Summer Themed Party Food Ideas And Fun Recipe Themes for Parties

Need summer themed party food ideas, summer sleepover snacks, summer lunch ideas for entertaining, outdoor party food ideas, or end of summer party food ideas? We have simple summer party food ideas for adults and kid parties that everyone will love!

Summer Themed Party Food Ideas - different summer foods on a tabletops

Best Summer Themed Party Food Ideas

A summer party food theme is super fun! It can include elaborate and best summer party food ideas for adults or a simple summer buffet for all ages! Adapt these summer party ideas food recipes to meet your summer theme ideas!

Theme Summer Party Dinner Menu Ideas

Fun Summer Picnic Names:

 
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  • Backyard Barbecue Theme (BBQ Party)
  • Red White and Blue Theme Party
  • Backyard Camping Theme Party
  • Luau Theme Party
  • Pool Party Theme
  • Fiesta Theme Party
  • Garden Party Theme
  • Beach Party Theme
  • Simple Summer Buffet Theme (easy summer dinner party themes)
  • Christmas In July Summer Party Theme

Don’t miss more summer party food themes below. These summer foods for parties ideas work great for summer party menu for a crowd or even a smaller party during the summer with just a few friends gathering. Keep scrolling for summer food ideas for birthday party, Memorial Day food / 4th of July party, or just a fun summer cookout party! Best party foods for summertime!

Summer Foods For Parties and Summer Party Theme Recipes text over images of summer party recipes

What do you serve at a summer buffet?

Serving summer buffets is one of the easiest party food ideas for summer parties and works well with any summer holiday party theme! Use make ahead outdoor party food, refrigerate the summer dishes, and then set up the buffet right before everyone arrives.

A summer buffet can be elaborate or easy finger food for outdoor party snacks and works great for summer party food for large group (especially if you need summer party menu for 10 and up) or even a small gathering with easy summer party foods. (These are even great if you’re wondering what to bring to a summer party.)

What food to serve at a summer party?

Summer Buffet Menu Ideas And Easy Food Ideas For Outdoor Party

  • Fresh salads
  • Fruit waters
  • Cold pasta salads
  • Grilled pineapple
  • Hamburger and hotdog bar
  • Fruit pizza
  • BBQ meats for sandwiches
  • Grilled vegetable skewers / cheese skewers
  • Egg salad
  • Mexican Street corn in a cup / grilled Mexican street corn on the cob (our favorite side dishes!)
  • Asparagus salad
  • Taco bar
  • Fruit salad (use ice cream cones as an easy, edible bowl!)
  • Grilled corn on the cob (make cut them in two to make mini cobs — easier to eat and carry!)
  • Meat, cheese, fruit and cookie graze boards
  • Fruit salsas
  • Cake pops
  • Rice Krispies Treats
  • Fresh vegetables and dips
  • Pudding dirt cups for kids (easy summer party food recipe that kids love!)
  • Walking fruit salad like this
  • Dips and chips (summer party food favorites for all different summer themes!)
  • No bake cake (great for summer birthday party food ideas – recipe link below)

Summer food party buffets are also easy to account for different dietary needs. Be sure to include vegetarian recipes for summer party menu, too! You want everyone to enjoy your summer food ideas for party. Be sure to offer a wide variety of foods on your menu for summer party. Whatever you do, keep it simple for the main course, appetizers, and summer desserts and use simple summer party recipes (see below)!

Summer party theme ideas text with summer party decorations

ALSO CHECK OUT MORE GREAT SUMMER PARTY THEMES: Summer Theme Party Ideas for Kids and Adults

Best Summer Party Food Themes (Easy Recipes For Summer Parties)

There are so many fun summer food themes and cheap summer meals for a crowd, but we love these best for both outdoor foods and inside summer parties!

Fun Food Ideas For Summer Outdoor Party and Summer Themed Food:

• BBQ Theme Food: Serve up burgers, hot dogs, chicken, pulled pork, grilled corn, and all of your favorite BBQ sides for the ultimate outdoor summer party food. Use fun ice bins for beer and drinks to set a casual atmosphere. These are some of the best food for outdoor party or even food for summer birthday party!

Red White And Blue Party  different patriotic foods and red white blue drinks

• Red, White and Blue Theme Food: Whether you’re having a July 4th party, Memorial Day cookout, or just a red and white and blue theme, have fun creating themed party foods like: watermelon salad, infused waters with red, white and blue drinks (great with party food for hot weather!), layered red-white-blue drinks, red salsas and white chips, and more.

GET RECIPES FOR A RED WHITE BLUE PARTY / PATRIOTIC PARTY

• Luau Theme Party Food: Serve up a variety of island-inspired dishes like grilled shrimp, pulled pork, pineapple salsa, grilled pineapple skewers, and coconut rice. This theme is a lot of fun for summer party menu ideas and fun food for outdoor summer party!

• Pool Party Food: For this theme, you want easy pool party food that guests can grab when they’re taking a break from swimming and then dive back in after they’ve refueled. Serve up a variety of easy poolside favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, sandwiches, pizza, chips, popcorn, and these easy fruit salad in cone cups. Just keep summer pool party recipes super simple.

Beach Theme Sleepover Party text over beach pool party with kid in sunglasses

• Beach Party Food: Serve up a variety of beach-inspired dishes like shrimp tacos, mini crab cakes, mussels, clams, and crab legs. If you want to go simple (and a cheap summer menu), think of things you would take to the beach in your cooler or picnic basket: sandwiches, hummus and vegetables, chicken wraps, etc., and top it off with fun things like sand dollar cookies or “sand in a cup.”

LEARN HOW TO THROW A BACKYARD BEACH PARTY AT HOME

how to backyard camp with kids text over camping tent in yard

• Backyard Campout Theme Food: If you’re having a backyard sleepover party, think about food you would have while camping: foil wrapped foods cooked in the campfire, hotdogs on a stick (we love these telescoping sticks for kids), s’mores, popcorn popped over the fire, and more. These are some of my favorite food for a summer birthday party theme, too!

GET MORE IDEAS FOR A BACKYARD CAMPING SLEEPOVER

Cinco de Mayo Party Supplies and Food for Fiesta Party Theme (Cinco De Mayo celebration food) NACHO BAR FOR CINCO DE MAYO PARTIES FOODS

• Fiesta Party Food: Taco bar buffet, chips and salsas, fresh fruits, and fruity umbrellas drinks are all easy ideas for a fiesta summer buffet! This is one of those party food ideas summer celebration that you can put together with quick and easy recipes. Also, easy summer party food ideas for a crowd and good for make ahead summer party food.

GET MORE IDEAS FOR A FIESTA PARTY

HOW TO SET UP AN ICE CREAM SUNDAE BAR different flavors ice cream in a tray of ice with sundae toppers surrounding it on a table

Ice Cream Party: An ice cream party or build a sundae party is a great summer theme party. It keeps everyone cool, it’s fun, and almost everyone loves ice cream! Also, these are great food ideas for summer birthday party and easy food for outdoor party!

LEARN HOW TO HAVE A SUMMER ICE CREAM PARTY

CHRISTMAS IN JULY FOOD IDEAS TEXT OVER DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS IN JULY RECIPES

Christmas In July: A July Christmas party is a fun summer theme because you can put summer twists on holiday food theme ideas for parties. For example, baked holiday ham becomes grilled ham and pineapple pizza. With a little creativity, you can come up with fun indoor and summer outdoor party food ideas for this summer theme! It’s a really fun summer theme menu to plan!

LEARN HOW TO THROW A CHRISTMAS IN JULY THEME PARTY

Let us know if you have favorite summer food themes for parties!

Now that we’ve covered the best summer party foods, don’t forget about fun summer drinks!

Summer Party Drink Themes:

• Layered Drinks: Layered drinks are fun (and can be with or without alcohol) because they can be adapted to match your party theme colors. (LEARN HOW TO LAYER DRINKS HERE)

• Margarita Bar: Serve up a variety of margaritas in pitchers, including classic lime, strawberry, mango, and peach (with alcohol or without!) and don’t forget the salt! Use fun party glasses, drink umbrellas, and fun summer straws. (Don’t forget to include mocktails or smoothies for drinks for kids and those who don’t drink.)

• Sun Tea: Sun tea is fun to make and great for a summer buffet because you can leave it “cooking” right in the sun! This is a must to go with your summer foods for party! LEARN HOW TO MAKE SUN TEA HERE

• Infused Water: Infused waters are super easy and refreshing summer drinks and even fun party drinks to add to your food for summer party. Use sets like these to label and display the beautiful waters. (LEARN HOW TO MAKE INFUSED WATERS HERE)

Summer Themed Party Food Ideas [Fun Recipe Themes for Parties] text over easy summer recipes on yellow table

Along with a summertime theme party, also check out these fun summer ideas (another great summertime themed party and a favorite idea for summer parties!): Snacks for An Outdoor Movie Party At Home

snack ideas for an outdoor movie party at home text over images of movie snacks

Let us know your favorite food entertaining ideas, summer themed foods, and food ideas for summer party and we’ll add them our list!

I hope you enjoy these summer themed party food ideas!

DISCLOSURE: Affiliate links are used on this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to our DISCLOSURE.

About the author

Friends have called Jackie the "Midwestern Martha" [Stewart] because of her 20 years of over-the-top theme parties, super fun sleepover tips, fun theme recipes, DIY game ideas and awesome party tips! LEARN MORE

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