Easy Picnic Finger Food & Appetizer Ideas

Sweet, salty and creamy. Delightfully portable savoury snacks on a stick make a gorgeous summer picnic appetiser or addition to a wine and cheese picnic spread.

The deviled egg is an old picnic finger food favourite, but it doesn't mean it can't evolve with the times. These beautiful deviled eggs will sass up your picnic spread to a whole new level of sophistication.

Easier to make than you think, these deviled eggs are made with creamy Boursin cheese and topped with mustard caviar and edible pansies for an exquisite picnic appetiser.

Simple and delicious, a perfectly portable picnic lunch or easy picnic appetiser. These Poblano and Black Bean Quesadillas are simple to make, packed with flavour and can be made ahead of time. Serve hot or cold, they make a great finger food addition to a Mexican themed picnic.

Light and breezy summer picnic food, these watermelon skewers with feta and mint pesto dressing are a quick and easy appetiser or snack for your next alfresco gathering.

A satisfying, colorful and versatile snack loaded with veggies served with delicious peanut ginger and garlic dipping sauce. Fresh Summer Rolls make wonderful mess-free portable finger food. They're also healthy and delicious.

A great dish for a picnic brunch, this hash brown recipe is a perfect appetizer beyond breakfast. Make them cracker size and serve with your favourite sauces. Or, for a pretty bit size starter, top them with whipped feta or cream cheese and sprinkle with chives, crispy prosciutto pieces or chilli flakes for some extra kick.

Scotch Eggs are a quintessentially British finger food enjoyed in pubs and at picnics. Commonly served cold, these bundles of crisp, savory sausage encasing creamy soft-boiled eggs are a wonderfully substantial picnic snack. Serve them on their own or pair them with a hot mustard or sweet chutney.

Sweet or savoury, any slice makes a great picnic companion. You can make them ahead of time, they transport well and are easy to manage in any alfresco situation. This creamy nod to the quiche is loaded with healthy zucchini for a flavourful and portable picnic treat.

Stuffed mushrooms make delightful bite-size appetisers for a picnic. Serve them hot or cold; these stuffed mushrooms with parmesan and spinach make a great addition to an elegant hors d'oeuvre style picnic spread, an accompaniment to a wine and cheese picnic or even as part of a mezze style picnic platter. Whichever style you choose, no cutlery is required.

Devils on Horseback are a classic appetiser that takes me back to my parent's dinner parties in the '70s. While they may be an old school classic, sweet and salty never goes out of style, especially when served bite-sized on a stick. Another contender for the wine and cheese style picnic, serve this classic hot or cold. Get all the tips on keeping food warm for a picnic here.

Dips are a no brainer when it comes to finger food, and we have a fantastic array of dips for all tastes and occasions. However, I think this warm broccoli cheese dip is a standout on the dip scene. Serve it dip style with an assortment of bread, crackers or veggie sticks. Or, top it on some bruschetta slices for some easy single-serve picnic appetisers.

Wedges dunked in olive oil and salt flakes or served in squares topped with dollops of your favourite dip. Rustic chunks on a platter with roasted vegetables and whipped feta, there are so many great finger food ideas for focaccia. And when it's low carb, you can have your bread and it too.

Another warm dip that is so versatile is this vegetarian take on the classic Buffalo Dip. Cauliflower Buffalo Dip is an excellent appetiser for cool weather picnics and tailgates. Or, like our warm broccoli dip above, turn it into a bite-sized appetiser. Simply top bite-size bruschettas with some cauliflower dip and sprinkle with a garnish for a classy finger food picnic item.

Mushrooms, lentils and pine nuts come together for a robust, aromatic and healthy pate. Perfect for topping on crackers. You can also use it to spread sandwiches and wraps—a great addition to a vegan picnic menu.

A simple yet elegant picnic appetizer, the crostini is always a winner. This recipe brings a breath of fresh air to the usual crostini toppers with fresh basil, mozzarella and zesty lemon. Make your crostini, pre-mix your topping in advance, and assemble alfresco for a bright and cheery picnic snack.

Forget meatballs or even falafel, these Greek-inspired veggie balls with a fresh tahini dipping sauce are the picnic inspiration you are looking for. Serve them hot or cold as a stand-alone appetizer or as part of a mezze platter.

This easy whipped feta recipe forms the basis for so many wonderful finger food recipes. Serve it as a dip with the garnish of your choice for a subtle flavour boost - anything from honey to chilli flakes, herbs, lemon zest or nuts.

Whipped feta also makes a beautiful bruschetta - lather it on bruschetta toasts and top with slow-roasted tomatoes, roast pepper or whatever takes your fancy. You can also serve it as a dipper for fruit like watermelon or figs.

For some more Mediterranean inspired picnic finger food ideas, look no further than crispy ricotta, olive and sun-dried tomato filo parcels. They are easy to make, are great hot or cold, and so full of flavour.

Hand pies are up there with sandwiches in the realm of portable foods. Take a tuna turnover and jazz it up with hints of citrus, dill and walnuts for a delicious picnic snack. Make large individual sizes or smaller pies for an appetiser size. Delicious hot or cold.

Crispy potato and vegetable croquettes are the perfect finger food for a picnic. So easy to make, serve them with an assortment of dipping sauces or add them to a mezze plate for a very versatile picnic finger food idea.

Tip: They also make a great salad topper or served with salad in a wrap.

Pinwheels (and anything served on a toothpick) is the picnic finger food of champions. This Pesto Turkey Pinwheel with Smoked Provolone recipe is loaded with fresh ingredients and easy to prep in advance.

When we think of picnic appetisers and finger food, we sometimes forget snacks. Don't automatically reach for fat ladened snacks like chips and pretzels. These super crunchy and savory roasted lentils make a great snack high in protein, gluten-free but with the same satisfying crunchy saltiness of lesser store-bought snacks.

Sheet tarts are fabulous picnic food because they can be a little bit fancy with minimal effort and can be divided up into individual serve meals or into smaller, bite-size slices for a picnic-perfect appetiser.

Mix your toppings as you like, but we have gone for sweet and salty with a mix of pear and blue cheese for this tart. Place small squares on a wine and cheese platter for the perfect pairing with red wine.

A very satisfying mix of doughy pretzels and salty sprinkles, these soft pretzel bites make a great snack or starter, especially when combined with a favourite dipping sauce. This recipe gives you the know-how for a tasty sriracha dip and pesto dip to get you on your way.

Flaky puff pastry, cheese and onion pasties are a thing of beauty in the comfort food stakes. I love it when you only need a few ingredients to make something so delicious. Make them any size you like to suit your picnic style.

I love mini frittatas for a picnic because you can rustle them up last minute, there are so many variations and they are delicious hot or cold. This mini frittata recipe has the sweet and salty going on with sweet roasted pumpkin paired with fetta—a great finger food recipe for fall picnics and tailgates.

Sweet little peppers stuffed with delicious fillings and melted cheese. The beauty of this finger food recipe, other than bacon and cheese, is it has so many possible variations. What can go wrong?

Tip: Whatever your filling choice, sprinkle panko on top before baking for extra crunch.

Looking for an elegant appetiser, look no further than pears with blue cheese, walnuts and figs. It's that simple yet incredibly delicious. The kind of appetiser that begs for a glass of red wine.

We used grilled pear slices here but fresh and crispy are just as good—easy finger food to prepare at your picnic, bring your ingredients and build in situ.

We said it before, anything on a stick is a picnic winner, especially when it's a salad on a stick. Taking salad and making it finger food is a stroke of picnic genius, I'm sure you'll agree. Serve with a side bowl of dip or dressing.

The Caprese salad is one of the most versatile salads around. I've seen it done in sandwiches, on plates and in bowls, but why not a bite-size version on a toothpick. Yes, please.

Salty prosciutto, sweet figs, creamy goat cheese and some added crunch with fresh arugula leaves – it's the elegant simplicity of this picnic appetiser we love. Serve it as an appetiser or as part of a larger finger food platter; you can make these prosciutto rolls well in advance for a simple yet elegant picnic statement.

Rice paper rolls are always a great picnic finger food option, especially as a starter to an Asian themed picnic. Take your fresh summer rolls up a notch with a smoked duck filling and a hoisin dipping sauce for a sophisticated spin.

These tasty little burger bites are perfect for feeding a picnic crowd or even for a kids picnic. It's like appetiser meatballs meet cheeseburgers. Serve with assorted sauces and mustards on the side for dipping.

Super flaky and crunchy phyllo pastry layers filled with spinach and feta folded into a delicious bite-size triangle. These Greek Spanakopita Triangles make a great vegetarian appetiser or picnic finger food hot or cold.

Only a few simple ingredients make these tasty and easy pinwheels. Make them in advance and bake just before leaving for a hot version or serve cold; they're equally delicious either way.

Feel free to switch up filling as well; this is one of those great appetiser recipes where there are no hard and fast rules, just a great idea.