21 Easy After-School Snacks

Give your children one of these tasty after-school snacks to nourish them after a long day.

From delectable cookies to hearty muffins, this list has it all.

Games, toys, and the sound of the dismissal bell ringing are a few of a kid’s favorite things.

And the first thing they want when they get home is a tasty snack.

Schoolwork makes kids hungry, so it’s smart to have a collection of snack recipes at your disposal. 

I’m talking chocolate chip cookies, gummy bears, caramel popcorn, and more! Serve these to your kids, and they’ll love you even more.

Do you hear the school bus arriving? Let’s get to it. 

1. Apple Sandwich

Kicking things off is a delicious and nutritious sandwich with a crunch. There’s no bread involved in this sandwich, yet it’s truly divine.

You’ll only need three ingredients – apple slices, almond butter, and granola.

Together, they create a sweet and tart, creamy and buttery, and crisp and crunchy delight. 

The playful flavors and textures will surely tickle your kids’ tastebuds.

2. Peanut Butter Cookies 

Nothing beats the classic chocolate chip cookies, but for peanut butter lovers, these ones are king.

They look plain, true, but these cookies are epic. They’re super soft, chewy, and bursting with peanut butter goodness. What’s not to love?

Serve this with a glass of warm milk and you’re golden. 

3. Banana Bread 

As a kid, I loved coming home from school to the smell of banana bread baking in the oven. I’m sure your kids will love the experience, too! 

Trust only Paula Deen to make the tastiest baked goods. This easy banana bread is ridiculously moist, sweet, and loaded with bananas.

It’s studded with chopped pecans, too, adding a nice layer of crunch.

4. Peanut Butter Energy Bites 

No kid (or adult) can ever say no to these peanut butter energy bites.

A combination of peanut butter, chocolate chips, oatmeal, flax seeds, and honey makes these fantastic bite-sized treats.

Some of the ingredients may not be that appetizing to kids, but once they come together, they’ll be impossible to resist.

5. Blueberry Muffins 

Soft, moist, and crumbly are what you can look forward to in these muffins, and more. 

Every bite is loaded with fresh blueberries bursting with sweet juices.

Finishing it off is a crumbly, buttery, and crunchy streusel topping made with butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. 

Even if you serve this for breakfast AND an afternoon snack on the same day, your kids won’t complain.

6. Ranch Pretzels 

These ranch pretzels are crunchy, salty, and absolutely addictive. Both you and the kids will want to snack on them nonstop! 

Don’t worry, you need not make the pretzels from scratch.

All you’ll do is to marinade store-bought pretzels in ranch dressing for an hour, and pop them in the oven.

It’s such an easy way to elevate them to a whole new level of deliciousness.

7. Apple Chips 

Say no to greasy potato chips and yes to these healthy baked apple chips.

They’re just as crunchy and delicious, but they’re good for you. It’s an awesome way to wean the kids off junk food.

Aside from the crunch, they’ll also enjoy the added sweet flavor that apples bring.

8. Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups 

Fruit roll-ups are a classic childhood snack. But instead of buying them from the store, why not make your own? After all, everything’s better homemade.

And don’t worry, these leather-like delights are a breeze to make.

In fact, it only calls for 3 ingredients: fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. How crazy is that?

9. Puppy Chow 

Puppy chow, muddy buddies, monkey munch, doggy bag – no matter what you call them, they’re delicious. 

This snack doesn’t have the best names, but it’s darn delicious.

Chex cereals are coated with chocolate and peanut butter and finished off with powdered sugar. 

Sweet, salty, crunchy, chocolatey – there’s no denying this treat is amazing.

10. Veggie Cups  

I know what you’re thinking – how on earth will a kid say yes to a cup of vegetable sticks? The key is in the dip.

Serve an array of dressings – preferably creamy, and those tomatoes and sticks of carrots, bell peppers, and celery will transform into a delightful treat.

11. Gummy Bears   

Why buy gummy bears when you can make them from scratch?

It’s fun, easy, and this way, you’ll get to control the amount of sugar that goes into the bears.

You can stick to just one hue, or use all the colors of the rainbow.

Either use different-flavored gelatin to get the color you want, or add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture.

12. No-Bake Cookies  

Quick oats make it possible to make cookies without the oven. And if you think these guys aren’t at par with regular baked cookies, think again. 

They have a combination of oatmeal, cocoa powder, peanut butter, sugar, and milk.

They’re simple, but don’t be surprised if you crave them at midnight!

13. Chocolate Chip Cookies

We can’t have a list of kid-friendly recipes without mentioning chocolate chip cookies now, can we? 

If you have a kid, having a recipe for this classic treat is essential. Whether you already have one or not, this one is a must-try.

14. Kids Trail Mix  

This trail mix recipe features pretzels, nuts, Cheerios, raisins, marshmallows, and the best part: M&M’s. 

The colors alone will make your kids happy. The combinations of sweet and salty, and crunchy and chewy are outstanding. 

I know they’re for the kids, but I highly recommend you make extra for yourself!

15. Caramel Popcorn 

This popcorn is outrageously crunchy thanks to the sweet and salty caramel coating. If you think caramel corn is hard to make, you’re mistaken. 

It couldn’t be easier. In fact, all you’ll need is the microwave!

16. Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles 

These fruit and yogurt popsicles are sweet, creamy, fruity, and so much fun to eat!

Because you’ll use mostly Greek yogurt and just a little bit of heavy cream, these popsicles are a healthier option than regular ice cream.

17. Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

These cookies are wonderfully crunchy and have that delectable combo of sweet, salty, and buttery.

Best of all, you won’t need to preheat the oven for this cookie recipe. How awesome is that? It’s all thanks to cornflakes!

These crunchy cereals serve as the base of the cookies.

Flavored with a mix of peanut butter, butter, and corn syrup, you’ll get maximum flavor despite the minimal effort.

18. Ants on a Log

Are your kids tired of the usual after-school sandwich? Give them something fun and creative to look forward to! 

Ants on a log are a charming snack that isn’t only delicious but healthy as well. Celery sticks are smothered with peanut butter to form the logs.

For the ants, simply top them with raisins, blueberries, or nuts. Genius, huh? 

19. Kitchen Sink Cookies 

If your kids love Panera’s kitchen sink cookies, they’ll definitely fall for these.

These aren’t your average cookies. Soft, chewy, and studded with chocolate chips, toffee bits, and pretzels, kitchen sink cookies are the best of the best.

Fun fact: do you know why they’re called kitchen cookies? They’re so loaded, they have almost everything but the kitchen sink!

20. Fruit Kabobs 

How adorable are these fruit kabobs? Give kids food on a stick, and they’ll gladly eat it.

These fruit kabobs don’t only look great, but they taste amazing as well.

The key is to use a variety of fruits to get a beautiful medley of colors. Watermelon, blueberries, cantaloupe, pineapple – go for the rainbow!

21. Kale Chips 

Kale doesn’t sound all too appetizing, especially for kids. Turn them into chips and they’ll surely be intrigued.

Flavored with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder and air-fried until crunchy, these chips are just as tasty as any. Your kids will ask for more!