Holiday DIY Movie Night Snack Tray

Your family will love nothing more than to help in creating a Holiday DIY Movie Night Snack Tray. They will also love the memories it brings while sitting down together to an old-fashioned movie night.

A movie night snack tray is exactly what it sounds like: a tray of snacks that everyone can munch on during family movie night.

I think of it as a similar concept but less structured than a charcuterie board. And less work too. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good charcuterie board, but they take some time to prepare if you’re adding in meats, cheeses, fruits, dips, etc.

With movie night snack trays, all you have to do is throw some premade items on there. In this holiday version, I let popcorn take center stage and then added some premade cookies and candies around it. That way everyone got a little sweet and a little salty as we recently sat down to watch one of our favorites: Elf. 

If you love quick and easy holiday-themed food, be sure to check out my Candy Cane Cherry Danish, Cream Cheese Strawberry Santas, and Strawberry Christmas Trees!

Ingredients Needed For Our Holiday DIY Movie Night Snack Tray Recipe

Here’s everything you’ll need to create a holiday movie night snack tray like the one I made.

• Popcorn – popped
• Candy Canes – any color, any flavor
• Candy Cane Kisses
• Rolos – individually wrapped
• Gingerbread Oreos
• Gingerbread Men Cookies
• Holiday M&M’s
• Christmas Tree Cakes
• Any other favorite movie time snacks – let your kiddos help you shop for the candy and snacks they would like on the tray.

How to Make A Holiday DIY Movie Night Snack Tray

This fun movie snack tray could not be easier to put together.

Step 1

Find a fun serving tray and place everything on the tray with the exception of the popcorn, tree cakes, and candy canes in containers. Position the containers on the serving tray put in the various kinds of candy.

Step 2

Now pour the popcorn into the open areas of the tray.

Step 3

Next place the candy canes and tree cakes on top of the popcorn.

Step 4

Now all that is left to do is to snuggle in and let the binge watching and snacking begin! 😍

Holiday DIY Movie Night Snack Tray Recipe Notes And Tips

• It would be best to put the nuts or fruits in cups or bowls and place on the platter first. Then work around the bowls filling in with the other snacks.

• Start with the bigger items placing them on the platter first then using the smaller items to fill in the empty spaces.

• Try to keep like items separate from each other. For example, if you have 2 or 3 different types of cheese, place them in different areas on the tray, not next to each other.

Variations Of A Holiday DIY Movie Night Snack Tray To Try

The number of variations of snack foods that you can put on a Movie Night Snack Tray is almost limitless. These snack trays can easily be made to follow the theme of the movie or holiday.

You need to consider what snacks your family enjoys the most but here are a few ideas/suggestions:

• Sweet: Teddy Grahams, M&M’s, candy corn, mini candy bars, gummy bears, licorice, iced animal crackers, caramel popcorn, cookies, butterfinger bites
• Fruits: Sliced apples, blueberries, grapes, strawberries pineapple chunks, blackberries, raisins
• Salty: Goldfish crackers, pretzels, Ritz crackers, peanuts, wheat thins, cheese nips, clubhouse crackers, almonds, cashews
• Cheese : Chedder, swiss, pepperjack, mozzarella, gouda 
• Dried Fruit: Craisins, apricots, dates, bananas

And of course, you can make cute treats to add to your tray such as

• Bite-Size Christmas Tree Brownies
• Reindeer Oreo Pops
• DIY Marshmallow Mugs: A Chocolate-Covered Treat
• Grinch Rice Krispies Treats: Lazy Moms Version
• Homemade Candy Christmas Tree Pretzels

FAQs

Here are the answers to some common questions I see readers ask about putting together movie night snack trays. If you don’t see your question down below, make sure to leave it in the comments so I can answer it!

Can this Movie Night Snack Tray be made in advance?

Yes, definitely! You can cover it loosely with plastic wrap to help keep it fresh. Depending on what you added to the tray, you may want to keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

If there are leftovers, what is the best way to store them?

I would recommend disassembling the tray and storing each different snack food in its own container.

Remove the popcorn and store it in a resealable plastic bag. Put any unwrapped cookies or candies in their original bags or a separate storage bag, etc. You get the idea. 🙂

What if I don’t have a nice serving tray or a large enough one?

That is a really great question. I have a couple of suggestions for that.

If you have a large baking sheet, you could cover it with aluminum foil. There is actually food-safe foil that comes in fun colors like red, green, and gold.

Or you could cover it in the regular silver aluminum foil and then arrange some pretty holiday napkins over the foil to make a beautiful tray. No one will have any idea you used a baking sheet. 😉

More Kid-Friendly, Family Fun Recipes To Try

• Apple Nachos
• Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Grinch Cookies
• Apple Pie Bites
• Caramel Apple Wrap (TikTok Tortilla Wrap Hack)