These easy graduation party foods are perfect for backyard graduation parties or hassle-free outdoor grad party ideas at home. Easy graduation dips, party appetizers, and even fun party drinks and simple dessert ideas to go with a graduation cake.
Easy Graduation Party Food Ideas And Effortless Party Snacks
These are our favorite easy appetizers, salad recipes and finger foods for casual graduation parties.
List Of Graduation Recipes To Add To Your Backyard Cookout Or Casual Party
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Easy Graduation Charcuterie Board
- Orzo Spinach Salad
- Tater Tot Nachos (Buffalo Chicken Totchos)
- Mexican Street Corn Salad (Fresh Corn Dip In A Cup)
- Creamy Artichoke Dip Without Spinach
- Homemade Guacamole
- Carrot Top Pesto Dip
- Slow Cooker Sausage Cheese Dip (Meat Queso)
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa (like a Cowboy Caviar Dip)
- Easy Cucumber Dip
- Homemade Salsa Verde
- Refried Bean Dip (one of the best dips for chips and it’s such a simple dip recipe!)
- Homemade Pico de Gallo
- Refreshing Fruit Sweet Dip
- Fruit Salad In Waffle Cone
- Fruit Waters
- Sweet Sun Tea
Get the recipes for graduation below – delicious dip recipes, many quick and easy and ready in no time so you can spend little prepping time and more time maximizing mingling!
18 Best Recipes For An Easy Graduation Party At Home
Cold Italian Pasta Salad
This pasta salad recipe is one of my go-to party recipes because it’s an easy recipe that everyone loves.
This pepperoni salad is ready in just minutes – with just cold pasta (you can make ahead!), vegetables, and a dressing!
GET THE COLD PASTA SALAD RECIPE
Simple Graduation Charcuterie Board
Planning a charcuterie grazing board for a party can be difficult, especially if you are having a large party. (Making a graze table is super expensive!)
However, this is the easiest meat and cheese board for a party that still looks great and doesn’t cost a ton!
Meats, crackers, different kinds of cheese, fresh veggies and fruits, and dipping sauces make great graze boards and simple appetizers to pair with a variety of party dips.
How To Make A Graduation Graze Board
Orzo Spinach Salad
This tasty orzo salad recipe with chicken, also called spinach florentine pasta salad, is a light and easy recipe to add to your graduation party.
Plus, it gives guests a healthy recipe option among all the other party food.
GET THE ORZO SPINACH SALAD RECIPE
Buffalo Tater Tot Nachos Delicious Appetizer
I love these loaded tater tots for a any cookout party because you can make a big pan of them and then everyone can help themselves. It’s an easy, no-fuss appetizer for graduation parties.
This loaded totchos recipe can be made with buffalo chicken or without for vegetarian totchos as a main dish. Serve it up with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and green onions.
I like this as an alternative to the hot chicken dip that everyone seems to serve at parties now or an alternative to buffalo chicken wings just to serve something different from everyone else.
Mexican Corn Dip (Hot Corn Dip)
This Mexican street corn off the cob is sometimes called elote salad, but it can be used as a tortilla chip dip, too!
It’s one of our favorite dip recipes or even cookout sides to go with anything that you’re serving or grilling for your backyard graduation party.
SERVING TIP: Serve this Mexican elotes with lime slices so party guests can squeeze fresh lime juice over it before eating!
Get The Mexican Street Corn Dip Recipe
Easy Artichoke Dip
This artichoke parmesan dip is another warm dip and is our go-to for holiday recipes, party recipes, or cookout side dishes because it’s such an easy last minute recipe to whip up!
This is a family favorite recipe that we make for easy party recipes or holiday dips all the time.
I happen to think it’s one of the best graduation dip recipes because not a lot of other parties have it (most people make it as spinach artichoke dip). It’s definitely a crowd-pleasing dip!
If you like traditional spinach artichoke dip, you’ll love this dip too.
RECIPE TIP: You can also turn this into a yummy hot crab dip by adding shredded crab meat.
Easy Guacamole Recipe
We call this guacamole dip, but some people also call it guacamole salad.
We eat it with tortilla chips and it’s a perfect dip recipe for graduation parties.
How To Make Homemade Guacamole Dip
Carrot Pesto
Hear me out: the greens from carrot tops make the best pesto dip!
It can be used for crackers or chips, but is really great on sandwiches and on a warm bread, too.
My daughter BEGS me to make this summer dip with fresh carrot tops from the garden every year now.
This recipe does take a little longer than some of the other recipes. If you have the time, it’s definitely worth it.
Plus, it’s different from all the other party dips at graduation parties everyone else will be serving.
Sausage Queso (Sausage Cream Cheese Dip)
This sausage and cheese dip is another party favorite at our house and is full of cheesy goodness.
It’s a slow cooker cheesy dip with cream cheese and real cheddar, which makes this hot dips great for a set and forget recipe for graduation parties, especially if you don’t want to be cooking over a hot stove on hot summer days. (Just be sure to give it a stir periodically throughout the party.)
I also love this dip because you can make it a spicy cheese dip hot salsa or hot sauce (or a more mild cheese dip).
If you’re looking for easy slow cooker dips for your gathering, pull out your trusty slow cooker because this is it!
Hands-down one of the most popular dips for parties all year!
Summer Corn and Black Bean Salsa
This is another one of my daughter’s favorite dip recipes, so definitely don’t count it out for kids at your summer party (especially if you can get fresh sweet corn and cut it off the cob!).
It’s a simple recipe and a last minute dip ready in minutes.
Eat these black beans and corn with corn chips or tortilla chips like a chunky salsa, or serve it as a side with anything you’re grilling.
Recipe for Black Bean and Corn Salad Dip
Simple Dip With Cucumbers (Cold Party Dips)
You can make this easy dip in minutes with a couple of simple ingredients, which makes it the perfect last minute recipe. It takes like two minutes to make this easy dip!
This cucumber dip is a refreshing addition to a graduation party food table, especially if you can get fresh summer cucumbers.
I love this an alternative to a heavy creamy dip and is one of our new favorite appetizers.
SERVING TIP: The best way to serve this quick dip is with pita chips or fresh crunch vegetables for finger foods. Also, if you’re having an outdoor graduation party, put the dip in a bowl and then sit the bowl in some crushed ice to keep the dip chilled.
Green Salsa Verde
If you want to add a different salsa than red salsa to your graduation party charcuterie board or party snack table, add salsa verde.
(It’s one of my favorite, but seems like you never see it at party cookouts!)
How To Make Homemade Salsa Verde (The Green Salsa)
Simple Bean Dip Recipe (Refried Beans Dip)
Whenever we make this recipe for parties, everyone always says how they never liked bean dip until now!
This is an easy refried bean dip ready in no time for your graduation recipes.
Serve it with tortilla chips.
Pico De Gallo Dip (Easy Chunky Salsa Recipe)
This homemade pico de gallo recipe or salsa fresco (and sometimes called Mexican salad), is a another of our favorite easy dip for parties.
Definitely add it to your list of easy and quick dips and appetizers for any party.
It’s really refreshing on a hot summer day for graduation cookouts, especially if you can use fresh vegetables from your garden or summer produce from the farmers market.
Party Fruit Dips (DESSERT DIPS)
Not everyone will want graduation cake but will crave a sweet treat, so add this easy dessert dip.
This dip recipe for fruit will quickly become your quick and easy recipe for parties.
This sweet, creamy, fluffy fruit dip recipe has just a few ingredients, making it quick and simple summer day treat.
Great for easy sweet treat to balance out the savory dips.
This is one of my favorite sweet dips!
Walking Fruit Salad
This easy fruit salad is perfect for easy tailgating recipes for kids and adults. Refreshing and simple dessert for outdoor cookout parties.
(I know this is a dessert, but it’s good to use with the sweet fruit dip recipe I gave you!)
Fruit Waters
I like to serve different waters with fruit and vegetables at parties because not only are they refreshing, these easy drink recipes are a healthy alternative to sugary drinks.
Make the fruit drinks ahead of time or have a fruit drink bar where you provide flat water and bubbly water with a variety of cut up fruits and vegetables where people can make their own drinks.
If you only add one drink idea to your easy graduation party foods list, make it this because they’re perfect drinks for kids and adults.
GET FRUIT IN WATER RECIPE IDEAS
Sweet Sun Tea
Sun tea is a fun an easy party drink, especially if you’re having a graduation cookout.
Just let the tea brew in the sun and let everyone add their own things by providing a cute tea tray full of ice, sugar, honey, fresh herbs and flowers, lemon slices, and more!
BONUS RECIPE – ALSO GREAT FOR GRADUATION PARTY DESSERTS: Sheet Pan Oven Smores
Happy Graduation! I hope I’ve given you some great recipe ideas for easy graduation party foods!
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