10 Recipes for Your Picnic Basket

When temperatures rise and the sky clears up, it can only mean one thing: time for a family picnic! Grab your favorite lunchbox or picnic basket, a pair of shades, and bottle of sunscreen, and get ready to soak up some rays and spend the afternoon cloud watching on a patch of green grass. Whether you plan on laying out your gingham blanket in the backyard or at the local park, it's not a picnic without some finger foods and sweet treats in tow. You'll need something that can be chilled, travels well, and is easily shared with fellow picnic-goers, and these recipes are exactly that.

1. Healthier Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

They may technically be carrot cake, but it's completely acceptable to munch on these bars without using a fork or knife. They'll stay nice and moist in a baggie or reusable container while you scout out the perfect picnic spot.

2. Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

It's almost like pasta salad was made for picnicking: it only gets yummier the longer it sits. This version is creamy without being too heavy thanks to egg yolks, light mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt. Every bite tastes like a deviled egg!

3. Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins with Blueberries

Ah, the mighty muffin...such a versatile treat! These are filled with veggies, fruit, and whole grains, so they'll keep you and your fellow picnic-goers full all afternoon. Plus, they're a cinch to transport and require no utensils—just your hands!

4. Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs With Goat Cheese Filling

Nothing beats biting into one of these zingy beet-stained deviled eggs while the sun shines down on your picnic patch and the fresh air breezes to and fro. Be careful, though: if your head is in the clouds, you might accidentally eat the whole platter without realizing it. They're just that good!

5. Grasshopper Sandwich Cookies

Once you and the kids have gobbled up the savory contents of your picnic basket, it's time for the best part: grasshopper sandwich cookies! These are a classic combination of fudgy chocolate and minty green buttercream frosting that will help you end your day in the sun on a sweet note.

6. Avocado Egg Salad

Picture yourself with a glass of lemonade and a bowl of this egg salad. See that smile spread across your face? That's all thanks to the creamy, light, and bright forkful of avocado, Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon bits, and fresh lemon juice that you just ate.

7. Strawberry Sheet Cake

Fresh berries and clear skies are a match made in picnic heaven! If you want to add something a little sweeter than fruit salad to your spread, try this sheet cake. It's brimming with strawberries and topped with buttercream frosting that you'll want to lick from your fingers.

8. Garbanzo Egg Salad

While the kids are gallivanting in the grass, curl up on your picnic blanket with a book and some of this herby chickpea egg salad with fresh veggies and toasted pumpkin seeds. Bonus points if you made it the night before; it only tastes better with time!

9. Veggie and Quinoa Egg Bites

If you're looking for a filling picnic snack that isn't sandwiches, give these veggie and quinoa egg bites a try. They're filled with broccoli and cheddar cheese, almost like mini quiches that you can hold in one hand while you fly your kite with the other.

10. Strawberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Clear skies, tummy full of cookie bars, can't lose. If there's such a thing as the perfect afternoon, it definitely involves nibbling on these strawberry oatmeal treats, blowing bubbles, and stretching out for a nap al fresco while the sun makes its slow crawl across the sky.