Sweet Treats
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15 Valentine’s Day Classroom Snack Ideas & Recipes, If You're On Party Duty
Whether you’re a home baker or more of a drive-thru maven.
by Katie McPherson
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Ah, yes, there’s that familiar feeling: it’s time for your kid’s classroom party in honor of Valentine’s Day, and you’re responsible for bringing food. Usually you remember this sort of thing the night before (or the morning of, for the truly unlucky), but with these easy Valentine’s Day classroom snack ideas and recipes, there’s really no need to panic. Whether you choose something that’s quick and easy to make at home — like a simple fudge that can set overnight, cake mix cookies, or some DIY Rice Krispie treats — or opt for store-bought treats, the kids are going to love them either way.
The great thing about kids is that they don’t really care whether their cupcake came from your kitchen or the one at the local grocery store, just that it somehow makes it to their plate in all its frosted, sprinkled glory. With this in mind, here are 15 ideas for your Valentine’s Day classroom snack contribution, whether you want to spend some time baking treats and decorating them with your child the night before or you’re going to zoom through the drive-thru for donuts on the way to school. Both will get the job done equally well, we say.
1
Krispy Kreme
A classic for a reason, going to Krispy Kreme and grabbing a box of Valentine’s Day-themed donuts is an incredible Valentine’s Day classroom snack. The kids will love you, and you can easily do an order pick-up to make it easy to grab. There are also mini-sized versions of the treats if you don’t want to overload them too much with sugar.
2
Toddler Valentine’s Day snack mix
If you’re taking a snack to a toddler classroom, fear not. There are several great, low-sugar options for the tiniest cherubs, and this toddler Valentine’s Day snack mix is a great choice. With dry cereal, freeze-dried strawberries, and yogurt-covered raisins, you can fully customize this to whatever you need for your child’s classroom.
3
Rice Krispie pops
How cute are these Rice Krispie pops? They elevate the traditional cereal and marshmallow treat in a really fun way, and you can make them all look a little different with their dips and sprinkles.
4
Easy Valentine’s Day brownies
The way I would eat an entire pan of these Valentine’s Day brownies and not feel the least bit sorry about it... These are a cinch to throw together, and are a great last-minute Valentine’s Day snack for your child’s classroom. You can also customize how you cut them if you want to make the portions smaller or bigger.
5
Little pink cookie cups you can make ahead
These cookie cups are kind of classroom snack dream — they’re a nice size for younger kids, they don’t require frosting (which somehow always gets messed up in transit anyway), and you can make them ahead and freeze them so you’re not stressing over snacks last minute.
6
Heart-shaped sugar cookies
Don’t sleep on Walmart’s sugar cookies. This is an 18-count of great heart-shaped sugar cookies for less than $7, and they’re easy to grab, take to the school, and delight all of the kids in your child’s classroom.
7
Festive pretzels
Need something bite-sized you can dump in a big bowl and let the kids serve themselves? These strawberry yogurt pretzels come in a 1.5-pound bag, so there will be plenty to go around, and they’ll look cuter than your average pretzel stick.
8
Love bug snack cups
If you’re less of a baker and more of a crafter, why not bring these fruit cup love bugs to contribute to the snack table? The other parents will love you for trying to feed their kid fruit on a sugar-laden holiday, and you and your kid would have so much fun making them together.
9
This easy red & pink fudge
Who doesn’t love fudge? You can throw together this simple, sweet treat with just six ingredients — and one of them is the sprinkles — in about an hour and a half, setting time included.
10
A big tray of cupcakes
No time to bake? Let Sam’s Club do it for you. This massive tray of 30 cupcakes should feed the whole class for less than $16. You really can’t beat that.
11
Pink velvet cupcakes
Want to whip up some straightforward vanilla cupcakes with a little festive flair? Well these pink velvet cupcakes are just the thing. It’ll take you about 30 minutes total to mix and bake the cupcakes, and you can make the simple cream cheese frosting while they’re in the oven.
12
Valentine’s Day pretzels
Pretzels with melted chocolate and fun toppings? Consider this the easiest homemade “trail mix” of all time (but where the pretzels and chocolate bits are combined and no space is wasted on unsalted peanuts).
13
Those soft storebought sugar cookies
Look, if the only thing between your house and the school is a Target, you can still swing by and snag a yummy snack for the class. Check their bakery section for these ultra soft sugar cookies with thick pink frosting. Everyone knows them and loves them, and the kids will not be disappointed.
14
Mini chocolate chip cookies
Your snack idea doesn’t have to be elaborate to feel special to a kid. These miniature chocolate chip cookies are simple to make and satisfying to eat, and with a bottle of heart-shaped sprinkles, you can easily turn them into V-Day cookies.
15
Sugar cookie bars
Sugar cookie bars are more likely than your average cookie to survive the car drop-off line without breaking. These pink frosted ones take about an hour to make from start to finish. The recipe yields 16 bars, so just be sure to double it for a larger class.
Whether you make them at home or pick them up on the way to school, these Valentine’s Day classroom snack ideas are sure to delight all the kids, including yours.
