OK so technically there is nothing about these snacks that makes them toddler snacks per se (hey uncle Jesse!), but these are the things my todds love to eat. And I love to eat. Soooo This is a giant list of humans-of-all-ages snacks.

It is also not exactly a giant list yet. But it will be! Save this list somewhere because I’m going to update it regularly with new creations we come up with, as well as snack ideas from you guys.

I like our snacks to include some fat, protein, and carbs but that let’s be real sometimes Bobby finds a banana under the dishwasher and we call it good. Bottom line is I want them to be filling enough that Ruthie doesn’t shout “MAH, CAN I HAVE A LITTLE TREAT?!” 40 times before the next meal rolls around.

My 2 and 4 year old and I have between 2-3 sit-down snacks a day, between meals and sometimes one after dinner/before bed. Little ones have little tums and you never know when they might just not be hungry at mealtime. Having consistent, planned snacks for them helps me feel a little better about those meals when they literally eat nothing, and it helps to avoid hunger related meltdowns (mine and theirs) throughout the day.

Things you hear me saying often in response to snack requests:

“We just had a snack, lunchtime is in 30 minutes and we’ll eat then”

“We just had lunch, we will have snack time in about one hour”

“I know you want a cookie, we’ll have a cookie with dinner in 45 minutes”

You won’t see many packaged snacks like bars, chips, string cheese, or even crackers on this list. I stopped buying them a few years ago to lower our grocery budget and reduce waste and we just fell out of the habit of needing them around. There is nothing wrong with them, but we get by pretty easily without them now. And when we do have them, Ruthie and Bobby are thrilled and think I am a wise and generous leader.

This list of ideas is basically for me to reference whenever I’m in a snack rut, but I would love for you to use it too. I would also LOVE if you would share your favorite snacks in the comments below so I can include them in the list.

If you look at some of the foods on this list and think “omg my kid wouldn’t eat that” it’s my hope you’ll either skip over them and find something you feel comfortable giving your kiddo, or maybe even try those “omg” foods someday! What I don’t want is to make anyone feel guilty for their kiddo not liking these foods. Not all of them are “easy” and many of them have taken years for my kids to learn to love.

Ever-Expanding List of Toddler Snack Ideas

Apple slices with cheese and date caramel.
Banana drizzled with melted peanut butter and mini chocolate chips.
Roasted veggie chips and hummus.
Blueberry yogurt bark - Blueberries tossed in yogurt then spread on a parchment lined baking sheet. Top with sprinkles (optional) and freeze until solid. Break into chunks.
Granola with plain, whole-fat yogurt.
Chocolate pudding - Combine 2 tablespoons chia seeds with 1/2 cup whole milk (coconut milk is delicious here too), a tablespoon cocoa powder, and a splash of honey or agave. Let firm up in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and serve - 1 serving.
Kefir blended with homemade chocolate milk syrup.
Leftover baked sweet potato topped with butter, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts.
Easy one-bowl banana muffins.
Baby cheese plate! Sharp cheddar slices, chopped dates, quartered grapes, our favorite crackers.
Pita pizzas - top pita or tortilla with tomato sauce and mozzarella. Broil for 2 minutes.
Avocado toast.
Leftover smoothie popsicles - I always leave my popsicle molds in the freezer and fill them up if I have leftover smoothie (either the kids didn’t drink all of theirs or I made too much).
Hard boiled egg (let them peel! probably Ruthie’s #1 fave job) + buttered toast.
Cuties (tiny mandarin oranges) dipped in honey yogurt.
Leftover waffles topped with cream cheese and chopped strawberries.
Pintos and cheese - black or pinto beans topped with shredded sharp cheddar.
Dehydrated apples or pears dipped in melted almond butter.
Baked sweet and salty chickpeas (still fairly soft for younger toddlers).
Kefir mixed with orange juice - I do half kefir and half juice and shake in a closed mason jar to combine.
Stuff dates with sharp cheddar cheese or almond butter.
Pita spread with goat cheese (my favorite homemade pitas).
Baby-bel cheese (again, a serious thrill to open according to Ruthie) with blueberries.
Banana spread with peanut butter and rolled in hemp hearts, chia seeds, and crushed nuts then sliced into coins (I throw in mini chocolate chips sometimes).
Rosemary sweet potato fries - Bake frozen sweet potato fries and toss in 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary. Dip in plain greek yogurt.
One bowl light ‘n fluffy sweet potato mini muffins.
PB&J (try this super easy strawberry chia jam) - PB&J is pretty much one of the only times I do something fancy with food by using fun cookie cutters.
Toast spread with hummus and topped with sliced hard boiled egg (my kids like this sliced into strips for some reason - “MAKE IT LONG AND SKINNY MAH!”).
Our favorite chocolate oat bites.
Chopped apples, walnuts, and shredded coconut drizzled with melted almond butter (serve with a spoon!)
Grape nuts + milk microwaved for about 30 seconds (this might be unique to my kids but they loooove grapenuts).
Chocolate chip cookie dough dip. Combine plain yogurt with peanut butter and a little honey (for babies over 12 months old). Top with mini chocolate chips and serve with sliced apples.
Ice creamed raspberries. Top frozen raspberries (or any frozen berry) with a drizzle of cream, the cream hardens and makes an ice-cream coating on the berries.
Strawberry ice cream smoothie: 6 large frozen strawberries, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 frozen avocado, 1 cup full fat coconut milk, large handful cashews - blend!
Top thinly sliced apples or pears with sharp cheddar cheese.
Peanut butter banana roll-ups - Tortilla spread with peanut butter and wrapped around a banana, slice into coins.
Chickpea “chicken” salad with tortilla chips or crackers.
Big batch flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
Frozen banana pops. Cut a few bananas in half and insert a popsicle stick (I use the sticks from my popsicle molds). Roll the banana halves in yogurt and then in chopped peanuts and mini chocolate chips (add in a few sprinkles if you’re feelin’ fiesty!). Freeze until firm.
Nutella spread in a warm, halved baguette (treat snack!).
Trail mix with chopped walnuts, pepitas, dried tart cherries, and dark chocolate chunks or chips (use caution offering nuts to toddlers, the more finely chopped the better!).
Simple milk shake - plain kefir blended with a frozen banana and cocoa powder.
Rice cakes or toast spread with cream cheese, sliced cucumber or tomato, and everything bagel seasoning.
Plain whole-milk yogurt with diced figs and honey drizzle.
Sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, pearl mozzarella balls, sprinkled with fresh basil.
Chicken salad with pita strips for dipping (I make a batch of chicken salad whenever I have leftover chicken thighs or breasts…sometimes I make a few extra on purpose).
Thinly sliced apples spread with almond butter and dotted with dark chocolate chips.
Banana bread spread with cream cheese or almond butter paired with frozen berries (let thaw slightly).
Zucchini cookies with plain greek yogurt (+honey drizzle if over 12 months old).
Chicken salad with apple chips or thinly sliced apples or pears for dipping.
Plain, whole milk yogurt blended with ground or finely chopped nuts and topped with honey drizzle (no honey for babes less than 12 months).
Quesadilla with cheese and spinach with salsa for dipping.
Tortilla chips topped with shredded cheese and black beans, heat until cheese melts.

For more recipes (90 of em!) check out my new book, available now at Target and Amazon. The link below is an affiliate link, which would mean a small chunk of the sale would go right to me and my family!