29 No-Cook Summer Appetizers
Because not using the oven is the *most* appetizing thing of all.
In the summer, we really, truly cannot even with our ovens. So we just simply don't! And you shouldn't either! These warm weather dips, bite-sized apps, and even some last-minute favorites will keep you feeling cool, just requiring you to mix, assemble, and snack on. As you'll find out, when it comes to these 29 clever recipes for no-cook summer appetizers, the most appetizing thing of all is not cooking at all!
We're no stranger to the beauty of a well-made dip. They often just need a bit of mixing, chopping, and assembling those all-important dipping vehicles. Our guacamole, hummus, and cowboy caviar recipes are our tried-and-true MVPS, but if you want to shake things up, we've also got some new classics we're sure you'll love, like mango salsa and Greek feta dip.
Summer brings plenty of produce that just needs a bit of simple prep to become app ready too. Our recipe for bruschetta is the ultimate way to celebrate all those tomatoes from your overgrown plant, California cucumber sushi bites are that perfect mix of light yet hearty, and ditto for our melon prosciutto bites. We even have more than a few ways to serve up some savory watermelon apps to really help you keep your cool, like watermelon pizza and prosciutto-wrapped watermelon.
Want more tips on how to stay chill all summer long? Check out our favorite frozen cocktails, ice cream cakes, no-bake desserts, and no-cook dinners next!
Avocado Salsa
Creamy, just-ripe avocados are tossed with chopped tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, sweet corn, and tons of chopped fresh cilantro to create this refreshing hybrid dip. Now you’ll never have to decide between salsa and guac ever again!
Get the Avocado Salsa recipe.
Bruschetta
Nothing screams summer quite like bruschetta. We know it may sound skippable, but rubbing the toasted bread with garlic will help impart TONS of flavor into your tiny toasts, so we highly recommend it. Top them with simply marinated tomatoes for the ultimate summer snack.
Get the Bruschetta recipe.
Pinwheel Sandwiches
These pinwheels are easy to assemble, look great on a platter, and are ideal for a summer party. To make them, you'll layer flour tortillas with ranch-flavored mayonnaise, sliced cheese, deli meats, and lettuce. All that's left to do is roll them up tightly and slice. See, simple!
Get the Pinwheel Sandwiches recipe.
Antipasto Bites
Fresh tortellini make these the hearty bite-size appetizer of our dreams. Feel free to swap in and out your favorite ingredients (these are a great way to serve leftover food odds and ends too!).
Get the Antipasto Bites recipe.
Pineapple Cheese Ball
This classic cheese ball is a timeless blast from the past: creamy and crunchy, sweet and tart, nutty and savory—this appetizer's got it all, and it's the ultimate no-cook app.
Get the Pineapple Cheese Ball recipe.
Reuben Pickle Bites
Here at Delish, we’re all about a good reuben sandwich. Creamy dressing, corned beef, Swiss cheese… what’s not to love? Pair all those delicious ingredients between pickle chips for the perfect bite-size appetizer (and they come together SO fast).
Get the Reuben Pickle Bites recipe.
California Sushi Bites
This crunchy cucumber snack is inspired by a popular (but not traditional Japanese) type of sushi popular in the states, California maki. Besides the obvious fact that this recipe is in no way shape or form sushi, it takes many liberties with mayo, sriracha, green onions, and even lemon juice (to keep the avo nice and bright). Got furikake? It'd be delicious sprinkled on top as the final garnish.
Get the California Sushi Bites recipe.
Best-Ever Guacamole
Everyone has opinions about Mexico's most famous avocado-based dip: guacamole. Some, like us, keep it simple. We prefer to let the flavor of our avos shine. Others like to go crazy on the mix-ins: spices, tomatoes, garlic, etc. If that's your thing, this guacamole is the perfect jumping-off point. Add whatever you like!
Get the Best-Ever Guacamole recipe.
Best-Ever Veggie Dip
Give your crowd something to snack on while leaving room for the main spread. Some veggie dips can be a bit, well... boring... but not this guy. We added plenty of savory spices and bright lemon to this creamy dip, making it a perfect pairing for a variety of veggies and cubed bread.
Get the Best-Ever Veggie Dip recipe.
Salmon Ceviche
For this rather unorthodox ceviche, we borrowed techniques and ingredients from all over the world, from Japan to Mexico. Because we know high-quality white fish commonly used in ceviches can be hard to find in the states, we went with something that wasn't: salmon. But not traditional doesn't mean it's not delicious! If you've eaten salmon raw before, you know it's insanely smooth and decadent. If you do your research (or chat with your fishmonger) to find a high-quality salmon, you will be rewarded with some seriously delicious ceviche that marinates (and citrus-cures) in a beautiful leche de tigre mixture. We say: worth it!
Get the Salmon Ceviche recipe.
Melon Prosciutto Skewers
If you haven't experienced the flavor combo of prosciutto + melon, get on it STAT. It's the ultimate in sweet and salty.
Get the Melon Prosciutto Skewers recipe.
Pimento Cheese
If you love party dips like Buffalo chicken or spinach artichoke, you’ll LOVE pimento cheese. Affectionately known as the “caviar of the South,” pimento cheese has been a Southern party staple since the early 1900s. This soft, creamy spread loaded with shredded cheddar cheese and spiked with diced pimento peppers and hot sauce can be served hot or cold (so make it ahead of time!).
Get the Pimento Cheese recipe.
Cowboy Caviar
Brimming with beans, avocado, and tons of veggies, the only thing missing is a big pitcher of frozen margaritas. 😎 Yeehaw!
Get the Cowboy Caviar recipe.
Avocado Hummus
Only got room for one dip on your Super Bowl spread? Now you don't have to choose favorites—this dip is the best of hummus and guacamole combined.
Get the Avocado Hummus recipe.
Watermelon Pizza
This is essentially a deconstructed watermelon and feta salad. Slice the biggest round of watermelon you can, top with crumbled feta, red onion slices, torn basil, and balsamic. Slice into pizza-like triangles, and then Instagram a picture.
Get the Watermelon Pizza recipe.
Creamy Garlic Hummus
Hummus is a Middle Eastern dish made of chickpeas and tahini. We love adding plenty of garlic or roasted red peppers and other spices (like everything bagel seasoning) for added flavor. Carrots and cucumber spears make a crisp, refreshing snack, especially when you pair them with a dip that can withstand the heat, like hummus.
Get the Creamy Garlic Hummus recipe.
Shrimp Ceviche
If you’ve never made ceviche before, it’s not difficult. Our top tip is to make sure that you’re starting out with really good shrimp; since the dish is so simple, the quality of shrimp you use will have a really big impact on how tasty the finished dish is. Also, if you’re concerned about the whole raw seafood thing, don’t be! We’ve provided two different ways to prepare the shrimp—poaching and the traditional method of solely curing it in citrus—so you can pick the preparation that’s most comfortable for you.
Get the Shrimp Ceviche recipe.
Whipped Ricotta Toast
This light, fluffy whipped ricotta is as close as you can get to eating a cloud. It's delicious spread or piped onto toast, but there's lots more it can do: Spoon it onto a serving plate and top with marinated vegetables, or add it as a creamy base to your bruschetta.
Get the Whipped Ricotta Toast recipe.
Mango Salsa
This salsa has the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and salty. Served with homemade tortilla chips, it makes for a ridiculously addictive snack.
Get the Mango Salsa recipe.
Ssamjang: Korean Barbecue Sauce
Arrange a smorgasbord of all the crunchy veggies you can get your hands on, because we know a spicy-funky-salty-sweet-creamy-crunchy dip that will keep you coming back for more. It’s called ssamjang—technically not a dip but a jang (or paste) that Koreans dollop in ssam (a wrap), specifically rice and grilled meat wrapped in crisp greens. This slightly chunky version is sweetened with agave syrup and tiny bites of apple to make it infinitely dippable.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine and if wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.