to handle.

With Christmas around the corner, Chef’s Pencil have done the hard work for you and trawled the net for the most inspired cooking gifts for little ones. From specially designed utensils that make light work for little hands, to games and books that encourage healthy eating and help kids practice their kitchen skills, and plenty of ideas for encouraging pretend play.

You will find 39 great gifts for those eager little chefs who are busting to take over the kitchen.

1. Super Fun Baking Set and Apron

Any little aspiring chef will be delighted to get his personalized baking set and matching apron. Having a customized chef uniform to fit them can only make them proud and eager to get busy.

2. Kids Chef Knife

Practice makes perfect. Children can start practicing chopping ingredients on their own.

This nylon knife is the best way to learn how to manipulate a knife in a safe way while having fun helping in the kitchen. For age 4 and up, this 3-piece set encourages chopping and helps build confidence. The knifes have a serrated cutting edge, blunt tip, ergonomic handle, and soft touch button grip, and they are BPA free.

Older children already familiar with real knives can take their skills to the next level in complete safety.

This set is for kids from 7 to 11 years and contains one stainless steel knife, a peeler, and a finger guard. The peeler and the knife come with a finger ring for a better grip and for safety. The handles are made from durable Beachwood and the knife has a rounded tip. 

3. Kids Baking DIY 

Who knows what will inspire your child and hook their imagination. It could be this Baketivity kit that contains all they need to make delicious bug cupcakes. With everything measured out and ready to go, you can leave them to it, building confidence and independence in the kitchen. 

And there’s a couple of activities to keep them amused while the cakes bake, too. 

4. Dry Measuring Cups

Good pastry means baking with your heart and your hands. But when precision is needed, we’ve found the perfect set for little bakers. The set we found is of the well-known traditional Matroyshkas dolls.

The set is made from heavy duty, BPA-free, 100% food-safe plastic. Isn’t it the cutest thing to have the kid’s measuring cups stored besides mom’s?

5. Rolling Pins

All passionate home cooks have their own rolling pin, and no exceptions for any age.

Kids love to play with dough and luckily there are many rolling pin models that leave all kinds of imprints. Cookies will look awesome and dressed to fit any occasion or holiday. Pastry is easily imprinted with animals or vehicles, seasons or abstract patterns. Which one will be your little baker’s favorite?  

Christmas Theme

What’s the first thing kids learn to do in the kitchen? Bake cookies! It’s easy and great fun rolling out the dough. With these rolling pins they can add a Christmas theme to their baking. Reindeer, snowflakes, presents, and Christmas bells, any budding chef will love imprinting the cookies with Xmas cheer.

6. Cute Cutting Boards

Side-by-side with mom helping her chop ingredients calls for a cutting board of their own. Forget the plain old boring wooden cutting board – it’s time for something more fun and creative. Little One’s contribution in the kitchen will be more exciting with their own cutting board to work with. 

7. Fun Silicone Cupcake Molds

Nobody can resist cupcakes, and decorating them is part of the fun and helps develop creative skills.

These silicone cupcake molds are super fun, flexible and non-sticky, thus, they are easy to use and make a beautiful presentation for the dessert table. Bake and decorate your favorite cupcake recipe in one mold.

8. Christmas Baking Molds

Santa, Rudolph, Snowman, Gingerbread Man – what more do you need? Your children will love these baking bolds and silicon is so easy to work with. Just pop the mixture in, and pop the cookie out. And so easy to clean that the clean-up won’t be left to mum or dad! What better way to introduce kids to the fabulous art of baking. 

9. Cookie Cutters

The best toys in the kitchen are cookie cutters and the variety of shapes is infinite. Simple dough can be brought to life by numerous characters, shapes and holiday motifs. Good looking cookies will decorate the plates and be a feast for the eyes. Your little baker will have so much fun with cookie cutters and be so proud of the results.

Check out below some super-fun cookie cutters available on Etsy or browse Amazon for more options.

Christmas Theme

With so much excitement around the holiday season, why not channel it into something artistic, productive, and Christmas themed! Eleven assorted shapes to use for cookies, pancakes, fondant, sandwiches, cheese, ham…

Baking cookies is simply hours of fun in the kitchen, and then chilling out later to munch down the jingle bells, snowmen, angels, and Santa Clause as they dream of delights to come. 

Personalized Cookie Cutters with Names Makes it More Special

Dinosaur

Little ones just love cutting out shapes. Turning a plain old sandwich into a Tyrannosaurus Rex is magical for young minds. And these cutters are so easy to use, your kids will feel satisfaction and achievement with every shape. 

Their use is limited only by imagination: try a Pterosaur pancake, a Dragon Claw cookie, Brachiosaurus Jello, or Spinosaurus cheese or rice piled into the shape of a dragon. 

10. Cut Resistant Gloves for Kids

Some kids just need to be using tools – kitchen knives, scissors, paper cutters, penknives: if they see one, they have to pick it up. Other kids just want to do the job – cut the cheese, make a kite, whittle a stick. Either way these cut resistant gloves will give them extra protection. 

The snug, elastic fit and the lightweight material that isn’t bulky make them perfect for small hands when preparing food – they are 100% food safe too. 

11. Decorative Spoons

Perfect for tea parties to level up the cutlery, your budding hosts will absolutely love this present and never get tired of using them. The delicate flower spoons stand out when sprinkling sugar in the favored beverage. They also make a stylish utensil to accompany a slice of cake. 

12. Cookbooks for Junior Chefs

Parsec peanut butter sandwiches, Bantha buns, and Mimban mud pies make this cookbook a delight for budding Star Wars fanatics. It includes sandwiches, sides, and desserts that are easy to make and features iconic scenes from the saga modeled by Star Wars figurines. 

It also comes with a Millenium Falcon and a Chewbacca cutter, so you’ll really find out if the force to cook is strong in your little one.

Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make (and Eat!) has more than 50 recipes for children ages 6 to 12 that also explain basic cooking techniques in kid-friendly language.

It includes favorites like applesauce, French toast, popcorn chicken, pizza and more. Full of fresh, healthy ingredients and featuring imaginative presentations like egg mice, fruit flowers, and mashed potato clouds, it will keep their interest alive. They’ll not only develop their cooking skills but also their creativity and imagination.

Spark your little ones’ interest and natural inquisitiveness with a colorful cookbook.

Eat Your Greens Red, Yellows, and Purples contains 25 delicious and simple vegetarian recipes and plenty of fascinating facts to make fruit and veggies fun. 

Reading together about why fruit and vegetables are great, how carrots help their vision, why red peppers keep them healthy will have your kids itching to get into the kitchen to try out the recipes. Not only that, it might even help your more fussy eaters to get excited about veggies. 

The Ultimate Kids’ Cookbook: Fun One-Pot Recipes Your Whole Family Will Love!

Is for kids who want to take over the kitchen and put their parents on the helping bench. They will learn how grownups cook but with ingredients of their choosing. They can cater for their culinary needs such as quick snacks or sleepover treats. 

Kid Chef Bakes: The Kids Cookbook for Aspiring Bakers has easy to follow recipes for those with a sweet tooth craving home-made goodies.

Everybody loves the smell of fresh-out-of-the-oven, bursting-with-flavor pastries. From old-fashioned spiced pumpkin shortbread to gingerbread men and oatmeal cream pies, the book explains some useful tips and tricks. They will learn baking basics, what to do with leftovers, and how to substitute for missing ingredients.  

Especially designed for cooking fans and wannabe kitchen wizards, The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook will be very much appreciated!

Who wants to make Harry’s favorite dessert? I’m sure you know someone.

Movie-inspired themed dishes are featured among the 150 magical recipes contained in this cookbook. With a dash of magic and a drop of creativity, ordinary entrees, desserts, snacks, and drinks will be turned into culinary masterpieces that will make Mrs. Weasley very proud.

Science experiments you can eat makes science accessible using food for a range of tastes, from salad dressing to mayonnaise, celery to popcorn, and muffins to meringues.

What can be more rewarding than eating the results of their theory testing and experiments? Chemical reactions we witness everyday can be observed in cooking and the book has the added bonus of providing information on healthy eating.

This is the ideal book to get your kids started on developing their culinary know-how. T

he recipes are wholesome and healthy, and the book explains kitchen tools, ingredients and which go together, reading a recipe and how to do some basic chopping, stirring, and whisking.

You might learn a thing or two yourself, as it also has tips for helping your child succeed.

TV competition MasterChef Junior has helped inspire a generation of budding young cooks.

Now you can find 100 recipes developed from dishes served up in the first five seasons all together in this beautiful cookbook. Along with the bold recipes, the tips, techniques, and advice will help your aspiring master chef hone their skills, develop their creativity, and have great fun in the kitchen. 

13. The Disney Princess Cookbook

This hardcover cookbook is an absolute delight, with cartoons and photos that your little one will love so much they might forget to start cooking. But with step-by-step recipes designed with the young cook in mind, once they get focused on the food, the cooking is a breeze.

14. Best Cooking Games

Healthy Helpings teaches kids through play how to put together a balanced meal and to eat healthily.

With special placemats, it develops self-discipline and an understanding of portion control. The 50 self-checking cards illustrate real-life fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins and will get your young’uns accustomed to identifying food and food groups. Children will learn to make nutritional choices when having a snack or cooking a meal. The MyPlate Game is suitable for 2 to 4 players aged 4 or more.

Who doesn’t love a bake-off competition? This card game spin on the theme will get your young bakers thinking about the ingredients they need and strategizing to get them. And with Spoiled Ingredients cards, they can thwart the competition. A lot of family fun!

Pretend Play for Children Age 3+

Children love make believe. Give them a social setting and they will act out their own hilarious scenarios often mimicking their real-life observations. This food truck and kitchen comes with plenty of play accessories including food, chalkboard, working horn, and cash register – a card reader might be a useful update, though!

In no time, your little ones will be creating original plates of food, hawking for business, buying and selling, and all with their very own unique take on the world.

15. Baking Set for Kids

It is likely that lockdown with kids has made more of us aware of the value of independent play. The Baking Set for Kids comes with 6 utensils, 6 silicone baking cups, and 5 recipe cards. With utensils made for small hands, your children can safely try out the simple recipes on their own – as long as you know to expect lots of mess! And, of course, parental guidance when cooking!

Having their own custom-made utensils will encourage your children to see themselves as chefs and to feel responsible for what comes out of the kitchen. 

16. Cooking Subscription Box

A monthly box of edible education! Each month your kids learn about a culture and cuisine, with a mix of math, science, and life skills. 

With laminated step-by-step recipe cards, quality kitchen tools the recipes need, and a grocery list that takes dietary needs into account, you and your kids can discover a world of food.

The kids will be waiting for the postie to bring the next box! 

17. Dinosaur Taco Stand

Do you watch your adorable little one struggle to hold and fill their taco and have to fight back the urge to take over? That coordination conundrum can get frustrating and end in tears. Taco stands are the answer of course, and this dinosaur will add dino-fun to taco night, birthday parties, and any other mealtime. 

No more frustration, just satisfied taco building. But this dinosaur is not fussy. It will take crackers, waffles, sandwiches, nachos, paninis, pizza, burritos… Yep, pretty hungry.

18. Unicorn Taco Holder

Yes, those tacos, who doesn’t love them? But those tiny little hands can have trouble keeping it all together, especially when waving their arms about as they tell you about their favorite… well, anything. So, what better than a pink unicorn to rest the taco in?

19. Keff Creations Complete Kids Cooking and Baking Set

Everything you need to get your young ones started in the kitchen: apron and hat to really feel the part, utensils and accessories designed for young hands, and a cookery book so you don’t have to search around for kid-friendly recipes. 

What better kit to get your kids curious about the culinary arts and learning the basics of cooking? 

20. Curious Chef Kids Cookware (17 pcs)

Let’s face it, kids are possessive. So, what better than to give them their very own set of kitchen utensils to build their independence in the kitchen? 

Designed to fit those little hands, they will boost their confidence when mixing and beating, helping them develop their creativity while having great fun. 

21. Cake Decorating Kit for Kids (38 pcs)

Kids love to color on paper, and this kit brings that love into 3D, giving them all they need to get creative with their cake decorations. And a lovely apron too, to keep that creative mess off their clothes! 

22. Unicorn Cookies Baking Set

All the tools you need for getting your littles ones hooked on making their very own unicorn cookies. It comes with a rolling pin, a super cute unicorn-themed apron, unicorn-themed cookie cutters and more.

23. Melissa & Doug Fill & Fold Taco & Tortilla Set (43 pcs)

There’s a limit to what very little ones can do in the kitchen. But this play food set lets their imagination run wild when creating pretend tacos, fajitas, and tortillas. The felt food pieces and hard taco shell will inspire your kids to get creative safely and without the mess!

24. Tea and Coffee Maker Set

Tea parties never lose their appeal, especially when all those stuffed animals and plastic toys start to get hungry. This set is slightly more sophisticated as your child can have a coffee party, grinding the beans, blending the coffee and serving delicious-looking cakes.

25. Kitchen Play Set

Child safe, non-toxic stainless-steel pots and utensils for your children to copy what you do in the kitchen. Durable and dishwasher safe, your little ones will have hours of culinary fun.

26. Wooden Food Stand Mixer and Kitchen Toys

This quality wooden food stand mixer comes with a removable bowl. Now what will you little ones concoct in this?!

27. CUTE STONE Pretend Play Kitchen

Let your little ones experience the fun of cooking with this pretend play kitchen with an electric faucet and automatic water circulation. Sink, stove, and a variety of accessories that will encourage kitchen organization.

28. LEGO Friends Baking Competition

This Baking Competition playset includes 3 LEGO mini-dolls, 2 cook stations with rotating cake stands, lots of baking accessories, and kitchen equipment. Your kids can pretend to cook on the stage, role-play the judge, go behind the cameras, and even help put out a kitchen fire.

29. CHEFSKIN Kids Chef Set: Jacket Hat Apron Pants and Tools

Kids love dress up and make believe. But what could be better than dress up and get real… in the kitchen. This set is less a toy than a mini version of the real thing with a twill/polycotton jacket, houndstooth pants, hat, apron, and oven mitt. It also comes with a measuring set and chef’s tools – all age appropriate. 

Your budding chef will love getting kitted up to help with the baking!

30. Baketivity 31 Piece Kids Cooking and Baking Set 

These chef’s tools may be kid-sized, but they are real tools that do the job. Those eager little hands can grip them well, making scoop, scraping, stirring, and mixing a pleasure rather than a struggle with over-sized implements.

Together with 12 recipe cards, this gift can help teach basic life skills and how to follow instructions and steps while sparking their creativity.

31. Marvel Spider-Man Waffle Maker 

Are your kids waffle mad? Is it time to buy a waffle maker? Why not get this fabulous waffle iron that puts Spiderman’s mask on every waffle. With a choice of two sizes, 6” and 7”, this waffle maker is so easy to use – just pour in the mix and lower the lid. The hardest part is the waiting. 

32. Colorful Chef’s Hats

Put on a hat and you are transformed. It has adjustable elastic to fit all young sizes, so what kind of chef will your child become? 

33. P&P CHEF Utensil Set (28pcs)

This colorful silicone utensil set will inspire your kids to get into the kitchen to start beating, mixing, ladeling, brushing, and serving. Ergonomically designed for effortless grip and slip resistant surface for use with wet hands, these are ideal for young ones. 

34. Smokehouse Grilling Spice Set from Thoughtfully

Taste the delights of Jamaica, the Caribbean, the Southwest, Mexico, and Montreal with this collection of 20 BBQ rubs and spices. Leave your kids to experiment, mixing and matching Lime Chipotle, Chili Rosemary, Jalapeno, Black Cajun, and Chili Parsley seasoning and more. Will they learn what works and what doesn’t?

35. Easy Bake Ultimate Oven

While you have an oven full of roasting goodies, your budding baker can get their brownies cooked in this electric oven. Complete with baking pan and pan tool, chocolate brownie mix, vanilla frosting mix, rainbow sugar crystals, your young one will feel like a baking star! Instructions included and adult supervision required. 

36. LEGO Friends Downtown Bakery

Yes! Combine your child’s baking enthusiasm with their love of Lego with this bakery kit. And once its built, they can fill up the outdoor cake stand and fill up the cash register. 

37. Baketivity Kids S’mores Baking Set

A kids’ gift for family fun making a wonderful s’mores pie. It comes with all the ingredients, a step-by-step recipe, and video link to follow.

Gifts for Grown-up Chefs

If you are also looking for gifts for grown-up chefs please check our extensive list of gift ideas for chefs and cook. We have also researched the best engraved gifts for chefs so make sure to check that one as well.

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Chef's Pencil Staff

Our editorial team is responsible for the research, creation, and publishing of in-house studies, original reports and articles on food trends, industry news and guides.