Recipes: Healthy Easter Snacks Kids Can Make

Easter snacks with a healthier spin are tough to find. Too often, Easter baskets and desserts are brimming with chocolates, jelly beans and other sweet treats.

Today, I'm sharing some surprise snacks that have the springtime feel but offer a fun alternative to sugary fare. Check out these healthy Easter recipes kids can make, straight from our social media test kitchen.

Carrot-Shaped Veggie Pizzas

We adapted this carrot-shaped veggie pizza recipe from Hungry Happenings to make a fun Easter snack. 

• 1 tube of crescent rolls (8 rolls)
• 8 ounce tub cream cheese (Plain, garlic herb, dill or veggie flavored)
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup broccoli, diced, or loose spinach leaves

Unroll crescent rolls and separate at perforations. Lie rolls flat on a greased cookie sheet. On the wide end of the triangle, pinch the top of the carrot to make the "leaves" of the carrot.

Bake according to package directions.

When cooled, spread each "carrot" with cream cheese. Cover the carrot end with the diced carrots, and cover the leaf end with diced broccoli or loose spinach leaves.

Shaped Soft Pretzels

Pretzels are perfect for Lent, and the dough is easily shaped into non-traditional shapes like Easter eggs without losing its softness.  My kids enjoyed creating a number of shapes with the dough, including Easter eggs. This recipe comes from the Catholic Icing blog.

• 1 package yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 cups flour
• Optional: Melted butter

Mix yeast, water, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the flour. Knead until the dough is smooth.

For traditional pretzel shapes: Mold the pretzel into the form of arms crossed in prayer and place it on a baking sheet.

For an "Easter egg" shape: Mold by hand.

Optional: Brush with melted butter. 

Sprinkle the top with coarse salt, and bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Easter Egg Popsicles

A British blog Eats Amazing shared this fun idea for an afternoon snack or breakfast. I've adapted this springtime yogurt popsicle recipe using American measures.

• 2 or 3, 5-oz. containers of Greek yogurt, fruit at the bottom
• Cake pop sticks

Thoroughly stir yogurt so fruit is incorporated. Spoon yogurt into an egg-shaped silicone mold. Insert cake pop stick into each.

Freeze overnight.

Pop out of the molds to serve.

Cheese-and-Cracker Chicks

My daughter loved recreating these cheese and cracker chicks from Canadian Family.

• Sliced cheese
• Whole-grain or gluten-free crackers
• Shredded carrots
• Spinach
• Black sesame seeds

Assemble cheese and crackers on a bed of spinach leaves.

Use shredded carrots for feet, noses, and head feathers. Black sesame seeds may be used for eyes.

Carrot Berries for Easter

This recipe was the exception to the "no sweets" take on Easter treats. My crafty daughter enjoyed this spring take on chocolate-covered strawberries.

• Strawberries
• Orange candy melts

Be certain your strawberries are completely dry after you wash the berries, otherwise, the candy coating will not stick.

Melt your candy melts in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until melted.

Dip your berries all the way to the stem; set to let harden.