There are so many aspects to planning a special graduation party – a primary consideration being food! To plan a fun and festive menu, keep reading for all of the inspiration! So many options that the graduate, the other teens, and all the guests will love! Easy and budget-friendly options!
Great Graduation Party Food Ideas on the Way
When it comes to graduation parties, there are so many things to consider when planning the menu. First, this is SUCH a special day, and you want it to feel every bit of that significance at the party. A true rite of passage.
Then, you want to consider your guests. Chances are, you’ll have a long line of teens that will be streaming in and out of the party all day along, as well as Aunt Sally and Grandpa Jessie, who may likely be parked in a chair most of the time. There should be food that should appeal to all of them (though, I’d say, the guest of honor and his/her friends should be the main consideration).
You want it to be fun, pithy – and of course, it would be great if it didn’t break the bank.
Can you cover all of these bases at once?
I offer you a resounding yes!
First, when it comes to graduation party planning, you’ll want to take a look at this post. It covers everything you need to know to create an outstanding backyard outdoor gradation party – money -saving tips, themes, activities, as well as food ideas. The graduation party foods covered in that post is not as in-depth as I’m spelling out here, but it will give you a good place to start.
Your theme and other ideas about how you want to throw this bash will feed into how you plan your menu (no pun intended. Ok, maybe).
But once you’ve sorted out some of those details, let’s take a look at the shining star of the event, besides your bright child: the food.
The Best Way (and Most Functional Way) to Plan Your Graduation Party Menu
There are lots of ways to create a food plan for a high school graduation party. The most effective ways you can do this is something of a buffet style, but even a little more precise (and festive) than that – food bars.
By having themed food bars throughout the party, you give your guests lot of options for a particular TYPE of food, without having to create so many KINDS of food, if that makes sense.
For example, if one of your main dishes is a pasta bar, there can be several ways to fix your own pasta at the table, without having to have so many kinds of different dishes to offer.
You definitely can have a few food bars set up – an appetizer food bar, a main dish food bar, and a dessert bar as well, but this – at least in theory – should simplify your menu fill giving your guest plentiful and varied options, something for all kinds of food preferences.
Several of the choices you’ll see below are different kinds of food bars or themed tables to give you some inspiration. There are also other options that may not specifically be a themed food bar, but they are geared to be crowd-pleasing types of foods and tailored to be prepared in bulk or a large crowd.
How much food you prepare and how many food bars you create will likely depend on the number of guests you anticipate, but they are a great choice for graduation parties.
Let’s look below for fun and festive options for the best graduation party food ideas.
30 Best Graduation Party Food Ideas
First things first, drinks are a must on a hot graduation day! Here's a perfect way to fancy it up for a deserving celebration! To stretch your budget, you can include iced tea, lemonade, and punches over cans of soda. A brunch is definitely a no-fuss option for a graduation party! Take a look at how to create this bagel bar with all kinds of cream cheese, butters, and jellies! While we are talking bagels, brunch charcuterie boards are another way to create a 'brunch bar.' So many ways you can go for this grad party idea including waffles, muffins croissants, and yogurt parfaits! Fresh fruit is light and refreshing - your guests will thank you for offering a delicious and healthy option! (This picture might be a little over the top - or not? - but you get the idea! Charcuterie boards are amazing options for graduation parties, as most the times, graduations will just be going from party to party all day long. Grazing platters work perfectly in situations like this! These choices appeal to kids of all ages and you can set up a table of grazing boards with several different options - veggie platters, cheese-and-crackers - as well was more creative options! Pretzels are another a great option for teen-friendly appetizers! This is out of the ordinary but a sure crowd-pleaser! Right along with pretzels, popcorn is an ideal snack food for teenagers! So many yummy ways they can gobble this up. This is a cost-effective and very easy way to offer an 'appetizer' or snack. Appetizers are always a hit, but when graduation party appetizers are single serving, it makes it so much easier for guests to come and go throughout the event! Here are 25+ to choose from for a fun appetizer table! Slow cookers are great options for not only appetizer but any hot dish you may be serving that day! They are typically easy to serve and ideal if guests will all be eating at different times. I think a cereal bar is SUCH a fun way to celebrate! Teenagers are notorious for living on this stuff, and I think they'd totally get a kick out of seeing it served at a party! I love, love, love this idea to create a bar for DIY loaded fries! So yummy! Have you ever met a high school who didn't love tortilla chips? This is the quintessential teenager food, and they'll love making their own with ground beef, salsa, cheese - just about anything! Hot dogs are easy, cost-effective and a fan-favorite! Give guests all the fixings to make this something special, giving them a good time while you're at it! It doesn't have to be Taco Tuesday for graduates to love this one! It's another cost-effective choice as the toppings such as corn, black beans, shredded cheese and lettuce are fairly inexpensive. As I said, you do NOT need fancy food for high schoolers. The more casual, the better. You cannot go wrong with a burger! Pasta is another very cost-effective option that can feed a lot of people and stretch your budget! Check out all the creative ways you can take pasta up a few notches! Delicious sauces, olive oil with parmesan cheese... you can't do this one wrong. In addition to the main dishes, you'll want to have some refreshing side dishes, especially if your party is in hot weather. Check this out for all for all of the salsas, potato salads, and sides you can ever want! This would be such a fun and fancy treat to serve! While alcohol shouldn't be served to minors of course, this is a special drink they can really enjoy! Right along with single-serving appetizers, try single-serving desserts and create a dessert bar! There are so many creative ways you can make one or more of these options or mix and match with other dessert options in this post! Another fun idea for an open houses. If you want to go the other way and make desserts that are easily suited for a crowd, here is where you might choose to serve a graduation cake. You can also get a list of other refreshing dessert ideas that are large-group friendly! Trifles are another fantastic idea for desserts for a crowd. They go a long way and there are so many ways to make them! Cake, pudding, Cool Whip - do you really even need anything else? Here are over 60 to choose from, including this delicious summery key lime and coconut trifle! On a hot summer day, there's nothing better than an ice cream bar! The only downside is that it's not something that can be left out for long periods of time, but that's the ONLY downside to ice cream. It's always a crowd pleaser! You can offer your guest the option to make ice cream cookie sandwiches or classic sundaes! How cute is this?! Donuts and milk! Think about strawberry and chocolate milk, too! A cupcake bar is another super-fun option for graduation desserts! It's no fuss, bite-sized, and there are a ton of ways to make this festive! Be sure to include some fun graduation cupcake toppers as well! Dessert dips are another fun way to let the kids graze on something sweet. As I mentioned, many of them will be making the rounds at parties, so this is a way to offer something sweet without being too much. Is there anything more pithy than being a 'smart cookie' on graduation day? Take a look here for a fantastic display! You can even offer cookie decorating here as well to bring the up a few notches! A candy bar is another fun idea for a graduation dessert! You can use the fun printable cards to add a little humor or include candy that coordinates with school colors. This also can serve as favors they can take with them! Classy and kid-friendly dessert option at the same time! Bullseye! Kids are fancy these days! Having a Starbuck-type option will satisfy wanna be and actual grownups alike! This is a great choice if your party is going into the late night hours! Smores are an ideal treat for a last hurrah as high schoolers.
Cool Drink Station
Bagel Buffet
Brunch Bar
Fruit Salad Bar
Themed Charcuterie Boards
DIY Soft Pretzel Bar
Popcorn Bar
Individual Appetizers
Slow Cooker Appetizers
Cereal Bar
French Fry Bar
Easy Nacho Bar
Ultimate DIY Gourmet Hot Dog Bar
Taco Bar
Burger Bar
Pasta Bar ( + Free Printables)
Delicious Summer Side Dishes
Italian Soda Bar
Dessert Bar
Desserts for a Crowd
Trifle Desserts
Ice Cream Sandwich Bar & Free Printables
Donut Dipping Party Idea
Make and Take Cupcake Bar
Dessert Dip Board
One Smart Cookie Themed Cookie Bar
Graduation Candy Buffet
Chocolate Fountain Bar Ideas
Coffee Bar
S’mores Bar
And this is an inspiration post for 30 of the best ways to use balloons as graduation party decor!
And this is how I put together a rustic glam graduation party printable set as well!)
If you use any of these ideas, I’d love to see them! Please tag me on Instagram or leave a comment on Pinterest!
Other thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
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