Perfect summer picnic foods

Written in collaboration with Mindful Bites

Summer has well and truly arrived, and with the exciting announcement that we can now enjoy a picnic with a friend (while staying two meters apart) – it’s time to celebrate in the most delicious way possible!

I’ve put together a selection of tasty treats to stop you missing your favourite restaurant while soaking up the sun. Remember to keep topping up your sun cream though…

Chocolate ice-lollies

No ice-cream van? No problem. All you need is two tablespoons of Mindful Bites chocolate hazelnut spread (or more!) and a can of coconut milk. Simply combine in a blender until the mixture is smooth and fill six ice lolly moulds, before allowing to freeze for at least four hours. Vegan and delicious, this one might need to be saved for the garden instead of your local park to stop them melting!

Hummus and veggies

Feeling kitchen-savvy and fancy making some from scratch? Try swapping the tahini in your favourite recipe for nut butter - a nutty twist on the plant-based dip. If you remove the chickpea skins, you’ll end up with an irresistibly smooth hummus which is perfect paired with veggies, pita bread or falafel.

Nut butter and jam sandwiches

This American classic is the perfect picnic food but make sure you remember a napkin! Usually loaded with preservatives and refined sugar, try using wholegrain bread, Mindful Bites Brazil Nuts & Cacao Nibs Nut Butter and some home-made chia jam. This recipe for jam only takes ten minutes, so you have no excuse not to make it from scratch.

Chocolate croissants

Fancy hosting your own outdoor bottomless brunch? All you need is some ready-rolled puff pastry, an egg and some chocolate hazelnut spread. Cut the pastry into triangles, cover one side in the spread and roll up into a croissant shape. Brush with an egg wash (made from egg and water) before putting in the oven for around 20 mins until they are golden brown. Now all you need is a glass of prosecco, or three!

Ultimate double chocolate cookies

The best thing about taking these on a picnic is that they’ll melt slightly in the sun and become extra gooey and delicious. Find the recipe on Mindful Bites blog page and get creating. I suggest using them to make an ice-cream sandwich for an evening treat.

Hopefully these will help you when you’re planning your next picnic. All of these recipes and ideas are easy to make and can be made vegan-friendly (if they aren’t already).