Planning food for a first birthday party can be a bit tricky. If you baby already has friends that means there will be a lot of little kids there so the food needs to please them and adults alike. I’ve found 31 perfect first birthday food ideas from appetizers to dessert and everything in between.
First Birthday Party Food Ideas
These fun ideas cover every aspect of the party food! From appetizers and snacks to main courses and ending with desserts and drinks. I’ve found a little bit of everything so you can pick and choose and pull together an entire first birthday party meal plan from this one post.
I’ve taken into account that your not-so-baby-anymore kiddo might have some playmates around their age already when picking out these party foods. Since you might have a lot of kids of various ages at your party including those very small ones, nothing on this list is chokeable. You’re not going to find any popcorn or grapes here!
I’ve broken up the party food by category, hope you love it all!
First Up… Kids Birthday Party Appetizers, Snacks, and Main Courses
You don’t really need to have an established main course at a kids birthday party.
You of course can by all means, but what the kids choose to eat for the snacks or main course can be so interchangeable, I’m just including them all here together.
Cap’n Crunch Chicken Fingers Recipe
This slightly sweet but surprisingly savory Cap’n Crunch Chicken Fingers Recipe marries juicy chicken tenders with a crispy crust into a memorable appetizer or meal everyone will love. The finishing touch is the addictive dunkable mustard sauce.
Easy Crunchwrap Supreme (Taco Bell Copycat)
This vegan crunchwrap supreme is literally the best of the best when it comes to making amazingly delicious food with no animal products. Serve these tasty tacos up as the main course for your party!
Dino Buddies Air Fryer Recipe
This is a super fast and easy way to make a main course that every kid at your party will love. You can make air fryer Dino Buddies dinosaur chicken nuggets in only 10 minutes and they are healthier this way than when you fry them.
Best Nut Free Granola Bars
Whip up a big batch of these tasty nut free bars – perfect for a delicious snack at your party that toddlers and adults will both love munching on. Safe for BLW and really perfect sweet but healthy recipe to feature.
Air Fryer Parmesan Pizza Wings
Kids love these Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Pizza Wings! Easy to make, SO full of flavor and great as an appetizer or dinner for your birthday party celebration. If your kids love pizza and wings, give these a try!
Pizza Cones
If your kids love pizza but you want to change things up, you have to make Pizza Cones! They are SUCH a fun appetizer for all ages! And don’t worry, they’re easier than they look and can even be made ahead of time. All you need is a can of Pillsbury Crescent Dough, some aluminum foil, and a waffle ice cream cone to form the shape. NO cone molds are required!
“Everything Bagel” Turkey Cheddar Crescent Rolls
These “Everything Bagel” Turkey Cheddar Crescent Rolls fit the bill for the lunch box to dinner and everything in between. They are easy to make, look impressive, and taste phenomenal.
Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
These are as delicious as Homemade Air Fryer Pizza Rolls can get, with crispy baked pastry oozing savory ham and mozzarella flavors. Kind of like hot pockets, but healthier and homemade, they even taste better too.
Pizza Muffins
These pizza muffins are crescent roll cups filled with pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, then baked to golden brown perfection. A fun recipe for pizza bites that’s the perfect appetizer for your birthday party.
Rainbow Spaghetti
These taste-safe colored noodles are so much fun for toddlers and even school aged kids. This is a kids birthday party food that the other kids will be talking about for weeks!
Learn how to dye spaghetti noodles and use these for a kid approved birthday food idea.
Instant Pot Spaghetti
If you don’t want to dye your noodles, there’s nothing stopping you from using spaghetti noodles in a more traditional way in your kids birthday party food plans this year. Instant Pot spaghetti is a 15-minute one-pot meal made with seasoned ground beef, a flavorful marinara sauce, and tender spaghetti noodles perfect for slurping!
Homemade Spaghetti O’s
Kick the can and make this healthy recipe for the kids instead! These Homemade Spaghetti O’s are allergy-free, gluten-free, and vegan! A super easy lunch or dinner that’s kid-friendly and mom-approved!
Pizza Casserole
Pizza Casserole is a delightful fusion of two beloved classics that will take your taste buds on a joyous journey. With this pizza casserole with pasta instead of crust, every meal is a celebration, and every bite is a taste of happiness.
Strawberry Muffins
It’s not always easy to find snacks for your little ones that are both nutritious and delicious as well as fast and easy to make. But I’ve got you covered! These strawberry muffins for toddlers are a toddler-approved treat that both adults and babies will love to snack on at your party.
PB&J Graham Cracker Sandwiches
If you love the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but are looking for a little twist for your party then this peanut butter and jelly graham cracker sandwich is just what you’re looking for. With only three ingredients you can have this whipped up in 5 minutes or less.
Homemade Gluten-Free + Allergy-Free Uncrustables
These yummy sandwiches are just what the little picky eaters want! Homemade Gluten-Free + Allergy-Free Uncrustables are a party-friendly, allergy-friendly (because they use sunflower butter, so great for a party if you don’t know if any kids might have peanut allergies), vegan, and gluten-free version of the packaged “PBJ crustless pocket” sandwich!
Fruit Jelly Rainbow Cups
This fruit jelly cups recipe is a delicious dessert with layers of fresh strawberries, mango, kiwi, blueberries, and dragon fruit in rainbow colors held together in cute cups with agar jelly.
Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups
If you are hosting a summer party, fresh berries can be turned into a perfect snack. These homemade fruit roll-ups are surprisingly easy to make and only require a few ingredients!
Next Up… Kids Birthday Party Desserts and Drinks
Easy Watermelon Pudding Cups
Cute and easy watermelon pudding cups are a festive summer treat that looks like the fruit! Only 4 ingredients! Perfect for a summer birthday.
Pineapple Cupcakes
These super cute Pineapple Hawaiian-themed cupcakes are an easy way to match with a pool party, Hawaiian, or Summer theme. They are simple and bright and a whole lot of fun.
Cake Pops
These gluten free cake pops are such a fun, creative and delicious bake. They are so easy to customize to suit any family party or holiday. They feature gluten free vanilla cake and buttercream coated with candy melts or chocolate. A combination of cake and lollypop in one cute bite-sized treat.
Funfetti Blondies
Soft and chewy, these Gluten-Free Funfetti Blondies are a super easy homemade treat for any celebration! With just 9 ingredients, these vegan birthday cake blondies are allergy-free and taste just like sweet vanilla cake batter with rainbow sprinkles! They look so impressive as part of your birthday party tablescape and are ready in only 30 minutes
Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Whoopie Pies are made from two fluffy chocolate cake rounds put together with a creamy frosting in the middle. Similar to an inside-out cupcake, these chocolate treats are a classic that both the kids and adults at the party won’t be able to resist.
Cute & Easy LEGO Brownies
These cute and colorful LEGO Brownies make one of the best baked desserts THAT much cooler! Perfect for kids birthday parties, bake sales, or to celebrate the new LEGO movies, these LEGO brownies are easy to make and guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face.
Chocolate Strawberry Ghosts
These spooky chocolate covered strawberry ghosts are a fun and easy treat if you have a Halloween or monster party or even just an October birthday! Dip strawberries in melted white chocolate and chocolate for the eyes to give them a ghostly appearance
M&M Rice Krispie Treats
These thick and chewy M&M Rice Krispie Treats are super easy to make with just 5 ingredients. They are homemade, no-bake treats that can be adapted to suit gluten-free and vegan diets with simple ingredient swaps. These are some of the very best rice krispie treats with M&Ms, and kids love them too!
Vegan Cinnamon Pop Tarts
These vegan cinnamon pop tarts are gluten-free and so easy to make. They have a flaky gluten-free crust, brown sugar cinnamon filling, and delicious cinnamon frosting. These are completely gluten-free and vegan pop tarts made from scratch with wholesome ingredients and no artificial flavors. Far better than the real deal!
Cookie Monster Cookies
Learn to make easy Cookie Monster Cookies! This blue Cookie Monster Cookie recipe is packed with semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, mini chocolate chip cookies, and even mini Oreos.
Air Fryer Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Did you know you can make muffins in an air fryer? Their versatility never cease to amaze me. Air Fryer banana chocolate chip muffins are super moist and delicious. They are great for a tasty sweet treat that kids and adults will love to snack on at your party.
Mini Churros with Chocolate Sauce
These homemade mini churro bites are made bite-sized and BAKED in the oven instead of fried making them a bit healthier! You can even serve them with an easy chocolate sauce for dipping into.
Pudding Dirt Cups
These pudding dirt cups are so fun for any age. Something about a dessert that SEEMS super gross but really isn’t is just so intriguing as a kid. Even better, these ones are gluten-free.
Sherbet Fruit Punch
You’ll love this colorful Rainbow Sherbet Punch recipe – it’s quick and easy with just 4 ingredients. And can be adapted to suit any occasion. Yum!
Rainbow Sherbet Punch Recipes
Make these Sherbet Punch Recipes for every party and holiday dinner! Choose from strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime punch, or make all four for a variety.