Quick And Easy Summer Appetizer Recipes
When you’re entertaining or throwing a party during the warm months, quick and easy summer appetizer recipes are a great way to pique everyone’s interest in your main meal.
I love summer and all the food that comes with it! There’s nothing better than sitting out in the sunshine on my back deck, snacking on delicious appetizers with the people I love. In this roundup, I’ve collected some of my favourite recipes that work for sharing with a group outside in the sunshine. They are easy, beautiful, and creative, and I hope you find a way to make all of them this season!
Burrata Salad Appetizer
If you’re looking for an appetizer that’s a little different, super delicious and quick and easy to make, this Burrata Salad is it! This salad is like a Mozzarella Caprese Salad, but with extra creaminess from using Burrata cheese. When you’re ready to dive into this deliciousness, use a spoon to ‘cut’ into the Burrata cheese ball, and scoop out some cheese and cream with the tomatoes. Make a big salad and serve it as an appetizer with baguette slices and extra balsamic on the side. Summer in a bowl.
Basil Tomato Bruschetta
Is there anything more delicious in summer than a batch of Bruschetta made with summer fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil? This Basil Tomato Bruschetta is an easy and scrumptious appetizer! Fresh, tasty and tastes like summer.
Baked Camembert with Rhubarb Compote
When summer arrives here, we are surrounded by loads of fresh rhubarb, so that means rhubarb in all the things…even appetizers! This homemade Rhubarb Compote pairs perfectly with creamy Camembert cheese. A flavour combination that’s a match made in heaven. Serve this Baked Camembert + Rhubarb Compote with baguette slices or crackers at your next summer soiree! For another easier appetizer, serve this rhubarb compote with a goat cheese log.
Easy Caprese Skewers
Summer is all about fresh and easy ingredients that take very little effort. These Caprese Skewers were created for Valentine’s Day, but if you skip the extra effort to make the tomatoes heart shaped you’re left with an appetizer that checks all the summery boxes! They are made with three simple, fresh ingredients: grape tomatoes, mini bocconcini cheese balls, and fresh basil. Ok, maybe four ingredients if you include the balsamic reduction or vinegar for dipping!
Zucchini Air Fryer Fries
Is it even summer without a zucchini recipe?! These Zucchini Air Fryer Fries are SO easy to make. 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of air fryer time, you end up with crispy, delicious zucchini fries. So good. Oh, and did I mention you only need 5 simple ingredients to make them? A great way to use up this tasty summer garden vegetable.
Basil Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Salsa
These Basil Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Salsa are the perfect summer appetizer! Made with fresh summer corn, tomatoes , garlic and basil, these easy fritters are SO delicious! So summery and fresh.
Pimento Cheese Recipe
If you’re looking for a quick and really really delicious dip, this Pimento Cheese Recipe is it! This spreadable and dippable cheese is delicious when served with sliced fresh vegetables (cucumber is especially good!) or spread on crackers. You could even incorporate it into a delicious pasta salad for your next backyard barbecue to make it into a side dish instead of an appetizer! So versatile. So good.
Cherry + Cheese Crostinis
These Tipsy Cheese & Cherry Crostinis are a perfect summer appetizer! Made with fresh summer cherries and a flavourful Swiss like cheese. These crostinis are rich with sweet cherry flavours, balanced by creamy cheese with wine undertones. Perfect for wine nights on the pat-ee-O.
Kid-Friendly Snack Board
Don’t forget the kids! This Kid-Friendly Snack Board is so versatile, making it perfect for the little people in your life. Load it up with fresh summer fruit and veggies, dried fruit, cheese, nuts, pickles, meats and more delicious finger foods that kids love.
Easy Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels
For an easy appetizer that everyone will love, these Easy Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels are perfect (kids especially love theses)! Delicious, flavourful little bites filled with cream cheese, taco seasoning, peppers, onions, cilantro, salsa, and cheese! I just add some fresh veggies and voila! A nutritious, fun and delicious appie.
Easy Italian Sandwich
So there’s this sandwich that we buy regularly from a local Italian market here in town, and it’s amazing. So delicious in fact, that we learned how to make it here at home. And when cut up into small slider-sized sandwiches, this Easy Italian Sandwich makes a perfect appetizer. This sandwich is loaded with capicola meat, thinly sliced mortadella sausage, genoa salami, provolone cheese, red pepper vegetable spread, and fresh basil all squished between a fresh French baguette. A great way to make your party a little bit fancy while still keeping it low key!
Antipasto Skewers
You can never go wrong with Antipasto Skewers! The great thing about this appetizer is that you can try so many different flavour combinations. Use your favourite cheeses, olives, pickles, seasonal veggies and meats…the possibilities are endless. Your guests will LOVE them.
Grilled Cheese with Fig Jam
Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned grilled cheese sandwich? I bet you didn’t think there was a way to bring this classic comfort food into backyard patio appetizer territory, but I have found a way! I haven’t been able to get the delicious pairing of cheese and fig jam out of my head since I tried it in my parents’ backyard over crackers and conversation. So I decided to make a delicious and summery cheesy snack by spreading my sandwich bread with delectable fig jam, adding a great melting cheese like gruyere, and serving it cut into appetizer-sized pieces, all hot and melty and yummy! Try grilling it right on the barbecue for an ultimate summer grilled cheese experience.
Crispy Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
If you are looking to avoid heating up your kitchen in the hot summer months, an air fryer is your best friend! And these Crispy Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings are the perfect summer appetizer to cook with it. They are crispy and crunchy on the outside, perfectly tender and juicy on the inside, and SO full of flavour. You need only three ingredients, and they are ready in 15 minutes! The perfect food for relaxed patio dining.
Zucchini Fritters with Dip
If you’re looking for an easy and fabulous appetizer for a summer backyard BBQ, these Zucchini Fritters are the bomb! The combination of the zucchini with the garlic and feta cheese in these fritters makes them SO flavourful! Serve them with tzatziki sauce (or even ranch dip), and you have a delicious summer appetizer!
Figs with Ricotta Cheese, Drizzled in Honey
This recipe for Figs with Ricotta Cheese, Drizzled in Honey recipe is such a simple summer appetizer that you can have ready in minutes. Easy, delicious and so pretty! These would be wonderful enjoyed on a hot summer deck with a glass of your favourite wine in your other hand. Yum.
Cowboy Caviar
If you are looking for an easy, tasty, make-ahead appetizer snack that you can set and forget, try this Cowboy Caviar recipe! Cowboy Caviar is a hearty, healthy and delicious appetizer that easily feeds a crowd. Made from beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, and bell peppers (among other things) and served with tortilla chips, fresh salsa and cilantro, it is sure to please and even tastes better if you make it the day before! Easy peasy.
Grilled Coconut Lime Shrimp with Prosciutto and Mango
Wrapping prawns with mango, mint and prosciutto = mega delicious. Made on the barbecue, these Grilled Coconut Lime Shrimp with Prosciutto and Mango are always a hit at parties, and are the first to disappear off the appetizer table! We’ve made these with bacon as well (instead of prosciutto), and they’re equally amazing.
The makings of a delicious summer!
There you have it, some traditional and non-traditional summer appetizer recipes to get your creativity going. I hope you found something here you are excited about trying out, and I would love it if you tagged me @aprettylife to show me what you come up with!
Have a delicious day!
