If you think SNAP benefits only cover basic groceries like bread, milk, and canned goods, prepare to be surprised. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program includes a wide range of eligible items that most people don’t realize they can purchase. From birthday cakes to live lobsters, your EBT card unlocks far more options than you might expect. 

Let’s break down the lesser-known SNAP-eligible items that can help you celebrate special occasions, grow your own food, and maximize your benefits.

Celebration & Bakery Items

Birthday Cakes & Decorated Cakes Yes, you can buy a fully decorated birthday cake with your SNAP benefits! As long as the cake’s value comes primarily from the edible portions rather than non-edible decorations, it qualifies. This means you can celebrate birthdays, graduations, and other special occasions without paying out of pocket for bakery cakes. Even custom-decorated sheet cakes from grocery store bakeries are fair game.

Ice Cream Cakes These frozen celebration staples are SNAP-eligible because they’re considered food items. Whether it’s a Carvel ice cream cake or a store-brand version, you can purchase them with your EBT card.

Gift Baskets (With a Catch) Here’s where it gets interesting: gift baskets containing food items are eligible, but at least 50% of the basket’s value must come from edible food. A basket with gourmet cheeses, crackers, jams, and chocolates? Eligible. A basket that’s mostly decorative items with a few candies? Not eligible. This makes holiday and hostess gift shopping more affordable.

Beverages Beyond the Basics

Energy Drinks Energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar are SNAP-eligible as long as they have a Nutrition Facts label. The key distinction: if the drink has a Nutrition Facts label, it’s considered food and is eligible. If it has a Supplement Facts label, it’s classified as a supplement and not covered by SNAP.

Coffee & Tea (All Forms) From ground coffee and tea bags to instant coffee and specialty loose-leaf teas, all non-hot prepared coffee and tea products qualify. Stock up on your morning essentials or explore premium varieties you might not normally try.

Sparkling Water & Flavored Drinks Perrier, LaCroix, flavored seltzers, fruit juices, and sports drinks are all eligible. There’s no requirement that beverages be “basic.” If it has a Nutrition Facts label and isn’t hot when sold, you can buy it.

Seeds, Plants & Garden Investments

Seeds & Seedlings for Food Production This is one of SNAP’s smartest provisions for stretching benefits long-term. You can purchase seeds and seedlings for any plants that produce food for your household to eat. Tomato plants, herb seedlings, vegetable seeds, and even fruit trees are all eligible.

The USDA estimates that home gardeners can produce approximately $25 worth of food for every dollar spent on seeds and fertilizer. That’s a 2,500% return on investment! A $10 packet of tomato seeds could yield dozens of pounds of tomatoes throughout the growing season.

What Qualifies:

• Vegetable seeds and seedlings
• Herb plants (basil, cilantro, rosemary, etc.)
• Fruit-bearing plants and trees (strawberry plants, apple trees, blueberry bushes)
• Edible flower seeds

What Doesn’t Qualify:

• Purely decorative plants
• Gardening tools or supplies
• Fertilizer or soil
• Pots or planters

Seafood & Specialty Proteins

Live Shellfish Perhaps one of the most unexpected eligible items: you can purchase live shellfish with SNAP benefits. Live lobsters, crabs, clams, oysters, and mussels from grocery store tanks or seafood markets all qualify. This means special occasion meals featuring fresh seafood are within reach.

Any Uncooked Seafood Beyond live options, all fresh, frozen, or canned seafood qualifies, from budget-friendly tilapia to premium salmon, shrimp, scallops, and even caviar. There’s no price limit on SNAP-eligible foods, so upscale proteins are allowed.

Whole Rotisserie Chicken (Cold) Here’s a money-saving tip: many stores sell cold rotisserie chickens at a discount at the end of the day. These are SNAP-eligible because they’re sold cold. However, hot rotisserie chickens straight from the warmer don’t qualify because SNAP doesn’t cover hot, prepared foods.

Snacks & Treats

Candy & Chocolate All candy, chocolates, and sweet treats are eligible. Whether it’s premium chocolate bars, bulk candy for parties, or seasonal treats, your EBT card covers them.

Pumpkins (Edible Varieties) During fall, you can purchase pumpkins with SNAP as long as they’re sold as food rather than purely decorative items. Pie pumpkins and other edible varieties qualify, though stores may have varying policies on large decorative pumpkins.

Fancy Cheeses & Gourmet Items Artisan cheeses, imported delicacies, truffle products, and gourmet ingredients are all fair game. SNAP doesn’t distinguish between budget and premium food items: if it’s edible and not hot-prepared, it qualifies.

Smart Shopping Strategies

Understanding these eligible items helps you stretch your SNAP dollars further:

Invest in seeds during spring and summer for months of fresh produce. A $3 packet of lettuce seeds can provide salad greens all season.

Take advantage of sales on premium items like seafood and specialty cheeses when they’re marked down. Your SNAP benefits can purchase them just like any other eligible food.

Buy celebration items with SNAP instead of paying cash, freeing up your budget for non-eligible necessities like paper products and cleaning supplies.

Stock up on energy drinks and specialty beverages when they’re on sale rather than paying convenience store prices.

What Still Isn’t Covered

To avoid confusion at checkout, remember SNAP doesn’t cover: hot foods, alcohol, tobacco, vitamins and supplements (with Supplement Facts labels), non-food items like paper products or soap, and pet food.

The SNAP program offers more flexibility than most people realize. From growing your own food garden to celebrating life’s special moments with bakery cakes, these benefits can support not just survival, but quality of life. Check your local store’s policies and start exploring the full range of what your EBT card can purchase!