57 Snack Ideas for When You’re Feeling Peckish

It’s hard to think of new snack ideas when you’re hungry and rifling through the pantry. You’re desperately looking for that open bag of potato chips and the granola bars you purchased last week, but the only thing you manage to get your hands on is a half-empty jar of peanut butter, left behind by someone else in your household. In your hunger you knock over a bag of precious cashews and wonder why you haven’t spent time giving your pantry the love it deserves. You eventually settle on apple slices and some stale trail mix and make a mental note to include snacks in your meal prep next week. Below you’ll find the inspiration you need: our favorite foods for snack time, including creamy dips like guacamole and hummus, satisfyingly crispy potato chips, and many more flavorful little bites. Whether you’re planning a Super Bowl party or happy hour or just looking for something to snack on during that hungry expanse between lunch and dinner, we’re confident you’ll find something you love.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou1/57
Miso-Maple Walnuts
Shall we start with an exceedingly easy snack idea? These walnuts with miso and maple syrup are simple to make and require minimal prep—but the payoff for your tiny effort is so real. Make a big batch, then keep a jar of these nuts on your shelf so that a salty-sweet and crunchy snack is always within arm's reach. If you don't have walnuts, cashews, almonds, or pecans would be delicious, too.
- Photo by Alex Lau2/57
Kombu Celery
For an easy veggie snack that comes together in no time at all, toss celery with furikake, sesame oil, soy sauce, and crunchy sesame seeds. The crunchy celery makes a perfect football-watching snack, but you could really season any kind of vegetable this way—try it with slivers of bell pepper or even edamame.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne3/57
Sikil P'aak
This roasted tomato and pumpkin seed dip is doesn't require fancy techniques—just fresh ingredients. Roast tomatoes and a habanero pepper, then grind it up with toasted pumpkin seeds. Pair this creamy, spicy dip with tortilla chips or your favorite raw vegetables.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht4/57
Easy Oat Crumble Topping With Cinnamon and Brown Sugar
Sure, this crumble topping is meant for garnishing desserts—but don't let that stop you from grabbing a handful and throwing it back.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi5/57
Figs-in-a-Blanket With Goat Cheese
In this fun vegetarian spin on pigs-in-a-blanket, creamy goat cheese and figs are wrapped in buttery puff pastry. If goat cheese isn't your thing, try these bites with Brie, Camembert, Manchego, or Parmesan instead.
- Photo by Christina Holmes6/57
Jalapeño Poppers With Smoked Gouda
Cookbook author Mark Bittman's jalapeño poppers aren't like the breaded, deep-fried appetizers you get in sports bar, but they're just as delicious. Here, jalapeños are filled with cream cheese and smoked Gouda, then grilled until the cheese is melted.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou7/57
Scandinavian Rye Muffins
Lightly spiced and flavored with caraway seeds and crystals of sea salt, these yeasted whole grain muffins are satisfying without being heavy.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini8/57
Crudités With Chile-Lime Salt
Forget dip! This zesty spiced salt will brighten up any sliced fruit or vegetable. Try it with cucumbers, radishes, watermelon, oranges—or even crispy sweet potato fries.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou9/57
Chaat Masala Mixed Nuts With Cornflakes
These spiced nuts are tangy and spicy: basically, the perfect thing to nibble on. With extra crunch from cornflakes and a determined kick from cayenne, these will keep you coming back for more. We like a mixture of pecans, almonds, and cashews, but feel free to mix it up with whatever nuts you have in your pantry.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson10/57
Traditional Soft Pretzels
Set yourself up for success by making a batch of soft pretzels during your meal prep for the week. Warm them up in an oven and slather them with whole grain mustard, or enjoy them with some bratwurst for an easy weekday lunch.
- Photo by Alex Lau11/57
Marinated Goat Cheese With Herbs and Spices
Here's a snack idea that's simple but sophisticated. Infuse oil with a fragrant mixture of herbs and spices, then pour it over goat cheese or feta to marinate. Serve it with whole wheat crackers, warm bread, or pita.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks12/57
Easy Guacamole
The best guacamole recipe is one that’s quick, simple, and never fails to please a crowd. And that’s exactly what this version is. If you like a little heat, fresh—or pickled—jalapeño pepper will do the trick. Serve with tacos or nachos, or make them the center of an easy appetizers spread with fresh veggies and chips.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li13/57
Nut Butter Granola Bars
Bound together with honey and nut butter and filled with an assortment of nuts and dried fruit, these just-sweet-enough bars are sturdy enough to help you power through an afternoon of work or an evening of football. Allergic to peanuts or don't have peanut butter on hand? Use almond butter instead.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton14/57
Horsey Goat
Give your chèvre a kick with a touch of horseradish. This easy spreadable blend of fresh goat cheese, horseradish, and heavy cream can be made a week in advance, and pairs wonderfully with these seedy gluten-free crackers.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich15/57
Warmed Spiced Olives
Served warm at a party alongside cheese and wholegrain crackers, these spiced olives are delicious. For easy mid-day snacking, though, we highly recommend keeping a jar in your fridge.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell16/57
Turf Mix
This crispy-crunchy-salty combo gets its green hue from a blend of ground seaweed snacks, dried dill, and lime zest. A seasoning of garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and sugar rounds it all out.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton17/57
Goat Cheese and Salami Stuffed Dates
Dates stuffed with nut butter are a popular snack, but for the perfect salty-sweet bite, try filling this dried fruit with creamy goat cheese and savory salami.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce18/57
Citrus-Oil-Marinated Spring Vegetables
Slather whole grain toast with ricotta, then top it with spring vegetables that are marinated with fresh herbs and lemon juice.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou19/57
Fried Cashews With Lime Zest and Chile
This take on a very popular Thai bar snack—freshly fried cashews tossed with salt, chiles, scallions, and fragrant lime zest—is simple but so good with an ice-cold beer.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow20/57
Vanilla Butter Anchovy Toasts
Anchovy lovers: This one’s for you. The pairing of vanilla-tinged butter and anchovies is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Just be sure to use fish packed in olive oil for this recipe—here are our picks for the best anchovies to buy.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou21/57
Khajur Ladu (Date, Pistachio, and Almond Morsels)
With just four ingredients, these nutty, fudgy date balls—which happen to be gluten-free—are exceedingly simple to make. Make a double batch to give to friends, or keep them in your kitchen for easy snacking.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton22/57
Plain Popcorn
Stovetop popcorn is easy and quick, and an excellent vehicle for seasonings like Parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, or your own flavor combo.
- Photography by Eva Kolenko23/57
Brie and Prosciutto Shortbread
These easy snacks are a sophisticated savory riff on the campfire treat we all know and love: s’mores.
- Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott24/57
Smoky Carrot Dip
Sweet and smoky roasted carrots are blended with chickpeas, almonds, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs—it’s the perfect companion to whole wheat crackers or good bread.
- Photo by Jarren Vink25/57
Buffalo Wing Popcorn
This spicy caramel popcorn is just the salty-sweet snack we need.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou26/57
Honey Butter Potato Chip Tower With Crispy Salami
Mix crispy salami slices with store-bought potato chips, drizzle everything with spiced honey butter, and build a tower as high as you can go.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson27/57
Peanut Butter–Banana Muffins
These delicious muffins aren't whole grain, but the addition of wheat germ lends a toasty, nutty flavor that goes well with the peanut butter and bananas.
- Photo by Alex Lau28/57
Coconut and Crispy Chickpea Trail Mix
The beauty of this trail mix is that it can be deployed lots of ways. Eat it out of hand as an upgrade to the usual cocktail nut or pretzel offering, or spoon it over Greek yogurt as a savory topping.
- Photo by Shimon and Tammar29/57
Masala Popcorn
This popcorn is a take on the Indian snack chiwda, a sweet and savory mix often made with puffed rice, dried fruit, nuts, spices, and herbs.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi31/57
Five-Cheese Pimento Cheese
Miracle Whip adds tang and just a touch of sweetness to this five-cheese version of the classic Southern spread, while traditional mayonnaise gives it balance and richness. For an ultra-savory dip, we recommend using Parmesan, pepper Jack, and both mild and sharp cheddar.
- Photo by Cara Howe32/57
Broiled Goat Cheese Toasts With Marinated Greens
Spread goat cheese on slices of baguette, then top with greens marinated in olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. No goat cheese? Feta and ricotta would also be delicious here.
- Photo by Sophie Hansen33/57
Caramelized Fennel and Brie Dip
To make this warm, cheesy dip, combine caramelized fennel with Parmesan, Brie, and thyme, then broil until it's golden and bubbling.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton34/57
Pecan Brie Brûlée
Top whole grain bread or baguette with a spiced pecan paste, Brie, and a touch of sugar for a snack that's salty, sweet, and creamy.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou35/57
Kue Keju (Cheese Cookies)
These savory Indonesian cookies from cookbook author Lara Lee are perfectly buttery, crumbly, and cheesy. They're exactly what we want to have around the house for snacking all week long.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li36/57
Spicy Lightly Pickled Cucumbers
This healthy snack has just the right amount of sweet, salt, and tang going on. The brine works with any crunchy vegetable, but we like it best with cucumbers.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou37/57
Pine Nut and White Bean Dip
Toast pine nuts until they're golden brown, then blend them with white beans and garlic for a creamy dip that will pair perfectly with bell peppers and other crisp vegetables.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog38/57
Pickled Shrimp
Who says you can't snack on pickled shrimp? The high-protein snack can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
- Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott39/57
Cheesy Sesame Phyllo Bites
For cheesy, crispy crackers that come together in no time at all, use frozen phyllo dough. While this recipe calls for Gruyère, you can easily substitute with Parmesan if needed.
- Photo by David Loftus40/57
Bombay Rolls
Transform frozen puff pastry into cookbook author Meera Sodha's magnificent rolls, which are filled with hot green chutney, cheese, and onion. These rolls get a kick from green chiles and brightness from lemon juice.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova41/57
Ranch Fun Dip
Toasted pistachios, nutritional yeast, and an aromatic blend of spices makes this dip the perfect complement to raw vegetables.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou42/57
Radishes With Crème Fraîche and Furikake
You can buy many different styles of furikake at the store. This streamlined homemade version has just five ingredients, and is super-versatile. It's paired with radishes here, but you could top edamame or any kind of veggie for a quick gluten-free snack.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog43/57
Jammy Eggs With Smoked Paprika Aioli
Hard boiled eggs are good, but jammy eggs are better. For an easy high-protein snack, top your eggs with marinated bell peppers, anchovies, and some jazzed-up mayo. They're like deviled eggs, but much less fussy.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova44/57
Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté
This chicken liver pâté can be prepared up to two weeks in advance—keep it in your fridge for an elegant happy hour snack, spread onto baguette or whole grain toast.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li45/57
Onion-Dip Potato Chips
Transform a bag of salted potato chips into something better with some onion powder, garlic powder, and olive oil.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li46/57
Marinated Manchego
The only thing more crowd-pleasing than cheese is cheese marinated with olive oil, fresh rosemary, and orange slices.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li47/57
Broccoli and Garlic-Ricotta Toasts With Hot Honey
Crispy roasted broccoli works just as well as an appetizer as it does a side dish when scattered over garlicky, ricotta-slathered toasts.
- Photo by Lauren Volo48/57
Chicken and Black Bean Nachos
For crowd-pleasing nachos, layer tortilla chips with shredded chicken, black beans, and melted Monterey Jack cheese. Serve with this easy guacamole and sour cream.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Mira Evnine49/57
Frozen Chocolate-Covered Bananas
A little bit of patience and a few ingredients are all you need to make this sweet and easy snack. Dip frozen bananas into melted chocolate chips, then sprinkle with chopped pecans or sprinkles.
- Photo by Matt Russell50/57
Halloumi and Mint Muffins
These muffins are a fantastic picnic food, delicious eaten alongside a soup or a stew, or make a very tasty addition to a brunch table. They're also highly snackable on their own—set yourself up for success by making a batch at the beginning of the week.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Lillian Chou51/57
Mala Fried Peanuts
These peanuts are crunchy, spicy, and a little bit tingly.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog52/57
Homemade Cheese Spread With Garlic and Herbs
Combine cream cheese, butter, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor to make this easy homemade version of the flavored, spreadable Gournay cheese from France.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone53/57
No-Bake Energy Bites with Oats and Dried Cherries
These little bites are filled with oats, coconut, and nut butter, and come together in just one bowl. Keep them on hand for a healthy anytime pick-me-up. Want to take them over to the dessert side of things? Use chocolate chips instead of the dried fruit.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova54/57
Trail Mix Cookies
These cookies are inspired by the most trusted human energy source: trail mix. Each bite is crammed with toasted nuts, dried fruit, hearty oats, and chocolate chips. Keep a batch in your kitchen to stave off sudden hunger pangs.
- Photo by Colin Price55/57
Blueberry Muffin Smoothie
For a quick smoothie that mimics the flavor of a blueberry muffin, blitz together fresh or frozen blueberries with a banana, some Greek yogurt, oats, and your milk of choice.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Erika Joyce56/57
Easy Hummus With Canned Chickpeas
A simple trick gets silky-smooth results from canned chickpeas—no rinsing or overnight soaking required.
- Photo by Alex Lau57/57
Cacio e Pepe Chips
Cacio e pepe works on so many things, and this potato chip recipe is one of our easiest snack ideas. All you have to do is fill a bowl with potato chips, grate some Pecorino, and season with coarsely ground black pepper.


Kendra Vaculin

Emily Johnson


Emily Johnson