Vegan picnic ideas: 40+ easy recipes for the perfect picnic

With handheld mains, hearty salads, dips, snacks, and desserts, the only thing left to bring is a picnic basket, blanket, and a bottle of peach rooibos iced tea to wash it all down.

In this post:

This colorful vegetable sandwich is slathered with jalapeño cashew cheese and layered with fresh, crunchy vegetables.

You get a mixture of satiating fat and protein from the cashew spread, while the veggies feel light and refreshing in warm weather.

Vegan chicken salad is brimming with seitan, celery, onions, pickles, and seasonings in an eggless mayo spread.

Serve it on bread or buns for a sandwich, or enjoy a dollop alongside a salad for an extra bump of protein. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare.

Inspired by the flavors of spring rolls, cool and crisp tortilla wraps are packed with lime tofu, green leaf lettuce, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, and cilantro.

Serve with peanut sauce for dipping, or pour it onto the filling just before eating.

If you like a spicy kick, you’ll love tortilla pinwheels filled with buffalo hummus, crisp romaine, shredded carrot, and chives.

They’re great on their own as a finger food, or serve with vegan blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch dressing for dipping. 

Vegan tuna salad sandwiches are the ultimate vegan picnic food. Made with chickpeas, celery, dill pickles, vegan mayo, mustard, and seasonings, this no cook recipe is ready in about 10 minutes.

Another no cook recipe, vegan egg salad is a breeze to prepare.

Made with super firm tofu, onion, vegan mayo, and seasonings, it’s great on a sandwich for a plant-based take on egg salad.

It can also be piled on crackers, rolled into tortillas, spread on bagels, or wedged into romaine lettuce leaves.

Curried tofu salad has full-bodied flavor and plenty of crunch from celery, carrots, and nuts.

This protein-packed option can be served on its own or tucked inside sandwiches and wraps.

If you want something a little different, carrot lox is a fun addition to your picnic lineup.

Pack it up with sliced bagels, vegan cream cheese, capers, and fresh dill for an elegant, brunch appropriate picnic option.

Pack your picnic basket with hearty bagel sandwiches slathered with hummus, and loaded with crunchy veggies.

It's a filling option that’s fresh and not overly heavy in warm weather.

Full of creaminess, tang, and crunch, double hummus wraps bring big flavor to your vegan picnic spread.

With two kinds of hummus, rice, veggies, and pickled turnips, they’re a complete meal in a portable wrap.

Vegan frittata is wonderful for a picnic, because while it’s usually served hot, it’s also great cold and at room temperature. It’s especially nice for a breakfast or brunch picnic.

Made with a tofu base, it offers satiating protein and flecks of delicious veggies and vegan sausage.

Baked tofu with lemon and rosemary is full of tangy, herbaceous flavors. It’s a terrific protein-packed option for a picnic, because it’s just as tasty cold as it is hot.

In addition to enjoying it on its own, you can also tuck it inside of sandwiches and wraps. Or chop it up, and add it to salads.

Cold or room temperature vegan meatloaf is a popular picnic option. This hearty and savory main course can be served cold or at room temperature.

Cut slices from a whole loaf, or make meatloaf muffins (shown above) for easy packing. (I share both methods in the recipe.)

Vegan meatloaf slices are also terrific on sandwiches!

There’s just something about picnics and vegan fried chicken (hot or cold) that goes together like a dream.

This fried seitan has a crispy coating, and it’s served on a stick. So kitschy and fun!

Vegan pickle rollups are easy to prepare and pack for noshing. Made with just 3 ingredients, they tick all the pleasure sensors for creamy, crunchy, and smoky.

Enjoy them as a filling snack, appetizer, or light lunch alongside a salad.

Pack homemade vegan feta cheese for slathering on crackers, crumbling onto salads, or adding to wraps. This almond-based cheese is wonderfully nutty, smooth, and creamy.

Sweet and spicy watermelon salsa is a delicious celebration of summer. Juicy watermelon is so hydrating, while jalapenos & Tajin add a zing of heat.

Just throw a bag of tortilla chips into your tote for dunking.

When peaches are in season, you can make the most of them with this fruity salsa. Juicy peaches and black beans come together in this sweet and savory peach salsa. Serve with crunchy tortilla chips for dipping.

Pineapple salsa is a fresh and sweet addition to summer gatherings.

It only takes 10 minutes to make. Plus, it's easy to adjust the recipe to fit your preferences! Serve with tortilla chips to scoop up every last bite.

For those of us with a salt tooth, crowd-pleasing pickle salsa is an excellent dip with tortilla chips. Also known as pickle de gallo, this crunchy salsa has loads of briny bite.

This Tex Mex-style black bean corn avocado salad is packed with satiating protein, fat, and fiber. It’s tossed in a light and zingy lime dressing.

It’s great as a side with a sandwich, or add tortilla chips and start scooping!

There's a reason bruschetta al pomodoro is a classic. Fresh basil, balsamic, and extra virgin olive oil make summer tomatoes sing in this bruschetta.

When preparing for your picnic, pack toasted crostini separately from the tomatoes, so that the bread doesn’t get too wet or soggy.

Potato chips are an obvious choice for picnics. Take yours up a notch with vegan dill pickle dip.

Made with a base of raw cashews, it’s endlessly creamy and speckled with fresh dill and crunchy pickles.

Bright pink beet hummus is as eye-catching as it is delicious. Pack lots of crunchy vegetables, toasted pita, and/or crackers for scooping.

Smoky baba ganoush can be made ahead in the air fryer or oven.

Then pop this creamy eggplant dip into a container along with dippers like flatbread, carrots, bell pepper wedges, and cucumber slices.

Olive lovers will adore this olive tapenade recipe. It’s wonderful spooned onto crackers or crusty bread.

Brimming with two kinds of olives, garlic, lemon juice, capers, and fresh thyme, it’s ready to go in the picnic basket in just 5 minutes.

Slices of watermelon are common at picnics, but what about the rind? Don’t throw it away. Bring along pickled watermelon rind for a crispy and salty alternative to your standard dill pickles.

Great alongside a sandwich or as a snack.

Pasta salads like this Israeli couscous salad are a dream in picnic baskets, because they only get better with time. Plus, it’s full of veggies that can stand up to being carted around.

It’s made with crunchy cucumber, tomatoes, grilled artichoke hearts, green onions, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. For an added protein boost, throw in some roasted chickpeas.

Vegan potato salad is a must for picnic season. This is my go-to recipe with plenty of diced pickle for garlicky crunch, dill, and onion in a creamy vegan mayo base. It pairs perfectly with a cold sandwich.

Vegan pasta salad is loaded with thinly sliced carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and chopped bell pepper. You get lots of veggies and hearty noodles in a flavorful creamy vegan mayo dressing. It can be a side dish or the main event.

Cold peanut noodle salad is a fun alternative to more mainstream pasta salads. Popping with the flavors of peanut butter, tamari, and rice vinegar, it’s filled with plenty of crisp, cool vegetables and a handful of nuts.

Enjoy it as a side dish for your vegan picnic, or add cubes of browned tofu for a main course.

If you love bold and briny flavors, add bowtie pasta salad to your picnic menu. It is filled with artichoke hearts, roasted chickpeas, tomatoes, and olives in an oil and vinegar dressing.

It’s finished with a handful of basil for a pop of summery pizzazz.

Vegan coleslaw is a picnic classic that goes over well in any group. This cool and crunchy side dish takes only minutes to make.

It can be enjoyed as a side dish, or use it as a topper on a vegan BBQ sandwich.

When strawberries are in season, I like to eat them any way that I can – including in a leafy green salad.

This spinach salad with strawberries is finished with a drizzling of balsamic vinaigrette dressing for a side that’s cool, fresh, and slightly sweet.

Another salad with fruit, green salad with oranges is full of fruity and nutty flavor. Topped with peanuts, it’s finished with a tangy peanut salad dressing.

I recommend bringing the dressing separately, and dressing the salads just before serving, so that the leafy greens don’t wilt.

When warm weather strikes, juicy and hydrating tomato cucumber salad is the perfect antidote. It’s tossed with a lemon vinagrette, and finished with creamy vegan feta cheese.

Spicy edamame with chili crisp and garlic is packed with flavor and delicious hot or cold. Plus, this protein-filled option takes only 5 minutes to make.

Although this sugar snap peas stir-fry is often served hot, it’s also wonderful right out of the fridge. Prepare it in just 10 minutes, then serve it cold at your vegan picnic.

Sesame kale works beautifully for picnics. Kale is often in abundance in warm weather months, and this sturdy green holds up well being packed up for a picnic lunch.

Finish your vegan picnic with something sweet – like nostalgia-inducing vegan peanut butter cookies. This one bowl recipe is simple to make ahead of time, and cookies are a good portable dessert.

Vegan banana bread cookies taste just like banana bread but with the convenient portability of being a handheld snack. Dotted with chocolate chips, they’re a sweet finish to any picnic.

Want a dessert that is a guaranteed winner with adults and kids alike? Make a batch of vegan rice crispy treats.

This easy, 3-ingredient recipe is always a crowd-pleaser with crunch from rice cereal surrounded by gooey vegan marshmallows.

Old-fashioned rhubarb crisp bars just scream spring and summer. A crispy streusel-type oat layer surrounds tart and tangy rhubarb filling for a mouthwatering spring treat.