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  4. 24 Kid-Approved Lunchbox Treats

24 Kid-Approved Lunchbox Treats

Updated August 20, 2019
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mr-Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Snack Cake image
Credit: Annie Campbell

Lunchtime is the best part of the school day, and dessert is the best part of a packed lunch—do the math. Brighten your kid’s day (and make your lunch the envy of everyone in class) and slip one of these homemade treats inside. 

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars image
Credit: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Ivy Odom; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars Recipe

They’re everything you love about a classic PB&J sandwich, but in cookie form (i.e. way better). These peanut butter and jelly bars feature a chewy peanut butter cookie layer, topped with a sweet-tart jammy layer, and finished off with a crunchy peanut butter streusel. While they would make for a perfect lunchbox treat to send with your kiddos (particularly if you’re not already packing them a PB&J sandwich), these nostalgic, deliciously balanced cookie bars are also a huge hit with the grown-up crowd. Pack them up for your next tailgate or potluck, and ready yourself for rave reviews. We went with grape jam for our bars, but feel free to use your favorite flavor instead. 

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Copycat Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies

Copycat Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies image
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey

Copycat Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies Recipe

Is this recipe an exact replica of Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies? No. These are better. Rather than thin cakes, we went for oatmeal cookies that pack an almost peanut-butter-like flavor without any nuts. The crème filling completely nails what we love about the prepackaged pies, but takes things further with an almost airy, marshmallow-based consistency. If that doesn’t convince you, preparing these at home is just as quick (if not faster) than a grocery run.

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Peach-Strawberry Fruit Leather

Peach-Strawberry Fruit Leather
Credit: Oxmoor House

Peach-Strawberry Fruit Leather Recipe

This kid-friendly fruit snack recipe requires just 4 ingredients. 

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Chai Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Chai Swirl Cheesecake Bars image
Credit: Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Pam Lolley

Chai Swirl Cheesecake Bars Recipe

These eye-catching dessert bars taste like your favorite chai latte, reimagined in cheesecake form. Featuring flavorful swirls of chai-infused cream cheese filling, each bite offers richly aromatic, spiced flavor set against a cool and creamy vanilla cheesecake backdrop. They’re a simple dessert to make, but undeniably impressive. 

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All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

All Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Pam Lolley

All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

When it comes to making cookies from scratch, these crispy-chewy chocolate chip cookies represent the best of the best. Simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions make this a recipe you'll come back to again and again. Whip up a batch of these all-time favorite cookies and they won't last long. Pro tip: Bake 10 minutes for a softer cookie or up to 14 minutes for a crispier cookie.

After you've made these craveworthy cookies, don't forget to try our fun variations. All sorts of goodies—from crushed white-chocolate pretzels to toffee candy—can be added to the batter to create other signature cookies.

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Homemade Toaster Pastries

Homemade Toaster Pastries

Homemade Toaster Pastries Recipe

Kids will love to help assemble these DIY toaster pastries, complete with icing and sprinkles!

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Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars

Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars Recipe

These toasty-sweet, sheet pan sandwich cookies are fantastic for potlucks or tailgates—heck, whip a batch up on the weekend and enjoy for after-school snacks or dessert throughout the week. Toffee bits and cinnamon kick up the flavor of a traditional oatmeal cookie, while adding fresh orange zest to the filling adds a special touch or bright flavor to these tasty bars. Be sure the cookie is completely cool (out of the pan) before cutting it, or it will crumble. And to ensure a smooth cut, you’ll want to chill the filled cookie really well before slicing into bars.

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Raspberry Crumble Bars

Raspberry-Almond Crumble Bars
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Raspberry Crumble Bars Recipe

Gooey and crumbly bars are the perfect snack. To give these dessert bars an extra-thick layer of fruit, we added berries to the mixture. Fresh or frozen berries will work equally fine in this recipe. For the neatest squares, cool the bars completely before cutting—or refrigerate up to two hours.

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Chocolate Crème-Filled Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate Crème-Filled Sandwich Cookies
Credit: Oxmoor House

Chocolate Crème-Filled Sandwich Cookies Recipe

Use this recipe to make your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies at home. 

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Toffee Blond Brownies

Toffee Blond Brownies
Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Toffee Blond Brownies Recipe

The sweet toffee bits melt during baking and give these thin, gooey brownies a crunchy topping.

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Sweet and Salty Popcorn Balls

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Balls
Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Balls Recipe

These festive Sweet and Salty Popcorn Balls are not only fun to eat, but cheap and yummy, too! To dress up these party bites, drizzle with melted semi-sweet or white chocolate.

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Best Fudgy Brownies

Best Fudgy Brownie
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Pam Lolley

Best Fudgy Brownies Recipe

Meet your new go-to recipe for homemade brownies. These decadent treats are extra rich and fudgy, thanks to a double hit of baking chocolate and bittersweet chocolate morsels. They’re incredibly easy to make, plus you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. And while we’re definitely not above boxed brownie mixes, these homemade brownies would certainly steal the show at any party or get-together.

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Junk Food Cookie Bars

Junk Food Cookie Bars image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Junk Food Cookie Bars Recipe

The next time you're at the end of an exceptionally rough week, we'd definitely recommend whipping up a batch of these kitchen sink cookie bars. The perfect decadent balance of salty and sweet, these chewy treats are here to satisfy all junk food cravings. We loaded them up with peanut butter, chocolate chips, pretzels, Oreos, potato chips, and M&M’s, but feel free to experiment with swapping in some of your favorite snacks and flavors. 

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Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles
Credit: Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro

Snickerdoodles Recipe

Sugar, spice, and everything nice, that's what these classic cookies are made of! If you're not already sold, these cookies are low in calories and easy to make.

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars image
Credit: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Ivy Odom; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars Recipe

Creamy, crunchy, rich, salty, and sweet all at the same time—these no-bake, chocolate-peanut butter bars are everything. Crisp crushed Bugles (one of our staffs’ junk food favorites) make for an fun and amazingly delicious twist on a typical crumb crust. They lend the perfect hit of salty, crispy, buttery goodness in the base of this cookie bar, and topping the assembled bars with a another handful of the the whole chips is a playful touch that lets folks know what’s in store when they bite into this salty-sweet situation. These decadent cookie bars were a huge hit in the test kitchen, and recipe developer Ivy Odom notes that they would be “perfect for tailgates, school parties, or for eating in front of the TV, with wine and the rest of the bag of Bugles, after a long day at work.”

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Girl Scout Cookie Layer Bars

Girl Scout Cookie Layer Bars image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Girl Scout Cookie Layer Bars Recipe

Why pick one Girl Scout Cookie when you can have them all… in one epic dessert bar. This decadent amalgamation of Girl Scout Cookies—featuring Trefoils, Samoas, Do-si-dos, and Tagalongs—is the perfect recipe for anyone who simply can’t say no to any scout who asks. Go ahead; generosity earns you extra indulgence points, everyone knows that. 

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Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Add some color to your cookie tray with these jam-filled thumbprints. This recipe could also be your healthy alternative for the next school party.

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Mudslide Cookies

Mudslide Cookies
Credit: Randy Mayor

Mudslide Cookies Recipe

Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and rich and delicious all the way around is how readers rate these brownie-like cookies. Need we say more?

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Unicorn Snack Bars

Unicorn Snack Bars image
Credit: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Deb Wise

Unicorn Snack Bars Recipe

These sweet unicorn treats are adorable enough to serve at a birthday party, but easy enough to throw together for after-school snacks during the week. Adding almonds and apple chips into the mix make these snack bars more substantial and flavorful than a plain rice cereal treat, but these ingredients are easily swapped to accommodate your favorite mix-ins or nut allergies. We added a touch of food coloring to give the bars a cheerful pink hue, but it’s A-OK to leave it out if you would prefer.  

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Almond Joy Cookies

mr-almondjoycookies-update
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke

Almond Joy Cookies Recipe

Inspired by the favorite almond, coconut, and chocolate candy bar, these loaded Almond Joy Cookies are sure to steal the show on any holiday cookie platter or cookie swap they show up at.  

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Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies Recipe

Peanut butter sandwich cookies become the crumb crust for these hunky brownie bars loaded with chunks of candy bar.

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No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars Recipe

These bars are a perfectly portable snack you can prep on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. The bars will continue to firm up as they chill.

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Hello Dolly Bars

Hello Dolly Bars
Credit: Oxmoor House

Hello Dolly Bars Recipe

These bar cookies are also known as seven-layer bars. They take less than 30 minutes to make and call for just 8 ingredients, making Hello Dolly Bars the perfect dessert for taking along, well, just about anywhere!

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Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Snack Cake

mr-Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Snack Cake image
Credit: Annie Campbell

Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Snack Cake Recipe

Featuring a delightfully crunchy almond topping along with the delicate sunny brightness of sumac, this cake is effortlessly impressive. And given how easy it is to whip up, it’s a perfect go-to recipe for any occasion that calls for a special treat. Lightly toasting the almond flour before incorporating it into the batter imbues the cake with a delicious toasty depth; however, if you’re in a hurry, rest assured, the overall success of the recipe is not incumbent on this step. Serve as-is or with lightly sweetened whipped cream. 

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    1 of 24 Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars
    2 of 24 Copycat Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies
    3 of 24 Peach-Strawberry Fruit Leather
    4 of 24 Chai Swirl Cheesecake Bars
    5 of 24 All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
    6 of 24 Homemade Toaster Pastries
    7 of 24 Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars
    8 of 24 Raspberry Crumble Bars
    9 of 24 Chocolate Crème-Filled Sandwich Cookies
    10 of 24 Toffee Blond Brownies
    11 of 24 Sweet and Salty Popcorn Balls
    12 of 24 Best Fudgy Brownies
    13 of 24 Junk Food Cookie Bars
    14 of 24 Snickerdoodles
    15 of 24 Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars
    16 of 24 Girl Scout Cookie Layer Bars
    17 of 24 Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
    18 of 24 Mudslide Cookies
    19 of 24 Unicorn Snack Bars
    20 of 24 Almond Joy Cookies
    21 of 24 Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies
    22 of 24 No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars
    23 of 24 Hello Dolly Bars
    24 of 24 Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Snack Cake

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