Kid-Friendly Parties & Vegan Party Food

Navigating Birthday Parties for Vegan Kids

Attending birthday parties and social events as a vegan child can sometimes be tricky, but with a little preparation and thoughtful planning, your child can enjoy the celebration while still sticking to a plant-based diet.

As a parent, it’s important to ask the host what kind of food will be served and let them know which foods your child can and cannot eat; just as you would for a child with allergies or food intolerances. While many hosts may make an effort to include vegan options, it’s wise to be prepared, as even with the best intentions, some foods might not actually be vegan.

Bring Your Own Vegan Food and Support the Host

Bringing your own delicious vegan food is a great solution. Not only does it ensure your child has something to enjoy, but it also gives other guests the chance to try tasty plant-based options. If the hosts are open to including vegan dishes, you can offer helpful suggestions, share recipes, or point them to places where they can buy vegan-friendly foods. Making veganism simple and accessible is a wonderful way to introduce others to the joys of a vegan lifestyle.

And if, for whatever reason, your child finds themselves at a party without any vegan food, remember: “we go to parties to play, not to eat!”

Planning a Party for Kids, Friends, or Family?

As a vegan parent, you wish for other people to accommodate and include your child in activities, so make sure you are inclusive of other people’s children who may have allergies and intolerances when hosting your own party. Willingly providing food for children who suffer allergies and intolerances will open doors for others to reciprocate with your child.

These vegan party food ideas listed below are easy to prepare, delicious, and loved by all guests. From savoury snacks to sweet treats and kid-friendly lolly bags, you’ll find plenty of options for a crowd-pleasing, plant-based celebration. Remember to also check out our Vegan Cheat Sheet.

SAVOURY SNACKS

• Sausage Rolls: Sanitarium or Linda McCartney or try this homemade recipe!
• Party Pies: Try making these yummy party pies.
• Crudités and Dips: Hummus or guacamole (vegan brands available at supermarkets) or make your own. Plant-based cream cheese (Tofutti, Sheese, Made With Plants; available in supermarkets, whole food stores or specialty stores)
• Spring Rolls: Chan’s Yum Cha, Ho Mai, Trang’s, Earth porkless spring roll, Woolworths brand, or Coles brand.
• Bruschetta: Sliced baguettes toasted topped with marinated tomatoes.
• Sandwiches: Make with kid-friendly fillings, eg: tofu scramble and salad, peanut butter and sliced cucumber, hummus, tomatoes and salad, etc.
• Pinwheels: Try this Vegemite pinwheels recipe.
• Vegan Hot Dogs: Use store bought vegan sausages or make your own with this mini hot dog bites recipe.
• Rice Paper Rolls: Fun and easy to make. Try these recipes – Vietnamese rice paper rolls, Oodles of noodly rice paper rolls.
• Falafels: Make your own from scratch, use a pre-mixed powder or ready made falafels available at supermarkets.
• Sushi or Nori Rolls: Another fun one to make. Try these recipes.
• Mini Pizza
• Dolmades: Always Fresh, Palirria or Three Threes.
• Nuggets: Fry’s, Quorn.
• Mini Potato Cakes: You could get creative and turn them into fun canapés.
• Garlic Bread: Cole’s brand, Woolworths brand or make your own.
• Tortillas
• Mini Vol au Vents with various fillings
• Hot Chips

✔️ Tip: Make bite-sized portions for easy serving and to encourage kids to try a variety of flavours.

SWEET TREATS

• Fruit: Mixed fruit of choice cut into bite-size pieces, or in the case of melons, scooped into balls.
• Fairy Bread: Use vegan 100s & 1000s. Brands include: Dollar Sweets, and Hopper. Available in supermarkets and online vegan stores.
• Pikelets: Woolworths pancake and Pikelet mix, or make your own mini pancakes.
• Chocolate Crackles: Try this simple recipe.
• Cupcakes: Try these Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes.
• Mini meringues
• Cookies: You could make your own cookies like this Four-Ingredient Cookies recipe or buy vegan ones such as ‘Naturally Good’ which are also gluten-free (Coconut Crunch, Munchy Muesli Brownie, Munchy Muesli Vanilla); ‘Leda’ (Golden Crunch, Choc Chip, Gingernut; ‘Arnotts’: Raspberry Shortcake, Nice, Chocolate Ripple); ‘Free From Gluten’ (Double Choc Chip, Chocolate Chip, Mini Mint Creme, Creme Choc Biscuits).
• Brownies: Choose from a line up of delectable brownie recipes.
• Vegan Honey Joys
• Donuts: Can be found at OMG Decadent Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Doughnut Time and Daniel’s Donuts.
• Apple and Cinnamon Log: Available at Bakers Delight.
• Icy Poles and Smooze fruity treats available in supermarkets.

✔️ Tip: Colourful fruit toppings or frosting make sweets visually appealing and fun for kids.

KID-FRIENDLY LOLLIES & SWEET PACKS

• Packaged Confectionery: Fruit Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Wizz Fizz, Naturally Good Mylk Zillions
• Marshmallows: available at Five Vegans or Flora & Fauna online stores.
• The Natural Confectionery Co. Vegan Snakes

DIY LOLLY BAGS

• Lollipops: Chupa Chups (fruity variety and cola flavour) and The Red Balloon lollipops
• Lollies: Fruit Skittles, Sour Patch Kids (plant-based varieties), Wizz Fizz, vegan Marshmallows, Starburst Fruity Chews
• Hubba bubba chewing gum
• Stickers: Choose fun, colourful and kid-friendly stickers
• Stick-on Tattoos
• Bubbles

✔️ Tip: Include a mix of treats suitable for different ages and dietary needs.

Hosting a vegan party doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. By planning ahead, offering a variety of savoury and sweet options, and incorporating fun, kid-friendly elements, you can create a celebration everyone enjoys. Remember, the goal is to make the food appealing, accessible, and delicious for all guests!