39 After-School Snacks for Kids (and Adults Too)
There’s hungry, and then there’s post-recess, post-pick-up-line, post-band-practice hungry. If dinner is still a couple hours away, we’ve got you covered: These after-school snacks—with plenty of sweet and savory options to pick from—will satisfy kindergartners, high schoolers, and adults alike. If you’re a planner, you can whip up some of these recipes on a Sunday to enjoy throughout the week, like Brown Butter Banana Nut Muffins, Furikake-Ranch Snack Mix, or Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats. But if you need a kid-friendly snack and you need it now, many of these can be assembled in a flash (like Easy Pickle Dip or this Blueberry-Banana Smoothie).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gözde Eker2/39Air Fryer Garlic-Nori Fries
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie3/39Furikake-Ranch Snack Mix
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie4/39Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats With Brown Butter
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca6/39Brown-Butter Banana Nut Muffins
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers9/39Spicy Tuna Mayo Onigiri
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio10/39Chocolate Date-Caramel Cups
Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini11/39Crispy Cheese Twists
You’re just a package of store-bought puff pastry (and any cheese and spice blend of your choosing) from these speedy, cheesy, flaky, shareable snacks.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca12/39Double-Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Zucchini makes this chocolaty quick bread moist and tender. The best part: There’s no fussy step of squeezing and draining shredded squash. (Save those zucchini tops for even more snacking possibilities.)
Photograph by Laura Murray. Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova13/39Ranch Fun Dip
Dip and dunk any of your favorite veggies in this ultra-savory, nutty blend—made possible by nutritional yeast. Carrots, radish, and sweet snap peas are all great contenders.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca14/39Tangy Tomato-Chile Popcorn
Photo by Alex Lau17/39Fruit Sandwiches
It’s a textural delight: fresh fruit and clouds of whipped cream, squished between plush milk bread. (Bonus points if you use instant pudding mix to make your whipped cream extra stable.) Any fruit works—we love mango, strawberry, kiwi, and tangerines.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro20/39Old Bay Chips With Lemon Mayo
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks21/393-Ingredient Nutella Brownies
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell22/39Roasted Sweet Potato With Kimchi Butter
The kimchi compound butter is the star here, acting as a savory, spicy complement to the sweet potato. Make a double batch to zhuzh up noodles, tofu, or other roasted veggies.
Ted Cavanaugh26/39Jammy Soft-Boiled Eggs
In a world of fussy snacks, there’s something that can’t be beat about simple eggs with a sprinkle of salt and a crack of black pepper. Here’s how to perfect that jammy center.
Peden + Munk27/39Salt-and-Butter-Roasted Pecans
Make a big batch of these, and you’re set on crunchy, savory, snacks for the week. Make extra—they’re also a satisfying salad topper.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart28/39Classic Pigs in a Blanket
With store-bought puff pastry as a speedy shortcut, be prepared to watch these fly off the plate. While we love an assortment of mustards, ketchup or ranch would be great too.
Photo by Gentl and Hyers, food Styling by Susie Theodorou, prop Styling by Nina Lalli29/39Fresh Fruit With Cheese and Peppery Nuts
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua30/39Yogurt-Berry Paletas
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova33/39Tangy Fruit Chaat
Use any savory spice blend—we love chaat masala—to make this sweet-spicy dressing. It makes any fruit feel like a party. Berries and mangoes are stellar, but apples, pears, and stone fruit can all benefit from the chaat treatment.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro34/39Za’atar Fire Crackers
39/39Fig Toasties
