This recipe for Homemade Trail Mix is incredibly easy to make, and perfect for stashing in your car or purse for an on-the-go healthy snack. The best thing is that it's much cheaper than any bag of trail mix from the grocery store!
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This sweet and salty trail mix is seriously amazing! Not only is ready in less than 5 minutes, but it also features a perfect ratio of all of your favorite ingredients.
Nuts like almonds, pecans, cashews, and peanuts are paired alongside sweet ingredients like coconut, raisins, M&M's, and/or chocolate.
If you're looking for a great snack that is also super easy to make, then you really need to try this healthy mix of nuts, dried fruit, and sweet treats. The best part? You can easily create your own custom trail mix based on what you like best.
Reasons to Love It:
- The Perfect Snack. Sweet and salty, packed with fiber, high in protein, and totally delicious. This healthy snack is great for keeping on hand at all times.
- Easy to make. There is no baking or roasting needed. Just add the ingredients to a big bowl and stir to combine. Voila!
- Satisfying. Nuts provide healthy fats, and when combined with the above mentioned factors, this healthy trail mix recipe is super satisfying.
- Cheaper than store-bought. Making your own homemade trail mix recipes is a great way to be budget conscious. When compared to store-bought blends, you'll save more than a little bit of cash by making it yourself.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Coconut (I recommend coconut flakes, but shredded coconut works great too)
- Raisins (or dried cranberries)
- M&M's (or chocolate chips)
Optional Mix-ins
If you want to add some delicious sweet and salty options to your homemade trail mix, here are a few popular options:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Dried fruits (good old raisins, dried cranberries, goji berries, blueberries, apples, etc.)
- Dark chocolate chips
- Banana chips
- Macadamia nuts
- Sesame sticks
- Peanut butter chips
- White chocolate chips
- Yogurt-covered raisins
- Mini marshmallows (I recommend mini dried ones)
- Cheese crisps
- Sunflower seeds
- Milk chocolate chips
- Freeze-dried fruit (strawberries, raspberries, etc)
Instructions
- Add the nuts, dried fruit, and coconut to a very large bowl.
- Stir all of the nuts, coconut, and dried fruit together until well combined.
- Pour the M&M's (or chocolate chips) into the bowl.
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store at room temperature for up to 8 weeks.
Storing Trail Mix
- Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
- If possible, store it in a dark glass container to prevent light from getting in.
- For gifting or smaller individual containers, transfer your homemade trail mix to pint-sized mason jars with a tight lid.
- For school lunches consider adding ¼-1/2 cup servings to individual snack bags.
- Store at room temperature for up to 8 weeks, discarding if there are any signs of spoilage.
Expert Tips
- Roasted nuts. For a homemade trail mix that stays the freshest and tastes the best, I recommend using roasted nuts. Choose lower-sodium versions if you don't like a very salty taste.
- Get creative. The whole idea of trail mix is that you can customize it to your own liking. Add your favorite nuts, savory snacks, chocolate or candy to make it your own.
- Use fresh ingredients. Your homemade snack mix is only as fresh and tasty as the ingredients you use. Don't use any stale ingredients or those that are close to date. Instead, source the freshest and best quality you can afford.
Variations
- Cranberry white chocolate. Substitute the raisins for dried cranberries and white chocolate chips for the M&M's.
- Pumpkin spice. Leave out the M&M's and use pepitas or pumpkin seeds in place of them. Toss with melted butter and pumpkin pie spice to your taste (or my recipe for homemade pumpkin spice).
- Halloween. Use Reese's pieces in place of the M&M's and add seasonal mix-ins like candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkins, etc.
Substitutions
Without peanuts: Leave the peanuts out of the recipe and substitute them for another nut or a favorite mix-in.
No raisins: Leave the raisins out and substitute them for another dried fruit, additional nuts, or the mix-ins of your choice.
Vegan: Substitute the M&M's for your favorite dairy-free dark chocolate (either chips or chunks).
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can make trail mix without M&M's. Just leave them out, or substitute them with another sweet ingredient like chocolate chunks (or chips), candies, or another type of nut or seed.
Not all trail mixes are gluten free, so it's very important to check the label if you're on a gluten-free diet. When making homemade trail mix, check the label of all individual ingredients to check to ensure the items included are gluten free. Some nuts are produced in the same facility as wheat-containing ingredients, so it's important to verify for those who have celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
If you loved this recipe for Trail Mix, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Trail Mix
Equipment
- Storage jars or container
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almonds
- 1 ½ cups cashews
- 1 ½ cups pecans
- 1 ½ cups dry roasted peanuts
- 1 cup raisins or dried fruit of choice
- 1 cup coconut flakes or shredded coconut (optional)
- 1 ½ cups M&M's or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add the almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, and raisins (or dried fruit) to a large bowl.
- Mix the nuts and fruit together with a wooden spoon.
- Add the M&M’s (or chocolate or candies of choice) and stir them in gently.
- Transfer to an airtight container or jar.
- Store at room temperature for up to 8 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
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