25 recipes that are perfect for your picnic basket (2024)

These suggestions aren’t just tasty. They’re also easy to make ahead of time, portable, relatively neat, and able to stay fresh for several hours outside of the fridge or freezer. Also, while some of the following dishes can be served hot, all of these were assembled with the expectation that they’d be consumed while chilled or at room temp, with no need to heat.

So find a location, get a basket, look out for Yogi Bear, and enjoy these 25 recipes perfect for your picnic basket.

Erik Bernstein/Delish

In life, very few solutions involve the suggestion to “just stab it through the heart with a pointy object,” but that’s exactly what you should do for these antipasto bites. After all, not only do skewers make this antipasto much more portable, but you can get artichoke hearts, green olives, mozzarella, salami, red peppers, tortellini, and basil all together in one big bite. (Just don’t eat the aforementioned pointy object.)Get the recipe from Delish here.

Damn Delicious

Fruit salads are almost always tasty, but this one features an extra kick with the addition of lime zest and mint leaves. Plus, since it features only melon, strawberries, and blueberries, you won’t have to worry about any of the fruit getting too mushy or mangled.Grab the recipe from Damn Delicious here.

Shutterstock

Bruschetta is always a crowd-pleaser, and it’s a cinch to make. Also,as this recipe from Simply Recipes points out, you can prepare the tomato topping and toast the bread ahead of time, and then easily assemble it later on. If you have guests on your picnic, they can even do it as they serve themselves. What could be easier than passing some of the prep duty onto other people?

Delish

These “Buddha in a Jar” meals from Delishwill take a bit of prep work, but they are healthy, can be easily refrigerated ahead of time, and are ultra-portable. The jars contain chicken, brown rice, broccoli, carrots, onions, and avocado with a homemade soy sauce and sriracha marinade. Once your picnic is set up, this meal can be poured into a bowl or eaten straight from the jar!

Brian Woodco*ck/Country Living

Jessie Daye

Picnic scenes on TV and in film often feature couples dining on chocolate-covered strawberries. What they don’t show is the melted chocolate mess that ends up all over the container, your hands, your clothes, the picnic blanket, and pretty much everywhere other than on the strawberry.Jessie Daye solved this problemby filling the strawberries with chocolate instead of covering them. Also, as you can see, the finished product can be easily transported in a clean egg crate or mini muffin tin.

Delish

Andrew Purcell/Country Living

You didn’t think we’d forget about drinks, did you? Not only did we not forget, but we’ve got an ultra-refreshing option for you.This cranberry-basil spritzer recipe from Country Livingis exactly what you need for your next picnic. Of course, it’s better cold, so you might want to pick upone of those beverage carriersthat keeps your drinks cool all day long.

Beantown Baker

Martha Stewart

If you can’t decide between deviled eggs and potato salad, just combine them into one dish. Wait! Don’t literally combine the two together. Instead,follow this recipe from the master, Martha Stewart. (If you accidentally combined them already, it’s okay, we’ll still eat it.)

Delish

No matter what sandwich you pack for your picnic, you’ll probably want to swap out the bread for a pita pocket instead. This allows you to assemble the sandwiches ahead of time and arrive with them still intact, and also not make a mess of your spread since the ingredients won’t pour out the sides. You could go with a classic sandwich combination on the inside, but we recommendthis Greek salad number from Delish- which can be made with or without the chicken.

The Kitchen Witch

A Hint of Honey

If the thought of bringing salad on a picnic conjures up images of soggy lettuce or carb-overload, try this Israeli couscous salad instead. You won’t have to worry about too many soaked greens, and the couscous will be accompanied by smoked paprika, tomatoes, and mozzarella to ensure you don’t OD on starches.A Hint of Honey has the recipe right here.

The Veg Space

This recipe from The Veg Spacehas “picnic” right in the name, so how can you go wrong? And you especially can’t lose with the superfood power of kale, the enticing allure of pesto, and the ease of eating afforded by the ingredients all being served in a miniature pie crust. To top things off, this recipe is also totally vegan!

Betty Crocker

Lemon and blueberry are two flavors that are especially satisfying in warmer months, and cheesecake is especially satisfying... well, always. So consider making these lemon-blueberry cheesecake bars for your next picnic.The recipe is available here courtesy of Betty Crocker.

Barbara Bakes

Jack Andersen/Getty Images

If you liked the cranberry basil spritzer recipe, thentry this simple lime fizz from MyRecipesthat combines simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and club soda for a refreshing drink on any summer day. For an especially fun summer day, try adding a cup of vodka.

The Parsley Thief

Pass on heavy pasta salads weighed down with mayonnaise, and instead opt for this pomodoro pasta salad made with fresh basil and a light tomato sauce. Otherwise, you might go from picnic time to nap time in no time.Get the recipe from The Parsley Thief here.

Italian Food Forever

Two Peas & Their Pod

Same rationale as the couscous salad, but with the added bonus oftwosuperfoods! The avocado will supply your body with numerous necessary vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and can help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while the quinoa is packed with protein, fiber, iron, and additional minerals and antioxidants.Two Peas & Their Pod has the recipe here.

Sweet Paul

If your picnic outing doesn’t include a fire, you can still enjoy the wonderful world of s’mores with these cookies that contain plenty of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallow - just like the classic camping dessert.Sweet Paul was sweet enough to post his recipe here.

Lisa Romerein/Getty Images

Sure, you could buy a jar of generic salsa at the store...or you could make your own at home for a fresher, tastier, more satisfying alternative. This spring salsa combines cherry tomatoes, corn, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, but can also be personalized however you’d like.Get the recipe from MyRecipes, who suggest to store and transport it in a jar.

Pillsbury

Don’t worry, there’s no hand in these pies; it’s just a mini strawberry-rhubarb pie that you can eat without the need for plates, serving utensils, or forks. Plus, you can pack these little treats in your favorite portable container and not worry about a giant pie getting destroyed or sat on in transit.Get the recipe from Pillsbury here.

Country Living

We love soup, but it’s one of the last things we crave on a hot summer day. That’s why this chilled sweet pea and avocado soup is the perfect replacement. Plus, it’s healthy, tasty, made from scratch, and only takes about 30 minutes to prepare ahead of time.Country Living ladles out the recipe right here.

SheWearsManyHats

As we previously mentioned, mayonnaise is a bit heavy for a picnic (in your stomach...not, like, to carry), plus it can go bad quickly on a hot day. Instead,try this Texas-style potato salad from SheWearsManyHats, which combines the taste of serrano chiles, red onion, coriander, cumin, oregano, cilantro, red wine vinegar, and bacon with red and new potatoes. Cowboy hat optional.