Haitian cuisine for kids: 7 easy recipes to get started

Did you grow up with the taste of rice and beans, sweet potato pudding, or passion fruit juice, and would you like your children to experience it too? The best way to pass on Haitian cuisine is to cook it with them. Good news: many Haitian dishes are perfectly suited for little hands.

Here are 7 easy Haitian recipes to get started with children aged 6 to 12, with a breakdown of what the child can do alone and what is left for the adult.

The golden rule: everyone has a role

The child washes, measures, pours, mixes, picks leaves, and decorates. The adult handles the stove, the oven, frying, and sharp knives. With this simple rule, cooking remains a joy and a moment of pride for the child.

1. Epis, the foundation of everything

Parsley, scallions, thyme, garlic, bell peppers, and lime blended together: epis seasons almost all Haitian cuisine. It is the perfect recipe to start with, as it requires no cooking. The child washes the herbs, picks the thyme leaves, peels the garlic, and fills the blender. The adult chops and blends.

👉 The full epis recipe to make with kids

2. Passion fruit juice

The fruit is cut in half by the adult, then scooped out with a spoon by the child: child's play! Strain it, add fresh water, a little sugar, and a squeeze of lime. The child stirs and tastes to adjust.

3. Tropical fruit salad

Mango, pineapple, banana, papaya: the adult slices the hard fruits, the child cuts the banana with a blunt-tipped knife and mixes everything with orange juice. Simple, colorful, and full of vitamins.

4. Diri ak pwa (rice and beans)

The quintessential everyday dish. The child rinses the rice in a colander until the water runs clear, measures the cups of rice and water, and adds the epis. The adult manages the cooking of the red beans and the rice on the stove.

5. Bannann peze

Twice-fried plantains are a staple. Frying is strictly for the adult. But between the two cookings, once the pieces are just warm, the child can smash them between two plates or with the bottom of a glass. It’s their favorite part!

6. Akasan

This creamy drink made from cornmeal, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla can be enjoyed hot or cold. The child measures the flour, milk, and sugar, and adds the spices. The adult monitors the cooking and stirs over the heat.

7. Pen patat

The famous sweet potato pudding, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The child measures, pours, and mixes the batter, greases the pan, and adds the raisins. The adult grates the sweet potato and handles the oven.

The little extra: learning Creole while cooking

Take advantage of each recipe to learn a word: diri (rice), pwa (beans), bannann (plantain), kannel (cinnamon), pilon (mortar). Children remember a word much better when they have associated it with a scent or a taste.

A book for cooking Haitian food with your children

To take it further, Ti Chef – My first Haitian cookbook brings together 37 easy recipes, from epis to pen patat, designed for children aged 6 to 12, with Talie and Tijo as their guides. Each step is marked "child" or "adult," each recipe flags allergens, and a Creole word accompanies every dish. The e-book is available in French, English, and Kreyòl, and can be downloaded immediately.

Discover the Ti Chef e-books →

And for January 1st, don't miss our recipe for soup joumou to make with the kids.