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(This post has been updated from the original July 2019 version to provide a better experience for you)
Are you looking for new picnic food ideas? Great!! This right here is the perfect picnic foods list for you. Packed with tons of easy picnic recipes, from sandwiches and salads to treats and snacks – you’re sure to find something for everyone!
The sun is shining, the blankets are out – all you need now are some picnic food ideas to impress your friends without a crazy amount of effort involved!
Good news for you – I’ve carefully selected some brilliant easy picnic recipes that you’ve probably never even thought of before! Curious? read on for more inspiration…
What food do you bring on a picnic?
Honestly it depends entirely on you! Think about what foods you and your family like, what the weather will be like and how practical your picnic food ideas are for that particular day.
Keep scrolling for a picnic foods list that will fill you to the brim with inspiration!
Easy Picnic Food Ideas You've Never Thought of Before!
This right here is the perfect picnic foods list for you! Packed with tons of easy picnic recipes, from sandwiches and salads to treats and snacks - you're sure to find something for everyone!
Tasty Snacks
Although great served warm at a party - these bad boy bacon halloumi bites are also seriously delicious cold! An epic easy picnic recipe if you ask me...
Delicious Sunny Picnic Quiches made with chorizo, pepper and cheddar cheese, perfect for making with the kids and ideal for lunchboxes!
Quick and easy to make - popcorn makes a delicious and healthier alternative to crisps!
Spanakopita muffins – packed with feta cheese, spinach and herbs these make the perfect portable snack.
The most amazing, pecan and maple syrup chewy flapjack recipe EVER! Melt it, mix it, bake it. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Although wonderful warm, these beauties are unbelievably delicious as a cold snack too! Move over shop bought cocktail sausages... the Teriyaki Chipolata is in town!
These easy little vegan cheese and red pepper filo hand pies are perfect in lunch boxes when you want something different.
Chuck everything in a blender, roll out, cut out and bake. These delicious cheese biscuits couldn't be simpler!
My Gran's incredible cheese scones recipe yields the most beautifully light and flaky cheese scones EVER! Golden bites of heaven...
Learn how to make traditional Scotch eggs, these amazing eggs wrapped in sausage meat are the perfect picnic food.
Quick and easy to make - these savoury thumbprint cookies are WAY less boring than 90% of regular picnic grub. YUM!
These easy vegan pizza rolls are the healthiest ones you will ever make! Crispy whole wheat dough with a flavourful veggie-stuffed filling, this classic finger food is perfect for meal prep and a true crowd-pleaser at any picnic or party.
Quick, simple and you don't even need a cookie cutter! These spicy rosemary thins are a picnic must.
These simple falafel and onion pastry pies are super easy to make and are something different to add to your lunchbox. They are also great for lunches at home and picnics.
Salads and Pasta Salad Picnic Food Ideas
The perfect side or addition to any BBQ, this super easy apple and beetroot salad is light, refreshing and absolutely delicious!
This award-winning potato salad is perfect for a summer BBQ, a potluck, cookout or even when you are camping/glamping this summer!
Be the envy of your friends and family with this unbelievably simple and incredibly moreish Ultimate Potato Salad recipe!
Creamy, fresh and aromatic – my Mum’s super easy caprese salad recipe is exactly what you need for any kind of gathering! Best enjoyed fresh, this beautiful Summer salad couldn’t be any quicker to make if you tried.
Sweet, tangy, colourful, and fresh Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad with poppy seeds is ready in under 20 minutes and a great picnic dish!
A creamy potato salad made with pantry staples the whole family will love!
A twist on the Italian Caprese salad, this caprese pasta salad is a Summer picnic hit!
Picnic Sandwiches and Wraps
Super easy, three ingredient roll up sandwiches are great for lunchboxes, picnics and parties. Everyone loves them!
Patafla, a delicious Mediterranean picnic recipe, is made with a French loaf, and stuffed with a colourful summer veggie filling
Take a burrito size tortilla, layer it with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, and cheddar cheese, wrap it up and it’s ready to eat! It’s perfect for a to-go snack or a picnic party!
Pastry, Quiche and Frittata Recipes
Gran's ham and cheese quiche recipe is the stuff of legends! Packed full of flavour, easy to make and no blind baking required! It honestly couldn't be easier to create your own.
Smoked salmon frittata with zucchini, spinach and goat’s cheese
Oven baked omelette with smoked salmon, zucchini, spinach and goat cheese is great for breakfast, lunch or even picnics!
A delicious Sausage meat and pastry retro bake! So good.
This is an amazingly delicious recipe for Cheese and Onion Quiche. It is perfect for Summer eating served warm with a salad or as picnic food.
This potato frittata is one of the most traditional Italian recipes loved by kids and grown-ups!
Picnic Desserts
Packed to the rafters with gooey chocolatey goodness, these glorious Nutella lava cookies are the perfect indulgent treat!
Why spend ages making individual cookies when you can throw it all in one pan and slice? SO much simpler & really easy to transport. (Disappears pretty darn quick too!)
These are crisp and chewy Meringues guaranteed to please a crowd. Perfect for easy entertaining and outdoor eating.
Chocolate is usually a bad idea in Summer! So switch it out for these refreshing Lemon Cream Crumble Bars! Easy to make, transport and eat. WIN!
This is the easiest, quickest and tastiest recipe EVER for Biscoff Rocky Road!
Easy to make and utterly delicious, this Mars Bar slice recipe is the perfect treat!
These Biscoff brownies are fudgy, gooey, have a thick layer of Biscoff cookie butter in the middle and Lotus Biscoff cookies on top!
These incredible no bake Malteser tiffin bars are a guaranteed crowd pleaser! Easy to make (even with the kids) and perfect for parties.
This beautiful white chocolate blondies recipe is your one stop shop for gorgeously fudgy and sweet blondie bliss! And the best part? They’re made in just ONE bowl!
Perfect for kids (and us grown ups too!) this healthier take on the classic flapjack is a CRAZY quick and easy bake that's perfect for picnics.
Buttery shortbread, soft caramel and smooth chocolate... millionaire's shortbread is a delicious British classic that everyone will love!
Little cakes baked with strawberries and cream and lightly flavoured with rose. Ideal for summer picnics and alfresco eating.
Made in just ONE bowl, these incredible Twix brownies are guaranteed to impress! Whether it’s for a dinner party dessert or a picnic treat – Twix brownie bars are 100% the way to go!
These strawberry shortbread cookies are soft, buttery, and covered in a strawberry glaze! Easy to make with just 7 simple ingredients!
Other Picnic Food Ideas
Tangy, creamy and refreshing, this perfect homemade tzatziki is a recipe you will impress with time and time again!
These colourful Watermelon Skewers with a balsamic reduction drizzle are a quick and easy watermelon appetizer, salad on a stick or side
This amazing hummus recipe produces the creamiest, smoothest and most heavenly hummus ever... proving that homemade really is always better!
Socca is a french chickpea flatbread that can easily turn into a super easy gluten-free pizza crust.
These quick and elegant asparagus puff pastry parcels are easier to make than you might think and guaranteed to keep your guests happy!
With a rustic pastry crust and beautiful tomato filling, this galette is guaranteed to please!
Have you made any of these recipes?
Have you made any of the glorious recipes from this epic picnic foods list? I’d love to know if you have! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.
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About Emma Mason
Emma is a professional blogger. Utilising over 20 years of cooking experience, she’s passionate about making your life easier, one recipe at a time! Drawing on her 12+ year background in recipe research and development, photography, copy writing and marketing, Emma has turned kitchenmason.com into a successful career. Known as ‘the organisation queen’ among friends, she is passionate about creating easy to follow recipes that anyone can follow and enjoy. She lives in Nottingham (UK) with her husband, daughter and 2 naughty cats. In her spare time she can be found reading a good book, training at the dojo preparing for her black belt grading, or dreaming up the next crazy colour combo for her hair!
Camilla Hawkins
Monday 9th of August 2021
Totally drooling now and want to try so many of these delicious recipes. Thank you for including my Picnic Quiches:-)
Emma
Monday 9th of August 2021
Hehe aww thanks Camilla! And thank you for allowing me to share your wonderful recipe :) Emma x
Cyna
Monday 15th of July 2019
Such a delicious collection of recipes! Thank you fro including patafla!
Miss KitchenMason
Monday 15th of July 2019
Thanks Cyna! You're very welcome, it looks so yummy :) Emma x