Summer snacks should be simple and brimming with fresh and bright seasonal ingredients. Here are 15 creative and oh-so-summery snacks to make the season that much more delicious.
- Homemade Popsicles
Nothing says summer like a frozen, handheld treat. Why pay $10 a box when you can make your own popsicles at home for a fraction of the price? Get yourself a popsicle mold and go to town testing out various homemade popsicle flavors such as mint watermelon, pina colada, mango basil, chocolate fudge, strawberries and cream, lemonade, pistachio pudding, and strawberry banana.
- Fruit Salad
Dive into a bowl of fruit salad this summer, there are endless combinations to try. Make a tropical fruit salad with kiwi, pineapple, strawberry, and a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut. Or scoop melon balls into a bowl and toss with blueberries and strawberries. You can also mix sweet and savory flavors with a sliced mango and avocado salad topped with sliced almonds.
- Frozen Yogurt Sundaes
Replace traditional cream-based sundaes with vanilla frozen yogurt. Top with cherries, shredded coconut, chopped peanuts, sliced strawberries, and bananas. Then drizzle with a dark chocolate syrup or dark chocolate chips. You can also set up a sundae bar and let everyone make their own by setting out bowls with toppings and let your brood create their own tasty treats.
- Chia Pudding
Elevate your pudding by making chia the base. Loaded with protein, fiber, and omega-3s, chia pudding is satiating and energizing. Simply mix two tablespoons of chia seeds with a ½ cup of any milk or alternative milk, 1 teaspoon of honey, and mix well. Then cover and let it chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight. When you’re ready to enjoy, top with berries.
- Red Velvet Cake Muffins
If you’re a fan of red velvet cupcakes but not all the empty calories loaded into them, try this healthy hack for cleaned-up red velvet muffins. Take your favorite healthy muffin recipe—it can be any flavor but the color should be light (think banana muffins). Add a scoop or two of Purely Inspired Healthy Beets+ to the muffin batter to achieve that rich-red color. While the muffins bake, whip up a cleaned-up version of cream cheese icing. Using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese and honey or agave syrup and blend until smooth. Add your sweetener slowly and taste as you go until you reach the desired sweetness. Once your muffins cool, top with the cream cheese icing and enjoy.
- Caprese Salad On A Stick
Take the classic Italian salad of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil—the colors of the Italian flag—and thread it onto a skewer for a fuss-free and savory summer snack. All you need are skewers, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and mini bocconcini cheese balls. A finishing balsamic reduction and olive oil drizzle is optional.
- Frozen Mango Bowls
If you’ve never tried semi-frozen mango chunks before, you’re in for a treat. Purchase a bag of frozen mango chunks and add to a bowl. Next, add sliced bananas, your favorite granola, shredded coconut, fresh raspberries, and dig in!
- Lemon Bars
There’s something so refreshing about a lemony treat in peak summer. You can make so many sweet snacks with fresh lemons from cookies, cake, loaf, pie, and, of course, bars. Here’s a wonderful recipe for a cleaned-up take on lemon bars as most lemon treats are typically high in sugar content.
- Grilled Peaches With Mascarpone
It isn’t summer without tossing a few peaches on the grill. Take grilled peaches to the next level with the addition of heavenly creamy mascarpone cheese. Add eight ounces of cold mascarpone cheese to a mixing bowl, add a splash of vanilla extract and four tablespoons of honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup, and blend well with a hand mixer. Dollop the mascarpone onto freshly grilled peaches and prepare for a summer-long snack fixation.
- Frozen Yogurt Bark
We bet you didn’t know you can make a bark snack out of yogurt! That’s right, frozen Greek yogurt bark. Here’s how: add a little natural sweetener to a bowl of Greek yogurt and stir well to combine. Next, spread the yogurt out onto a sheet pan lined with a piece of parchment paper. Add whatever toppings you fancy, it could be granola, berries, coconut, and freeze it for at least three hours. Once frozen, break into chunks and enjoy!
- Granita
On a scorching hot day, nothing will cool you down better than granita, a Sicilian treat that’s a cross between sorbet and Italian ice. Made from fresh fruit and liquid, granita is frozen and then flaked with a fork and frozen once more. You can use virtually any fruit of your choice. Add four cups of cubed fruit, a quarter cup of liquid (lemon and lime juice are a popular choice), and a quarter cup of a natural sweetener such as cane sugar. Blend it all up in a high-powered blender, add to a 2-inch deep metal pan, freeze for 30 to 45 minutes, scrape up the semi-frozen granita using a fork and freeze again for another four hours. Then you’re ready to enjoy.
- Green Smoothie Shots
Take in a quick dose of goodness in a tasty smoothie shot—or two. Add one sliced and cored apple, 2 cups of spinach, half of a lemon’s juice, and a cup of coconut water along with a scoop of Purely Inspired Superfood Greens to a blender, mix until smooth, and pour into small glasses or tall shooter glasses. Chill first for a tasty green smoothie shot to start your day with or to enjoy later on.
- Strawberry “Shortcake” Jars
A fun twist on traditional shortcake, add graham cracker crumbs to the bottom of a small Mason jar, add a layer of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, a layer of sliced strawberries, and repeat to the top. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight and enjoy with a spoon. If you’re feeling more decadent and want to make it dessert, use prepared shortcake from the supermarket sliced thinly in the place of graham cracker crumbs.
- Quick Pickles
’Tis the season for pickling! Stop by your favorite farmers’ market and pick up ultra-fresh English cucumbers, peppers, carrots, radishes, red onions, and more. Just about any vegetable will pickle well. Next, make your brine. Add one cup pickling vinegar, one cup of water, one tablespoon of cane sugar, one tablespoon of kosher salt, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and one teaspoon of whole spices (think peppercorns and mustard seeds) and another teaspoon of dried herbs like dill and rosemary, stir to combine and pour into mason jars over your sliced vegetables. Cover and chill for 48 hours and get excited for some savory, pickled goodness.
- Fruit And Cheese Board
Take your traditional cheese board and “summerfy” it! Add a ramekin of fresh ricotta, a wedge of brie, cheddar, and blue cheese to a board adorned with sliced apples, berries, melons, grapes, and dried apricots. Sprinkle on a few fistfuls of cashews, walnuts, and almonds, add a row of your favorite crackers and a jar of chutney or jelly. If you’re feeling particularly indulgent, add some high-quality dark chocolate and a fresh honeycomb and honeycomb stick for drizzling.
*The links used in this article are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Iovate Health Sciences International Inc. or any of its affiliates (“Iovate”) of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. Iovate bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.
