Ants on a Log
Ants of a Log are a great, healthy snack that requires a bit of assembly but can be done by most ages and abilities with minimal supervision. But first, let’s talk about the name. If you’re not familiar with this snack (it’s celery, filled with peanut butter, topped with raisins), the name can be very off putting. It is, of course, so named because the celery and peanut butter resemble a log and the raisins are arranged to resemble ants in a line. When I (Kelley, Culikid’s Executive Director) was a child and being babysat by my aunt, my aunt made me a snack called dirt cake—a very cute and yummy snack made from chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, and gummy worms. Hearing about it first, instead of seeing it, I was horrified that my aunt would try to serve me dirt. After an explanation though, I thoroughly enjoyed the snack. Moral of the story is: If Ants on a Log is a new snack and your kids (or whoever you’re serving) might be confused or disgusted by the thought of eating ants on a log, maybe leave the name out of it or name it something else when you introduce it. Something as simple as Celery Snacks could work.
Regardless of what we’re calling, we love this snack as an after-school treat. It’s healthy and balanced and is one of those great, introductory recipes for beginner cooks and food explorers. We demo this recipe using a knife, but you can skip the knife and break the celery stalk with your hands to make the assembly even easier and safer. Plus, they are customizable. Sub the peanut butter for another nut butter, cream cheese, or other creamy filling. Sub the raisins for almost anything else that's a similar size—dried cranberries, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
Watch our video cooking demo and get the written recipe below.
Ants on a Log Recipe
Ingredients:
Celery
Peanut butter or other creamy filling
Raisins or other small toppings
Supplies:
Cutting board
Knife
Spoon
Plate
Directions:
Wash the celery thoroughly. Break one stalk off the bunch. Cut off the white bottom and the leafy top. Set them aside to use for something else or discard. Cut the remaining stalk into 2 or 3 pieces. You can also break it with your hands instead of using a knife.
Use a spoon to scoop a small amount of peanut butter and spread it onto one of the pieces of celery. Use the tip and back of spoon to fully spread peanut butter from one end of the stalk to the other. Repeat to fill all celery stalk pieces.
Top the peanut butter-filled celery with raisins, arranged in a line to look like ants. When done, put them on the plate. Enjoy your snack!