If you can't sleep, you may as well snack! Whether you're nibbling on something sweet just before bed or your never-ending to-do list is keeping you from counting sheep, these 15 sweet and savory snacks will give you something delicious to dream about. There are protein-packed options like trail mix, quick hummus, and a crispy blend of lentils and pepitas. Plus, three-ingredient peanut butter cookies, made with peanut butter, fruit jam, and eggs which totally count as a protein-packed snack IMO.
If you want something that's all-around salty and savory, choose from buttered popcorn, a Japanese-inspired Chex Mix snack, or a spicy grilled cheese sandwich (for the nights when you're really hungry). Here's to you, fellow night owls — your secret is safe with us.
Something savory
Microwave it in a bag, stick it in your sturdy Dutch oven, or cook it fresh in an air popper. No matter which route you take, popcorn is one of the best late-night snacks there is. It satisfies salty or sweet cravings, depending on what you mix it with, and it'll keep you full 'til breakfast.
2. Hot Honey-Sesame Snacky Mix
If you're a late-night snacker who craves both sweet and salty (no judgment here!), this snack mix is sure to satisfy you. It has a little bit of everything: spicy-sweet hot honey, salty pretzels, crunchy peanuts, and sweet coconut shards.
Furikake is an umami-rich Japanese seasoning that's traditionally sprinkled on steamed rice. But we love the flavor that it adds to this otherwise classic mix of Chex cereal, lightly salted peanuts, Goldfish, pretzels, and Bugles.
Avocado toast doesn't just have to be reserved for brunch! It's a satisfying snack when those after-dinner cravings strike.
5. Parmesan-Roasted Edamame Snack
When you want a quick savory bite that you can pop in your mouth before bed, this salty snack will hit the spot. Ideally, we encourage you to try these babies while they're still warm, but rest assured they're just as good at room temperature.
6. Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese
If two classic bar snacks — jalapeño poppers and a grilled cheese sandwich — had a baby, it would be this midnight snack. Make it a midnight munchie by stuffing it with either barbecue potato chips or crispy strips of bacon.
Something Sweet
7. Frozen Bananas Dipped in Mexican Chocolate Ganache and Spicy Honeyed Peanuts
The fun part of midnight snacking is that you never know exactly what craving will hit you — or when. On the occasion when you have a hankering for something sweet, grab one of these chocolate-dipped bananas out of the freezer and take a bite.
8. 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Can't sleep and have a hankering for something sweet? In just 10 minutes, you can make these three-ingredient peanut butter and jelly-inspired cookies.
These four-ingredient cornflake bites are a traditional snack enjoyed during Lunar New Year, but frankly, we think they're the perfect thing to snack on between the hours of, say, 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
10. Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
The ultimate midnight snack is a chocolate chip cookie, plain and simple. But we love that this chewier, chunky version satisfies oatmeal raisin cookie lovers, too, thanks to the inclusion of rolled oats.
11. Chocolate Fudge
I pretty much crave "just a little something sweet" 24/7/365 and this recipe is a lesson in the importance of keeping homemade chocolate fudge around at all times. "Unlike old-fashioned chocolate fudge recipes, this one doesn't involve a candy thermometer, or beating the fudge with a wooden spoon, or letting it set on a marble slab. Meaning: You can make it in about 20 minutes with four ingredients in pretty much any kitchen," explains recipe developer Ella Quittner. Win-win!
Protein-rich snacks
12. Oregon Trail Mix
The key to a good midnight snack is, yes, one that will scratch some salty-sweet cravings, but one that will also keep you sated till dawn. This mix features a combination of hazelnuts, walnuts, pepitas, dried cherries, and dark chocolate chunks.
13. Savory Crispy Lentils and Pepitas
"Since I prefer to reach for savory things when I want a snack, I keep this mix around (in lieu of, say, granola), so that I have something crunchy, nutritious, and satisfying to munch on when the mood strikes," writes recipe developer Jodi Moreno. And if that mood strikes at 1 a.m., then so be it.
14. 5-Minute Hummus from Zahav Restaurant
Keep hummus on hand for a quick protein-packed dip that you can snack on with crudité or chips.
15. Grilled Cheese Egg in a Hole
Breakfast meets lunch in this cheesy sandwich. The trick for achieving golden brown, crispy crust is by smearing each side of the soft white bread with mayonnaise before frying it up.
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