“We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.”
— Leslie Knope
What would Galentine’s Day be without delicious waffles and sweet strawberry smoothies?
Keep reading for some flavorful (and healthy!) Galentine’s Day party food ideas.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase via one of these links, I’ll earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our full disclosure and liability disclaimer.
Helpful Tips
This is a no-brainer, but find out if there are any food allergies/sensitivities among those on your guest list. It’s no fun to be the one person who can’t enjoy a meal with the rest of the group, so be sure to include some allergy-friendly options if needed.
Many of these recipes can be modified to be gluten/dairy-free.
Prepare the meal/dessert in advance if you’re able. That’ll ease the pressure on your mind a little bit as you approach the Friendship Day celebration.
If you and your friends enjoy cooking or baking together, you can add it to your Galentine’s Day activities list.
Satisfying Main Courses and Sides
Whip up some memorable (and tasty!) appetizers and meals with these simple recipes.
Waffles
Waffles are key to throwing the best Galentine’s party! And yes, they count as a meal. It’s the main food for Galentine’s Day, after all.
Olena from iFood Real has a delicious waffle recipe for you to try. Using only whole food ingredients that can be found at your local grocery store, she shows how to create mouth-watering waffles that will keep your stomach happy and healthy.
Here are some fun topping ideas for your Galentine waffles.
Sweet Toppings
- dark chocolate chips
- syrup (maple, date, chocolate, etc.)
- fruit compote (here’s an easy recipe to try. Serve it warm or chilled)
- honey
- butter
- whipped cream
- fresh/frozen fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.). If using frozen fruit, thaw them overnight in the fridge or dunk them in a bowl of cold water, replacing the water every 15 minutes or so until they’ve defrosted. When I defrost berries, I don’t mind if they’re still a little hard inside, so I just quickly rinse them in hot water for about 15-20 seconds, and that’s enough good for me.
- ice cream (store-bought or homemade. Here’s a 4 ingredient vanilla ice cream recipe to try)
Most recipes call for an ice cream maker like this one by Cuisineart. We for a couple of years, and it has worked well.
Savory Toppings
- chopped nuts (walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, etc.)
- nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew)
- fried eggs
- bacon pieces
- fried chicken pieces
Pancakes
Right after waffles comes the next best party food for Galentine’s Day. Pancakes! Waffles, pancakes, and oatmeal are the perfect breakfast foods to serve for a pajama-themed party.
Make heart-shaped pancakes with these stainless steel heart cookie cutters.
Pasta Fagioli
This is my favorite type of soup! I used to make it once every single month for a few years. I really should get back to doing that.
Here’s my mom’s variation of the savory Italian soup.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of hormone-free ground beef
- 1 cup of chopped celery
- 1 cup of chopped carrots
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- pasta of your choice – The smaller, the better because pasta absorbs a lot of liquid ( I used alphabet pasta or ditalini)
- 2 cans of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 gallons of vegetable juice (I used the V8 brand)
If I remember correctly, chopped tomatoes are typically part of the ingredients list. So, if you like that, by all means, add it to the soup! I’m just not a fan of tomatoes, so they are not in the recipe.
Spices:
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons basil
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Start cooking the ground beef in a large pan. While it’s browning, cut the celery stalks into tiny pieces and chop up the carrots and onion in a food processor. Once the ground beef is ready, throw everything into a large pot.
Drain and rinse the kidney beans and toss them into the pot. Pour in the vegetable juice and stir in the spices.
Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 1-2hrs (depending on how soft you want the celery to be).
At some point, when the soup is almost ready, prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Drain the pasta and dunk it into the soup. And now it’s ready to enjoy!
Heart-Shaped Rolls
These heart-shaped rolls from Somewhat Simple perfectly complement the pasta fagioli recipe above.
Breakfast Charcuterie Board
If you’re hosting a Galentine’s brunch, this charcuterie board idea from The Curly Spoon will help you create an appetizing breakfast arrangement.
Oven-Roasted Veggie Kabobs
Make some yummy veggie kabobs with mushrooms, corn cobs, bells peppers, red onions, and zucchini.
Roasted Potatoes
The Plant Based School has a simple recipe for making roasted potatoes. Mix some chopped up potatoes with some olive oil and spices and roast them in the oven.
Delicious Snacks or Appetizers
Sweet and salty snacks for your Galentine’s Day party that would go well with any theme you pick.
Chocolate Covered Potato Chips
Only 2 ingredients are required for this easy sweet and salty treat: chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, milk, or white) and a bag of your favorite brand of potato chips.
My family loves Boulder Canyon’s sea salt potato chips because they have fewer ingredients and preservatives and are made with anti-inflamammatory oils like avacado or olive oil.
Melt the chocolate chips (HU brand made with coconut sugar) in a pot using the double boiler method (put a smaller bowl with the chocolate into a pot of water), then dip the chips halfway (or all the way if you prefer) and place them on a baking sheet to dry.
If you want extra toppings, now’s the time to do it before the chocolate completely hardens.
You can store leftover chips in an airtight container for about 5-7 days, though the sooner you eat them, the better.
Here are a couple topping ideas:
- sea salt
- chopped nuts (walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, etc.)
Rosemary Paremesan Popcorn
Caroline from Taste Love and Nourish has a rosemary parmesan popcorn recipe that pops with flavor.
Sprinkle some conversation hearts into the bowl of popcorn to make it look extra cute. Does it defeat the purpose of healthy popcorn? Sure, but it’s just for one day…
Galentine Trail Mix
A cute little bowl of trail mix is perfect for your Galentine’s party. It’s something yummy and crunchy to munch on while watching a movie with your gal pals.
Here’s what you need for the trail mix:
- red and pink m&ms
- salted nuts
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- dried blueberries
- coconut flakes
Soft Pretzels
Bake some soft pretzels with this easy recipe from Hungry Girl. You can use a regular oven or an air fryer.
Here are a few fun toppings you can put on the pretzels:
- cheese
- garlic
- cinnamon sugar
- sesame seeds
- nuts
Desserts for Spoiling Your Friends
Who doesn’t love a good dessert? The best part about the desserts in this list is that they’re either healthy or have healthy alternatives.
Chocolate Pudding
Homemade chocolate pudding is the best! This creamy pudding from Chocolate Covered Katie is made with classic ingredients, like milk, cornstarch, and honey. There are no nuts, bananas, or avocados in this pudding recipe.
Oatmeal Bites
Enjoy some tasty oatmeal bites with creamy peanut butter and crunchy sunflower seeds. Roll the oat mixture in some Valentine’s Day M&Ms and sprinkles.
If you want a healthier, albeit less sweet version, you could use dark chocolate chips instead of M&Ms and coconut flakes instead of sprinkles.
Frozen Fruity Yogurt Bites
Just a few simple ingredients are needed to make these cute pink yogurt bites. Raspberries, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup/honey. Decorate the bites with heart-shaped sprinkles.
Use silicone muffin cups to make them. And if you want to turn them into heart-shaped yogurt bites, use these heart-shaped baking cups instead.
Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip
How often have you baked cookies and wished you could just eat the cookie dough instead?
Well, Chocolate Covered Katie has an awesome 10-minute recipe for chickpea cookie dough.
Drinks for Unforgettable Moments
There are countless cocktails and mocktails for you to make for your friends. Here are just a few of them.
Skinny Paloma
With just a few simple steps, you can create a delicious Skinny Paloma. Mix some fresh grapefuit juice, a shot of tequila, and a little bit of lime juice, and you’ve got a delicious drink that won’t need any sugar added to it.
Orange Blossom
Enjoy a taste of summer with this delicious orange cocktail.
Strawberry Kombucha Mojito
A tasty and healthy Galentine mocktail with a few simple ingredients. Strawberry kombucha mojito is perfect for Galentine’s Day theme colors of red and pink.
Bluberry-Lavender Fauxjito
Get a taste of summer with a refreshing glass of tangy blueberry-lavender faux mojito.
Stir together some lavender syrup and add it to the blueberry and mint leaf mixture.
Hot Chocolate
This could technically count as dessert since it’s so sweet!
The Clean Eating Couple has a 3-ingredient hot chocolate recipe. And guess what, it’s healthy too!
Tea
There are so many teas. So explore all the wonderful options from chai to rooibos, not forgetting the herbal teas (I know, I know… they are tisanes.)
This might be true for the entire country, but I know for certain that in West Michigan, people are fans of 3 types of tea: lemon, ginger, and peppermint.
These pretty pink porcelain tea cups will help you throw a fun Galentine’s Day tea party. They even come with pretty gold spoons!
Pink Sunrise Strawberry Smoothie
Want a smoothie that tastes like a spring sunrise? Lindsey from Cafe Johnsonia has a quick and easy recipe for this morning treat!
The recipe calls for carrots, strawberries, raspberries, an orange, coconut milk, and beets for the darker pink color.
Valentine Punch
Yes, I know it says Valentine instead of Galentine, but it’s still a perfect drink for Galentine’s Day.
The Valentine Punch recipe calls for pineapple juice, Sprite, and frozen strawberries. And if you want to make a healthier punch, use sparkling water instead of Sprite.
Fruit Infused Water
Alex and Sonja from A Couple Cooks have a simple fruit-infused water recipe that uses strawberries, an orange, and mint leaves.
Now that you’ve got a plan for appetizers and snacks for your Galentine’s Day party, it’s time for some fun Galentine’s activities with your friends.