Snack tray ideas have come a LONG way over the past couple of years. It wasn’t all that long ago that I would throw some puppy chow into a bowl, set it on the coffee table, and call it a day. Maybe I’d add a bowl of some other snack to make sure salty and sweet were covered. But as long as it was in a bowl and not the bag it came in, I considered my hostessing duties fulfilled.
Then, last holiday season, charcuterie boards were everywhere. What a wake-up call! I loved them. I loved seeing them and making them. The more crowded the board, the better, in my opinion! It was such an easy way to create a beautiful presentation of your standard meat-and-cheese hors d’oeuvres that it quickly became a favorite of houseguests and hostesses.
The downside of all that charcuterie, though, is LOTS of salted meats and cheeses. And when you’ve got a full holiday party list to attend, it can leave you feeling quite crap rather quickly.
I feel I must not have been the only one who noticed this, because in 2020 snack tray ideas have gotten a huge makeover. Now snack tray themes run the gamut from tropical fruit assortments to concession stand buffets.
They’re just as ideal for date nights and small groups, but the shift to general snacking makes them useful for many more occasions and demographics. For instance, a kids’ tray with goldfish and animal crackers. Or a movie night tray for a sleepover. You could even do an assortment of breakfast foods to create a brunch board.
This snack tray came together for a girls’ day in. One of my guests is completely gluten-free, so I wanted to make sure she was accommodated. I also wanted a good balance of salty, sweet, and savory. I feel like leaving the savory out of that trio makes for a much less robust snack tray. You can go back and forth between M&Ms and salty chips until your belly is full, but I often find myself still craving something when I do that.
To avoid that problem, I started with a cheese and cracker collection. I opted for a more subdued brown rice cracker option alongside the flavorful rosemary and olive oil crackers. Both pair easily with a sharp white cheddar.
For salty bits I went with a cheddar cauliflower cracker that imitates a Cheez-it and some gluten free pretzel twists. Both of these are lighter options than your standard potato chip and their shapes make them ideal for a snack tray.
I also included some parmesan crisps and an unsalted nut mix. The nuts are another savory addition that helps round out the palate, and the parmesan crisps have a nice savory, satisfying flavor.
For sweets, I provided something from the fruity family and something from the chocolate family. M&Ms are my favorite candy! And in small groups they make for easy finger food to pluck out of a bowl. I also really like their colored shells on a snack tray. Likewise gummy bears. The pop of color is really fun. (Pro tip: If you happen to be sipping bubbles, drop a gummy bear into the bottom of the glass. It’s a nice saturated treat when you finish your drink!) And the Twizzlers were honestly just for fun. I liked the visual variation its shape added to the snack track.
Visual appeal is the key to putting a snack tray together. I mentioned in the ingredients section that shape variety and color are two important factors. once you’ve got a variety of shapes, the rest is kind of like building blocks.
For the smallest bits like M&Ms and nuts, I used small ramekins and bowls at either end of the tray. If you’ve got a really big tray, you can do multiples so no one has to reach too far across the tray. Little pots and dishes like these are nice to look at and create some structure to stack your other snacks around.
I also think the cascade method is a nice touch. Particularly with snacks that you want people to pair together, such as cheese and crackers. Overlapping the cheese and crackers slightly creates the subtle suggestion to grab both together for one savory bite.
Once you have the majority of your board assembled, you might have little gaps here and there. Just fill those in with extras. In the picture above you can see I tucked some extra cheddar crackers near the handle at one end of the tray where nothing else quite made sense.
These are just some recommendations that have worked for me. At the end of the day, it’s just a snack tray. Have fun with it, include the snack ideas that you love, and remember it’s all just going to get eaten anyway!
