adminFind the best kid-friendly ways to use canned beans and dried beans in recipes to share with the entire family. I have easy, budget-friendly, and yummy recipes that use pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, red kidney beans, lentils, and split peas. Each is an affordable pantry recipe to share with the whole family.
Best Bean Recipes
Beans and legumes are such an easy way to serve up affordable plant-based protein. And they are ingredients we can keep in the pantry and quickly turn into yummy kid-friendly meals.
These easy bean recipes rely on canned beans, dried beans, and legumes and are both nutritious and yummy. I love using beans and legumes as affordable meat alternatives to ensure that we’re all meeting our protein needs, feeling satisfied at meals (fiber helps with that!), and keeping our food budget in check.
I’ve included my favorite recipes for black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, red kidney beans, lentils, and split peas to make sure you have lots of options to use what you have on hand.
You may also like Iron-Rich Recipes and Shortcut Toddler Meals.
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Recipes for Black Beans
Black beans are my go-to beans for Mexican-inspired meals (in part because my oldest kiddo LOVES them for some reason!) and more, and I always have them on hand in my pantry. Stock up the next time you have a chance, and try one of these easy recipes for your toddler—or the whole family.
Transform pantry staples into the yummiest homemade Vegetarian Burrito Bowls with this easy recipe. (Prep the rice, beans, and veggies ahead if you can or want to. They store well in the fridge and simply need to be reheated.)
You can make and serve these at the same time, or prep them ahead of time and warm up quickly for an easy meal. You can vary the beans in these simple burritos. Serve them with salsa and/or sour cream.
These easy quesadillas can be made with pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, or butternut squash puree. You can also skip it and just go with beans and cheese! I make these as half moon shapes since it helps contain the mess a little when feeding these to kids.
You can add sprinkles to make these fun or leave them plain—either one works! Serving size is 2 brownie bites.
TIP: Cooked black beans can be frozen for future use if needed. I like to freeze any extras in meal-size portions if possible.
Easy Pinto Bean Recipes
Pinto beans are versatile and mild and are easy to make into chili, quesadillas, rice and beans, and more.
Learn how to make perfect Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot (or Slow Cooker) with this easy method. You can double this recipe to cook 2 pounds of dried beans at once. Just increase the water to 12 cups.
When serving this to a little one, I like to drain off much of the broth. This makes it a little easier (and less messy) for them to eat. If your family likes spice, add in a dash or two of cayenne pepper.
You can use precut butternut squash or sweet potato and shredded carrots to cut down on the prep time if desired. This isn’t super saucy, but you can increase the liquid if desired. See the Notes for details.
This super simple riff on tacos takes just minutes to make, is really satisfying, and is great for lunch, dinner, or even snack. (This makes 6 rolled-up tacos, so you can adjust this as needed for your family.)
TIP: Place canned beans into a colander and rinse well with water to avoid any excess salt (and the sort of weird liquid from the can).
Garbanzo Bean Recipes
Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are a mild bean that can be used in hummus (and I have a few options below to try!) and other recipes including grain bowls and salads. Here are my favorite chickpea recipes.
With just 5 minutes and basic pantry ingredients, you can make the yummiest Homemade Hummus without tahini. This means that it’s nut-free, so it’s an option for school and allergy families, and it’s just perfect for dunking crackers or spreading on bread.
This roasted chickpeas recipe is an easy and delicious way to add nutrition to your toddler’s diet. If you start with dried beans in this salty-sweet snack, make sure to cook them until they are very tender. If making these for a kiddo under one, use maple syrup instead of honey or skip the sweetener all together.
With just a few ingredients and a quick cooking time, these Chickpea Fritters are a protein–packed meal that’s ready in under 20 minutes. (And they reheat well for the future, too!)
Taste the hummus and adjust for salt as needed. You may need more depending on whether or not you started with canned beans, and sometimes after the hummus sits in the fridge, it needs another sprinkle of salt.
Try making a super easy Indian food recipe at home with this mild Instant Pot Chana Masala. It’s easy to make, freezes beautifully, and packs extra veggies tucked right into the sauce. (This will likely make enough for two meals—I like to freeze the second half for a future week.)
This brightly colored hummus is a delicious spread for crackers, toast, or sandwiches. Or it can be served as a dip. You can omit the tahini if needed for an allergy.
You can try serving this to your toddler with the components separated if they aren’t quite up to holding and eating a regular taco. Simply arrange the filling, the tortillas, and toppings on a plate and let them eat them however they like!
Mix up this grain salad to have lunches prepped for the week for yourself, or to have a dinner side or vegetarian main dish to share with the family.
TIP: You can lightly smash whole chickpeas for babies and one year olds to ensure they’re safe to eat.
Recipes with White Beans and Red Beans
White beans are soft and mild and are easy to blend into soups and dips to add vegetarian protein. They’re also really great to add to salads! Red beans, I admit, are ones I use less often, but they are super tender on the inside, making them a great choice for kids.
This simple Pasta Salad with Chicken works well anytime of the year, but the flavors are particularly great in summer. Try it for dinner, a potluck, or to meal-prep lunch.
This creamy Carrot Soup is easy and comforting, and it’s a great vegetarian soup to share with the kids. Add some crackers or pita alongside to round out this meal.
With one simple method, you can make the best pasta salad ever using your family’s favorite ingredients and dressing. This is infinitely flexible, it stores well so you can make it ahead, and it’s great cold or at room temperature. (See the Notes for variations!)
Learn how to turn fresh zucchini into a bright and fresh pasta sauce with a simple method. Add the optional toppings for extra flavor as you and your family like. (Heads up: You’ll want to reserve a little of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pot.)
TIP: You may want to mash the beans slightly if they are very large.
Recipes for Lentils and Split Peas
Lentils and split peas are legumes with high iron and protein and they’re an easy shelf-stable protein source to keep in the pantry. Here are my favorite recipes to make with them.
With a quick method and a variety of vegetables packed into the soup, this vegetarian Lentil Soup is a perfect weeknight family dinner—especially when you’re craving comfort food.
With plant-based protein and Vitamin C-rich veggies, this brightly flavored Red Lentil Soup—with sweet potato, ginger, and coconut— is a perfect fast family dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.
Learn this easy technique to add iron and fiber to pasta sauce without impacting the flavor or texture. This is a great option to make a meal a little more satisfying and as an iron-rich vegetarian meal. (You can start with half the amount of lentils to start to ensure the kids like the sauce, if desired.)
We like this with rice, but you can also serve this with pasta if you prefer.
Serve this easy family meal with optional toppings according to what everyone likes.
These have the flavors of traditional falafel, but are made with iron-rich lentils. They’re a nice vegetarian main dish option.
TIP: Red lentils cook a lot faster than brown or green ones, so be sure to get the right kind for your planned recipe if possible.
Best Tips for Cooking with Beans and Legumes
- When cooking dried beans from scratch, make sure they have plenty of water in the pot. The beans will absorb a lot of water; not having enough water will result in beans that aren’t uniformly cooked.
- Be sure to season beans you cook from dry to ensure they have flavor.
- With any canned beans, pour them into a colander from the can and rinse them with water to remove any excess salt and the liquid they were in. This helps them to taste fresher.
- Mash beans slightly in dishes like tacos or burritos to make them a little less likely to fall out when the kids try to eat them.
- Store any leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
I’d love to hear your favorite bean recipes, so please comment below to share!
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