Food and Recipes Recipes 25 Beach Snacks To Stash In Your Cooler By Southern Living Editors Updated on December 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez The waves are splashing, the sun is shinning...you're even sitting in a beach chair with your own personal umbrella. You haven't a care in the world, until someone asks for a snack. If you're unprepared, the simple question is enough to throw you off your zen. Whether it's your spouse, the kids, or even cousin Jean, there's something about playing in the sand that has beach goers hankering for a snack no matter how recent your last meal. A bag of chips or two is a start, but the best beach days pair the everyday goods with a little something homemade—portable dips and treats that don't take a lot of time but are sure to satisfy even the most active sandcastle architect. Plus, expert beach goers know it doesn't hurt to pack a heftier option or two. Something almost lunch-worthy might keep you from trekking back to the house midday. To keep things easy, we've rounded up recipes that can be prepared in advance so you can pull them right out of the fridge or pantry and pop them straight into your cooler. Don't head out to the shore empty handed. These easy beach snacks are worth putting on your packing list. 01 of 25 Bacon Bow Tie Crackers Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman Simple and satisfying, these easy cracker snacks come together with just two ingredients: buttery crackers and salty bacon slices. Wrap crackers in bacon without overlapping the ends and bake on low heat for an hour and a half. Giving the bacon pieces a gentle stretch helps it to wrap around the crackers more easily. 02 of 25 Buttermilk-Peach Popsicles Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox For a fun and refreshing way to serve fruit by the surf, pack these peach popsicles in your cooler straight from the freezer in their frozen pop molds to help them stay frozen. Be sure to eat quickly before the summer sun does it's job. After blending the ingredients, the pops need about 6 to 8 hours to set. 03 of 25 Classic Boiled Peanuts Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox You don't need a ballgame to enjoy boiled peanuts. Pair them with boldly flavored ingredients, like barbecue sauce to Old Bay seasoning, to create your own unique peanut adventure. The time it takes to make these—an overnight soak and then boiling for about 5 to 8 hours—will yield a delicious snack you can store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or freeze. 04 of 25 Crack Crackers Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Our Crack Crackers is one of those snacks that's nearly impossible to stop eating. This easy snack uses ranch seasoning mix and a few other spice rack staples to upgrade store-bought cheese crackers. After coating crackers in the olive oil and spice blend, bake for 30 minutes in a 300 degree oven. 05 of 25 No-Bake Granola Bars Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox This no-bake recipe uses rice cereal, oats, almond butter, maple syrup, and a touch of cinnamon to satisfy any craving. This recipe includes three variations—tart cherry-pistachio, apricot-coconut-cashew, and chocolate chip-pecan-sea salt—that add even more flavor and texture to these bars. These chill for about 30 minute to fully set. 06 of 25 Red, White, and Blue Popsicles Jennifer Causey Whether you're at the beach for Memorial Day, July 4th, or just because it's hot, nothing says summer like a patriotic popsicle. Just be sure to get to licking quickly before they become slush in your cooler. Fresh berries, yogurt, and citrus juices blend into a healthier alternative to ice cream truck treats. 07 of 25 Cheddar Cheese Straws Photo: Lee Harrelson Think this classic Southern snack is only meant for parties? Think again. Pull these straws out by the sand and get ready for a welcomed substitution for gold fish crackers or Cheezits. These can be made into a wafer shape as well by shaping the dough into logs and chilling it before making 1/4-inch-thick slices. 08 of 25 Homemade Onion Dip Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Upgrade your bag of chips with a little something homemade. This onion dip comes together so quickly you'll wonder why anyone ever makes onion dip from a packet. Chopped and charred sweet onions provide the addictive flavor. Pack your favorite dippers—potato chips, crackers, or crudités—and your creamy and crunchy beach snack is good to go. 09 of 25 Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Crust-free for the kids and full of flavor for the adults, these mini sandwiches are just the thing to hold you over for a few more hours in the sun before heading in for lunch. With tomatoes being a star ingredient in this snack, use the best you can. Avoid flavorless, mealy tomatoes at all costs—a good, heirloom beefsteak tomato will make all the difference. 10 of 25 Black Bean and Corn Salsa Antonis Achilleos Grab the tortilla chips and get to dipping. The black beans and fresh corn kernels are the bright addition your bag of chip needs. This dip is loaded with vegetables and flavor-packed from herbs and seasonings, and it's versatile too, by adding chopped mango or fresh garlic—it can be adopted to your beach goers' liking. 11 of 25 Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars Helen Norman; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Satisfy a surf-side sweet tooth with a blackberry cobbler in bar form. Since they can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week, you can make them at home in advance of your trip. This recipe hails from Blackberry Farm, and can be customized throughout the year with seasonal fruit. 12 of 25 Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan It's not a trip to the beach without some watermelon. While we're always up for a simple slice, this salad takes things up a notch. Dress the salad right before serving to prevent the cucumber and watermelon from watering down the vinaigrette. 13 of 25 Muddy Buddy Mix Get your chocolate and peanut butter fix while the kids burry your feet in the sand with this simple, 10-minute snack mix. Other than a few minutes of zapping the coating in the microwave, there is no baking required. We added powdered unsweetened cocoa to the final dusting for a deeper, chocolate flavor. 14 of 25 Ranch Snacker Crackers Sheri Castle These addictive seasoned oyster crackers delight every time. They're crisp and just salty and savory enough to keep you away from the true junk food. A spice blend of ranch dressing mix, dried dill, lemon pepper, and onion and garlic powder combine with butter to coat the crackers, then bake these for 20 minutes in a 250 degree oven. 15 of 25 Texas Caviar Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Black-eye peas, white hominy, and green tomatoes give this popular dip a unique take. Combine the ingredients, toss with Italian dressing, chill for 2 hours, and drain before serving. This dip compliments guacamole and salsa, serve as a trio with tortilla chips. 16 of 25 Apple Chips Micah A. Leal This two-ingredient snack is just as simple and healthy as it sounds. Bake them in advance and you can enjoy your snack guilt-free. They maintain the fiber and nutrients of an apple with no added sugar. 17 of 25 Smoky Snack Mix Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This addictive snack mix is sure to please between rounds of playing in the water, sun, and sand. Smoked almonds, smoked paprika, and chipotle chile powder provide three layers of smoky flavor to this crunchy mix. This recipe easily doubles or triples. 18 of 25 Fresh Fruit Salad Jen Causey Pack it in some Tupperware and bring down some forks. There's nothing more refreshing than a Fresh Fruit Salad. A dressing of orange juice, honey, and fresh chopped mint adds tang, sweetness, and brightness to the fruit. 19 of 25 Pickled Strawberries Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Sweet-tart Pickled Strawberries are the beach snack that will set you apart from the pack. These berries have an irresistible sweet and spicy kick that can be enjoyed on their own or in a salad. Adapt to your berry of choice—swap blackberries or raspberries for the strawberries, or create your favorite mix of berries—to make this snack your own. 20 of 25 Sweet Pea-Parmesan Dip Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis This is a vibrant, colorful way to eat your vegetables—in dip form. Parmesan, lemon, garlic, and mint infuse basic sweet peas with loads of flavor. Serve with crudités, crackers, or smeared on thinly-sliced, toasted baguette for a nutritious beach snack. 21 of 25 Tuna Pasta Salad Caitlin Bensel Make this pasta salad as a side for your beach meals and bring it down to the shore for snacking. A lemon-herb vinaigrette, instead of heavy mayo, provides a lighter and brighter, beach-ready salad. Don't forget the forks! 22 of 25 Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs Satisfy everyone's sweet and salty cravings with this mix that both kids and adults will love. Salty snacks get coated with a brown sugar and honey butter, baked, and then mixed with mini marshmallows and candy-coated peanut butter pieces. This makes 12 servings and can last to up to a week in an airtight container. 23 of 25 Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Hummus Hector Manuel Sanchez This high protein dip will help curb hunger while burning calories from beachside activities. Hummus gets a Southern twist by replacing chickpeas with black-eyed peas and adding some smokiness from smoked paprika. After blending the ingredients, top with olive oil and lemon zest and serve with pita chips. 24 of 25 Sweet Potato Chips Photo: Jennifer Davick Create your own crispy chips by frying thinly sliced sweet potatoes in small batches in peanut oil. For thin, even slices, use a 1/16-inch blade on a mandolin. These chips will be delicious dunked in a number of take-to-the-beach dips, from Homemade Onion Dip to Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole. 25 of 25 Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole Hector Manuel Sanchez This Southern twist on guacamole will turn your beach day into an outdoor fiesta Traditional red onion, lime juice, and cilantro start this guacamole mix. But the addition of bacon and pimiento really turns this dish into something special. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit