Trail Mix recipes

Photo by Tetiana Bykovets on Unsplash

August 31st is National Trail Mix Day. Who knew there was a National Trail Mix Day? Who am I kidding? There's a national holiday for everything!!!

I'm a big fan of trail mix. It's one snack I have on hand a lot because I know it will help level out my blood sugars in between meals. Of course it needs to be one of the healthier trail mix options, but I like to indulge in some of the "not the best for you" mixes as well. The other great thing about trail mix, super easy to make! You truly can make it your own concoction.

The not so great thing about trail mix, a lot of trail mix recipes have nuts and there are a lot of people who are allergic to nuts, which means they are missing out on a wonderful snack. I decided to find some trail mix recipes for everyone: healthy recipes, not so healthy recipes, and recipes without nuts. Enjoy!

From Greatist:

*Peanut Butter Friend - This mixture is a true crowd pleaser. Combine banana chips, peanut butter chips, peanuts, almonds, and dark chocolate chips.

*Thai Fusion - Try a taste of the East with peanuts, raisins, puffed rice, pretzels, curry powder, and chili powder.

*Tropical Mix - For a little taste of paradise, whip up a mixture of cashews, Brazil nuts, dried mango, coconut flakes, and banana chips.

*Movie Night - Got your Netflix show ready? Great. Combine popcorn, M&M’s, and dried cherries. To take the flavor up a notch, use hot popcorn to melt the chocolate.

*Raw Energy - Sweet and salty unite in this recipe. Mix walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, dried apricots, and dried cranberries.

*Monkey Munch - With so many delicious flavors in one recipe, each bite is the bomb. Mix banana chips, peanuts, sea salt, almonds, dark chocolate chips, raisins, and coconut flakes.

*Cajun Blend - A little spice makes everything nice. Combine almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sea salt, garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Photo by Maksim Shutov on Unsplash

From Simplistically Living, here's a no-nut trail mix:

NO-NUT BACK TO SCHOOL TRAIL MIX

prep time: 10 MINUTES total time: 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

• Chex Mix (I used chocolate flavor)

• Pretzel sticks

• Honeycomb cereal

• Yogurt covered raisins

• M & M’s (I used the pretzel variety to certainly keep it nut free)

• “Scrabble” Cheez-Its

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl.

2. Serve and enjoy!

Here's a recipe for all you pickle lovers from Fake Ginger:

DILL PICKLE CHEX MIX

PREP TIME 15 minutes

COOK TIME 1 hour

TOTAL TIME 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

· 8 cups Corn or Rice Chex cereal

· 2 cups bagel chips

· 1 cup pretzel sticks

· 1 cup cashew pieces

· 6 tablespoons butter, melted

· 1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch seasoning

· 1 tbsp dill pickle juice (from jar of pickles)

· 1 tbsp dried dill

· 1 tsp garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 250F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine Chex cereal, bagel chips, pretzel sticks, and cashews.

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together butter, ranch seasoning, dill pickle juice, dried dill, and garlic powder.

4. Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture and toss gently to make sure everything is coated.

5. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

7. Transfer Chex MIx to parchment paper or aluminum foil to cool completely before serving and storing.

8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

i heart naptime -Kid’s Trail Mix Recipe – Super Simple To Make And Perfect For On-The-Go Snacks! Ready In 5 Minutes And Easily Customizable With All Your Favorite Mix-In’s!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups pretzels

• 1 cup cashew halves , or nut of choice

• 1 cup cheerios

• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

• 1 cup mini marshmallows

• 1/2 cup M&M’s or chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

• Measure out your trail mix ingredients and then place in a large bowl. Toss until mixed together. Place a 1/2 cup portion in snack bags for easy snacks on-the-go.

Here are some recipes from Fresh Off The Grid:

*Festive Trail Mix:

Ingredients-

• 3/4 cup yogurt covered raisins

• 1/2 cup almonds

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

• 1/4 cup pepitas

Instructions-

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or directly in a ziplock bag. Portion out the trail mix into 4 small bags if desired, or keep the trail mix in one big bag for sharing!

*Nut-Free Trail Mix (Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan): Ingredients-

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup roasted shelled sunflower seeds

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

• 1/3 cup golden raisins

• 6 dried apricots, chopped into smaller pieces

• 1/4 cup allergen-free chocolate chips or chunks (i.e. Enjoy Life)

Instructions-

1. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Add the maple syrup to a small pot over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, stir in the salt and pumpkin pie spice. Reduce heat to medium low, and add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

3. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Be sure to watch this closely as it’s a fine line between a nice maple coating and burning the mix. When there appears to be no more “extra” syrup in the pot and everything is sticking to the seeds, remove from heat and pour the mixture onto the parchment paper. Let cool.

4. Once cool, the seeds should have a firm glaze on the outside. Break apart any clusters as needed, and mix in a bowl with the remainder of the ingredients. Enjoy!

*Sweet and Salty Roasted Trail Mix: Ingredients-

• 1 1/2 c raw almonds

• 1 c pecans halves or pieces will work

• 1/2 c pepitas pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 c golden raisins

• 1/2 c coconut flakes

• 2 T coconut oil melted

• 2 T pure maple syrup or honey

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions-

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.

• Spread evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet.

• Bake for about 15 minutes.

• Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy. Store at room temperature in an air tight container.