Whether you’re hosting pool parties or sleepovers this summer, you’ll need snacks that can be made by the double or triple batch. These six recipes scale up to handle lots of eager hands and appeal to a wide range of ages. Test out your favorites now so you’re prepared for the biggest summer party of all: Fourth of July.
Recipe: ' data-csa-c-slot-id='Hyperlink' data-csa-c-type='link'>Sara's Granola Bars opens in a new tab
These homemade granola bars are chewy and rich; a jumble of nuts, cereal, seeds and dried fruit barely held together with almond butter and honey (no baking involved!). The little bit of salt really sets these bars apart. These are great to have around as a wholesome dessert or energizing snack.
Photo by Kyle Orosz
Recipe: 10 Minute Parmesan and Mustard Pinwheels opens in a new tab
This is a great, simple hors d'oeuvre to throw together for last-minute snacking. With puff pastry stocked in the freezer and always at-the-ready mustard and Parmesan, these are as quick to roll up, slice and bake as they are to eat.
Photo by James Ransom
Recipe: Spicy Shrimp opens in a new tab
We love Sriracha's heat, which is warm, lasting and assertive without being overbearing. This recipe combines the hot sauce with a few everyday ingredients -- olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and cilantro -- to create a sublime marinade for shrimp. The oil and sugar give the marinade some viscosity so it doesn't just season the shrimp but clings to it. But it's the sugar that makes this dish -- on the grill, the sugar caramelizes, giving the shrimp a lacquered feel, and its sweetness balances the kick of the Sriracha.
Photo by James Ransom
Recipe: White Bean Dip with Fresh Herbs opens in a new tab
The perfect celebration of fresh herbs, this dip is wonderful with crostini, pita, radish slices, or even wrapped up in kale or romaine leaves. Serve with an extra drizzle of nice, fruity olive oil.
Photo by Karen Mordechai
Recipe: Tea Egg Salad opens in a new tab
Cracked eggs soak in smoky Lapsang Souchong tea overnight before folding in the dressing ingredients. Serve on crackers, or in celery-stick “boats” for a snack that resists soggy just-out-of-the-pool fingers.
Recipe: Chevre Devils opens in a new tab
The thyme-spiked chevre and crackly-spiced pecans are perfect foils for sticky sweet Medjool dates. They’re "thirsty-making" and therefore ideal for days when cool, refreshing drinks are close by. We liked ours packed with goat cheese, and advise doubling the filling amounts (if you're chevre devils like us). You might also want to go scant on the 1/4 cup of agave, to avoid runoff and concentrate the spice.
What are your favorite poolside snacks? Share your comments below!
