Summer

31 Picnic Desserts for Your Next Outdoor Feast

These homemade sweets are a reason to linger in the great outdoors.

June 14, 2023

Photo of a mixed berry pie bar recipe cut into several small servings.

When we think about planning picnic food, we’re often focused on the main event and sides, but picnic desserts have a way of overshadowing all the other elements of any outdoor meal. Let’s be honest: Even your best potato salad has trouble competing with a homemade cake studded with berries or the surprise appearance of a container of salted-butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Below, you’ll find our go-to desserts for a picnic, including handheld pie bars, sheet-pan brownie thins, cupcakes, and whoopie pies. Check the weather, grab your picnic blanket, and call some friends to join you.

Photo by Max Milla
1/31
Butter Toffee Bars
Bar cookies like these brickle bars make great picnic desserts—they’re handheld, easy to transport, and guaranteed to disappear before it’s time to lug your picnic basket home. This simple recipe from Nick DiGiovanni’s new book, Knife Drop, works well with Heath toffee bits.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
2/31
Salted-Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Epicurious editor Emily Johnson messed with a family classic when fine-tuning this cookie recipe. The result has a deeply nutty caramel flavor that we love.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
3/31
7UP Cake
Does fizzy soda really make a difference in this classic Southern cake? We did some tests to find out.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
4/31
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Invited to a last-minute picnic and not sure what to bring for dessert? These easy cookies are the answer.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
5/31
Hello Dollies
Salty Ritz crackers add balance to this sweet mix of nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, and sweetened condensed milk.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell
6/31
Blackberry Pie With Lattice Crust
Juicy blackberries simply make the best summer pie around.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark
7/31
Berry Cream Cheese Cake
This quick and easy cake has cheesecake vibes without the fuss. (Or the water bath.)
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
8/31
Bibingkang Cassava
In this Filipino cake, grated cassava soaks up the rich coconut milk, and lends a sweet, nutty flavor and a sticky, chewy texture.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food styling by Micah Marie Morton
9/31
Easy Coffee Cake
A picnic brunch is not complete without this quick and easy coffee cake, which leans on melted butter for richness.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
10/31
Mixed Berry Pie Bars
Skip the forks and devour this handheld version of pie instead.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
11/31
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Juicy strawberries crown the top of this simple strawberry snacking cake.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
12/31
Sesame Chocolate Rye Breakfast Cookies
These nutty rye flour cookies are packed with sesame seeds, pecans, orange pieces, poppy seeds, and chocolate. They’ll power you through a post-picnic afternoon stroll.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
13/31
Sheet-Pan Brownie Thins
These chewy brownies can be made five days ahead of your outdoor soiree.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
14/31
Blueberry Muffin Cake
Grab some local blueberries and make this summery cake with minimal prep time and zero fuss.
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