Ultimate Gift Guide for Teens That Like to Cook: 15 Fun Ideas
If you know teen that has talent in the kitchen, and you want to give a great gift, THIS is the ultimate GIFT GUIDE for teens that like to cook!
My sons, ages 9-16, are pretty talented in the kitchen. They have enough experience to prepare most of the foods they enjoy. They are knowledgeable about kitchen appliances, recipes, measuring and preparing food.
If you need to give your kids cooking lessons, Cooking with Kids- 10 Skills Your Kids Should Know is a great post to get started.
Below are some of the appliances and tools that we have on hand to promote independence and enjoyment in the kitchen. Feeding ourselves and others is an important life skill to foster!
If you have a young chef budding in the kitchen, or need to teach your kids to cook before they leave home, try one of these ideas this holiday season!
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Gift Guide for Teens That Like to Cook
My sons love gadgets. They love EASY food, especially food that is sweet, spicy or salty. My kids love these small appliances that we have received as gifts and have learned a lot from experimenting with them in the kitchen.
Air Fryer
My oldest son uses his air fryer all the time to make french fries, tater tots, pizza, hot sandwiches and chicken wings.
Homeschool lunches can get old, and making his own hot meals during the day has increased the variety available to him and stretched his skills as he learns to make new things.
This Cosori Air Fryer is also comes with a small cookbook.
Here is a great list of easy, kid friendly air fryer recipes from Feeding Tiny Bellies.
Individual Waffle/Pancake Maker
My second son, age 14, loves waffles and pancakes. This inexpensive little machine is great for one person cooking. It can also make eggs, grilled cheese, quesadillas and omelets.
He has also grown in his culinary skills by trying different recipes with his waffle maker.
Looking for the best waffle recipe: try this one from Farmhouse on Boone.
George Foreman Grill
A George Forman Grill is the perfect way to quickly cook paninis and grilled cheese sandwiches. We eat pretty simply around here, so a HOT sandwich during the homeschool day can feel special.
Here is a link to several hot sandwich recipes that will taste especially good with a George Foreman grill or panini press. Yum!
This little grill is also a great indoor way to cook hamburgers, chicken, salmon and other meats.
Homemade Ice Cream Maker
Isn’t this Narcissus Ice Cream Maker cool?
Does your family make homemade ice cream? Ice cream has gotten so expensive (if we want the good stuff) that we have started making it homemade. It is so delicious! Here is a link to a few simple recipes from Bare Feet in the Kitchen.
This would be a great gift for a teen or older kid that has a sweet tooth. Homemade is always so much better!
Homemade Popcorn Maker
We have recently been making a lot of homemade popcorn at our house! My kids love salty snacks, and I feel a little better about serving popcorn than chips or pretzels. Simple food = good food.
My teens love to learn to make different flavors of popcorn with this cute little popcorn maker.
Stand Mixer
I know several homeschool teen girls who are really into baking sourdough bread. They make beautiful loaves that put my homemade bread to shame.
They rely on their stand mixer to make bread for their families and even sell bread at Farmers’ Markets for extra money.
Stand Mixers are pricey, but so helpful in the kitchen. I use mine almost every day – for bread, pizza dough, baking, shredding chicken, and making mashed potatoes. Perhaps it could be a family gift!
Little Weber Grill
Hotdogs, brats, chicken wings and hamburgers are definitely some of my teens’ favorite foods, and grilling is a great way to get teens outside, year-round.
My teens are getting to an age where they can go to tailgates and camping trips without us. This little Weber would be a great grill to take along. Make sure they have a grilling cookbook!
Cookbooks for Teens
There are some great cookbooks written for teens, no matter if they are learning the basics of cooking, or have specific culinary interests like baking, grilling or bread making.
Before my kids leave home, I want them to be comfortable navigating a cookbook. Here are a few cookbooks that would help them learn to prepare delicious food that they love to eat and serve to others.
Graphic T-Shirts
Graphic t-shirts are so fun; I love that you can get a t-shirt to reflect any hobby or interest. These graphic t-shirts for foodies are super fun.
Food Kits
Even though Pinterest and YouTube can teach us anything, sometimes it is nice to purchase everything required for a recipe in a gift box.
There are lots of different food kits available, but I thought my kids would especially enjoy the Hot Sauce Making Kit, The Ultimate Cheese Making Kit and Root Beer Kit.
Hot Sauce Making Kit
My kids love hot sauce and every year I buy them a variety pack to split as stocking stuffers. They would love this Hot Sauce Making Kit.
The Ultimate Cheese Making Kit
I have made homemade mozzarella before, and it was easy and rewarding. I think this cheese making kit would have been encouraging to me because we are a cheese loving family!
Root Beer Making Kit
My kids are much too young to brew their own beer, but they would love to learn how to make root beer!
This Root Beer Kit would be a fabulous science experiment in your homeschool chemistry class too!
I think that most kids love the independence that cooking affords them. Feeding yourself is REWARDING! I hope that this gift guide for teens that like to cook inspires your teen or tween in the kitchen in 2025!
If you are ready to read more about how I teach my teens to cook, please read:
Cooking with Kids- 10 Skills Your Kids Should Know and 10 Easy Snacks Your Kids Can Make.
For more Homeschool Hobby Inspiration, Unique Hobbies for Homeschoolers- 14 New Ideas has fresh ideas for homeschool hobbies!
Please comment below to let me know which of these gifts your young foodie would enjoy!
