First Birthday Party Food: 10 Easy, Healthy & Tasty Recipes

The beauty of a first birthday party is that kids don't really mind what they're doing, they'll have fun regardless.

You can theme a party around whatever you like, or even have no theme at all, and your baby will just be excited to eat cake and see all the people they love the most. Choose simple fun activities, or just let kids loose to play with each other, and the party will easily be a hit.

Our favorite time to host your baby's first birthday party is 10 a.m. It feels early, but means that you can serve snacks instead of breakfast or lunch, and finish the party in time for any babies who have scheduled afternoon naps. We tend to avoid any gift opening during parties when kids are this young because children can get overwhelmed with presents and end up just wanting to play. Not to mention the confusion of who gifted what when it comes to writing thank you letters later down the line. These first birthday party food suggestions will take the hassle out of your planning, and provide a tasty snack for kids and parents so you can focus on having fun.

Are you hungry for more parenting chat? Check out these tips for [12 month sleep regression] and find out what to do if your [baby won't nap] too!

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Creating a party menu can be tricky at the best of times, and when you have to make food for baby's first birthday party it's even harder! Trying to make a tasty menu that babies will enjoy doesn't have to be hard though, we've got some easy and delicious recipes that little ones will love. And we don't even have to mention that these ideas are all extremely simple to make, we know you don't have time to deal with confusing recipes and hundreds of ingredients when you have a one-year-old to contend with!

These ideas for first birthday party food are mostly onion and garlic free and often eggless so that one-year-olds who are just starting to eat solids can eat most of the food on the menu but it goes without saying to always check the ingredients of any food carefully before feeding it to your child.

Ultimate Birthday Cake

Heat your oven to 325°F and line a seven-inch round cake tray with baking paper. Mix four large eggs, 250 grams of butter, 250 grams of caster sugar, and 250 grams of self-raising flour together in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp of baking powder, pour the mixture into the cake tray, and put in the oven. Bake the cake for 50 minutes until you can press the top and it springs back, and check it is baked by poking the middle with a table knife and checking that it comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, and make icing by combining four sticks of butter with eight cups of icing sugar. Whip them together and add in food coloring if you like. Once your cake has cooled, slice it in half and fill it with some jelly and your buttercream, and use the remaining buttercream to spread on the top of your cake. Decorate with colored sprinkles and your birthday cake is complete!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Young children will love tasty sweet potato fries, and they're a great healthy twist on regular fries. Finger foods that kids can grab are perfect at this age, and this recipe could not be easier. Simply preheat your oven to 450°F, chop sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch wedges, and toss them with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Bake for 15 minutes in a single layer on a baking sheet, flipping halfway through. Once they start to brown they can be taken out of the oven to cool and then they're ready to eat.

Healthy Ice Cream

Ice cream is a winning food for your first birthday party food menu, and this healthy banana ice cream will make enjoying it guilt-free and avoid any serious sugar highs. All you need to do to make this yummy ice cream is chop some overripe bananas and put them into a bag in the freezer. After a few hours empty the freezer bag into the blender and blitz until your mixture is a creamy consistency, scraping down the sides. Easy, right?

Fresh Fruit Chocolate Cones

Ice cream cones without the mess make this finger food great for wobbly little ones to run around with. All you need to do is dip plain ice cream cones into chocolate and roll in sprinkles, and fill with chopped banana and strawberries, or any other fresh fruit that you fancy adding. Remember to chop fruits safely to avoid choking hazards.

Toddler Favorite Sandwiches

Make sandwiches into finger foods for little hands by chopping crusts off and cutting them into tiny bite-sized pieces. We like to make a selection of sunflower spread and jelly (to make sure we don't aggravate any nut allergies), hummus and cheese, and turkey or ham slice sandwiches for all different tastes.

Chicken Nuggets

Impress the parents with these healthy homemade nuggets. Chop chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks, dip into egg yolks, and roll in breadcrumbs. Bake the chunks at 400°F for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Serve with ketchup or mayonnaise to dip for a great birthday party treat.

Dipping Apple Slices

Make a delicious dip for sliced apple and it'll be one of the favorite snacks of the party. Whip some ricotta with a little bit of honey for a yummy dip, and peel, core, and slice your apples for the easiest snack out there.

A word of warning to party hosts, we might think that hot dogs are an easy menu addition but the classic party food can actually be a very dangerous choking hazard to little ones, so they are best avoided at all costs.

The best first birthday party food appeals to kids and grown-ups alike, but sometimes it's nice just to cater to the adults with some snacks you know they're going to enjoy. These easy recipes are always a favorite, and they won't take too much time away from planning for the little ones.

World's Easiest Fancy Bruschetta

The grown-up take on sandwiches, these are going to be a winner with the parents. Chop a French baguette into 3cm slices and toast lightly. Rub with a garlic clove sliced in half, drizzle with some olive oil, and you're ready to top! Add pesto, prosciutto, jarred artichoke, ricotta, honey, half a fig or chopped tomatoes, and mozzarella for some classy snacks for the parents to enjoy.

Puff Pinwheels

Puff pastry pinwheels are a great snack for first birthday parties for kids and grown-ups. Roll a sheet of puff pastry and arrange ham and cheese slices on top with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Roll into a sausage shape and slice into pinwheels roughly 3 inches thick. Brush with olive oil and bake at 400°F for 25 minutes until they're golden brown.

Smoked Salmon Blinis

These fancy looking canapé style snacks are deceptively easy to make and will be sure to impress your guests. Warm shop-bought cocktail blinis and spread with cream cheese. Slice smoked salmon into half-inch ribbons and layer on top of the blinis. Scatter fresh dill and crack black pepper for a classy and delicious snack food that parents will go crazy for.

Cheesy Loaded Potato Skins

Please the crowd with this delicious comfort food recipe. All you need to do is stab some potatoes with a fork and microwave for eight minutes on a high heat, and then flip them over and microwave for another eight minutes. Take the potatoes out, slice them in half, and scoop out the middles with a spoon. Put your empty potato skins upside down onto a baking tray, brush with some melted butter and cook in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes until they are a crispy golden brown. Mix the potato filling with grated cheddar, crumbled bacon pieces, salt and pepper, and a generous spoonful of butter, and load them into the crispy skins. Sprinkle with cheese and put back in the oven for ten more minutes until the cheese is nice and melted. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped scallions and they'll be gobbled up in a flash.

If you want to take the easiest route to simple first birthday party food for the grown-ups, you can just serve a platter of pastries and keep the coffee coming, and you'll be sure to please the whole guest list. Food for a first birthday party doesn't need to be complicated, and sometimes the easiest way is the best way!

If you found these food ideas for first birthday party celebrations helpful, then why not take a look at our guidance for disciplining a 1-year-old or our cutest Elf On The Shelf names too?

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