37 Late-Night Snacks Both Savory and Sweet
Have you been suddenly struck with the munchies? Looking to bank a few extra calories before hitting the hay? Late-night snack cravings take on all sorts of shapes for all kinds of people. And, sure, sometimes a bag of chips, a tub of store-bought hummus, or a pint of ice cream can be enough to put you to bed. Other times, you might want a bit of a project—like fudgy brownies or pigs in a blanket.
For some, late-night snacking presents a fun puzzle to be solved. Think blending pantry staples like pasta or instant ramen with last night’s leftovers or whatever else is lying around. Others just want something staggeringly simple (here’s some peanut butter noodles, just for you). No matter which camp you fall into, there’s something here to scratch any itch.
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou1/37Easy Peanut Noodles
This highly adaptable recipe for creamy, crunchy, salty-sweet noodles in peanut butter sauce makes a satisfyingly easy late-night snack recipe. A pack of ramen noodles keeps the cooking time short. Feel free to swap in almond butter or your favorite nut butter, and add frozen edamame or other veggies to bulk things up.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams2/37The Ultimate Tuna Melt
If only a sandwich will do, turn to this late-night diner classic. And yes, you will need some potato chips with that.
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Prop Styling by Paige Hicks3/37Air Fryer Chile-Honey-Glazed Fries
Tossed in a sticky, spicy glaze, these zhuzhed-up freezer-aisle fries are our most beloved texture: crispy-gone-soggy.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Eliza Mozer4/37Banana-Blueberry Smoothie With Tahini
Did you know bananas contain tryptophan (an amino acid the body uses to produce serotonin and melatonin, which are vital for sleep and mood regulation)? Sesame seeds too. Meanwhile, blueberries are a good source of antioxidants. Basically, this smoothie is built to lull you back to sleep.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Pearl Jones5/37For the Love of Cottage Cheese Salad
Looking for a healthy late-night snack? Grab a tub of cottage cheese (we like Good Culture) and top it with shavings of that cucumber you’ve been hoarding. If it’s summer, add a tomato. If not, add some chopped deli meat, leftover roasted veggies, a scattering of toasted pumpkin seeds, some hard-boiled eggs, and whatever else you can raid from the fridge.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie6/37Furikake-Ranch Snack Mix
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi7/37Chocolate Chipless Cookies
Without the chocolate for its melty texture and bittersweet flavor (nor any other add-ins), cookie dough has nowhere to hide. Every ingredient has to work hard to hit its full potential, especially the big three: sugar, butter, and flour. (If this reads as blasphemy to you, jump over to our chocolate cookies collection to calm your nerves.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams8/37Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal
The dish says breakfast, the ingredients say lunch, but research shows oatmeal, which is high in melatonin, may improve your sleep. Boost the results by using tart cherry jam, which has more of the same good-sleep producing stuff.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk9/37Flatbread With Avocado and Scallion Salsa
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks10/37Crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges With Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
These potato wedges are spiced and air-fried to perfection. While they’re cooking, whip together a homemade ranch dressing for dipping.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie11/37Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats With Brown Butter
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca12/37Tangy Tomato-Chile Popcorn
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams14/37Chicago-Style Pigs in a Blanket
Keeping a tube of puff pastry on hand opens up a world of flaky, filling late-night snack ideas. In this recipe, everyone’s favorite, pigs in a blanket. goes Chicago-style, complete with celery salt, poppy seeds, and a cheeky cornichon.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams15/37Creamy Giardiniera Dip
No giardiniera? Use any drained jar of pickles to make this cream-cheese-based dip and top it with the good olive oil instead. Scoop it up with bagel chips, seeded crackers, or crisped-up tortillas.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski16/37Pantry Pasta
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Tim Ferro17/37Salmon Teriyaki Onigiri
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni18/37Cheesy Chickpea Salad Toast
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams19/37Hurricane Chips
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams20/37Triple-Chocolate Brownies
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro21/37Za’atar Fire Crackers
Bathe saltines in oil and tangy za’atar to transform them into golden, glossy, extra-crunchy midnight party starters. In the adaptable spirit of munchies, feel free to swap in Ritz crackers, whole grain crackers, or whatever you have on hand.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gözde Eker22/37Air Fryer Garlic-Nori Fries
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca23/37Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li24/37Protein-Packed Trail Mix
Crispy chickpeas and a mix of nuts make this a high-protein option. We also like to use a wide range of dried fruits, but doing so can get pricey. Feel free to economize.
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Christina Allen25/37Creamy Chili Crisp Pasta
27/37Spam Musubi
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi28/37Furikake Popcorn
Seasoned with sea salt and furikake, our favorite crispy seaweed topping, this movie night delight is ideal for late-night snacking.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro29/37Singapore Noodles
Cookbook author Hetty Lui McKinnon demonstrates her quickest (and most comforting) noodle dish. Although her recipe calls for vermicelli, any simple noodle, such as ramen or frozen udon, makes a great, easy swap.
Alex Lau30/37Tater Tot Waffle
This is exactly what it sounds like: Frozen tots, waffled up. Top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon bits like a loaded potato for heft.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua32/37Cachapas
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Emma Ringness33/37Egg Drop Dumpling Soup
Photo by Laura Murray36/37Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
A salty-umami treat from chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Tiana Gee to add to the Great Chocolate Chip Cookie canon.
