15 Creative Graduation Party Food Ideas

Looking for graduation party food ideas? We understand! Whether you’re in the process of putting together a celebratory graduation party for yourself and your best buds, or you’re planning on behalf of a soon-to-be graduate in your life, be sure to put plenty of thought into the food you’ll have on offer! Having great food at any kind of gathering can make it that much more fun and memorable for your guests.

Another significant consideration is the location of your party. You may be planning to have it at home, but if you’d like to use a professional venue or other location, check out what’s available on Peerspace when it comes to graduation party venues near you. The site has the largest selection of any hourly venue rental or other short-term space rental platform, with tens of thousands of listings located in hundreds of cities around the world. It’s not just limited to one country, either—you’ll find options in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, and beyond!

Peerspace’s in-depth but easy-to-use search tool makes it possible to filter your search results based on everything from the budget range you’re looking for to the dates, style/aesthetic, indoor/outdoor spaces, amenities included with your rental—and so much more. With these resources at your fingertips, it’s easy to locate venues that’ll be a great fit for your grad party.

After you’ve established the location of your grad party, the next step is to focus on other aspects of the party experience, including the food. Read on for some food-related inspiration in the form of our 15 best graduation party food ideas, including a mixture of entrees, desserts, and snacks.

1. Peanut butter cup grad caps

Few graduation symbols are more iconic than the classic square-topped graduation cap (also known as a mortarboard). That’s why we’re featuring snacks in the shape of these graduation symbols as the first item on our list of graduation party food ideas! In this case, they’re peanut butter cup grad caps. They’re very easy to make and the result is absolutely adorable, not to mention festive! (Just be sure to include a visible warning that they contain peanuts for your guests since peanuts are one of the most common food allergens.)

2. Flourless chocolate cake grad caps

Alternatively, make round flourless chocolate cakes topped with chocolate squares for an even more fancy and festive graduation party food idea that also avoids the risk of any peanut allergies.

3. Mac and cheese bites

No, these aren’t specifically graduation-themed, but it’s hard to go wrong with this graduation party food idea. They’re a crowd-pleaser because they’re simple, portable, and pretty much everyone loves crispy, creamy mac and cheese. 

4. Baked chili cheese dogs

If you’re cooking for a crowd at your party, you could go to the trouble of setting up the grill to prepare a classic like hot dogs—or you could make these baked chili cheese dogs all at once in the oven for a much more convenient alternative.

5. Taco bar

Tacos are another major crowd-pleaser, so we figured we’d want to include this graduation party food idea somewhere on our list. For this idea, not only would you be setting up a taco bar (here’s a guide to doing that from Food.com), but also putting up this fun “Taco Bout a Future” banner above the bar as a nod to the graduates’ recent successes!

Don’t forget the party favors! Check out these special graduation party favor ideas to ensure you have the best thank-you gifts for your guests.

6. Graduation cupcakes

Continuing the graduation cap theme, what about preparing some stunning cupcakes with graduation caps on top? Everybody loves cupcakes, especially when they’re on a theme. You could also write “Congrats class of [Insert year here]” or any other relevant messages on top.

7. Lemon bars

Since most people graduate in the late spring or early summer, if there’s nice warm weather when you’re planning your grad party, you might want to serve an appropriately summery dessert. These lemon bars definitely fit the bill.

8. Chicken salad to feed a crowd

This is another food option that’s easy to prepare ahead and can be served to your guests on demand (it doesn’t even need to stay hot, which makes it that much more convenient). 

9. Make graduation-shaped cookies, decorated or not

Ann Clark cookie cutters come in all sorts of graduation party-related shapes, including graduation caps, diplomas, graduation gowns, various numbers, and even the graduates themselves. See how they used them in this example here.

10. Charcuterie cups

Although charcuterie boards are all the rage, and for good reason, charcuterie cups are also a fun way to create a similar food experience while allowing your guests/the new grads to mingle among one another and talk, instead of having to run back to the charcuterie table all the time.

Running behind on the party planning? Never fear; simply utilize these brilliant last-minute party ideas to pull it off perfectly!

11. No-bake diploma cookies

These no-bake diploma cookies are a brilliant and easy idea. Take rolled, creme-filled wafer cookies like Pirouettes or Piroulines and wrap each one in a pretty blue or red bow to look like a diploma!

12. DIY edible grad pops

Using a combo of high-quality chocolates, make these whimsical edible graduation pops for an especially fun treat.

13. Include a fruit platter

Arranging a bunch of sliced fruit in an attractive way is easy to do, and it provides your guests with an option that allows them to vary their consumption a little bit from lots of sweet treats.

14. Root beer float bar

Here’s a super fun idea! Provide your guests with root beers, ice cream, whipped cream, and toppings like maraschino cherries and sprinkles for a fun drink option at your party.

15. “Congrats” cookies

You can buy these kinds of carefully decorated cookies from a bakery, or make them yourself if you’ve got a knack for creativity. 

Find unique graduation party venues on Peerspace