How To Make Healthy Trail Mix

Ingredients

• Nuts: Nuts will help to keep you fuller for longer and are rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts are great options (feel free to use more than one kind of nut).
• Dried fruit: Fiber-rich dried fruits also help make a healthy homemade trail mix recipe the perfect snack. Use dried fruit that is free of preservatives and sugar if possible. You can use dried apricots, bananas, cherries, coconut, cranberries, mango, pineapple, dates, and goji berries.
• Seeds: Seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids. My favorites are sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseed. You can toast the seeds in a hot, dry pan before adding them to your trail mix recipe for deeper flavor.
• Additional mix-ins: I love adding quality dark chocolate chunks (this one is one of my favorites), popcorn, and warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, etc. You can also use dark chocolate chips, cacao nibs, peanut butter chips, gluten-free pretzels, or freeze-dried berries.

How to build a healthy trail mix

1. Choose your own healthy ingredients: Select a variety of your favorite nutrient-dense crunchy/salty and chewy/fruity ingredients. A nourishing blend of nuts, dried fruit, and seeds are ideal.
2. Measure out ingredients: With measuring cups, measure each ingredient. You don’t want too much of one ingredient empowering the other flavors and textures.
3. Add To bowl: Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix until combined: Mix the ingredients until they are dispersed evenly throughout the mixture.
5. Store: Store in a mason jar, airtight container, or reusable Ziploc bags.

3 Healthy Trail Mix Variations

Use the method above with one of the combinations listed here to make one of these delicious trail mix flavors. You can check the recipe card for specific measurements.

Glowy Trail Mix

• Popcorn
• Goji berries
• Almonds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Dark chocolate chunks (or chips)

This glowy trail mix is perfect if you want to indulge without feeling guilty. It’s filled with whole grains from popcorn, immune-boosting goji berries, protein-rich almonds, pumpkin seeds rich in selenium, and dark chocolate chunks to boost your energy.

Why glowy trail mix? Goji berries are rich in beta-carotene, which is known to improve skin health and reduce the impact of aging and sun damage.

Nutty Trail Mix

• Pistachio nuts
• Hazelnuts
• Cashews 
• Dried cranberries
• Dark chocolate chunks (or chips)
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

If you are a nuts lover, you’ll love this. It contains pistachio nuts, hazelnuts, and cashew nuts. Dried cranberries are an excellent addition for their health benefits, including a high vitamin C and E content. Plus, they can help to boost your immune system together with chocolate, thanks to their antioxidant content. Cinnamon e nutmeg are optional, but they bring this tasty snack to another level!

Tropical Trail Mix

• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Raisins
• Coconut flakes
• Dried mango
• Hemp seeds
• Vanilla powder

This tropical trail mix is filled with summery flavors. Sweet dried mango and coconut flakes are the base for this delicious snack. And adding a touch of vanilla will make your taste buds happy!

How to store trail mix

Homemade trail mix should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for five weeks or longer. Keep in mind not all ingredients will hold for the same time at room temperature. For instance, popcorn will eventually become soggy during storage.

You can also freeze your healthy trail mix! Be sure to store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and keep it in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.

Airtight Seal: To keep your homemade trail mix as fresh as possible, ensure your container has an airtight seal. It will keep the ingredients from going stale and/or absorbing other flavors from the ingredients around them.

Tips

Customizing the ingredients: Evenly distribute all the flavors and textures when you mix your ingredients. If you like a specific ingredient (i.e., dried fruit), add more of that.

Nuts: You can use store-bought roasted nuts or raw nuts in your trail mix. Avoid nuts with added oil or salt if you want to keep your trail mix healthy. Another option is roasting raw nuts yourself. Simply roast them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a 325F oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

Savory Trail Mix: Season your trail mix with savory ground spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and mustard powder. Kick it up a notch with cayenne, cumin, and chipotle chili powder. You can also throw in freeze-dried green beans, kale chips, or dried seaweed.

Is trail mix healthy?

Absolutely! Making trail mix from scratch gives you the flexibility to make it as nutritious as possible. Many store-bought trail mixes contain preservatives and sneaky added sugar or salt. Homemade trail mix is made with natural, whole-food ingredients and allows you to customize it to your liking. If you make your own, trail mix is a great source of fiber, heart-healthy fats, and vitamins.

Why I love to make homemade trail mix

• It’s a quick and easy gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan snack.
• It’s healthier and less expensive than buying a bag at the store.
• Easy to customize with various nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and mix-ins.
• It takes 5 minutes to make and stores for weeks.

More healthy snacks you’ll love

• No-Bake Coconut Date Bars
• Vegan Granola Bars
• Roasted Spicy Cashews
• No-Bake Granola Bars
• Frozen Yogurt Bark
• Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

And for more plant-based snack ideas, check out these healthy vegan snacks that are insanely good!

If you try this healthy trail mix recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!

Did you make this recipe? Tag @gatheringdreams on Instagram. I want to see it!