30 Easy Summer Appetizer Ideas

Easy summer appetizer ideas are perfect for all of your warm-weather gatherings!

30 Easy Summer Appetizer Ideas

Summer is an ideal time for entertaining with lazy days by the pool, long light evenings, and lots of excuses to celebrate, including graduations, birthdays, and the 4th of July. With lots of fresh produce readily available, there is no shortage of fantastic summer appetizer recipes. You’re sure to find a few dishes here that fit your personal preferences and the occasion at hand.

I could have created a recipe round-up that’s two or three times as long without even trying, as there are just so many good summer appetizers. But I wanted to keep the round-up manageable and create a nice mix of recipes. This recipe round-up is full of summer takes on classic dishes, such as Caprese, hummus, salad, flatbread, skewers, cheese and veggie boards, pinwheels, and snack mixes.

Happy summer and happy entertaining!

Easy summer appetizer ideas

Honey Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Baked Brie Striped Spatula

1. Honey-balsamic roasted strawberry baked Brie

It’s hard to beat baked Brie for an appetizer. I love switching up the toppings for different seasons. Striped Spatula’s honey-balsamic roasted strawberry baked Brie is perfect for summer. Roasting the strawberries in the honey-balsamic glaze takes the flavor over the top.

Mini Caprese Cups Recipe Runner

2. Mini Caprese cups

I know that the whole Caprese concept gets overplayed. But I make mini Caprese skewers on repeat all summer long. People always go crazy for them, no matter how many times they’ve had them. I love switching up this recipe idea with Recipe Runner’s mini Caprese cups. Mini phyllo cups make for such a nice presentation.

Summer Cheeseboard Spices in My DNA

3. Summer cheeseboard

Spices in My DNA shares her tried-and-true formula for creating an epic summer cheeseboard with the exact items that she uses, including cheeses, meats, veggies, crackers and chips, honey and jams, and other add-ins, such as pickles, olives, peppers, and mustard. You can build a cheeseboard exactly as big as you need it for any given occasion.

Whipped Ricotta Toast With Lemon Honey Walnuts and Basil Jawns I Cooked

4. Whipped ricotta toasts with lemon honey drizzle

Jawns I Cooked’s whipped ricotta toasts with lemon honey drizzle are so light and refreshing. The ricotta cheese complements the fresh basil and lemon really nicely. Chopped walnuts add just the right amount of crunch.

Grilled Vegetable Platter with Chimichurri Plays Well With Butter

5. Grilled vegetable platter

Take advantage of the nice weather and abundance of fresh vegetables to make Plays Well with Butter’s grilled vegetable platter for your next gathering. Chimichurri sauce is an ideal dipping choice for nicely charred veggies.

Peach Bruschetta Life as a Strawberry

6. Peach Bruschetta

I absolutely love classic Bruschetta and don’t think that it needs any improvement. But if you want to mix up your routine for a party, Bruschetta with the fresh seasonal fruit of your choosing is a great option. Life as a Strawberry’s peach Bruschetta has whipped goat cheese, fresh basil, and a quick balsamic glaze.

Blackberry Cucumber Caprese Skewers The Sweetest Occasion

7. Cucumber blackberry Caprese bites

Caprese is another recipe concept that you can switch up throughout the summer to keep your appetizers fresh and interesting. The Sweetest Occasion’s cucumber blackberry Caprese bites are so simple and will get eaten so quickly.

Fig Balsamic Naan Flatbreads Dash of Mandi

8. Fig balsamic flatbread

Figs have such a short season. When it’s fig season, you have to take full advantage of it. Dash of Mandi’s fig balsamic naan flatbreads have goat cheese, mozzarella, fresh basil, and a balsamic glaze.

Loaded Summer Hummus What's Gaby Cooking

9. Loaded summer hummus

It wouldn’t be an appetizer round-up without at least one hummus recipe. What’s Gaby Cooking’s loaded summer hummus is a classic hummus recipe loaded with cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, chives, and fried chickpeas. Serve it with baked pita chips.

Cold Tortellini Salad Kabobs Savory Experiments

10. Cold tortellini salad kabobs

Using skewers is an easy way to turn a favorite salad into a party appetizer. Savory Experiment’s cold tortellini salad kabobs are the perfect finger food and can be made ahead of time.

Garlic Herb Goat Cheese Log Carlsbag Cravings

11. Garlic herb cheese log

If you love goat cheese logs with different flavors, you have to try Carlsbad Craving’s homemade garlic herb cheese log. In just ten minutes, you’ll have a creamy, bright, and savory cheese log infused with fresh herbs and lemon zest and then rolled in pecans.

Berry Grilled Flatbread Pizza Striped Spatula

12. Berry grilled flatbread

Striped Spatula’s berry grilled flatbread consists of fresh pizza dough topped with sweet berries and creamy Fontina cheese. Grilling the flatbread brings a whole new flavor to the recipe that you don’t get with an oven bake.

Summer Salad Board Easy Good Ideas

13. Summer salad board

A salad board is a fun way to let everyone build their own salad with the toppings they want. Easy Good Idea’s summer salad board post has all of the tips that you need to build a beautiful, flavorful summer salad board with ease.

Caprese Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms Half Baked Harvest

14. Caprese quinoa stuffed mushrooms

Half Baked Harvest’s Caprese quinoa stuffed mushrooms bring the timeless stuffed mushroom concept right into summer. Prepare the quinoa and balsamic glaze ahead of time so that you can assemble and grill or bake the mushrooms quickly before your gathering.

Sundried Tomato and Basil Pinwheels Minimalist Baker

15. Sundried tomato and basil pinwheels

I don’t need to spend a lot of time explaining that a tomato and basil pairing is a great combination for summer foods. Minimalist Baker’s sundried tomato and basil pinwheels is a vegan recipe, but feel free to use dairy cheeses if you prefer.

Summer Pasta Salad Julia's Album

16. Summer pasta salad

Julia’s Album’s summer pasta salad has corn, bacon, and bell pepper, all tossed in a pesto dressing that’s light on mayo and full of flavor. If you make the salad ahead of time, wait to top it with cilantro right before serving.

Mini Cheeseburger Bites The Diary of a Debutante

17. Mini cheeseburger bites

Preparing small versions of popular summer foods allows guests to try more dishes during a party. The Diary of a Debutante’s mini cheeseburger bites are so easy to customize with the buns, meat, and toppings of your choosing.

Lemon Rosemary Popcorn Crafting My Home

18. Lemon rosemary popcorn

Your whole family will look forward to trying new popcorn flavors during your weekly movie night. Crafting My Home’s lemon rosemary popcorn is such a refreshing and unexpected savory treat for summer.

Skinny Seven Layer Dip Dessert Now Dinner Later

19. Seven-layer veggie dip

Dessert Now Dinner Later’s skinny seven-layer dip is loaded with fresh vegetables and has a few other easy substitutions to make this popular recipe concept so healthy. There’s so much flavor and crunch that you won’t even think about it being a lightened-up version of a dish.

Marinated Mozzarella Melon Skewers Half Baked Harvest

20. Marinated mozzarella melon skewers

Half Baked Harvest’s marinated mozzarella melon skewers have fresh mini mozzarella balls, basil, and multiple types of melon, all coated in a flavorful balsamic vinaigrette dressing. You’ll want to start putting this dressing on everything.

Roasted Tomato Corn and Zucchini Flatbread Blue Bowl Recipes

21. Roasted tomato, corn, and zucchini flatbread

I’m always looking for interesting flatbread and pizza recipes that aren’t incredibly messy. Blue Bowl Recipe’s roasted tomato, corn, and zucchini flatbread bakes neatly in a fresh pizza dough crust with lots of cheese. It’s the ideal way to use up your summer garden harvest.

Individual Summer Salad Cups My Baking Addiction

22. Individual summer salad cups

Individual servings at parties make it simple for guests to grab exactly what they want quickly and without touching everything on the table. My Baking Addiction shares her favorite recipes for summer entertaining including individual summer salad cups with homemade vinaigrette.

Summer Garden White Bean Dip How Sweet Eats

23. Summer garden white bean dip

How Sweet Eats’ summer garden white bean dip is another take on classic bean dip, this time with cannellini beans, topped with grilled corn, cherry tomatoes, scallions, and lots of fresh herbs. When you’re making grilled corn, throw on an extra couple of ears so they’re ready to go the next day for your dip.

The Ultimate Summer Salad The Kitchn

24. The ultimate summer salad

I could eat The Kitchn’s the ultimate summer salad at least once a week all summer long without getting tired of it. It features peaches and tomatoes and is finished with a tangy cilantro-lime vinaigrette. If you want to bulk up the salad a bit, add grilled chicken or shrimp.

Beach Bum Chex Mix A Few Shortcuts

25. Beach bum Chex mix

A Few Shortcut’s beach bum Chex mix is too cute with cheeseballs for beach balls to round out the Chex cereal, pretzels, and goldfish crackers, all coated in butter and Ranch seasoning. No one will be able to stop eating this addictive snack mix.

Are you looking for more summer Chex mix recipes? I have an extensive round-up of Chex mixes with something for every season and occasion.

Potato Salad Bites The Recipe Rebel

26. Potato salad bites

The concept of stuffed potatoes with potato salad in appetizer form is so fabulous. People will go crazy for The Recipe Rebel’s potato salad bites, which are simply cooked small potatoes (red or white will work well) stuffed with classic potato salad.

Vegetable Cream Cheese Tortilla Roll-Ups Peas and Crayons

27. Vegetable cream cheese rollups

Peas and Crayon’s vegetable cream cheese rollups are the pinwheel version of the old-school crescent roll veggie pizza. Chop up the veggies extra small so that you get a little of all of them in every bite.

Roasted Vegetable Salad Well Plated

28. Roasted vegetable salad

Well Plated’s roasted vegetable salad is packed with seasonal veggies, chickpeas, and feta, tossed in a light Mediterranean dressing. The salad tastes great served hot or cold over cous cous, quinoa, or greens.

Tropical Trail Mix Dinner Then Dessert

29. Tropical trail mix

Dinner Then Dessert’s tropical trail mix will have you dreaming of the beach. It’s filled with nuts, banana chips, dried pineapple, dried mango, white coconut chips, and coconut flakes.

Summer Pool Snack Mix How Sweet Eats

30. Summer pool snack mix

How Sweet Eats’ summer pool snack mix is the ideal mix of salty and sweet flavors. There’s no chocolate in it so the mix will hold up well even outdoors in the heat.

Did you make one or more of the easy summer appetizer recipes from this post?

I want to see them! Tag your photos #RoseClearfield on Instagram or Twitter or post a photo to my Facebook page. Make sure to tag the original recipe creators as well!

Pin this post for easy access to the easy summer appetizer ideas later!

30 Quick Summer Appetizer Ideas

More summer recipe round-ups:

I also have appetizer round-ups for fall, winter, and spring!

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