24 Best Beach Snacks To Fill Your Cooler With
So you don't have to miss a minute of sun!
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The first thing that comes to mind when you think of summer might be endless, sun-drenched days spent by the shore. We're talking outstretched limbs in the sand, striped beach towels, and maybe a spot of shade courtesy of a cute umbrella! Sounds like a spot you could stay in forever, right? When hunger strikes, there's no need to disrupt your bliss by trekking back to the condo or hotel for some grub. Instead, load up your best cooler with an array of family-friendly beach snacks! Whether it's packable party dips and summer appetizers, picnic staples like sandwiches, or refreshing frozen treats, this collection of beach bites has you covered.
The key to staying well fed on a beach day is to plan ahead. You want to come prepared with a variety of healthy snacks that everyone will love any time of day! Start with something hearty like piled-high Italian sandwiches or buffalo chicken wraps cut into snack-size portions. Next, choose a dip or two: Filled with fresh, black eyed peas and crisp vegetables, it's hard to resist classic cowboy caviar. Speaking of vegetables, dill dip is a sneaky-good way to get your family to eat more of the good stuff! Slice up cucumbers, carrots, broccoli—whatever you like best—and dip right in to this cool and creamy concoction. And you can't forget to pack something sweet. Try summer desserts like ice cream sandwiches made with cookies (they're fun to make with kids!) or the pineapple whip from your favorite theme park. So what are you waiting for? Stash these tasty bites in your cooler and head to the beach!
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
A day spent in the hot sun and sand calls for nourishment, and this Mediterranean pasta salad is just that! It's full of pickled veggies, pasta, and crispy chickpeas, so it's sure to stay good even after a few hours of fun in the sun.
Get Ree's Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe.
Make-Ahead Sandwich Rolls
These adorable pinwheel sandwiches taste as good as they look! With two delicious dressing options—Thousand Island and chipotle mayo—and all the fixin's (deli meats, cheese, and lettuce), you won't be able to stop at just one!
Get Ree's Make-Ahead Sandwich Rolls recipe.
Spiced-Up Potato Chips
Beach munchies will be a thing of the past when you have these elevated potato chips on lock! With a few simple spices, like garlic salt, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, you can easily turn ordinary potato chips into a spicy sensation!
Get Ree's Spiced-Up Potato Chips recipe.
Key Lime Pie Cereal Treats
Bringing a whole key lime pie to the beach may be a bit impractical, but these cereal treats inspired by the summer dessert sure aren't! They're made with fresh limes, graham cracker cereal, white chocolate, and a drop of green food coloring for their fun bright hue.
Get Ree's Key Lime Pie Cereal Treats recipe.
Rainbow Fruit Skewers
Whether or not the sky cooperates with you on your beach day, bringing these delicious fruit skewers is a surefire way to see a rainbow! Filled with berries, kiwis, and a donut hole, these skewers are perfectly portable and delicious, thanks to the handy kebab-style presentation.
Get the Rainbow Fruit Skewers recipe.
Peanut Noodles
These flavorful Asian-inspired noodles are made with a no-cook sauce and can be served warm or chilled, so it's the perfect on-the-go beach day bite! Plus, it's so easy to make using a few pantry and freezer staples, like peanut butter, linguine, peanuts, and frozen edamame.
Get the Peanut Noodles recipe.
Breakfast Burritos to Go
Start your beach day off right with a hearty breakfast burrito! It's loaded with sausage, potatoes, eggs, peppers, onions, and cheese and wrapped in a sturdy tortilla and foil for the perfect on-the-go breakfast.
Get Ree's Breakfast Burritos recipe.
Sunrise Fruit Salad
This bright and beautiful fruit salad is ideal for feeding a group! It has everything you'd crave on a hot, sandy afternoon: pineapple, watermelon, oranges, mango, cantaloupe, and a hint of coconut.
Get Ree's Sunrise Fruit Salad recipe.
Tomato Sandwich
If you want to make the most of tomato season, slice them up and sandwich them with some soft white bread before your next beach trip! It's a satisfying and simple way to get a taste of summer.
Get the Tomato Sandwich recipe.
Blueberry Bars
Make these ahead of time and stash them in your beach bag for any time those fruity, sweet cravings hit. The whole family will adore these dessert bars made with a simple blueberry filling and buttery, crumbly crust and topping—that's made from the same mixture for ease!
Get the Blueberry Bars recipe.
Dill Dip
A cool and creamy, herby dip hits the spot on a hot day. This crowd pleaser comes together in no time, can be made ahead, and is delicious with almost anything. Slice up some fresh veggies for dipping for a healthy snack or just break open a sack of potato chips.
Get the Dill Dip recipe.
Fresh Corn Salsa
It's almost impossible to find a better beach snack than good ol' salsa. But this is no average salsa. Filled with grilled veggies, a hint of spice, and plenty of fresh lime juice and cilantro, it's the ultimate refreshing snack on a hot summer day.
Get the Fresh Corn Salsa recipe.
Italian Sandwich
Is there anything better than a beach sandwich? Slice this piled-high Italian and wrap each portion separately in plastic wrap or foil so that everyone can grab one when hunger strikes! Stuff the wrapped sandwiches inside a zip-up bag before transferring to your cooler to keep cool and dry.
Get the Italian Sandwich recipe.
Cake Mix Cookies
Sometimes a good cookie is all you need for an afternoon beach snack. These easy funfetti cookies use a boxed cake mix and only a few other ingredients, so they're perfect to make when you're away from home and only have limited supplies on hand.
Get the Cake Mix Cookies recipe.
Chickpea Salad
Filled with hearty chickpeas, creamy avocado, feta, and crunchy vegetables, this fresh and flavorful protein-packed salad keeps perfectly in a cooler. Eat it by the forkful or scoop it up with tortilla chips!
Get the Chickpea Salad recipe.
Salad Skewers
Unexpected? Yes. Totally delicious? Also yes. These skewered salads are an adult beach goer's dream snack. They're stacked with hard boiled egg, deli meat, cheese, crisp lettuce, tomato, and olives. They're the perfect hand-held bite to dole out mid afternoon when everyone starts getting hungry. Drizzle on some ranch dressing you're ready to eat!
Get the Salad Skewers recipe.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Jazzed up with sweet roasted red peppers, this hummus is creamy and delicious. The best part? You can dip everything from sliced veggies to pita chips and pretzels in it.
Get the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe.
Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
The ultimate summer sweet treat, these ice cream cookie sandwiches are totally customizable. Switch up the cookie flavor to peanut butter or sugar, use chocolate ice cream or butter pecan instead of vanilla, roll in chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or any ingredient you like. The options are limitless!
Get the Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches recipe.
BLT Pasta Salad
If you love a BLT sandwich, you'll really be a fan of this pasta salad filled with crisp bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy romaine. It's so easy to keep cool in your ice chest until snack time!
Get the BLT Pasta Salad recipe.
Garlic-Ranch Party Mix
A salty snack mix is always a welcome guest on a beach trip. This one has everything—cereal, pretzels, mixed nuts, and even popcorn! Tossed in a garlicky ranch-style seasoning it's downright addictive. You may even want to make a double batch!
Get Ree's Garlic-Ranch Party Mix recipe.
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