Planning a Southwest-themed VBS? With all the fun and excitement going on, kids will need some snacks to stay fueled up and happy! Get inspired with these unique snack ideas that add plenty of Southwest fun to your snack station. Bonus: they’re all delicious!
Make sugar cookies using your favorite recipe but bake them on one square of parchment paper per cookie. Flip a cupcake tin upside down. Once the cookies are done baking, work quickly to place the cookies in between the cups of the tin and allow to cool. This helps shape the cookies. Make brownies as per packaging directions and crumble into pieces to form the ‘meat’ of the taco. Use green and yellow food coloring and shredded coconut to create the look of cheese and lettuce. Pipe white frosting onto the top of the taco for ‘sour cream’. Top off your taco with red Sixlets® to look like tomatoes. So fun! Don't forget to download and print out the free printable food labels by clicking the button below.
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By Shauna Krantz of Ella & Annie
Chocolatey candy dots and gum dots transform ordinary sugar cookies into beautiful sombreros fit for a Southwest VBS! The cookies are soft and will melt in your mouth and you can even try adding a teaspoon of almond extract for a slightly different tasting cookie. These cookies will go fast so, so make plenty!
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By Amy Williams of My Name Is Snickerdoodle
These cactus cupcakes are almost too cute to eat, but since they’re so delicious, kids will gobble them right up! They might look complicated, but are truly easy to create and add such a fun vibe to your Southwest VBS.
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Mix together the following ingredients to the flavor that you like: diced red onion, chopped cilantro, rinsed and drained canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained yellow corn, rinsed and drained black beans, diced yellow and red bell peppers, diced Roma tomato with seeds removed. You can serve this as-is or add the following dressing: 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. To create chips, use a cactus shaped cookie cutter to cut out cactus shapes from green tortillas. Bake the cut tortillas at 350 degrees for 4-6 minutes or until crisp. Get your free printables food labels here!
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Cut celery sticks and fill with peanut butter or creamed cheese. Using the filling as a glue, add two raisins for eyes. Cut a red bell pepper into a snake tongue shape and insert into the filled celery. Download the free printable food label here.
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Make rice cereal treats using your favorite recipe – or take the easy route and use store-bought. Coat the rice cereal treat with white frosting. Toast some shredded coconut in the oven and then press the frosting-coated rice cereal treat into the toasted coconut. Wrap red licorice ropes around the ‘haybale’ and secure with frosting or set chocolate. Download the free printable food label here.
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Heat 24 ounces of chopped white chocolate, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and a pinch of salt in microwave until the chocolate is melted and stir. Add ¼ cup Oreo cookie crumbs and stir until smooth. Divide the fudge into 3 bowls and add varying amounts of cookie, cocoa powder and graham cracker crumbs. Chill the fudge in the refrigerator until the fudge is thick – no longer sticky, but still pliable. Roll the fudge into varying sizes of odd-shaped rocks and set aside until firm. Download the Free Food Label Tent here!
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Cut a banana into 1" slices. Coat the outside of the banana slice with cream cheese, chocolate or peanut butter. Roll the banana in chopped nuts or graham cracker crumbs. Place your finished wheels into the refrigerator to set. Download the Free Food Label Tent here!
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Melt green candy melts according to the package. Cut large pretzel rods in half. Dip the cut pretzel rods into the melted candy. While the pretzel cacti are setting on waxed paper, add white sprinkle pokies and flower candies. Next, remove the cream middle from chocolate sandwich cookies. Crush the chocolate cookies to form ‘dirt’. Insert the cookie dirt into lined mini flowerpots or bowls. Once the candy melt is dry, place the cactus into the dirt. Ta-da! Don’t forget to download the free printable food label here.
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By: Michelle Stewart of Michelle’s Party Plan-it
Everyone loves salsa, and kids are no exception! This chunky Pico de Gallo style salsa is great with tortilla chips, for a quick and easy VBS snack. See how to make this delicious recipe in just 5 easy steps!
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Need a place to put some grab-and-go snacks? A Southwest themed snack station is the answer! From popcorn and bagged treats to candy and drinks, a Southwest themed snack station is just what your VBS needs.
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