15 Plant-Based Recipes That Are Delightful Additions to Any Picnic!

The weather is warming up and you know what that means: picnic season! There’s something so special about sharing delicious food and enjoying the company of friends on a blanket outdoors. We’ve all been cooped up the past few months, so we’ve got to take advantage of every bit of sunshine that we can!

When planning a picnic, it’s easy to get stuck with the same few foods: hummus, chips and guac, cookies – you get the gist. But it doesn’t have to be this way! We’ve found the most delicious vegan foods that would be perfect for a picnic. Choose a few to make and bring along or send the list out to your friends for a totally curated experience.

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Deviled Veggs

Source: Deviled Veggs

Introducing Deviled Veggs by Chris Bartis! The secret to holding the soy cream, tofu, and sour cream all together is agar agar, which gives the white portion a gelatin-like texture. When you make these, stick as close as you can to this recipe, use the whitest ingredients you can find. Serve these at a party and they’re guaranteed to blow the minds of all your guests.

2. Grapefruit Peach Sangria

Source: Grapefruit Peach Sangria

Can you think of anything better than citrus with wine on a hot summer day with friends and family? Don’t even try to answer that, just throw all of these ingredients in a pitcher, invite some people over, and taste it for yourself The star of your summer will definitely be this super refreshing Grapefruit Peach Sangria by Liz Martone. White wine, fresh grapefruit juice, sliced grapefruit, peaches, mint, lemons, limes, and finally topped off with a cup of bubbly seltzer, this beverage will be a huge hit. Give it a big stir and this will be the best sangria you’ve ever had! Light and refreshing, grapefruit sangria is perfect on a hot summer day or any time of the year. Give it a try and see for yourself!

3. Lemon Bars

Source: Lemon Bars

These Lemon Bars by Brittany Berlin are a wonderful dessert and the tiny addition of turmeric is for color; you can’t even taste it!

4. Creamy and Crunchy Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Source: Creamy and Crunchy Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This delicious salad can be enjoyed between two slices of whole grain bread, but it can also be enjoyed with crackers or over a leafy green salad. Regardless of how you choose to serve it, this Creamy and Crunchy Chickpea Salad Sandwich by Christina Bedetta is sure to make a satisfying meal!

5. Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Source: Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies

These are Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies by Harriet Porterfield! Super chocolatey and rich brownie with little bursts of tangy cherries. They’re everything a brownie should be, a slight bite on the outside and a moist fudgy texture in the middle.

6. Salt and Vinegar Mac n’ Cheez Bites

Source: Salt and Vinegar Mac n’ Cheez Bites

These Salt and Vinegar Mac n’ Cheez Bites by Annie Kimmelman are gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, AND soy-free. For vegan “junk food”, these bites are pretty dang healthy! The best part of these mac n’ cheez bites are the delicious, crunchy crumble coating them.

7. Healthy Vanilla Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Source: Healthy Vanilla Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Hayley Canning‘s Healthy Vanilla Chocolate Chip Banana Bread gives perfect results every time.

8. Massaged Kale Salad

Source: Massaged Kale Salad

This Massaged Kale Salad by Christina Bedetta is super convenient because the hearty-yet-flavorful leaves can be prepped and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week! Mix it up to your liking, and enjoy!

9. Loaded Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Source: Loaded Strawberry Basil Lemonade

How to jazz up your lemonade? Make strawberry ice cubes! The fruity ice cubes add a little fun and extra color to your lemonade. This Loaded Strawberry Basil Lemonade by  is so refreshing and delightful. Summer in a glass! Enjoy the sunshine!

10. Spinach Artichoke Dip

Source: Spinach Artichoke Dip

This vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip by Hannah Sunderani is cheesy, creamy, and savory. Share when entertaining to really impress a crowd. You can serve it with toasted baguettes, nacho chips, or gluten-free crackers.

11. Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

Source: Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

Don’t let this all-vanilla cupcake fool you into thinking it’s boring. It is light, fluffy, sweet (but not too sweet), and everything you want a cupcake to be. People will be asking you to make these Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream by Francesca BonaDonna on repeat

12. Black Bean, Spinach & Smoked Gooda Cheeze Quesadillas

Source: Black Bean, Spinach & Smoked Gooda Cheeze Quesadillas

Spinach, beans, caramelized onions, and a delicious cheeze sauce — made from cashews, nutritional yeast, beer, miso paste, and other flavorings — are the main ingredients behind this delicious quesadilla. Serve with fresh mango salsa for a satisfying lunch, dinner, or snack. Everyone will love Rouxbe‘s Black Bean, Spinach & Smoked Gooda Cheeze Quesadillas!

13. Spelt Tarts with Chocolate Mousse topped with Strawberries and Cherries

Source: Spelt Tarts with Chocolate Mousse topped with Strawberries and Cherries

Are you ready for some chocolate weekend indulgence? Well, after one of these, you would be completely satisfied! These Spelt Tarts with Chocolate Mousse topped with Strawberries and Cherries by Lena Novak are absolutely amazing!

14. Hummus and Tomato Bruschetta

Source: Hummus and Tomato Bruschetta

This Hummus and Tomato Bruschetta by Harriet Porterfield is bursting with flavor and ready in less than 20 minutes. A delicious lunch or light dinner. The hummus recipe is a staple in my kitchen and will make enough for 2 jars full. The marinade for the tomatoes is simply basil, olive oil and salt, which really brings out their juicy flavor.

15. Millionaire Shortbreads

Source: Millionaire Shortbreads

These vegan Millionaire Shortbreads by Natasa Christofidou were actually really simple to make and each layer only consists of a few ingredients, which makes it easy to shop for and to follow!

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Lastly, being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!