L. Elizabeth Forry
Table of contents
One of the most crucial aspects of any party is the food, especially for a baby shower.
There are so many types of baby showers and baby shower themes that figuring out the best baby shower food ideas and how much of everything you need can be challenging!
We’ve compiled a list of 30+ baby shower party ideas that cover various diets, themes, preferences, and tastes. So, if you’re planning a baby shower soon, read on for some foodie inspiration!
Related: Creative Baby Shower Decoration Ideas to Host an Unforgettable Shower!
How to Plan a Baby Shower Menu
Before you begin planning a baby shower menu, talk to the mom-to-be about and hash out a few of these details first:
- Will kids be there, or is it adult-only?
- Is it a couples' shower or simple ladies?
- Is it indoors or outdoors?
- What time of day?
- How formal will it be?
Once you’ve ironed out the guest list, location, and baby shower theme, you can begin planning the food and other activities!
Food Presentation and Table Decor
Presentation is a big part of serving up the food. So as you begin planning the baby shower, consider the total baby shower budget and if you’d like to do catering vs. homemade.
Some people have baby showers at restaurants and hotels, like wedding receptions while others prefer just a house party. Since renting a place can get costly, a tea-time shower with finger foods and desserts offers a lovely presentation at a fraction of the price of a full brunch or lunch menu.
When setting up the table, use colors and simple decorations to enhance the theme.
Additionally, if serving finger foods, have plenty of toothpicks, small plates, and napkins.
Catering vs. Homemade
If deciding between catering and homemade food for your baby shower, consider how much you have to spend, how much time you have to prep, and who is around to help you. Even if you go the catering route, you’ll still need to set up the food for the guests.
Easy Baby Shower Catering Ideas
Catering trays you pre-order and pick up is a great way to save time, feed many people on a budget, and save you, the planner, a lot of time!
If you’re really in a pinch, most grocery stores have pre-packaged foods like fruit and veggies pre-cut. Pasta salads, cupcakes, and more ready-to-go items are typically available at any grocery store deli or prepared food section.
- Deli trays with a variety of sandwiches
- Fresh fruit & veggie trays with dip
- Tea sandwiches (always a crowd-pleaser)
- Charcuterie boards are trending and available with just about any finger food you can think of!
- A cheesecake sampler is a delicious baby shower dessert option. Grocery stores often sell a cheesecake sampler in the frozen section. If you have a BJ membership, they also sell a variety of cheesecake samplers.
- Cookie trays are always a great dessert option. They’re not messy, and bakeries offer fun baby shower-themed options!
Homemade Baby Shower Food Ideas
Going with homemade foods or a potluck style baby shower can save you money, but if you’re feeding 20+ people, you’ll want foods that are easy to make in large batches. Here are some of our easiest food options for a baby shower.
- Slowcooker BBQ with buns is an easy meal to prepare ahead of time and make in large quantities.
- Chili with cornbread is another filling option that is cost-effective and easy to serve.
- Sliders are a great finger food option, especially if kids will be present at the shower. You can create a slider bar with caramelized onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and condiments.
- Meatballs are simple to prepare and super filling
- Hummus and veggies or pita chips are healthy and easy to serve.
- Fresh fruit and chocolate fondue or chocolate hummus is a simple crowd-pleaser.
- You can’t go wrong with homemade chocolate chip or sugar cookies. If you love to bake. Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies made with brown sugar is a recipe I’ve tried often, and they always taste great!
Tips for Planning a Potluck Baby Shower
For an even simpler DIY baby shower menu, consider hosting a potluck. With tight budgets and rising grocery costs, most people will happily sign up and bring something to share.
When hosting a potluck, use a sight like SignUp Genius to avoid ending up with eight guacamoles. You can even break the food categories into sections like appetizers, salads, drinks, and desserts.
Baby Shower Food Ideas Everyone Will Love
Some foods seem to go hand-in-hand with baby showers, and then some fun and unique ideas will have your guests saying, “What a great idea!”
Popular Baby Shower Food Ideas
Because baby showers often have a lot of people, including little kids, simple, bite-sized finger foods are always popular. Here are some popular or traditional baby shower food ideas!
- Mini quiches are elegant, healthy, and filling.
- Fruit tarts add a bit of panache to your baby shower menu!
- Pinwheels offered with a variety of fillings are a great finger food option.
- Deviled eggs are a classic party food.
- Pasta salad or chicken salad is always a crowd-pleaser and easy to make in large batches.
- Bagels with cream cheese are filling and perfect for brunch.
- Individual chip and pretzel bags are a great way to offer a large variety of snacks.
- Muffins and cookies are easy to buy or make in bulk and go great with a brunch shower.
Unique Baby Shower Food Ideas
If you want to add a bit of flare to your shower, here are some twists on traditional ideas and a few you may have yet to think of!
- A bagel bar: Offer a spread of various bagels and toppings like different flavored cream cheese, spreads, lox, sliced veggies, and fruit.
- A waffle station. If you have access to a waffle iron, set up a waffle station like a hotel breakfast bar, do! You can have mix-ins like fruit, chocolate chips, and coconut and toppings like syrup, powdered sugar, and whipped cream!
- Personalized cookies. If the parents-to-be know they’re having a baby girl or boy, contact a local bakery to have custom-made cookies that match the shower theme.
- A taco bar. Tacos feed a lot of people for a little bit of money, and almost everyone likes tacos. So while it may be messy, people will probably love this unique shower idea! You can also provide bowls, spinach, and tortilla chips so people can make taco bowls!
Accounting for Guests Dietary Restrictions at Your Baby Shower
When planning the shower menu, it’s important to ask the parents-to-be if they or any of their guests have known allergies or preferences. While it is next to impossible to cater to everyone’s dietary restrictions, if you have guests coming with a known allergy, aim to have a few options available that they can eat. It’s also smart to include vegan baby shower options and vegetarian baby shower options as well.
While individuals with allergies are ultimately responsible for what they eat, consider sectioning off food by ingredients or having a special section with labels such as gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut free, etc.
Healthy Baby Shower Food Options
Nutrition and a healthy diet is even more important during pregnancy for the health of both mom and baby. Make sure your baby shower food includes some healthy options! We all love to indulge in sweets and chips, but you want to create a balance by including some delicious, healthy foods guests can munch on too.
Here are healthy baby shower foods and snacks that are sure to be a hit.
- Rainbow fruit skewers
- A watermelon fruit bowl shaped like a baby carriage is an adorable addition to any baby shower appetizer presentation!
- Caprese Skewers with mozzarella, tomato, basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil is a tangy and healthy fat option.
- Air fryer jalapeno poppers are a healthier twist on a classic finger good. Fill these crispy bites with a Greek yogurt mixture with feta or gouda cheese instead of sour cream. They’ll still have a tangy taste but with a lot less fat!
Baby Shower Mocktail Ideas
Baby showers are the perfect place to try out fun mocktail recipes! Since mom-to-be can’t drink, it’s considerate to include non-alcoholic drink options and mocktails on your menu.
Plus, many baby showers are a whole family affair and will include kids and many guests that simply prefer not to drink alochol. The sober curious movement has taken flight, and it’s about time! Here are some of our favorite baby shower mocktail recipes!
Pro tip: Get a good mocktail mixer! Check out these great non-alcoholic mixers from Seedlip, Gather Beverages, and Lyre.
- Non-Alcholic Mojitos are a refresher mocktail that is simple to make! You only need club soda, fresh mint, honey syrup, and lime.
- The Sweet Sunrise is a refreshing take on the tequila sunrise, minus the tequila. This sweet brunch drink only has two ingredients: grenadine and orange juice. Add some fresh orange slices and a fun straw to garnish.
- Planter’s Punch is the perfect punch bowl recipe. To create this tangy punch, you need orange juice, pineapple juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice, grenadine, and citrus fruit slices.
- Non-alcoholic White Sangria is another refreshing punch option. You’ll need Seedlip Grove42, white grape juice, fresh lemons, and other orchard fruits of your choice!
- A non-alcoholic sparkling bubbly is also a fun option, especially if someone will be giving a toast during the shower. You can pick up sparkling apple juice or sparkling grape juice at any grocery store and serve it in nice champagne glasses for an extra fancy touch!
From appetizers to desserts, there’s a lot to consider when choosing food for a baby shower.
Remember when planning to consider the budget, the guest list, and the shower theme.
Start with a few crowd favorites, a mocktail option, and something sweet for dessert, and you’ll be on your way to rounding out the perfect baby shower menu!
