Looking for the best cold summer recipes? I don’t blame you! It’s a hot one this summer and no one wants steaming food and a hot kitchen so I gathered some of the best cold summer dinners, best cold summer desserts, best cold summer appetizers, and more! There is a recipe for everyone and your family will thank you for a cool meal on those hot unbearable nights.
Best Cold Summer Recipes
When the weather gets hot I tend to not want to eat as much. Being hot and then eating something hot and heavy leaves me feeling very sluggish and bleh. So, I tend to turn to cold summer recipes. And while I love salad, I also love variety, which is why I came up with this list of fresh and healthy dinner ideas, snacks, treats, and more. Hopefully your family will love these recipes as much as my family does!
Best Cool Summer Breakfast Recipe Ideas
Breakfast is the first meal of the day and while a hearty breakfast can be good, it doesn’t always feel so good when it’s already 90+ degrees outside. So check out these delicious cold summer breakfast recipes!
1. Loaded Avocado Toast Breakfast Recipe
This one is my husband’s favorite! This breakfast recipe really hits the spot when it is cold outside. Cold boiled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, and cold cheese on night crusty toast. It’s filling without being overly heavy, you’re getting healthy fats, protein, and vitamins and minerals. So, in the summer we eat this loaded avocado toast quite a bit.
2. Grandma’s Breakfast Cookie Recipe
Unfortunately Grandma’s breakfast cookie recipe does require some baking. But luckily you can do it at night once it’s nice and cooled off. Then you can enjoy these breakfast cookies all week long! These breakfast cookies are full of butter, oatmeal, cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg, walnuts, and more. So tasty and sweet. I actually prefer these over granola bars. Though I tend to omit the nuts.
3. Breakfast Banana Split Recipe
No, we’re not eating ice cream for breakfast as tempting as that may be. But rather, this breakfast banana split is a yogurt recipe with fruit, nuts, cherries, bananas, granola. And I dare say if you’re feeling kind of wild a drizzle of chocolate or some dark chocolate pieces would not go amiss.
4. Apple Slice Cookie Breakfast Recipe
I will go ahead and say these are not cookies though that’s what the internet calls them. They’re apple slices, but fancied up. Grab some apples, slice them and add peanut butter, coconut, mini chocolate chips, and even walnuts. While these apple slice cookies may not be real cookies, they’re still a nice cold summer treat.
5. Watermelon Peach Smoothie Breakfast Recipe
Can I just say…I love smoothies. They’re so cold and refreshing and I love fruit. Which is why I really like this watermelon peach smoothie. I would say these are my favorite fruits, but I love (almost) all fruit so that would be unfair. But this smoothie is so sweet, cold, and hydrating!
Best Cold Summer Lunch Recipes
Lunch time! Noon is around the hottest part of the day and so something heavy, greasy, and hot may not be super appealing. But these cold summer lunch recipes are perfect.
6. BLT Macaroni Salad Lunch Recipe
This BLT macaroni salad recipe requires a little prep, but you can eat it all week long and it’s so good. Macaroni, mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, green onions, and bacon! What’s not to love. I grew up eating BLT’s during the summer and so adding all these ingredients with pasta…just makes it better!
7. Muffuletta Sandwich Lunch Recipe
Have you ever had a muffuletta sandwich? It’s so good. Bread, cheese, ham, and olive salad. Yum! It’s one of my favorites. I first discovered it at a sandwich shop. I’m a sucker for a sandwich and cup of soup. But this sandwich is hearty and delicious without being too much.
8. California Roll Wraps Lunch Recipe
Sushi is so great. But I’m also too lazy to make it and it’s expensive to have often. Which is why this California roll wrap is perfect! Sushi rice, sesame mayonnaise, cucumbers, avocado, imitation crab meat, the gang is all there and perfect for lunch!
9. Ham, Cream Cheese, and Dill Pickle Pinwheel Lunch Recipe
Y’all, when I tell you I could eat these everyday, I mean it. My aunt actually made me these for the first time many years ago when I was still a kid. And I’ve never forgotten them. Seriously, these dill pickle pinwheels are so good, light, and tasty. Don’t like pickles? Then just swap out the dill pickles for jalapeños.
10. Shrimp Gazpacho Lunch Recipe
I’ll be honest, I’ve never tried this shrimp gazpacho recipe before, but I have friends who love it. It’s got spicy tomato broth, lime, cilantro, shrimp, and other veggies like cucumbers. It sounds delicious, refreshing, and full of flavor. Maybe this summer I’ll try it out!
The Best and Most Delicious Cold Summer Dinner Recipes
After a long hot day or work, play, whatever, no one is feeling like doing a lot of cooking. And the thought of a hot house because of the oven seems terrible. These cold summer dinner recipes are great for those types of nights.
11. Italian Chopped Salad Dinner Recipe
This salad is perfect for anyone who hates basic lettuce salads. It does have lettuce, but it has a garden of other vegetables as as well as different types of meats, peppers, and the dressing is so tasty and really pulls the whole Italian chopped salad recipe together.
12. Thai Lettuce Wraps Dinner Recipe
If you have never had a lettuce wrap, you’re missing out. It may seem weird at first, but the crunch and freshness of the lettuce and really make a meal like this Thai lettuce wrap that much better. Alas, I cannot have this recipe anymore because I can’t have peanuts. But if you like peanut butter, chicken, spice, and fresh hers like ginger, garlic, cilantro, and mint, this is the recipe for you.
13. Hummus Pita Pizza Dinner Recipe
So, this is another recipe I haven’t tried, but it’s on my list, because it looks fantastic. This hummus pita pizza recipe is so simple, but looks so good. Hummus, pita, tomatoes, feta, dill, olives, cucumbers… yum! It sounds so refreshing. I bet a little chicken wouldn’t go amiss either if you wanted a little more protein.
14. Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Dinner Recipe
My husband and I LOVE this recipe. I’ve been making it for years. Texas gets hot y’all. So sometimes it’s nice to put together a cold meal that you can enjoy for a few days and this is it. Parmesan, dressing, romaine lettuce, croutons, chicken, and I also like to add tomatoes. But this chicken Caesar pasta salad so good, filling, and tasty.
15. Ham Salad Dinner Recipe
I know it sounds odd, but it’s actually really good. It’s salty, spicy, with fresh herbs, and fresh green onions. It’s really good especially on a croissant. And a side of some chips or fresh fruit and/or veggies always pairs well with this ham salad recipe.
Best Cold Summer Dessert Recipes
Time for dessert! Sometimes after a long day a sweet cold treat really hits the spot. To me at least! But regardless, I hope you like these delicious cold treats as much as I do.
16. Dole Whip Dessert Recipe
When you think of Dole whip you probably thing of Disney World. But did you know you can make your own? And it’s just as sweet, frosty, and delicious in your home and you don’t have to give your money to someone who may or may not share your ideals.
17. Root Beer Float Dessert Recipe
When’s the last time you had a root beer float? It’s been years for me and I’m ready for one. The sweet medicinal taste of root beer with the frothy vanilla ice cream. It’s delicious. Even typing this I’m getting pumped for one. Looks like I’ll be making a trip to the store.
18. Affogato Dessert Recipe
If you’re a coffee lover than this is for you. An affogato is a dessert that has vanilla ice cream, strong coffee, and grated chocolate. It’s tasty, sweet, bitter, and light. Perfect for the end of the day. Unless you’re sensitive to caffeine…if you are this is not for you then. Or maybe it is. You do you and live your best life.
19. Chocolate Milk Shake Dessert Recipe
I’m sure you saw this one coming. But a milkshake is the perfect summer dessert! Or I think so. Nothing beats a simple, sweet, rich, and smooth milkshake. Like hands down, this is one of my most favorite cold desserts. Plus, it is so simple to make.
20. Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar Recipe
Okay, this one will take a little more work, but I LOVE strawberry shortcake ice cream bars. For a while they were so hard to find at the store so I had to resort to making my own. But it’s so worth it if you like strawberries, that yummy crumbly coating, and ice cream.
Why These Are The Best Cold Summer Recipes
Summer is hot. And it can be stressful with the kids home, work, vacations, and all that jazz. And the last thing you want is to be in the hot kitchen for hours cooking. Or…at least I don’t want to be. As much as I love cooking, sometimes simple, cold, and easy, is the best medicine. And my husband likes it too. He works a lot in the sun dealing with people and he comes home hot sweaty and sometimes burnt. Needless to say he isn’t always feeling great so heavy foods make him feel worse. That’s why we like cold foods so much in the summer.
And if you’ve never really tried cold meals, this is a great place to start!
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Now that you’ve seen my list of best cold summer recipes, what are yours? What kind of cold meals does your family enjoy in the summer?