10 delicious kids' birthday party food ideas

So your little one’s birthday is around the corner and you have decided to have the party at home. One very important part of party planning is planning the menu.

We all know that most kids could be picky when it comes to party food. I myself have experience in planning kids’ parties and have served home-made food for all of the parties I’ve hosted.

It’s not as hard as it sounds. Here’s how to get started:

It is important to first have the guest list. Find out if any of the children have any particular food allergies.

If a particular food item contains something that one of the little guests are allergic to, then mark it clearly, and also inform the child and the accompanying adult about this.

Before you plan your menu, it is also good to know the number of guests attending, including accompanying parents.

Make sure your party is well-planned by writing down all the items you will be preparing. It helps to start planning 1 to 2 weeks before the party.

When it comes to birthday party food, the following is a list of great ideas, complete with recipes. I can guarantee that these are super-delicious and will surely please your little guests!

Baked chicken nuggets

What child doesn’t love a chicken nugget? Have these at your kid’s party, and the kids (and adults) will go crazy for them.

These are, of course, a home-made, healthy and nutritious version of the not-so-healthy fast food chicken nuggets. They are not lacking in the flavour department though!

Make-ahead tip – You can coat the chicken pieces in crumbs and freeze them on an oven tray a few days in advance. On the day of the party, just pop them into the oven in their frozen state.

Alternative – You can try the same recipe with a firm white fish that has been cut into strips.

Mini pizzas

Here’s another crowd pleaser – one that's also very easy to prepare! You can have a variety of toppings – chicken and mushroom, cheese and red pepper for a vegetarian option, pepperoni, and plain cheese.

This is Jamie Oliver’s super easy recipe for a quick and simple pizza base:

Ingredients: 1½ mugs of self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting and ½ mug of tepid water. That’s it!

Method: Put 1½ mugs' worth of flour into a food processor, then half-fill the same mug with tepid water and add to the flour with a pinch of salt and a glug of olive oil.

Whizz until smooth, then tip on to the floured board. Sprinkle the top of the dough and the rolling pin with flour (the dough will be quite wet, so be generous with the flour).

Roll the dough to a 1cm (½in) thickness.

To make a mini version of this recipe, just roll out the dough and cut circles with a cookie cutter. Then get yourself a jar of good quality pasta sauce and get creative!

Chicken satay sticks

Kids love food on sticks and this local favourite can be recreated at home too. It’s simple to assemble and tastes pretty awesome coupled with the delicious peanut sauce included in the recipe here.

Cut up some celery, carrot and cucumber into sticks and present them along with the chicken skewers. Kids may even find it interesting to dip the veggies into the peanut sauce!

Just make sure to have a small bowl of tomato sauce as well!

Sliders

Sliders are basically mini burgers. This recipe is from popular children’s cookbook author Annabel Karmel.

For an alternative to chicken or turkey you could try fried egg or beef. For a vegetarian option, just omit the meat and add a slice of cheese.

For the buns, you could use butter rolls available in supermarkets in Singapore. These are soft, buttery and slightly sweet – perfect for kids!

Mini mac and cheese cups

If your little one’s party is an evening do, you can pair this mac and cheese recipe with the chicken nuggets we shared earlier, though it would make a yummy meal in itself.

Kids love mac and cheese, and the fact that it is served in a small portion makes it more appealing to them.

Get creative and try mixing in little bits of broccoli, roasted chicken, red pepper, or anything else you like to make this already cute snack even yummier!

Snake sandwich

Here’s another great idea from Annabel Karmel. You can use your child’s favourite sandwich fillings. In addition to the ideas given in the recipe, you could try chicken mayo, tuna mayo, and cucumber.

This will surely be a showstopper at your little one’s birthday party.

Photo source: https://www.annabelkarmel.com

Cupcakes

All kids love cupcakes! But most recipes are so fiddly to make – especially if you are pressed for time and aren't really a pro in the baking department.

But wait! Don’t give up until you try this recipe by Nigella Lawson. It just has to be the easiest cupcake recipe ever! Just pop all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz them up.

This is my go-to recipe for weekday play-dates, birthday parties and absolutely any occasion in between.

These are versatile, very, very tasty and you can decorate them in any way you like! You can even have the little guests decorate these as an activity for the party.

Rocky road squares

We can’t present you with a list of party food and not feature something made of chocolate! Rocky road squares are always a hit with little ones and this recipe by Jamie Oliver is sure to have them crowding around to grab a piece.

The great thing about rocky road squares is that there is no baking involved. You can prepare these well ahead of time, cut them into any shape you like and keep them refrigerated until it’s time to serve them.

Little glass cubes

Well when we say glass, we really mean agar agar jelly. This very colourful dessert, introduced to me by a close friend of mine, was a hit at my daughter’s 5th birthday party.

It was not only the kids who enjoyed these little treats but the adults loved them too, as they are not overly sweet.

All you have to do is get a few packs of different coloured agar agar jelly powder from the supermarket, and follow the instructions on each pack.

Alternatively, you can get plain agar agar powder, and colour and flavour it to your liking. This way you can have as many colours and flavours as you like!

For starters, try pink strawberry, green almond, orange mango, and blue blueberry.

Fruit kebabs

Serve these colourful and healthy treats with a sweet dip of your choice (a chocolate sauce will be a great option too). This is a great idea for a rainbow-themed birthday party.

Skewer a red strawberry or a watermelon cube, a cube of orange mango or peach, a cube of yellow pineapple, a slice of green kiwi and, for blue, add a blueberry.

Written by

Minoli Almeida

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