17 Fun Summer Snacks From Fish Dip to Mango Fluff

Make the most of summer berries, ripe watermelon, and fresh seafood whether you’re entertaining or prepping snacks to pack for a road trip, hike, or outdoor gathering. These frozen treats, snack bars, dips, and toasts work for pool days, parties, and pit stops alike. Please a crowd with pineapple salsa or watermelon chaat; cool down with a blueberry smoothie, paleta, or ice pop outside; or serve fish dip or trout toast while barbecue smokes. These are impressive and irresistible snacks to whip up quickly or make ahead all summer long.

Salsa de Piña Tatemada (Grilled Pineapple Salsa)

Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva

Restaurateur and author Bricia Lopez grills garlic cloves, onion, pineapple slices, and chiles to mix with a pungent, garlicky habanero paste and fresh lime juice for this sweet and spicy salsa.

Almond-and-Plum Snack Cake

Photo by Johnny Autry / Food and Prop Styling by Charlotte Autry

Pastry chef Miro Uskokovic showcases ripe red plums in this tender cake with a tight crumb, glistening sugary crust, and toasted almond topping.

Smoked Fish Dip

Greg DuPree

Inspired by the dips at Georgia’s Southern Soul Barbeque, the Food & Wine Test Kitchen relies on fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, horseradish, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire, and a touch of hot sauce for incredible flavor. A combination of mayonnaise and whipped cream cheese provides our fish dip’s luscious texture.

Bhel Puri with Mango Chutney

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Emily Neighbors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Cookbook author and bakery owner Hetal Vasavada makes a bright, sweet, and sour mango chutney for this crunchy, tangy Indian snack packed with puffed rice, chaat masala, and seasoned potatoes.

Mango Fluff

Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Chef and restaurateur Sam Fore grew up enjoying this rich yet light treat at parties in Sri Lanka. The fruity, tropical chilled mousse — which can be serves as a snack or dessert — is sweet and refreshing, topped with fresh mango and spicy candied ginger.

Cherry-Lime Ice Pops

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

F&W’s Andee Gosnell channeled inspiration from Savannah, Georgia’s homemade ice pops, known as thrills, to develop this easy recipe for frozen treats. Make a quick simple syrup to sweeten tart cherry juice and lime juice, for a balanced, bright, and refreshing sweet on hot summer days.

Peanut and Watermelon Chaat

Cedric Angeles

Chef and cookbook author Vishwesh Bhatt adds crunchy, salty peanuts and tangy chaat masala (plus cucumber, onion, and radishes) to sweet, refreshing watermelon for this 10-minute snack.

Cherry Empanadillas

Farrah Skeiky

Use dark sweet cherries for a summery spin on hand pies from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Paola Velez who drizzles a pink glaze on top.

Purple Daikon Coconut Yogurt Toast with Peanut Salsa

Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Chandra Ram

Chef Woldy Reyes spreads thick coconut yogurt onto toasted country-style bread topped with peppery purple daikon radish, a lime and chile peanut salsa, and cilantro for a vibrant, textural, savory snack.

Chile-Coconut Watermelon Crudo

Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Marinate slabs of watermelon with coconut water, lime juice, ginger, and sliced chiles. Drizzle them with olive oil and top with coconut, fried shallots, and more chile. Finally, sprinkle it all with a cilantro and lime salt mixture for this sweet and spicy fruit crudo from F&W’s Paige Grandjean.

Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with Tropical Fruit

Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Recipe developer Marianne Williams makes this jasmine rice pudding extra creamy with unsweetened, evaporated, and sweetened condensed coconut milks. Lime zest and juice, passion fruit, and mango balance the juicy, rich, tangy treat.

Smoked Trout Toasts

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Evan Bloom of Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen in San Francisco tops fried challah toasts with a creamy smoked trout salad and sesame seeds, then serves with dill pickle chips and lemon wedges for a sophisticated seafood snack.

Tropical Snack Mix

Greg DuPree

Melissa Rubel Jacobson developed this irresistible mix of soy-and-honey-glazed peanuts, bacon, and chewy pineapple, combining Polynesian flavors in every bite.

Strawberry-Mango Paletas

Turn ripe mangoes and strawberries into a quick make-ahead treat with fresh lime juice, sugar, and salt.

Marinated Watermelon with Whipped Feta

Eva Kolenko

Upgrade watermelon with a Champagne vinegar marinade, toasted pink and black peppercorns, and pureed feta with this recipe from chef Joe Kindred of Kindred restaurant in Davidson, North Carolina.

Riesling Pâte de Fruit

Justin Walker

Enhance the apricot flavor and add dimension to these fruit puree confections by replacing water with Riesling. Make ahead and coat with sugar in this recipe from F&W’s culinary director-at-large Justin Chapple.