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One of my favorite things to do in late spring and summer is take the kids on a picnic. It sounds simple, but they genuinely get so excited about eating on a blanket outside, every single time. Something about it just works. The part I don’t love is the planning. I always end up with the same mental loop of picnic food ideas right before we leave, and it’s never enough to actually make a decision. This list of picnic-friendly recipes is basically what I put together, so I’d stop having that problem.
31 Picnic Food Ideas
There are snacky picnic basket foods like apple chips, beet hummus, trail mix, and air fryer chickpeas. Picnic salads including tahini pasta salad, Chinese chicken salad, macaroni egg salad, white bean tuna salad, and a simple bean salad. Handheld foods and sandwiches, things like pinwheel sandwiches four ways, cucumber sandwiches, chicken avocado wraps, and a chickpea salad sandwich. And for the end of the meal, easy sweets and treats like blueberry cookies, date snickers, and three-ingredient peanut butter cookies. Most of it travels well, which matters more than people think when you’re packing summer picnic foods into a bag.
If you’re not sure where to start, the picnic finger foods and snacks section is a good place.
Snacky Picnic Basket Foods
Honey Roasted Cashews
Make your own snack mix with this Honey Roasted Cashews recipe. It only needs 6 ingredients and 20 minutes, which makes it one of those picnic food ideas I keep coming back to.
Beet Hummus Recipe
This beet hummus recipe uses a fresh, roasted beet and is made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, fresh garlic, and salt. Just blend everything together and serve.
Oven Baked Potato Chips
Quick and easy to make with simple ingredients, these oven baked potato chips are perfectly crunchy and loaded with flavor.
Trail Mix
Trail mix is the ultimate snack! Keep it on the counter for everyday snacking, or take it on the go for a sweet and salty treat with crunchy nuts, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips.
Spicy Edamame Recipe
This spicy edamame takes 13 minutes to make. Basically just boiled edamame tossed with a spicy garlic sauce with a little honey and lime. A simple addition to any picnic basket spread.
Crudite Platter
This Crudite Platter is loaded with fresh crunchy veggies and a creamy homemade dip made with Greek yogurt, sour cream, and seasonings. One of the easiest picnic finger foods to pull together and it always gets eaten first.
Best Picnic Salads
Tahini Pasta Salad
Packed with fresh veggies, chickpeas, and healthy fats, this tahini pasta salad is delicious, filling, and easy to make!
1 hour 20 minutes
Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
Easy Chinese Chicken Salad with cabbage, shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, and a homemade peanut ginger dressing. One of those summer picnic foods that actually holds up well after it’s made.
Macaroni Egg Salad Recipe
This macaroni egg salad recipe is made with yogurt instead of mayo, with chopped hard-boiled eggs, celery, red onions, and pickle all tossed with elbow noodles in a creamy dressing.
Fruit Salad
Use up leftover fruit with this easy summer fruit salad made with kiwi, mango, pineapple, and berries tossed in orange juice. A simple addition to any picnic.
White Bean Tuna Salad Recipe
This white bean tuna salad is a high-protein, no mayo recipe with 38g protein per serving, made with white beans, tuna, avocado, and lemon.
Chicken Pasta Salad
This Chicken Pasta Salad is a cold pasta salad that’s made with chicken, veggies, and a tangy Greek yogurt dressing that’s just so good!
Bean Salad
This bean salad is full of plant-based protein: kidney beans, lentils, and chickpeas, with crisp veggies and a vinegar-based dressing. A reliable picnic basket foods option that works for a crowd.
Handheld Picnic Foods Sandwiches and Wraps
Cucumber Sandwich Recipe
These cucumber sandwiches are made with thinly sliced cucumbers and a homemade cream cheese spread with fresh dill. A classic on any picnic foods list.
Avocado Sandwich Recipe
This avocado sandwich recipe is made with smashed avocado, tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onions, arugula, and alfalfa sprouts. It’s an easy vegetarian sandwich!
Hummus Sandwich Recipe
Simple hummus sandwich with veggies on whole-grain bread, made with hummus, feta, spinach, banana peppers, cucumbers, and oregano. One of those picnic basket foods that comes together fast and travels well.
Chicken Avocado Wrap Recipe
Chicken avocado wrap with cooked chicken, avocado, lime, and Greek yogurt for an avocado chicken salad-style filling. One of those picnic finger foods that’s easy to pack and actually holds together.
Avocado White Bean Sandwich
This White Bean Avocado Sandwich is a vegan sandwich recipe that is packed with protein, nutrients & flavor – perfect for lunches & meal prep.
Easy Picnic Sweets and Treats
Blueberry Cookies
Turn frozen blueberries into a quick homemade jam, mix with staple cookie ingredients, and bake. Easy summer picnic foods don’t always have to be savory.
Date Snickers
These Banana Coconut Cookies use just bananas, shredded coconut, and chocolate chips for soft, chewy cookies with no flour, no oil, no eggs. A good one to add to the picnic finger foods.
Strawberry Banana Bread Recipe
This strawberry banana bread is moist, simple to make, and comes together in one bowl. A great way to use up ripe bananas and fresh strawberries.
1 hour 10 minutes
Banana Coconut Cookies
These Banana Coconut Cookies use just bananas, shredded coconut, and chocolate chips for soft, chewy cookies with no flour, no oil, no eggs.
Greek Yogurt Brownies
Made with no oil and less butter, these Greek yogurt brownies are a tasty and healthier alternative. Simple to make and just as delicious!
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies made with peanut butter, egg, and sugar. Flourless, dairy-free, and one of the easiest picnic sweets and treats to throw in the bag on the way out.
Tips for Making Picnic Foods
- Choose equipment carefully. Make sure your cooler doesn’t have any leaks and you have the proper containers to transport your food.
- Prep ahead of time. To minimize stress on picnic day, prepare as much food as possible in advance. This includes washing, drying, cutting fruits and vegetables, and making salad dressings and dips.
- Keep components separate. Avoid soggy salads and sandwiches by keeping crunchy components in separate containers or small zip-top bags.
- Consider making individual servings. Make picnic prep easy by choosing picnic basket foods that can easily be divided. If needed, cut and package them at home so they’re ready in easy-to-grab individual serving sizes.
- Stay well hydrated. Bring plenty of drinks (better yet, freeze them if they’re in freezer-safe containers) to keep you and your picnic guests well-hydrated.
- Bring extras. Always pack extra napkins, paper plates, utensils, and wet wipes for easy cleanup. Don’t forget to bring a picnic blanket or camping chairs for comfortable seating. Throw in a bottle of hand sanitizer to clean those hands before digging into your picnic basket foods.
FAQs
Choose shelf-stable snacks that are convenient and perfect for outdoors. This includes dried fruit, nuts and seeds, granola bars, and jerky as they don’t require refrigeration. If you don’t have access to a cooler, avoid perishable foods like creamy salads made with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt and meats that can spoil quickly in the heat.
The most reliable way is a good insulated cooler or bag with enough ice or ice packs to actually do the job. A thin lunch bag with one ice pack isn’t going to cut it on a hot day. I pack drinks and anything perishable like salads with protein, wraps, and dips in a separate cooler from dry snacks so I’m not opening the cold one constantly. The less you open it, the longer everything stays cold.
The general rule is two hours at room temperature, and one hour if it’s over 90 degrees outside. After that, bacteria can start to grow fast. I try to keep cold food in the cooler until we’re ready to eat rather than setting everything out at once.
Heavy items go at the bottom, fragile things on top. I keep anything that needs to stay cold in a separate insulated bag rather than mixing it into a basket. For sandwiches and wraps, I pack them whole and slice or unwrap them at the park so they don’t get soggy. Small containers with tight lids work better than plastic wrap for salads.
