Usually yes, under your state's cottage food law, and this is the one area where guessing is a bad idea. What varies by state: which foods qualify, whether registration or a food safety course is required, where you may sell, and whether there is a revenue cap. Shelf stable items are generally fine and anything needing refrigeration generally is not. Read your own state's agriculture or health department page.
Food is where families most often run into genuine legal requirements, and it is the one area on this site where guessing is a bad idea.
Most states have some version of a cottage food law governing what can be made in a home kitchen and sold. These laws exist precisely so that small home operations can sell legally, so the news is usually better than parents fear. What varies, and varies a great deal, is the detail.
Four things differ state to state, and each one can change the answer.
Which foods qualify. Cottage food rules generally cover shelf stable items like baked goods, jams, and candies, and generally exclude anything requiring refrigeration. Cheesecake and buttercream are the classic places people get caught out.
Whether you have to register. Some states require registration or a permit, some require a food safety course, and some require nothing at all below a revenue threshold. A separate license question may also apply locally.
Where you are allowed to sell. Direct to the customer is usually fine. Farmers markets are often fine. Selling to a shop for resale, or shipping across state lines, frequently is not.
How much you can earn. Several states cap annual cottage food revenue, and crossing the cap moves you into commercial kitchen territory.
There is also a question about who holds the registration, since a minor generally cannot hold a permit or sign the paperwork. In practice that usually means a parent registers.
The right move is a specific one: search your state's name with cottage food law, and read the actual state agriculture or health department page rather than a summary. It takes about fifteen minutes and it is the only way to get a real answer. If the rules look unclear, call the department and ask, because they answer this question constantly.
Allergens deserve a mention separately. Even where labeling is not required, a kid selling food to neighbors should be able to say exactly what is in it.
This is a starting point rather than a ruling. State and local rules govern, they change, and none of this is legal advice.
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