My traditional Day of the Dead recipe post is so popular each year that I decided to make a compilation of all of my favorite kid-friendly Day of the Dead Recipes. These are some of the best Day of the Dead recipes for kids I have found and we’ve made many of these at home. Creating Dia de los Muertos recipes with the kids has been a great way for me to start conversations of the significance of the Dia de Muertos tradition and how it’s different from Halloween celebrations.
Dia de los Muertos is all about celebrating life and remembering family members and loved ones that are no longer with us. It’s a day that focuses on joy and sharing family moments together and that is why making fun Día De Los Muertos inspired recipes together is the perfect activity to do with kids on Day of the Dead!
So here they are! My favorite Dia de Muertos recipes for kids. I will keep adding to this list as I find new recipes and would also love to hear what are your favorite Day of the Dead recipes to make with your kids.
Easy Day Of The Dead Skeleton Cookies
This recipe for Day of the Dead cookies is so easy to make. A twist on the traditional gingerbread men, these skeleton cookies are so much fun to bake and decorate and delicious. They’re perfect for enjoying with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate or a cool glass of horchata.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream Filled Pan de Muerto
For a fun variation on the traditional pan de muerto, fill it with Mexican hot chocolate ice cream. The creamy, spiced chocolate ice cream complements the sweet, soft bread, offering a dessert that’s both comforting and refreshing. This blend of warm flavors and cool ice cream creates a unique and delicious way to enjoy Día de los Muertos.
Calaca Sandwiches from NibblesandFeasts.com
These calaca sandwichitos are so cute! These skull sandwiches are the perfect snack or light lunch recipe and they look like a fun activity to make with kids. Get the recipe HERE.
Easy Day Of The Dead Cake With Buttercream Frosting
This vibrant cake is adorned with classic Día de los Muertos symbols, such as sugar skulls and marigolds, creating a festive and flavorful dessert. The buttercream frosting can be colored in bright hues to capture the holiday’s lively spirit, and it’s simple enough for kids to join in on the decorating fun. It’s a perfect, sweet centerpiece for any Day of the Dead celebration.
Day of the Dead Marigold Cookies
These Día de los Muertos Marigold Cookies are decorated with vibrant yellow icing shaped like marigold flowers, a traditional symbol of the holiday. Sitting on a base of white royal icing, the cookies are both tasty and visually stunning. They make a beautiful addition to your ofrenda or a sweet treat to share with family during the celebration.
Day of the Dead Pumpkin Spice Mini Cheesecakes
We’re big fans of flan in our house and I’ve experimented with different flan recipes. These Day of the Dead inspired pumpkin spice mini cheesecakes are one of my favorite twists on traditional flan. They taste delicious and the texture is so amazing, also pumpkin spice. What more do I need to say? They’re also a blast to make and decorate.
Dia de Muertos Conchas from PresleysPantry.com
Conchas are always part of my Dia de Muertos altar and one of my favorite traditional Day of the Dead foods. These super cute Dia de Muertos conchas from PresleysPantry.com are so adorable and not only make for a great Day of the Dead recipe to make with kids, they are also great as part of your Dia de Muertos altar decorations. Get the recipe HERE.
Day of the Dead Pan de Muerto Cookies
These Pan de Muerto Cookies for Día de los Muertos are a fun variation of the traditional pan de muerto, transformed into bite-sized, easy-to-eat treats. Decorated with sugar and shaped to include the signature bone design on top, they’re a festive addition to any ofrenda or holiday celebration. With their authentic look and sweet taste, they’re a perfect way to honor the tradition in a playful and delicious way.
Sugar Skull Cookie Fruit Pizza
We made this sugar skull fruit pizza a few years ago and it’s now one of our go-to recipes to make with the kids for Dia de Muertos. It’s so much fun to decorate it and you can use whatever fruits, fresh or dried, you have at home as well as nuts or even candy. I love the yogurt cream cheese base, it’s so good and healthier than regular frosting.
Day Of The Dead White Chocolate Covered Strawberry Skulls
This is one of the first Day of the Dead inspired recipes I ever made on the blog and one of my favorites too because it’s so easy to make. These sugar skull inspired white chocolate covered strawberries are ready in just minutes.
Dia de Muertos Candy Tray from NibblesandFeasts.com
I am obsessed with candy trays and we usually make one, or two, for Halloween but I have never made one for Dia de Muertos. I definitely want to create one as beautiful as this Day of the Dead candy tray from NibblesandFeasts.com. I love that she made it with traditional Mexican candy! Get all of the deets on how to make it HERE.
Cute Day Of The Dead Sugar Skull Catrina Cookies
This recipe for Catrina sugar skull cookies is one of my favorite Day of the Dead cookies. These Dia de los Muertos cookies twist the popular sugar skull cookies by turning them into catrinas with beautiful flower crowns. You start with a fool-proof cutout sugar cookie recipe, then cover them with royal icing and have fun decorating them with colored food pens. They’re perfect for adding them to your Day of the Dead party spread or as a delicious Day of the Dead dessert.
How To Make Pan De Muerto Calaverita (Sugar Skull Pan De Muerto)
The pan de muerto calaverita or sugar skull pan de muerto is a playful and creative twist on the traditional pan de muerto, the traditional bread enjoyed in Mexico for the Day of the Dead. Covered in white chocolate and decorated with designs inspired by sugar skulls, this version of pan de muerto is delicious and so much fun to make.
Skull Pizza
For those picky eaters out there this skull pizza is the perfect Day of the Dead recipe. My kids love to change this one around and each person in our family makes their own personal Dia de Muertos inspired pizza.
Sugar Skull Ginger Spice Cookies
Sugar Skull Ginger Spice Cookies are fun and easy-to-make stamp cookies, perfect for celebrating Day of the Dead. These cookies combine warm ginger and spices, making them a delicious treat for fall. All you need to do is press a sugar skull stamp into the dough, and the design bakes right into the cookie. It’s a simple recipe that lets you make festive and tasty cookies without a lot of work.
Dia de Muertos Gelatina Cake from PresleysPantry.com
This Day of the Dead gelatin cake from PresleysPantry.com is sure to be a hit with adults and kids alike. I love that families can decorate together, such a great activity to do with your kids. Get the full recipe for this delicious skull or calavera cake HERE.
Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .
When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.
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