11 Homemade Lunchbox Treats Kids Will Love

I’ve been doing this early-morning mom thing for nearly 20 years, and I know, first hand, that packing school lunchboxes can begin to feel a bit monotonous and very routine after a few months. Plus, weekday mornings are often hectic enough without the added stress of last minute searches for tasty treats to include in the lunchboxes every day! It’s also all too easy to fall into a rut of reaching for the same old packaged granola bars or package cookies every morning just to get it all done on time.

These 11 Homemade Lunchbox Treats are easy, delicious, and perfect for giving kids a little something to look forward to at lunch time with very little effort in the kitchen! From chewy cookies and mini muffins to a few other bite-sized goodies, there’s something here for every type of sweet tooth.

All of these recipes can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or on the countertop to have on hand for the week. And don’t forget to set a small portion of these tasty sweets aside for the parental units too! Because in my experience, all of these goodies will get gobbled up fast! Hardworking parents deserve a little love at lunchtime too. 💖

1. No-Bake Monster Cookie Energy Bites

These No-Bake Monster Cookie Energy Bites are easy and delicious little snacks packed with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips and colorful chocolate candies. They are made in minutes and store well in the refrigerator making them perfect for lunchboxes, as well as afternoon snacks after a long day. Sweet, chewy and fun, these are little petite treat the whole family will love.

No bake cookies are stacked in a clear bowl for an eye-catching display. Whole oats, streaks of creamy peanut butter and color candy coated chocolates candies are visible in these little energy bites. The bowl sits on top of a gray and white striped tea towel.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2020/05/no-bake-monster-cookie-energy-bites/

2. Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins are soft, tender, and filled with comforting warm spices and sweet chocolate chips. Their two-bite size makes them ideal for a quick breakfast, lunchboxes, or a quick snack at any time of the day. They are easy to make and a wonderful way to celebrate the start of pumpkin-spice-everything season! 🎃🍫

Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins have an earthy orange tint and are speckled with chocolate chops. They are in a white serving bowl, a decorative orange pumpkin is slightly blurred in the background.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2023/09/mini-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins/

3. Cake Mix Brownie Bites

These easy Cake Mix Brownie Bites will be an instant hit with kids of all ages. These petite, chocolaty treats are perfectly sized for lunch boxes and after-school snacks, but tasty enough to serve for a brunch or a holiday dessert buffet. Store any leftover mini-muffins in the refrigerator using an airtight container for up to one week.

A three compartment lunch container is ready for a child's lunchbox. A peanut butter sandwich, cheese crackers, and two petite brownie bites, prepared from this recipe, fill the container. Two mini brownies fit perfectly in one of the small, side hollows.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2024/08/cake-mix-brownie-bites/

4. No-Bake Maple, Oat & Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

These Maple, Oat and Chocolate Chip Energy Bites are sweet and satisfying with a generous hint of maple flavor and loads of sweet chocolate chips. They are the perfect, no-fuss treat to keep in the fridge for a grab and go option for lunchboxes, afterschool snacks, or whenever a little energy boost is required!

A fresh batch of oat, maple energy bites is ready to enjoy. Hearty oats, sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter are all visible in these no-bake cookies.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2018/03/no-bake-oat-energy-bites-with-peanut-butter-maple-and-chocolate-chips/

5. Confetti Cake Mix Cookies

Confetti cake mix cookies are served on an ivory-colored ceramic cake stand with a pink tea towel laid out next to the cake stand. Colorful rainbowl sprinkles are strikingly visible in the soft white cake mix cookies. They are the perfect addition to a spring party dessert table, birthday parties or even lunchboxes.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2020/04/confetti-cake-mix-cookies/

6. Homemade Honey Cinnamon Granola

This Simple Honey Cinnamon Granola is golden, crunchy, and naturally sweetened with honey and cinnamon. It’s easy to make using pantry staple ingredients, and it’s delicious mixed into a yogurt cup or to nibble on by the handful. The whole family will love this flavorful, no-fuss granola!

Bits of toasted, chopped pecans and toasted old-fashioned oats coated with honey and cinnamon looked tempting as the cool on a lined baking sheet. Homemade honey granola is fresh baked and golden brown.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2020/05/simple-honey-cinnamon-granola/

7. Easy Double Chocolate Protein Muffins

These delicious Double Chocolate Muffins are satisfying and sweet! These protein-packed muffins are simple to make using a quality protein pancake mix, a generous measure of fresh fruit, and a handful of kitchen staples. Lately, I’ve been making this recipe using my mini muffin pan so I can more easily tuck a couple of protein mini muffins into lunchboxes. Adjust the original instructions by adding one generous tablespoon of muffin batter to a lightly greased mini muffin pan and bake them for 12- 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean!

Seven fresh-baked double chocolate protein muffins are cooling on a metal rack. The muffins have a rich, dark brown color and bits of melty chocolate chips are visibly baked into the muffin tops.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2025/02/easy-double-chocolate-protein-muffins/

8. Classic M&M Cookies

These buttery Classic M&M Cookies are similar to traditional chocolate chip cookies but made even better by the crunchy, candy-coated bits of chocolate mixed in. Old-fashioned M&M cookies are soft, sweet, and irresistible! These colorful vintage cookies will brighten anyone’s day, especially at lunchtime.

Buttery, homemade m&m cookies are stacked on a wooden cutting board. One cookie is laying flat and another cookie is on it's side leaning against the stack of eye-catching cookies. Several pastel-colored chocolate candies are sprinked around the cutting board. A small glass jar with a white ceramic topper shaped like a bunny is next to the fresh baked cookies, it's filled with colorful pastel m&m candies. Vintage Pyrex coffee cups with yellow sunflowers and a lilac plant are slightly blurred in the background for a decorative effect.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2026/04/classic-mm-cookies/

9. Oatmeal Kiss Cookies

These tender Oatmeal Kiss Cookies are a delicious doppelganger to their famous peanut butter cousins. A sweet Hershey’s Kiss nestled into the center of a comforting, classic chewy oatmeal cookie makes these little cookies extra special. This homemade treat is a wonderful choice for lunch boxes, after-school snacking, or classroom cookie trays too.

Soft, chewy oatmeal cookies with Hershey's kiss candies nestled into the centers are on a metal cooling rack with pastel colored kiss candies scattered around them.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2021/01/oatmeal-kiss-cookies/

10. Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

These eye-catching, scratchmade Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies are the ideal combination of crunchy, soft, sweet and salty! They’re little flavor parties that are perfect for lunch boxes and perfect for sharing, so maybe pack an extra one to share with a friend!

Tender, golden chocolate chip pretzel cookies are stacked and ready to served on a wooden cutting board. A blue and white tea towel is folded next to the warm cookies. Bits of melty chocolate chips are visible throughout the perfectly baked chocolate chip cookies and the toasted pretzel on top makes the sweet and salty treats extra tempting.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2025/10/chocolate-chip-pretzel-cookies/

11. Homemade Rice Krispie Treats

I may be biased, but I do think I’ve saved the best recipe for last! Homemade Rice Krispie Treats are the ultimate homemade lunchbox treat; they are so simple to make, addictively delicious, and always a favorite with kids of all ages. No one outgrows this well-loved, nostalgic recipe! 🫶🏻

A freshly made batch of classic rice krispie treats is cooled and being cut into squares for serving. The rice krispie treats are in a clear glass baking dish right next to a wooded cutting board. The individual rice krispie treat squares are served on pieces of unbleaches parchment paper. A black and white tea towel rests on the cutting board with a red apple resting on top of the towel.

RECIPE: https://alittlefishinthekitchen.com/2026/08/homemade-rice-krispie-treats/

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