7 Trail Mix Recipes For Adventurers By Adventurers

7 Trail Mix Recipes For Adventurers By Adventurers

If you’ve ever been to summer camp as a kid, gone on hikes, or long road trips then you’ve probably had trail mix before. 

This staple trail snack lets you enjoy your trips longer without stopping to refuel. The beauty of trail mix is in its simplicity: just peanuts and raisins and you’re good to go.

More and more trail mix recipes have popped up through the years.

Today, bags of commercially-made trail mix, with M&Ms and dried berries, are widely available but a bit pricey for something so easy to make.

Make Your Trail Mix

Making trail mix isn’t rocket science: just put your ingredients in a bowl and mix them. You’ll soon find that making your batch doesn’t just save you money, but lets you experiment with what you put in. Here’s a list of 7 of the best trail mix recipes for some inspiration. 

1. Good Old Raisins and Peanuts

You can’t beat a classic. This trail mix recipe is as easy as adding as much of the ingredients as you want. 

Ingredients:

• Peanuts
• Raisins
• M&Ms (Optional)
• Salt 

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Cover and shake to combine. Add salt to taste. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place and portion out as needed. 

2. Two-minute Trail Mix (for Diabetics)

Developed by Tami Ross, a Diabetes Nutrition Specialist and Certified Diabetes Educator in Lexington, Kentucky, this trail mix recipe can be enjoyed by diabetics and non-diabetics alike. The best part is it only takes just a couple of minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces (approximately 1/2 cup) dried blueberries
• 6 ounces (approximately 1 1/4 cups) dried pineapple
• 6 ounces (approximately 1 1/3 cups) sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 cup salted soy nuts

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Cover and shake to combine. Add salt to taste. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place and portion out as needed.

3. Keto Trail Mix

This next recipe is both low-carb and gluten-free — perfect if you’re on a keto diet but still want something to munch on during your hikes. It also takes just a few minutes to put together. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Brazil Nuts, roasted or sprouted and salted
• 1 Cup Pistachios, shelled, roasted or sprouted and salted
• 1 Cup Macadamia Nuts, roasted or sprouted and salted
• 1/2 Cup Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dried Cranberries (make sure you get the ones with no added fruit juice)

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Cover and shake to combine. Add salt to taste. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place and portion out as needed.

4. Island Heat Trail Mix

If you’re looking for a trail mix recipe with some heat for those cold winter trips, this one’s for you. It uses chili-spiced dried mango chunks so you’ll need a pair of strong kitchen scissors to cut them into smaller chunks. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews (or roasted cashews)
• 1/2 cup raw, unsweetened coconut chips or chunks
• 1/2 cup dried chili-spiced mango chunks, about a half-inch square
• 1/3 cup dried, sweetened pineapple
• 1/3 cup yogurt covered raisins OR white chocolate chips

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Add more mango for spice and more pineapple for sweetness. Cover and shake to combine. Add salt to taste. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place and portion out as needed.

5. Festive Trail Mix

This next trail mix recipe is perfect for those holiday season road trips to visit family members and relatives. Although labeled as “festive”, the ingredients in this entry are available all year round so you can still enjoy this particular recipe any time. 

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

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Cover and shake to combine. Add salt to taste. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place and portion out as needed.

6. Nut-free Trail Mix

Nuts are a staple in a lot of trail mix recipes. But, if you have a nut allergy (or you’re nursing a baby with a nut allergy), this trail mix recipe will be perfect for you. As long as you choose safe ingredients, this recipe can be entirely allergen-free.

Ingredients:

• Maple syrup
• Salt
• Pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
• Shelled pumpkin seeds
• Roasted shelled sunflower seeds
• Dried cranberries
• Golden raisins
• Dried apricots
• Allergen-free chocolate chips

Glaze the seeds in maple syrup. While this step is optional, it adds a new depth of flavor to the mix. To do this, heat the maple syrup in a small pot then add salt and pumpkin spice once it starts to bubble. Stir in your seeds and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the syrup coats the seeds. 

Remove from heat then spread onto a baking sheet with parchment paper to cool. Place the glazed seeds into a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place and portion out as needed.

7. Muddy Buddy Trail Mix

If you have a sweet tooth — especially for Chex Muddy Buddies — you’ll love this trail mix recipe. With its chocolaty/peanut buttery goodness combined with the fact that it’s low-carb, grain-free, and sugar-free, this trail mix recipe is the answer to those sugar cravings while on a trip.

Ingredients:

• 7 oz unsweetened chocolate or 85% dark chocolate
• 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
• ½ cup sugarless peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup finely ground sweetener
• 3 cups nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts 
• 3 cups coconut flakes

Coating:

• ½ cup finely ground sweetener
• 2 tbsp peanut flour (optional)

In a microwave or stovetop over low heat, melt the chocolate and the butter or oil in a medium bowl. Stir every 30 seconds. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and sweetener. 

Mix the nuts and coconut in a large bowl then add the chocolate mixture, stirring well. Then spread onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle half the topping over the trail mix.

Refrigerate until firm, then sprinkle the remaining topping. Mix well and break up any large pieces. Store in the fridge. 

-Team AdventureHacks