Easy After School Snacks

An Energy-Boost For Your Kiddo

dunkaroo dip with graham cracker cookies

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

After school snacks are useful for staving off hunger until dinner is ready, but making them is often fun for kids to partake in, too. Below you'll find our best after school snack ideas, which are easy to make, healthy(ish), and fit a range of preferences. You'll also find a list of store-bought snack ideas for those moments when convenience is key.

  • 01 of 14

    Hummus

    Hummus With Tahini

    The Spruce

    Hummus is the much loved Middle Eastern dip that's made from a base of garbanzos and tahini. As long as you have a food processor or even a blender, it whips up quickly. This is also the sort of recipe that you can make ahead of time and keep in the fridge. 

  • 02 of 14

    Chocolate Covered Pretzels

    Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

    The Spruce

    Although you can get creative while making chocolate-covered pretzels, all you really need is shortening, chocolate, and pretzels. This recipe is fun to make with the kids since drizzling, decorating, and dipping are all baked into the process.

  • 03 of 14

    Pita Bread Pizza

    Pita Bread Pizza

    Easy and fun to make, pita bread pizza is the sort of snack you can throw together with the kids. Pita is the perfect substitution to making your own pizza dough but if
    you don’t have it on hand, try using a slice of bread and toasting it first. This will prevent things from turning soggy.  

  • 04 of 14

    Sweet Potato Fries

    Baked Vegan Sweet Potato Fries

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

    Sweet potato fries offer a sweet and salty flavor combination that’s hard to beat. Even better, this recipe is baked so it’s a much healthier alternative to the classic French fry. You can use cooking spray as called for, but aerosol cans are difficult to recycle. As an alternative, try lightly brushing on an oil of your choice. 

    Continue to 5 of 14 below.
  • 05 of 14

    Ham Roll-Ups

    Ham Roll-Ups

    Kristina Vanni

    Ham roll-ups are a fun and easy snack to make for the kids, simply requiring pickles, cream cheese, and ham. If your kid doesn’t like the flavor of a classic dill pickle, you can easily swap in another variety, like bread and butter or cornichon pickles.

  • 06 of 14

    Peanut Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

    Peanut Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    Smoothies are delicious and portable, so they can readily be taken to any after-school activities. What's more, this peanut butter banana smoothie is also easily customizable. If your kid’s not a fan of cinnamon, toss in a few shakes of cocoa powder. You can also nix the bananas and use dates instead.

  • 07 of 14

    Hummus Avocado Wrap

    Vegan Hummus Avocado Wrap

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

    This hummus avocado wrap is as easy as spreading on the hummus, laying on the toppings, and rolling it up. What’s more, you can create many iterations on this recipe, depending on what’s available. Don’t have hummus? How about a black bean dip, cream cheese, or tzatziki? Or instead of sprouts, try spinach or shredded cabbage.  

  • 08 of 14

    Roasted Chickpeas With Parmesan

    Roasted Chickpeas With Parmesan Cheese

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

    Full of fiber and protein, chickpeas offer a healthy snacking option. They also have a naturally mild and slightly nutty flavor, making them great for dressing up with spices, cheeses, or other seasonings. Enter these roasted chickpeas with parmesan, which can be easily altered to fit preferences.

    Continue to 9 of 14 below.
  • 09 of 14

    Oven-Baked Quesadilla

    Cheese and bell pepper quesadilla

    The Spruce Eats / Emily Hawkes

    If you want to sneak in some veggies on your kid’s plate, tossing them in a vegetarian baked quesadilla is the way to go. This recipe calls for diced bell peppers, but torn spinach, onion, tomatoes, and corn are also delicious additions. 

  • 10 of 14

    Vegan Chocolate Pudding

    Dairy-Free Vegan Chocolate Pudding

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    This vegan chocolate pudding isn’t a last-minute recipe, but it is easy to prepare and can be stored to snack on all week. Also, it’s generally a healthier option than store-bought pudding since it’s made with plant milk and you can control how much sugar you use. If you’d like, you can add some crunch by throwing in chopped nuts or coconut flakes.

  • 11 of 14

    Guacamole

    Simple guacamole recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    This guacamole uses a few additional ingredients like Mexican crema and tomatoes, but a good guac can be pared down to just three ingredients: avocadoes, lime, and salt. This makes it a great dip for last-minute, reasonably healthy, snacking. Serve with tortilla chips or any other chip, like plantain or pita.

  • 12 of 14

    Nooch Popcorn Seasoning

    Nooch Popcorn Seasoning

    Kristina Vanni

    Popcorn is a convenient, tasty snack but many bagged, microwave popcorn options contain harmful chemicals, so you may want to pop yours with a popcorn maker instead. Once popped, add some nooch popcorn seasoning, which is made with nutritional yeast for a cheesy, nutty flavor.

    Continue to 13 of 14 below.
  • 13 of 14

    Grilled Cheese

    Grilled cheese sandwich pulled apart
    Diana Rattray

    A basic grilled cheese sandwich is hard not to like and what’s more, it comes together in minutes. Though if your kid is an adventurous eater, you can also spruce it up with a variety of toppings, cheeses, and bread options. Take a look at our grilled cheese idea grid for some inspiration.

  • 14 of 14

    One-Bowl Oatmeal Jam Bars

    oatmeal jam bars

    The Spruce / Jessie Sheehan

    The crunchy crust and unctuous filling of these one-bowl oatmeal jam bars make for a delicious, kid-friendly snack. There’s no fancy equipment required and in fact, this recipe even recommends using your hands. This creates a great opportunity for the kids to pitch in and have fun.

    Snacks You Can Pick-Up at the Store

    No matter how simple or fast, cooking isn't always feasible. For this reason, we'd like to provide some snack ideas that you can find at the store. Because one-time use packaging waste is so damaging to the environment, we also encourage you to first check out our piece on sustainable snacking, which provides plenty of store-bought snack brands to select from.

    Grab and Go

    • Jerky
    • Granola Bars
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Fruit Leather

    Study Time

    • Trail Mix
    • Veggie Chips
    • Freeze-Dried Fruit and Veggies
    • Seaweed Snacks