Find out what gluten and dairy-free party foods to make for your next get together – or to bring to a friend’s house!
What’s worse than going to a party than showing up and realizing there’s nothing for you to eat? If you have food intolerances or food allergies, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
You even probably know going into the party that this might happen, but it stinks nonetheless when you look at a huge spread of food and realize each and every option has some sort of cheese, dairy, flour, or wheat ingredient in it.
Parties are supposed to be fun! So if you find yourself going to parties often and looking high and low for options, or if you host parties and have friends or family members who need to avoid gluten and dairy, I’ve got you covered.
If you’re looking to serve folks at a party and need some gluten and dairy-free food ideas, you’re in the right place! Discover some options for what to serve at your next party whether you follow a gluten-free or dairy-free diet or have guests coming who do!
What should I serve someone who is gluten and dairy-free?
If you have friends who are both gluten and dairy-free and you aren’t, you might be scratching your head wondering what in the world these people CAN eat!
Don’t worry – we once thought that too. But there truly are a TON of options and many are naturally gluten and dairy-free, so you don’t need to buy anything expensive or fancy for these guests.
If your friends are gluten and dairy-free, they’ll be happy to know that you thought of them and have even one option available to them at your party. Think of foods that you’re already going to serve at your party and find a way to make sure they’re gluten and dairy-free.
We’ll go over specifics farther down in the post.
What should I eat at a party when I’m gluten and dairy-free?
When you follow a gluten and dairy-free diet, you know you need to look at foods with a careful eye before popping them in your mouth. My best advice is to do research before you go to the party and try to be aware of what foods most often contain gluten and dairy, so you can steer clear of them.
If you are close with the host, ask them if there are any option that are gluten-free or dairy-free. If they don’t know, maybe they can talk you through what each of the foods are and you can ask questions like “do you happen to remember what brand you bought or still have the package?” or “when you made that dip, did you add any cheese?”
You can ask in a kind way without putting anyone on the spot, and get the answers you need to make an informed decision about what’s in front of you and what your best choices are.
Another strategy is to simply reach only for foods that you know are gluten and dairy-free. Look for the obvious choices like veggie sticks, fruit, and protein. This strategy works best when you aren’t as comfortable with the host and don’t feel comfortable asking questions about the menu.
Read on: What foods are naturally gluten and dairy-free?
So what foods should you have at your next party? What are your options for gluten and dairy-free party food? Let’s go over some snacks, appetizers, and meal ideas that can be useful for you at your next party.
This gluten and dairy-free snack board is perfect for entertaining as an appetizer for dinner or an impromptu get-together.
Enjoy this snack board made with all gluten-free and dairy-free ingredients, including fresh fruit and vegetables and some hummus or other dips.
Try these gluten and dairy-free appetizers for a full spread of options for your guests.
There's a range from roasted nuts to deviled eggs to spinach artichoke dip. There's something for everyone in this roundup!
These appetizers and mains are great for a party where you'll be watching the game. They're equally good for a casual low-key get together where no sports are involved.
Enjoy chili, vegan nacho cheese sauce, stuffed mushrooms, and chicken wings in this roundup.
This roundup has a ton of gluten-free cracker brands - many of which are also dairy-free.
These are great on their own, on a charcuterie board, or with a homemade dairy-free dip or hummus.
Chips are great for a casual party or barbecue gathering.
Look through this list to make sure what you buy is safe for your gluten and dairy-free diet!
Hummus is naturally gluten-free and makes for a really great dip for crackers, veggie sticks, or tortilla chips at any party.
If you're looking for a main dish for your party, try a casual low-key Mexican inspired casserole dish.
Serving casseroles at a party is easy, because the prep is quick and most of the cooking time is hands-off so you can enjoy being with your friends instead of hanging out by the stove.
If you like having a hearty main at your party, try a big batch of crockpot chili.
You can serve this in the fall or winter as a chili bar with tons of fixin's on the side or serve it at a summer gathering on top of some gluten-free hot dogs for chili dogs that are a big crowd pleaser.
Try some of these gluten and dairy-free casserole options for your next party where you're serving a full meal.
I love casseroles, because they're often quick to whip up and many of them allow you to prep in advance, so you have more time to socialize instead of being busy in the kitchen.
Crockpot recipes are great when you're having a party and serving a crowd.
You can get the food cooking early and be hanging out with your friends or family members while everything is cooking low and slow up until it's time to eat.
If you're hosting a party in the summer, you won't want to miss these tips for making sure your gathering is safe for all your friends who are gluten-free, dairy-free, or both!
If you love to host brunch, you'll love this recipe roundup of brunch recipes that are all gluten and dairy-free.
These recipes are great for bridal showers, holiday brunches, and impromptu breakfast gatherings.
You'll find brunch casseroles, egg dishes, pancakes, waffles, muffins, breads, and side dishes in this post.
If you always serve alcohol at parties, you'll want to be sure that you're choosing gluten-free options for your guests.
Check out this list full of all your options for gluten-free beer, cider, wine, seltzer, and hard liquor. You can serve these on their own or mix up your own homemade cocktails!
Finish up your party with a delicious dessert. You'll love this recipe roundup with over 100 different gluten and dairy-free dessert options.
This roundup includes cakes, puddings, cookies, brownies, fruit desserts - and more!
If you’ve been looking for a few options about what to serve at your next party or what to bring to a friend’s house so you don’t wind up hungry, I hope this post has been helpful for you!
What do you like to bring to parties? What are your favorite party foods? What did I miss here on this post? Share in the comments below!
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