15 Produce Packed Recipes to Make This Summer

Here’s a round up of seasonal recipe ideas to whip up this summer!

With Memorial Day taking place in just a couple of days, summertime is upon us! It’s been feeling pretty summery here in Connecticut, and it’s been nice to set up all of my backyard furniture, relax in my hammock, and get some Vitamin D and color on my face. My freckles are starting to peak out and I’m not mad about it at all.

My baby loves being outside just as my husband and I do, and with trails starting to open up around here, we’ve been taking advantage by going for weekend hikes as a family. I’ve definitely been thankful that this quarantine started in March when the weather was beginning to get nicer. It would be much worse to be cooped up at home while the weather was consistently cold and dreary.

Of course, the start of summertime means lots of awesome seasonal produce! From berries and peaches to tomatoes and corn, I can’t get enough of in-season fruits and veggies. I’m looking forward to the day that my local farmer’s markets open back up, and I can peruse the market with my babe picking up locally grown and made goodies.

In celebration of the unofficial start to summer with the upcoming holiday, today I’m featuring 15 seasonal recipe ideas. Let’s get to it!

Zoodles with basil cherry tomato sauce, pine nuts & lemon zest

Time to take advantage of peak zucchini season! This zoodle recipe features zucchini noodles in a saucy marinara. {gf with vegan option}

Strawberry oat banana bread

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a year-round banana bread baker. This recipe takes a summery twist on banana bread with the inclusion of fresh strawberries. Featuring healthy swaps like oat flour instead of white flour, and apple sauce and coconut oil instead of butter, it’s also healthier than your typical banana bread.

>> Get the recipe for strawberry banana bread. >> {vegan + gf}

Apricot almond oatmeal breakfast cookies

I’m starting to see apricots in grocery stores, and I’ve got to nab some soon to whip up these breakfast cookies. These cookies are a great recipe to whip up as a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack throughout the week.

>> Get the recipe for these apricot almond oatmeal cookies. >> {vegan + gf}

Grilled margherita & baby spinach portobello pizza

Talk about an easy, healthy meal for the grill! This recipe grills portobello mushrooms and stuffs them with marinara sauce, baby spinach, cherry tomato and mozzarella.

>> Get the grilled margherita portobello pizza recipe. >> {gf}

Creamy mango melon smoothie

This refreshing smoothie uses fresh watermelon and cantaloupe, along with frozen mango and coconut milk. >> Get my mango melon smoothie recipe. >> {vegan + gf}

Roasted tomato & spinach ricotta stuffed shells

I love using fresh, sweet tomatoes – especially during their peak summer season. This stuffed shells recipe puts a fun twist on classic stuffed shells by featuring roasted cherry tomatoes and a spinach goat cheese ricotta pesto. The recipe is also lighter on the dairy than typical stuffed shells dishes.

>> Get the recipe for spinach pesto & cherry tomato stuffed shells. >>

Avocado pistachio pesto & tomato crostini

Not only are tomatoes the sweetest in the summertime, but California avocados are at their peak during the warmest months as well. This crostini recipe uses avocado to make a spinach pistachio pesto, smears it on fresh bread, then tops it with slices of tomato, balsamic glaze & sea salt.

>> Get the recipe for avocado pistachio pesto & tomato crostini. >>

Baked strawberry donuts with strawberry cream cheese frosting

Satisfy your donut cravings by baking up a healthier homemade version. These babies use fresh strawberries, a base of oat + whole wheat flour, and a dairy free cream cheese frosting.

>> Get the strawberry donut recipe. >> {vegan}

Kale salad with strawberries, goat cheese & almonds

This summery salad includes one of my favorite combos: strawberries + goat cheese + almonds. I like to massage the kale well with a simple lemon olive oil dressing to make it nice and tender.

>> Get the summer kale salad recipe. >> {gf}

Healthy cherry berry cobbler

If you love fresh berries, this recipe is for you. It’s a dairy free, lighter take on a summer cobbler that pairs wonderfully with vegan or regular ice cream, yogurt or whipped cream.

>> Get the cherry berry cobbler recipe. >>

Arugula pesto linguine with tomato & zucchini

This recipe features a couple different fruits/veggies that are in peak season in the summer: arugula, zucchini and tomatoes. If you want to make it vegan, simply leave the grated cheese out or use a dairy free cheese or nutritional yeast.

>> See the recipe for arugula pesto linguine. >>

Peach crumb cake

This vegan peach crumb cake uses ingredients like almond & whole wheat flours, coconut oil, flaxseed eggs, pistachios – and of course, a few fresh peaches.

Fair warning: This crumb cake is kind of addictive!

Peaches & cream muffins

Another yummy way to use those sweet summertime peaches? These peaches & cream muffins! {gf & can be made vegan with dairy free yogurt}

Goat cheese stuffed zucchini blossom crostini

If you’re lucky enough to nab zucchini flowers this summer, one fun recipe to use them for is this goat cheese stuffed zucchini blossom crostini. I love making crostini appetizers!

Blueberry chia oatmeal bars

These oatmeal bars combine fresh blueberries with rolled oats, banana, peanut butter, chia seeds, and brown rice syrup. Great for a healthy breakfast or snack!

>> Get the recipe for these blueberry oatmeal bars. >> {vegan + gf}

Tell me.. What produce are you looking forward to being in season this summer?