To help keep little ones entertained and well-nourished, boring sandwiches are out, fun bento-worthy eats are in! And what better way to celebrate the flavors of fall than a few kid-friendly apple recipes that can travel to school, be prepared quickly for afternoon snacks, or provide healthy delicious fun at festivities. Plus, all three of the kid-friendly apple recipes shown here are safe for most – they’re dairy-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free and optionally vegan.
- 2 kid size apples (like Lil Snappers)
- 1 can (6-ounces) white albacore tuna*, packed in water, drained
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise*
- ½ teaspoon honey mustard*
- ½ carrot, finely diced
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Slice off the top one-third of each apple. Using a small teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, core-out the center of each apple base (working outward from center-most part of fruit), leaving ¼-inch outer edge.
- In a small bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, mustard and carrot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon ¼ cup of the tuna salad into each apple, top with the top one-third of apples, tilted slightly to resemble a chest being opened.
- Use playful, pirate-themed cupcake holders and flagged toothpicks to make for fun presentation and easy clean-up, if desired.

- 1 kid size apple (like Lil Snappers)
- 3 ounces dairy-free cheese alternative (like Daiya blocks or Follow Your Heart blocks)
- 1 slice oven-roasted turkey, cut ¼ to ½-inch thick
- Core the apple and slice in half vertically.
- Place the two halves on a cutting board, flesh side down, and slice each into 3 to 4 slices, from stem end to bottom to resemble half-moon.
- Cut 2 to 3½-inch slices from the cheese alternative, depending on dimensions, cut each slice again to create square or triangle shapes, as preferred.
- Cut cubes of turkey from the slice, or use a 1½ to 2-inch round cutter to cut rounds of turkey from the slice, and cut each round in half.
- Thread pieces onto 2 skewers, alternating between apple slices, cheese alternative and turkey.

- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2 medium organic apples
- Place the cashews in a spice grinder or food processor*, and process until finely ground and beginning to clump. Add the coconut oil, vanilla, and salt, and process again until smooth and creamy.
- Core the apples and slice horizontally into ¼- to ½-inch thick rounds.**
- Spread the cashew butter onto one side of each apple round. If toppings are desired, add them now and press lightly into the cashew butter.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The coconut oil will help the cashew butter set up like a rich, creamy glaze.
**If you are concerned about browning, you can toss the apple rounds with citrus juice (lemon, pineapple, or orange).
More Kid-Friendly Apple Recipes
- Apple Fries (better than McDonalds!)
- Hemp ‘n Apple Muffins (fruit sweetened!)
- Eskimo Kiss Cider (with pomegranate juice, too)
- Apple Smile Sandwiches (a more inviting sammy)
- Lil Critters (fun for children to make)
- Apple Pie Smoothies (our kid testers voted them better than chocolate!)
4 Comments
These are fantastic! My kids are WILD about apples as is, but I think some of these recipes will be huge hits in our home. Thank you for sharing!
I am such a huge apple lover, but I have never once tried this tuna idea…I smell lunch!
these are all SO fun!! I love those pirate apples…
These are such fun lunch ideas for kids!