70 Garden Party Savory Bites Perfect For Summer Gatherings

You don't want to host a messy cookout; you simply want to enjoy a get-together with some family, friends, neighbors or a good mix of all three. The sun is shining and you relish a table of sharing plates and fabulous finger food while everyone enjoys whiling away a few hours in the garden. Or, it's a balmy summer's evening and you want to kick back with some al fresco bites and good company in your own backyard. 

Summer is a time to enjoy and celebrate life with loved ones and share some great food. However, if the thought of creating an impressive spread of different dishes leaves you feeling cold, then you may warm up to the idea with some great recipes. While impressive, many of these dishes are wonderfully easy to make. Feel inspired by these garden party bites perfect for summer gatherings.

Creamy, eggy, bite-size bliss, these cheesy snacks are wonderfully light and decidedly tasty, making them a crowd-pleaser. Filed with gruyere, the sweetness of roasted red peppers and green goodness of spinach enhance the flavor. What makes the texture so fluffy and velvety is the way they're cooked in a sous vide water bath. You can not only make them in advance, popping them in the microwave just before serving, but you can also experiment with different vegetables, such as zucchini or sun-dried tomatoes. Try other cheeses, too, such as cheddar or Parmesan.

Recipe: Sous Vide Egg Bites

Keep foods for a summer gathering light, whether you're dining al fresco or not. A quiche without the crust cuts down on heavy pastry. While this recipe adds zucchini, you can use a variety of ingredients. In fact, you may decide to make this dish with the leftover vegetables from your other summer gathering delight. You can experiment with this versatile dish, which is perfect at any time of day.

Recipe: Crustless Zucchini Quiche

Forget rummaging around in a big bowl of pasta and looking for the cheese to go on top and then a fork to eat it with. That's so last summer. Food gatherings are not just about taste; they're also all about dishes that are easy to grab and chow down on while you're enjoying the party atmosphere. And let's face it, it doesn't get any more ingenious than an air-fryer pasta on a stick. It's simple to make lots of these, too, as you only need rigatoni pasta, marinara sauce, and fresh basil, plus some mozzarella cheese. 

Recipe: Easy Pasta Skewers

Fun and functional, sheet pan dishes are a go-to for summer gatherings. And everyone enjoys tucking into a big tray full of Mexican chips with tasty toppings and dips. Use a few types of cheese to bring out the taste and texture, such as the sharpness of cheddar and the stretchiness of mozzarella. Dice up a jalapeño for some heat, and if you're using tinned tomatoes, spicy or fire-roasted can pack in more flavor. To go meat-free, use browned tofu instead, layering red onion and peppers, and serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. 

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos

As the sun goes down, comfort food that has a little heat can warm up your party crowd. While it's always interesting to try new dishes, traditional ones are still all-around favorites, too. Not only is this chili recipe full of flavor for vegetarians, but you won't find any meat eaters complaining, either. Add cayenne pepper to pump up the heat, and make sure you drain the beans so it's not over-salty. Top your bowls full of goodness with shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

Recipe: 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Everyone knows the classic party food favorites, so try something a little different that's still easy to make a ton of. Make this recipe with whatever sausage and cheese you like, although hot and spicy meat and sharp cheddar is a solid combo. Once you've mixed the ingredients together, add in a little milk if the dough is looking a bit too dry to mold into shape. You don't need a dip because they're so darn good, but you could try sour cream with basil and Cajun spice. 

Recipe: Easy Sausage Cheese Balls

If you're planning on making a few dishes for your summer party, you need some recipes that don't require obscure ingredients you'd have to search high and low for. This is one of them. Taking off the pie crusts is a genius way of giving these quiches a more delicate, buffet-style appeal. Make them with eggs, milk, and ham or a meat-free alternative, along with shredded cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, and green onions. Serve warm or cold, with hot sauce on top, perhaps.

Recipe: Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche Muffins

Gooey, cheesy, and crunchy, these savory sticks are a welcome dish on any party platter. And hosts can make as many as they like before and even freeze them, as they only take 10 minutes to cook. You can easily make these with gluten-free breadcrumbs, and if you like a little spice, add some cayenne or paprika to boost the taste. Double-coat so the cheese doesn't escape, and freeze for at least 2-3 hours before frying. Serve with a dip.

Recipe: 30-Minute Mozzarella Sticks

These light Vietnamese bites are easy to grab hold of and eat with your hands, making for fabulous finger food delights. The centerpiece is a homemade peanut sauce, which can be changed to an almond or cashew butter. You can also use seed-based tahini if you want to avoid nuts altogether. Only cook your shrimp until they're opaque, to make sure they're soft, not rubbery. A handy tip when making your rice paper wraps is to only fill a third full so that you're able to roll them fairly tightly without them disintegrating. 

Recipe: Easy Shrimp Rolls

Summer just isn't summer without a pesto pasta salad. And with the fresh taste of basil, parmesan dressing, succulent grape tomatoes, and soft, velvety mozzarella, it's got all the flavors of Italy in the sunshine. Because you're making a salad, you don't want your fusilli pasta to be too soft, so cook it for a minute less than the directions for al dente. A good tip is to keep some of the water when you drain the pasta and use it to thin out the sauce if it's too thick. 

Recipe: Summer Pesto Pasta Salad

Cater to non-meat eaters by turning meaty classic snacks into veggie alternatives that are appetizing for all. These nuggets are made with riced cauliflower, and while this vegetable isn't renowned for its strong taste, it's what you add that transforms it. Along with an egg, you mix in cheese and spices along with  breadcrumbs. You can use any semi-hard cheese; the strong tang of cheddar works especially well. Meanwhile, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder or even some chili flakes pep up the taste factor with some heat. Experiment with dips, too.

Recipe: Cauliflower Nuggets

What's your favorite part of a summer feast? Could it be the charcuterie board? Everyone crowds around the table, trying to peel off slices of cold cuts and cut a piece of cheese while grabbing a few olives. Take the ingredients off the board and put them in a jar instead to turn a much-loved sharing platter into individual "jarcuterie" portions. (What's more, this way, everyone gets their fair share.) Grapes, gherkins, and small mozzarella balls fit perfectly, with meat and cheese on a stick and long crackers that stick out.

Recipe: Easy Jarcuterie

Add some flair to your party platter this summer with a delectable Argentinian snack that's easy to eat with your hands. Filled with meat and veggies, this empanada recipe also uses Spanish green olives for their saltiness. You can "cheat" by buying frozen puff pastry, rather than making it yourself. Make sure you crimp and seal the edges with a fork so that the filling doesn't leak out when they're baked.

Recipe: Authentic Empanada

Bring the take-out taste to the table when you're entertaining at home by making your own Italian-style breadsticks. They go down so well with other shared dishes, such as pastas, soups, and salads, but they're also divine eaten alone. The melted butter and sprinkling of Parmesan on soft-in-the-middle, crunch-on-the-outside dough sticks will have everyone hankering after them. Don't over-worry about creating uniform sticks either, as they're just as delicious if they look homemade. You'll need two and a half hours for the dough to rise, though they only take 10 minutes to cook.

Recipe: Copycat Papa John's Breadsticks

TikTok is the home of fun recipe ideas and hacks that turn well-known foods into something different. You'll have everyone marveling over this rigatoni snack, which is somewhere between pasta and chips. Bake the cooked pasta in the oven if you don't have an air-fryer to create these crunchy chips. They pair splendidly with tomato sauce and Parmesan. Beyond that, you can have fun with the seasonings, making sure each piece of pasta is well-coated.

Recipe: TikTok Pasta Chips

The umami of these Asian-inspired lettuce-wrapped snacks will have everyone reaching for more than one. They're a great way to serve up a wrap without any doughy bread or flour tortilla in sight. Special ingredients include mirin, a sweet rice wine, and kecap manis which is sweet soy sauce. For visual appeal, cut the vegetables that top the mix into small matchsticks. And what's really attractive about this recipe is that you only need one pan to make it — fuss-free. it's ideal if you're cooking other foods at the same time.

Recipe: Lettuce Wraps

For a classic summer gathering in the garden, there's one dish that's a standard, and that's coleslaw. If you didn't serve it, everyone would be wondering where the coleslaw was. You can still make this dish, but there's no reason why you can't be creative and spice it up. Switch out traditional mayo with a dressing that's got a kick. Make it with tahini, apple cider vinegar, and fresh lemon juice, plus Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and pepperoncini peppers. This version is lip-smackingly good.

Recipe: Easy Spicy Coleslaw

While spring rolls can be heavy, especially when served as part of a platter, these Filipino versions are much lighter. The pastry doesn't have egg in it, and it's thinner, too. Along with bean sprouts, this recipe includes carrots, cabbage, and licorice-tasting jicama. Don't overcook the veggies, as after they've been fried you're going to be cooking them again with some oyster sauce. You'll also add in sesame oil, but if you don't have any, peanut oil or avocado oil will work fine. Hoisin sauce or sriracha are great for dipping. 

Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Lumpia

Name one sharing dish that everybody loves. It's a no-brainer: pizza, of course. Imagine now that you can make a pizza in a pan without any of the time-consuming hassle of kneading dough and still have a light and crispy base to add your toppings to. In fact, it's so easy that the pizza dough is a pourable batter made from eggs, flour, and milk with seasonings. Once you've added this to a pan, add any toppings, apart from cheese, and bake before adding the cheese and baking again until it melts. 

Recipe: Pourable Pizza Dough

This snack looks good, tastes great, and is meat-free, which gives it wider appeal at a gathering with vegetarians and anyone wanting to cut back on meaty dishes. Plus, it requires just three ingredients, which is a big bonus when you're catering for a crowd. Of course, you can add more to customize it, but all you need is some puff pastry, olive oil, and sun-dried tomatoes. Garnish with parsley for some extra color.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Tomato Tart

Hot and tasty on the outside and creamy on the inside, these Buffalo cauliflower bites are the bomb. And as if they're not incredible enough, a dipping sauce such as ranch or blue cheese makes these vegetarian bad boys rock. Once you've coated your florets in a paprika and garlic powder spiked batter and cooked them for a while, baste them in a homemade Buffalo sauce with melted butter and honey. Remember, if you're making these in batches beforehand, that's fine — just reheat them in the oven, as they'll go soggy in the microwave. 

Recipe: Buffalo Cauliflower

Embrace the retro picnic vibe with a recipe that's wonderfully nostalgic. Reminiscent of the long, summer days of childhood, when times (and food) were far simpler, these British snacks are given a Middle Eastern twist with a falafel coating on the egg instead of sausage meat and breadcrumbs. Make sure you plunge the hard-boiled eggs into iced water so that they don't get a green ring around the yolk. You can use a bought-in falafel mix for this recipe. Baking, not frying as is traditionally the case, reworks this snack in a healthy way.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Scotch Eggs

A sour, juicy pickle deep-fried to perfection and crunchy to bite into is just what you want during a special day of food and fun. After dipping in a paprika batter, coat the sliced pickles in breadcrumbs. Here's where you can add your own flavor profile. If you want some Indian influence, add curry powder into the breadcrumbs. If you love Mexican food, add some chili and garlic powder. It's best to cook these in batches so they don't stick together. An onion dip will pair well with these pickles, too.

Recipe: Deep-Fried Dill Pickles

If your summer event is a sophisticated cocktail party or glamorous soiree, you'll want an appetizing array of snacks that look the part. To make these rolls, it's important to use a flexible mat. You have to make them with sushi rice, or else they won't stick together. Adding sugar and salt creates a balance in the seasoning. Your seaweed nori also needs to be a big sheet, not snack bags that've been salted. Make sure your knife's sharp to cut the roll and create bite-size discs. 

Recipe: Easy Cucumber Rolls

The ultimate finger food is easy to eat without any cutlery and can be munched on holding it in one hand, so that you have a hand free for a summery drink. Taquitos are all wrapped up with a yummy filling inside. These are classic Mexican snacks and they're so incredibly moreish and comforting that everyone is going to need more than one. You'll need a can of black beans, as well as some green chilis and corn tortillas.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Baked Taquitos

While this recipe's touted as a Halloween snack, there's no reason you can't serve them to a coven of guests earlier in the year. Whether day or night, everyone'll be bewitched by these canapés. The salty taste pairs well with drinks, so you might want to have these ready to soak up some of your reception cocktails or just as a taster before you dish out the sharing platters. Made with pretzels and cheese sticks, they're fun and easy for kids to make, and they'll enjoy eating them, too.

Recipe: Cheese and Pretzel Broomsticks

This flatbread is great when served with dips and is a nice alternative to crackers with a summer cheeseboard. The key to getting a crisp finish is a high oven setting. Unlike when you're baking a cake, liquid is added to the dough, with the wet ingredients added to the dry. As you slowly add water, make sure it's warm enough to give the dough the right stretchiness and that it's not too hot or cold. If you don't want to use rosemary, knead in your own ingredients, such as refreshing lemon zest and lavender. 

Recipe: Crisp Rosemary Flatbread

If you want to enjoy yourself at your party, you probably don't want to be wearing yourself out making small Polish dumpling dough. But if you really want to serve delectably soft-centered potato and cheese pierogis, try this "cheat" recipe and make your life easier. How? Use wonton wrappers instead. They'll crisp up wonderfully and taste lovely and light. What's more, you can make a whole load of them for your summer guests to enjoy. Serve them with sour cream and chopped-up green onions.

Recipe: Lazy Pierogi

Chances are you've never perused a table of finger-food goodies at someone's summer gathering and not seen a big bowl of potato chips. Yes, they're delicious, but there are other chip options out there, such as this snackable bowl of sweet potato chips. Use a mandoline to get the chips thin enough to crisp up, but keep it thick enough to be substantial. Oregano lifts the flavor, as does onion dip.

Recipe: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips

Stop. Before you fry up chicken nuggets and throw them onto a party platter, why not lighten up your summer sharing menu? Tofu is great because it soaks up flavors so well, and if you're not in love with your air-fryer yet, you soon will be. If you've got little guests coming along, this dish is a winner with youngsters, too. Drain the tofu by putting something heavy on top. When your nuggets are ready, serve them with barbecue sauce or ranch. 

Recipe: Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets

What's so fabulous about these deep-fried dough balls is that anything goes. They literally go with any flavor and ingredient combination. You can make savory snacks at one end of your summer gathering buffet table with cheese and end on a sweet note with some deliciously doughy chocolate versions. Be creative and come up with your own culinary creations. While they're not overly complicated to make, a good tip is to not overwork the dough. You want them to puff up into crunchy, soft-centered treats that make you want to celebrate.

Recipe: Homemade Hush Puppies

The real beauty of sharing food is being able to sample so many different dishes at one time. While you may want some finger food classics on your summer menu if you're inviting over a mixed group, don't be afraid to include snacks that are moreish regardless of whether they're usually served on a sharing table. If you've tried hot edamame then you'll know just how difficult it is to stop snacking on them when they're in front of you. This recipe also adds some sautéed garlic, soy sauce, and chili paste. 

Recipe: Spicy Garlic Edamame

In the world of celebrated cheeses, two that echo Italian summers have to be mozzarella and Parmesan. Make these cheese-tastic rice balls of yumminess and serve with a marinara dip. Make sure you use Arborio rice to make your risotto and if you want to cut this part out, you can always buy this ready-made. Your mozzarella goes in the middle of each ball traditionally, but you can change this up and also customize how you season the risotto if you want to add a twist. 

Recipe: Traditional Arancini

With so many recipes to choose from, it's easy to feel under pressure to come up with quirky dishes using a long list of ingredients. However, you can't go wrong with simple classics, and nothing is as simple as fried onion rings. Make these with large sweet onions and add a pinch of paprika in the panko. While some rings are battered, and others breadcrumbed, you're going to batter and breadcrumb for this version thus adding to the crispiness. Flip in the oil before they brown, as they'll continue to cook.

Recipe: Crispy Fried Onion Rings

Customizing dishes is fun and flavorful. However, you can set the tone for good food to come with the complementing flavors of this Italian classic. While you could add these toasted temptations to a table of shared delights, they work beautifully as an appetizer on a sunny day and a wonderful welcome to guests. Roma tomatoes are perfect, but you can use any ripe variety. The fresh basil, mozzarella, and red onion pair with olive oil, garlic, and seasoning on toasted slices of baguette. What more do you want on a summer's day?

Recipe: Classic Tomato Bruschetta