37 of the Best Foods to Serve at a Baby Shower
We all know that baby showers are a great way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a new family member, but they can also be stressful to plan.
A lot goes into planning a big event, and you want everything to go perfectly. If you’re not prepared, your guests might leave hungry or thirsty!
To make sure everyone has a good time at your next baby shower, we’ve put together some food and drink tips that will help keep things running smoothly.
In this article, you’ll learn all the tips and tricks to putting together the perfect baby shower menu, what foods to serve (and to avoid!), and some of our favorite baby shower recipes.
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Table of Contents
Tips for Planning a Baby Shower Menu
Finger Foods are always a great idea – We especially love serving finger foods at baby showers because they’re easy for guests to grab and eat, and don’t make a mess!
Stick to Tried and True Recipes – A baby shower isn’t a great time to try a new recipe. Stay with what works and serve guests food they will love!
If you do want to try a new recipe, do a practice batch a week or so before the event.
Be Mindful of Food Allergies – Some guests might have food allergies or dietary restrictions, so keep them in mind when you’re planning the menu.
You don’t need to make every dish custom for them, but it’s a good idea to have a few options available so they don’t feel left out.
Keep it Pregnancy Friendly – there are many food restrictions that pregnant women have – like no raw fish (or sushi), no deli meat, etc.
It’s always a good idea to keep that in mind when you’re planning the menu for your baby shower and make sure there is plenty of food the mom-to-be can eat!
Don’t Overcrowd the Buffet Table – Make sure there is enough room in between dishes and that it’s a neat and appealing display, with enough food for everyone to get seconds!
To make extra room, you could keep plates, silverware, and napkins on a separate table.
Label Foods – Some guests might be unfamiliar with the foods your serving. Make a little label to put in front of each dish so guests know what everything is. We love these cute food label displays!
Consider a Potluck – If you’re looking to save some money, consider asking guests to bring a dish with them to share with the group. This is a great option for large families and people who have special dietary requirements.
Just make sure to ask them what they’ll be bringing in advance so that you can plan the rest of the menu around it.
Have Drinks at a Separate Area – Keep drinks separate from the food, so it doesn’t create a bottleneck around the food table.
You could also have drinks on a separate table or pour them into cups and let guests serve themselves.
Related Post: Best Pink Drinks to Serve at a Baby Shower
Keep the Party Going – If you’re serving food buffet-style, keep a platter of cut fruit in an available bowl for guests to snack on later if they need some more energy after eating!
Serve Water at All Times – In addition to other refreshments, make sure you always have water available for guests at all times. You could do regular water or even make it fancy and offer some infused waters or sparkling water!
Variety of Food – Offer a variety of food so guests have options. We like to have:
Protein option – like a cheese platter, little sandwiches, or meatballs
Vegetable option – Veggies and dip are a great option!
Snacks – Chips, pretzels, and other little grab-and-go snacks that guests can pick on. You could also have some dips!
Carbs – we love starch and carb options like bread baskets, rolls with butter, or pasta salad.
Drinks – water and other refreshments to serve with the food (or even some bubbly!)
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help – If you need any help with the baby shower food, don’t be afraid to ask. Most guests will be eager to pitch in and help you out if needed!
If you’re planning a large party, you could also cater some of the foods as well.
How to Set Up Baby Shower Food
Depending on your menu, there are a few ways to set up your baby shower food. You can either set up a buffet or make enough platters to be passed around. A few of our favorites are:
Long Tables – we love using long tables for buffet spreads. Our favorites to use are 5-6 foot long tables.
Separate Table for Drinks – Keep drinks in a separate area (like a different table or bar) so guests have easy access to them and it doesn’t crowd the food area.
Buffet vs. Plated – Which is Better?
One decision you’ll have to make when planning a baby shower is whether you want food to be served buffet style or plated.
If you’re hosting a baby shower at home, we prefer to offer a food buffet style. Some guests will still want to be served, but most guests will be happy just grabbing food when they’re hungry.
Guests can also mix and mingle while they nibble on food!
If you’re hosting a baby shower at a restaurant or event center, we recommend plating up the food for each guest. It’s cleaner and more professional, as well as avoids long lines.
You’ll usually have a time limit at a restaurant or event center, so you want to make sure you have enough time to eat, play games and open gifts.
How Much Food Should I Have?
Generally, you should offer a few different food options for guests. We like to offer:
Small group (3-5 guests): 3 small appetizers, some snacks
Medium group (6-12 guests) 5 appetizers and snacks
Large group (13+ guests): 7-8 appetizers and snacks
Baby Shower Food Ideas
Best Baby Shower Food Recipes
A collection of our favorite baby shower appetizer recipes
Stuffed cherry tomatoes are perfect for nibbling. Filled with an herbed cream cheese filling.
Whipped Feta Dip is creamy, bright, and the perfect dip to take your vegetable tray to the next level. Topped with silky honey and crunchy pistachio this dip is as sophisticated as it is simple.
These Ranch Vegetable Cream Cheese Pinwheels are quick, easy to make, and loaded with delicious flavors. They make the ideal healthy snack, appetizer, or lunch for the whole family to enjoy.
These pretzel bites are the perfect finger food for your next gathering. Prepackaged biscuits are turned into bite-sized soft pretzels that are both fun to make and delicious to serve at your next baby shower.
urkey Cheddar Lunch Roll Ups make the best lunch, appetizer or snack that everyone will love!
his Jackfruit BBQ Party Popper is an amazing appetizer to bring to parties and events! Buttery, flaky, and filled with tangy-sweet, and spicy BBQ Jackfruit, this appetizer will be sure to wow all of your guests!
Cream cheese slider sandwiches are an easy to make finger food
These Tea Sandwiches are the perfect bit-sized nibble for a shower. With a variety of fillings to please everyone
Caprese bites are an easy to make appetizer that has all the flavors of delicious caprese, in a cute bite size form! Tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella are topped with a delicious balsamic glaze to make this easy healthy appetizer that everyone will love.
Chicken Taco Wontons "Cupcakes" are a simple healthy dish that is great for meal prep. All the flavors of your favorite tacos are packed into perfectly portioned cupcake form.
These goat cheese stuffed dates have just the right balance of sweet and savory flavors. They’re easy to make and can be prepared in advance which makes them perfect for special occasions.
Elevate boring sandwiches to an elegant, appetizer ready, beautiful & easy Grilled Crostini Sandwich Bites! Perfectly for a baby shower but easy enough for an everyday lunch!
These Deviled Eggs are made with avocado and bacon for an unforgettable appetizer! They are an easy finger food and easy to prep ahead of time. They are always a big hit at baby showers!
Chicken Wonton Tacos made with Chicken smothered in a Bang Bang Sauce and served in crispy wontons shaped like mini tacos
These amazing Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps are crispy cheese crackers made of baked parmesan, provolone cheese, and a jalapeno slice, that make a delicious low carb, Keto finger food. Perfect for a party or an afternoon snack
Spinach pastries are an easy appetizer to make that can be filled with all different types of filings!
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms are like little bites of pure bliss that every vegetarian and low-carb guest will love! From start to finish you can have this easy snack recipe ready in under 30 minutes for your next get-together or holiday party!
With crisp pastry, a hidden pesto layer, and a perfectly creamy filling dotted with tender, flavourful asparagus, there's a lot to love about these asparagus tartlets.
You only need 3 ingredients to make these family favorite Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs. The perfect appetizer for cocktail parties, game day, and potlucks.
These Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls, packed full of simple yet delicious flavors, are ready in just 20 minutes. Serve with an easy Tex Mex Ranch dipping sauce it is sure to become a family favorite.
Mini crab cakes are easy to make but so elegant. They are perfect for baby showers because they are a filling little bite-sized snack.
When you are in need of a simple, delicious appetizer that is sure to please any crowd you can never go wrong with a crostini! These fig jam and goat cheese crostini’s are topped with prosciutto and fresh basil. Perfect finger food for your baby shower!
With only 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of hands-on time, these Chicken Apple Sausage Bites with Maple Glaze are a quick snack for a baby shower!
Whenever I'm hosting a gathering I always make these prosciutto puff pastry twists! I use ready made puff pastry and fill them with gruyere cheese, sage crumbles and prosciutto
Dill pickle ham roll ups are quick & easy. If you want a simple, low carb, gluten-free snack or appetizer, make these ham cream cheese pickle roll ups!
This cream cheese veggie pizza is topped with plenty of fresh veggies for an easy, healthy appetizer or snack! It can be served chilled or at room temperature so it’s perfect for a baby shower!
These Fresh Spring Rolls are a colorful, crunchy vegan meal that are perfect for a light lunch, dinner or appetizer! They are served with an amazing Peanut Ginger Sauce and are gluten free!
These flaky pizza pinwheels with puff pasgry are easy to make. The perfect Fingerfood for a appetizer or snack.
Honey Goat Cheese Balls are a simple, festive appetizer. Soft goat cheese is formed into balls and rolled in a mixture of honey, apricot preserves and pecans. You can easily switch up the nuts and preserves to create different flavor combinations
Mediterranean Naan Bread Pizza is a colorful, healthy appetizer or meal filled with your favorite Mediterranean ingredients. Naan bread is topped with a creamy layer of hummus and topped with tomatoes, olives, artichokes, greens, olives, green onions and parsley and finished off with a drizzle of olive oil. You can serve this cold or warm!
Baby Shower Desserts
Best Baby Shower Dessert Recipes
Here are our favorite dessert recipes that are perfect for a baby shower
These rosemary chocolate chip cookies are the perfect baby shower snack! A classy and delicious dark chocolate chip cookie with rosemary and sea salt. Easy to make and a definite crowd pleaser.
Mini Blueberry Muffins are a perfect baby shower dessert or brunch side!
Cake Mix Lemon Crinkle Cookies are made with 5 ingredients and take less than 20 minutes to make! These cookies are the perfect sweet treat for a baby shower and are bursting with lemon flavor in every bite!
This easy shortbread with raspberries and white chocolate is delicious and very easy to eat. It is perfect for adults and any young children at a baby shower
Delicious and soft cake like blueberry lemon donuts are the best dietary friendly treat for a baby shower! Appealing to all, these donuts are bursting with fresh blueberry flavor and lemon taste
These rose-scented shortbread are a lovely and sweet treat for a baby shower.
A fun single-serving twist on tres leches cake! Perfect for a gathering and certain to be a crowd pleaser.
These Strawberry Cake Pops are made completely from scratch with a sweet strawberry cake and rich strawberry buttercream, mixed together and rolled into perfect bite-sized cake pops!
These chocolate covered blackberries are formed into cute little clusters. They’re so easy to make yet impressive - perfect for celebratory gatherings.
These Mini Cherry Cheesecakes are individual cheesecakes, baked in muffin tins, quick and easy to make, with cherry pie filling and an easy Oreo cookie crust.
These adorable Chocolate Cheesecake Bites are easy to make ahead and perfect for sharing at a baby shower!
Lemon Blueberry Cookies are super soft, ultra fluffy, and topped with a delicious lemon glaze. This easy gluten-free dessert recipe makes a wonderful treat for your baby shower!
Medjool dates are gorgeously soft, sweet and sticky. They pair beautifully with bitter dark chocolate and when you add golden chopped nuts, you get an easy yet show-stoppingly beautiful chocolate dates recipe that everyone will love.
White Chocolate Churro Popcorn is an utterly amazing, completely addicting treat! Soft and chewy popcorn coated in sweet white chocolate and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar makes for the perfect snack. Plus you can customize it with your baby shower colors for a festive flare!
This dip is colorful and delicious. Serve with animal crackers, graham crackers, etc. The adults will definitely want a few bites!
Fruit salsa with cinnamon chips are an easy to make dish that will be a hit at your baby shower!
These pretty pink filled cookies are the perfect mix of festive and tasty for a baby shower!
Foods to Avoid Serving
While most foods are good options for a baby shower, there are also some foods you may want to avoid.
You don’t want to serve anything that will make people sick, so it’s always a good idea to check the list of foods you should avoid while pregnant.
Common Foods to Avoid While Pregnant:
Fish and Seafood – you shouldn’t eat raw fish or undercooked seafood (sushi, ceviche, etc.) because they can contain parasites that can make you sick. Make sure to cook seafood well before serving.
Unpasteurized Food – unpasteurized food (like juices and milk) could have bacteria which is dangerous to eat during pregnancy, so stick with pasteurized options.
Raw/Rare Meat – Especially avoid raw or rare meat because they can carry a type of bacteria called listeria which can harm your baby.
Pate – Pate can contain listeria, so it’s best to avoid it while pregnant.
If you want to serve pate at a baby shower, make sure to heat it up until steaming before serving, so the heat kills any bacteria.
Raw/Undercooked Eggs – Make sure to cook eggs thoroughly before serving.
Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables – You should always wash fruits and vegetables before eating them so that they don’t contain harmful bacteria or dirt.
Deli Meats – This is another tricky food because deli meats are usually served cold or at room temperature, but you want to be careful about eating deli meats during pregnancy.
If you do choose to serve them, make sure to heat them until steaming so they’re safe to eat.
Final Thoughts
With a little planning, you can easily throw a baby shower and make sure everyone is happy and well-fed!
We hope these tips and recipes help you throw an amazing baby shower!
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