Hot summer days call for cool, refreshing treats to munch on wherever you may be—on the beach, in your Topsail beach rental, or on the go. Today we’ve rounded up some of the easiest and tastiest foods to munch on this summer whether you’re at home or on vacation. These recipes are sure to please and there’s something for everyone and every palate. Best of all, they can all be made right in your Topsail vacation rental kitchen. Here are our favorite cool summer snacks and the recipes you need to make them.

Cool Homemade Dips

Skip the store-bought dips and opt for a more delicious—and more healthy— version of your favorites. These yummy dips are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients that are filling while being kind to your waistline.

Serve them with raw veggie sticks (carrot, celery and even broccoli and cauliflower all work well), or cut up a wholemeal tortilla/slice of flatbread into ‘chips’ and lightly toast under the broiler for 5 minutes for a healthy alternative to the potato and corn variety.

Take a peek at these 7 delicious low fat dips and whip up a few this summer.

Cool Cucumber Slice Sandwiches

There’s nothing like the crisp coolness of a fresh cucumber. And summertime always offers up an abundance of these tasty, healthy snacks whether you have them in your own garden, buy them at the local farmers’ market, or pick some up at the grocery store.

So how about a cool, crisp cucumber sandwich?

Who needs bread when you can use slices of cuke. Brilliant, really. These snack-sized sandwiches can be filled with your favorite lunch meat and cheese and are sure to be a family favorite. Just remember that if you plan to make these little darlings ahead of time, to keep all of the elements separate until you’re ready to eat them so they don’t get soggy. The crunch is very necessary!

Personal Veggie & Dip Cups

Veggies and dip are nothing new, but novelty is the key ingredient here. Instead of a huge platter of raw vegetables with a community bowl of dip, try something a little different—personalized veggie and dip cups.

Kid-friendly crudite means that your family will be getting their fill of fresh vegetables without the fuss. Choose their favorite dip and a few of their most loved veggies (and sneak in a few new or unfamiliar ones) and put it all in a small, single-serving size cup. You can be fancy and choose glass or keep it simple and choose to use disposable ones (which is obviously the best choice for a beach snack).

You just might be amazed at how much your kids eat all thanks to the novelty of how it’s presented to them. Parenting win!

Pioneer Woman’s Frozen Fruit Cups

The Pioneer Woman never steers you wrong! So it’s not surprise that her take on fruit cups is an absolute crowd pleaser. Everyone loves fruit cups anyway, but go ahead and take them up to another level of coolness (literally and figuratively) by serving them frozen.

They make a perfectly cool snack, a healthy summertime dessert, and even a refreshing breakfast alternative that is boldly colorful and wildly fun to eat.

Frozen Fruit

You know what they say: the simplest things are often the best things in life. This simple snack is cold, crunchy, satisfying and healthy. All you really need is fruit and a freezer, so it doesn’t get much easier than that.  The fruit lasts longer this way, too, and makes a quick, portable snack for your beach days or any day you’re on the go.

The technique is pretty straightforward.

• If you’re using grapes, just pull them off the vine. If you’re using watermelon, pineapple or any other larger sized fruit, cut them into bite sized pieces. If you’re using berries, well, you don’t have to do much of anything other than rinse them.
• Pop them in a zip-top bag with enough space so the fruit can lay in a single layer.
• Throw the bag in the freezer, flattening it out so the fruit doesn’t stick to each other in a clump.
• Freeze for 2 hours, or more.

You’re welcome! We were reminded of how simply delicious and totally refreshing frozen fruit can be from this Frozen Grapes snack idea.

Minty Cucumber Water

It’s summertime so that means you should be drinking a lot of water anyway to stay hydrated on these hot, sunny beach days. Instead of plain old water, though, we recommend that you flavor it up a bit and make it even more refreshing—and much more flavorful.

Minty Cucumber Water is just what you need to keep cool and hydrated all summer long. Finely slice a small cucumber and add to a large jug of iced water or sparkling water. Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped mint leaves. The delicate flavor of cucumber seeps in, offering a refreshing alternative to plain water.

Frozen Yogurt Drops

Maybe you’re old enough to remember those candy dots that came on sheets of wax paper, or maybe you’re not. Either way, these yogurt drops are reminiscent of that classic favorite, but happen to be a lot healthier. They definitely make for a fun beach vacation snack.

The kids are going to love eating these—and can help you make them, too.

Yogurt and Granola Trifle

Is it a breakfast or is it a dessert? We’ll leave it up to you to decide! It can go either way in our opinion, and it also makes a perfectly acceptable after-beach snack to help you cool down after a hot day on the sand.

In a small trifle bowl (that’s recommended, but you can even do it in individual servings if you prefer) layer the fruit, granola and yogurt in two layers, starting with the fruit on the bottom then granola followed by yogurt. Chill for fifteen minutes or up to a few hours, and then serve.

You can make your own granola pretty easily or just buy some readymade for convenience. Either way, you’ll want to try this Yogurt and Granola Trifle Recipe this summer.

Frozen Candy Bars

Sure you’ve eaten candy bars. Who hasn’t? But have you ever tried a frozen candy bar? Well, you should. It’s a satisfying summer treat that only requires you to buy your favorite candy bar and put it in the freezer. The result is a cold, crunchy snack that is a nice juxtaposition to the usual chewy satisfaction of a room-temperature candy bar.

So go ahead and try it and see how you like it. If you’re interested, there are opinions on which candy bars are better eaten frozen.

No-Bake Cookie Dough Pops

Cookie dough on a stick? Oh yeah! We’re in! You also had us at “no bake”.

These cookie dough pops are a fun and tasty no-bake summer snack. They’re perfect for a vacation treat, for parties and other special occasions—and they make a fabulous addition to kids’ lunch boxes. The cookie dough is made with no eggs, so it’s perfectly safe to eat.

The pictured cookie dough pops above were coated with milk chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter candy melt coatings. Use your favorite coating flavors and colors, or use almond bark. Decorate the pops with sprinkles, more mini chocolate chips, finely chopped nuts, or colored sugars. The options are endless, really.

The additional non-food items you’ll need are pretty minimal:

• 18 to 20 lollipop sticks
• 1 square or round piece of styrofoam (for drying the lollipops)

Frozen Lemonade Pie

What’s better than summertime lemonade? Frozen lemonade pie, of course.

This simple summertime lemonade pie is made with a 3-ingredient filling (yes, only three!) and a graham cracker crust. This version is made with sweetened condensed milk, but you can also make it with ice cream.

All you need to do is beat together the lemonade and condensed milk, fold in whipped topping, spread the mixture in the graham cracker pie crust, then cover and freeze. Take the pie out of the freezer about 15 minutes before serving time and you’re good to go. Super yum!

You can find the Refreshing Frozen Lemonade Pie Recipe here.

So, who’s hungry? And what are you making first? We hope you enjoy these cool treats! Let us know your favorite.