This Post: 25 Summer Snacks Teens Can Make Themselves
Co-Written By: Marybeth Bock & Nancy Reynolds
It’s summer… which means our teens are home rummaging through the pantry and fridge for snacks, complaining there’s nothin’ to eat, and begging us to either buy them food or make them “somethin’ good to eat.”
Sounds familiar, right?
If your kids are anything like mine, they’re always hungry, and keeping up with their constant hunger pangs can be downright exhausting. That’s why I’m encouraging my kids to fix their own snacks. Sure, I’ll still whip up their favorites occasionally, (cooking for my kids is one of my love languages), but I don’t have the energy to keep up with their constant food demands.
To make things easy for my kids, I created a list of easy, go-to snacks they can make themselves. Every suggestion listed here is relatively quick to make and only requires a handful of ingredients. Most are so easy they don’t even need a recipe – they can just wing it!
25 Summer Snacks Teens Can Make Themselves
Here are 25 simple and tasty summer snacks teens can make themselves!
1. Smoothie Bowls
Don’t spend $12 on a pricey store version when your teen can blend frozen fruits like bananas, berries, acai, and pineapple chunks with yogurt or juice. Top with granola, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of honey and they’ll have a snack that’s healthy and delicious!
Visit By The Forkful for this Frozen Fruit Smoothie Bowl Recipe
2. Guacamole and Chips
What teen can resist a bowl of fresh guac and chips? Simply mash a couple of ripe avocados, and add in lime juice, garlic salt, onions, and diced tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips or veggie sticks. It’s that easy!
Visit Kylee Cooks for this Easy and Authentic Guacamole Recipe
3. Protein Balls
These protein balls are not only yummy, they’re packed with protein so they’ll give your teen energy! Mix oats, nut butter, honey, and add-ins like protein powder, mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, or coconut. Roll into balls and refrigerate for about an hour for a quick and healthy grab-and-go snack.
Visit Eating Bird Food Blog for an Easy and Delish Protein Ball Recipe
4. Homemade Popsicles
Blend fruits with juice or yogurt and pour into popsicle molds. Freeze until solid for a refreshing treat on a hot summer day. These are so good and refreshing that they’ll want to make a BIG batch of these!
Visit Tiny Blue House for these Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles and many more!
5. Quesadillas
The perfect quick and easy, on-the-go snack! Fill a tortilla with shredded cheese and other desired fillings (like leftover chicken, black beans, or veggies). Cook in a skillet until the cheese is melted, then cut into wedges. Top with salsa and sour cream.
Visit Eating on a Dime for this Easy Cheese Quesadilla Recipe
6. Fruit Kabobs
This is a great way to get your teen to eat more fruit – it’s just so refreshing and tempting. Skewer pieces of cut-up fresh fruit like pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, and grapes. For an added treat, your teen can dip them in yogurt or chocolate sauce. Image compliments of The Carefree Kitchen.
7. Nachos
There’s nothing easier than spreading tortilla chips on a plate, sprinkling them with cheese, and microwaving until melted. Top with salsa, guacamole, scallions, or any other favorite toppings they might love!
Visit Take Two Tapas for this Taco Bell Copycat Nacho Recipe
8. Hummus and Veggies
Cut up carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and celery. Serve with a side of store-bought hummus for dipping – try hummus flavored with red peppers, cilantro, or pesto. So easy, healthy, and delicious!
Visit Keeping the Peas for Great Ideas on What to Eat with Hummus
9. Yogurt Parfaits
Layer yogurt with granola and fresh fruit in a glass or bowl. Add a drizzle of honey, a sprinkle of nuts, or some whipped cream for extra flavor. So yummy!
Visit Fill My Recipe Book for this Raspberry Granola Parfait and Other Recipes
10. Avocado Toast
Spread mashed avocado on whole-grain toast or a bagel. Top with salt, pepper, and optional extras like cherry tomatoes, radish slices, feta cheese, or a poached or scrambled egg. It makes a hearty and delicious snack for any hungry teen!
Visit The Forked Spoon for this Easy and Scrumptious Avocado Toast Recipe
11. Microwave Mug Cakes
Just a few simple ingredients are all it takes to whip up a delicious dessert in the microwave!
Visit Will Cook for Smiles to find this Salted Caramel Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe
12. Pizza Bagels
Spread tomato sauce on mini bagels, sprinkle with cheese and favorite toppings (like pepperoni, bell peppers, or mushrooms), and bake until the cheese is melted.
Visit Mess for Less to get this 4-ingredient Bagel Pizza Recipe
13. Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites – SO Good!
Slice a banana and spread peanut butter between slices to make mini sandwiches. Dip in chocolate and freeze for a crazy good snack your teen will love!
Visit It’s Always Autumn for this irresistible Chocolate Banana Bites
14. Turkey & Cheese Pinwheel Sandwiches
Slices of turkey, cheese, cream cheese, and lettuce layered on a flour tortilla – and whatever add-ons suit their taste buds make for a scrumptious and filling snack – perfect for hungry teenagers!
Visit Blues Best Life for this easy Turkey & Cheese Pinwheel Sandwich Recipe
15. Overnight Oats
Mix oats with milk or yogurt and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning (or afternoon if you’re a teen on summer break), add fruit, nuts, or sweeteners for a ready-to-eat breakfast.
Visit the Feel Good Foodie blog for Overnight Oats Recipes
16. Healthy Apple Nachos
Slice apples thinly and arrange on a plate. Drizzle with peanut butter, chocolate, or caramel sauce, and sprinkle with chocolate chips, nuts, or granola. Seriously good!
Visit Simple Veganista for this Easy & Healthy Apple Nachos Recipe
17. Healthy Chocolate-Covered Bananas
Bananas are SO good for our kids! They’re filled with fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. And, they make a great snack! Just dip in chocolate, sprinkle on their favorite toppings, and freeze!
Visit One Lovely Life to find this Healthy Chocolate-Covered Banana Recipe
18. Creamy Strawberry Banana Salad (117K Shares on Pinterest!)
Made with Instant Banana Cream Pudding Mix, vanilla yogurt, strawberries, and bananas, this is one recipe your teen will absolutely devour. With more than 117K shares on Pinterest, don’t take our word for it! It’s just THAT good!
Visit Cincy Shopper for the Easy Strawberry Banana Salad Recipe
19. Ranch Snack Mix
This snack idea is great for any hungry teen AND their friends! It’s easy to make, too! In fact, you may have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. You can use any crackers, but some of our favorites include oyster crackers, Cheez-Its, pretzels, and goldfish. Mix and coat with vegetable oil and a packet of dry Ranch dressing.
Visit Seeded at the Table for the Ranch Snack Mix Recipe
20. 3-Ingredient Frozen Yogurt Bites
These are the easiest and most customizable treats! Gather up a few yogurt flavors, dice up some berries, and mix them together. Fill lined muffin tins with the mixture, add some granola, and freeze. The best part is these bites will last for 2 months in your freezer, so your teen can make a big batch to enjoy all summer long!
Visit The Beaming Baker to get the Frozen Yogurt Bites Recipe
21. Cheesy (and Easy) Italian Slider Sandwiches
Gooey, cheesy, and toasted to a golden brown in the oven, these easy Italian Slider Sandwiches make a hearty snack for any teen. (Hint: if you don’t feel like making a big batch and you want to speed things up a bit, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls work great – just pop them in the microwave!)
Visit The Salty Pot for this Cheesy Italian Slider Sandwich Recipe
22. No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
If your teen is craving some chocolately, peanutty goodness, these No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars come together in no time with only six ingredients. The only thing easier than making them is eating them!
Visit the Sugar Apron for this No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bar Recipe
23. 3-Ingredient Everything Bagel Celery
With almost 17,000 shares on Pinterest, this recipe is definitely one your teen should try! And, it’s so easy! Just three ingredients!
Visit Beyer Beware for this Everything Bagel Celery Recipe
24. Easy Mac n’ Cheese
Is there a teenager who doesn’t love Mac n’ Cheese? This recipe is pretty easy with only a handful of ingredients and it tastes much better than boxed!
Visit Mama Loves Food for this Easy Stovetop Mac n’ Cheese Recipe
25. Better Than Starbucks Egg Bites
The perfect snack for breakfast, lunch, or when they’re on the go, these egg bites are full of flavor and hearty enough for a teen appetite!
Visit Simplistically Living for this Better Than Starbucks Egg Bites Recipe
Marybeth Bock, MPH, is a Mom to two young adults and one delightful hound dog. She has logged time as a military spouse, childbirth educator, college instructor, and freelance writer. She lives in Arizona and thoroughly enjoys research and writing – as long as iced coffee is involved. Her work can be found on numerous websites and in two books. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.