If you’re hosting a birthday party, the costs can really add up. Decorations, presents, cake, entertainment, the list goes on. 

But before you add “caterer” to your spending list, check out these affordable and easy recipes for birthday party foods. You can make them yourself with only a few, simple ingredients, and they’re sure to please your guests.

1. Fruit skewers

Any guests will appreciate this easy handheld birthday party food. You simply need an assortment of fresh fruits, that are either small or cut into bitesize pieces, and some long wooden skewers. 

Place the fruit pieces onto the skewer. For a children’s birthday, you could make them fun by creating a rainbow with the fruit choices: strawberries, mango, banana, kiwi, blueberries, and purple grapes, for example.

And for an equally easy but fancy side for your fruit skewers, you can combine plain or vanilla yogurt with a sweetener like honey, cinnamon, or orange zest for a delicious dip.

2. Crockpot meatballs

At a birthday party, crockpot meatballs are a filling but an easy dish that guests really enjoy. If you want to make meatballs from scratch, you certainly can, but this simple birthday party food is just as good as pre-cooked frozen ones.

To make crockpot meatballs, place a bag of frozen meatballs into your slow cooker (or roll your own if you have more time). Add a sauce of your choosing. Marinara works for Italian flavors, but you might also want to try an easy fruit glaze with Heinz chili sauce and any fruit jam.

Here’s a great meatball recipe you can adapt to your liking.

Let them heat up on low for several hours, and serve with toothpicks for easy snacking.

3. Sandwich sliders

Any handheld foods make it easy for guests to eat and mingle. Sandwich sliders are a perfect birthday party food and are also affordable and easy to make.

Look for a bag of rolls that aren’t separated, such as King’s Hawaiian rolls. Carefully cut the entire package of rolls in half. Layer the bottom with your choice of meat and cheese, like ham and swiss or chicken and cheddar. For a vegetarian option, try mozzarella, pesto, and sundried tomatoes.

Try this recipe for chicken pull-apart sliders.

Carefully place the roll tops onto your fillings, and bake in the oven until warm. For a tasty glaze, spread some melted butter over the rolls before baking. Cut or tear apart the sandwiches and supply a few condiments like mustard or ranch for dipping.

4. Cookie platter

You’ll probably have a birthday cake at your party, but that doesn’t mean you can’t offer some other tasty treats for guests to enjoy. This easy and affordable birthday party food is both delicious and fun.

Collect an assortment of cookies, whether homemade, from a bakery, or just prepackaged from a grocery store: chocolate chip, sugar, Oreo, vanilla wafers, you name it. Arrange them on a platter, and add some “cookie dips,” like peanut butter, frosting, and melted chocolate.

Your guests can create their own sweet treats. You can even provide sprinkles, chocolate chips, and small candies for kids to decorate on their own.

Are you looking for any other tricks to make hosting a birthday party a little easier? Try an online gift list service, like giftster.com, to create and organize lists for items you need to buy.

Birthday parties don’t need to be complicated to be memorable. Take the stress out of planning your next party and go simple with your menu so you can focus on enjoying your guest’s company too.