With the eat-healthy movement in full swing, opt for these alternative Easter basket ideas and leave the artificially flavored jelly beans at the store.
Whether you’ve got toddlers, tweens or teens, start a new Easter tradition by surprising them with a thoughtful Easter basket of something that interests them (besides candy).
For a sweet treat
Replace milk chocolate bunnies with high-quality antioxidant-rich dark chocolate bunnies and limit to just a few ounces. Spend the day making homemade treats to sneak into baskets, like our marshmallow recipe that you can cut into bunny shapes and dust in sugar for homemade Peeps.
Speaking of Peeps, create a do-it-yourself s’mores kit using your homemade Peeps, along with our homemade graham cracker recipe (below) and those dark chocolate bunnies.
Melt dark chocolate and dip dried apricots, raisins, dried pears and nuts. Let cool on a wire rack and wrap in cellophane for a better-than-store-bought Easter treat.
For budding chefs
If your kids are into cooking, fill their Easter baskets with kid-friendly cooking tools made especially for little hands, like the Eenie, Meenie, Miney Mini Cooking Set from The Land of Nod, along with a gift certificate for kid-friendly cooking lessons.
Create a food theme basket with their favorite meal, like a pancake basket with homemade pancake mix, maple syrup, fresh berries, powdered sugar, chocolate chips and a squeeze bottle for piping pancake shapes onto the griddle.
For little gardeners
If they’re into gardening, pack a large flower pot with herbs, organic seeds, soil, shovels, trowels, gloves and a watering can. Take it a step further and create a theme for the basket, such as a pizza garden theme with basil, oregano, peppers, tomatoes and parsley. When the veggies and herbs are ready to harvest, cook something together. Spring gardening ideas for young kids >>
Homemade graham cracker recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces graham flour
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 ounces dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- In the bowl of a food processor add flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and pulse several times to combine. Add butter; pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add molasses, milk and vanilla extract. Process until dough comes together to form a ball. Remove dough from processor; flatten to a 1/2-inch thick disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove dough from refrigerator. Place disc between two large sheets of parchment paper. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thick. Remove top parchment paper. Slide dough and bottom parchment onto a sheet pan. Cut dough into 2-inch squares. Using a fork, poke holes across the top of the dough.
- Place pan in oven. Bake 25 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove pan from the oven; let pan cool completely on a wire rack. Break crackers apart and store in an airtight container up to two weeks.
Tell us
Do you have alternative Easter basket ideas? Share them with us below!
More homemade Easter basket treats
Easter basket treats for kids
68 Easter treats to give
Candy-free Easter basket alternatives
Leave a Comment