For those busy bees looking for an on-the-go snack or something to munch on as you remote work from the couch, this recipe is for you! Before you stick your nose up at trail mix, let me just say that the store-bought junk doesn’t do it justice. This is the best healthy homemade trail mix recipe you’ll find and it’s fully customizable, vegan-friendly, and budget-friendly!
Here’s what I don’t love about store-bought trail mix – the nuts aren’t always roasted, there’s usually sugar or candy added, and it’s honestly overpriced. Even at bulk food stores, the trail mix is generally much pricier than buying all the ingredients individually and making it yourself. Plus, you can customize it to exactly what you like.
That’s what makes this recipe the best – it’s customized to YOU!
Like everything else I share, it’s important to follow what you like – on the mat, in your self care routine, and definitely in the food you eat. Why should your trail mix be boring and average?
Opening up to Trail Mix
Let me be frank for a moment… I haven’t always been a fan of trail mix. I’ve found it to be boring or lacking much flavor. Raw almonds and dry raisins? No thanks, I’ll pass.
It wasn’t until recently when I fell in love with this convenient little snack.
I was planning an epic adventure weekend with my best friend – complete with hiking, sliding down waterfalls, and constant movement. Knowing we would have full days of adventuring, far from a restaurant, I needed to come up with filling, protein-rich snack that could be in a backpack for days.
Trail mix sounded like the perfect solution, but this time, I’d do it my own way.
I headed over to the zero-waste shop here in Bali (you probably have them back home too or at least a bulk food place) and I picked up some yummy nuts. Buying raw nuts in bulk is the cheapest way to get them, although usually not the most flavorful, but we’ll fix that. I also grabbed dried fruit and raw coconut flakes for some extra flavor.
After reading a couple blog posts on making trail mix, I figured, “screw it! I’ll try my own thing.”
The results were perfect!
This mix was so brilliant that it’s now a staple in my household and a go-to for ongoing adventures. The bag of mix got passed around the boat with enthusiasm on our last dive trip and now all my friends ask to make their own batches with me.
Customize this Best Healthy Homemade Trail Mix Recipe
Alright, I also dislike all the rambling that accompanies a recipe post… so let’s get to it.
The recipe itself is not very specific. Remember – this is supposed to be about what tastes good to YOU (or whatever nuts and fruit you can get on sale). You get to pick whatever nuts, fruit, and add-ons you’d like. This may look like:
- Raw nuts: peanuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pistachios (without the shell)
- Dried fried: raisins, craisins, goji berries, apricots, dates, apples (honestly, any dried fruit you love)
- Add-ons: dried coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, oats
I like to have everything chopped down to easy bite sizes, so larger nuts, like walnuts and brazil nuts, are usually chopped into smaller pieces. I also like to spread out the sweetness of the dried fruit, so I’ll chop up the larger pieces of fruit, like apricots and dates, into sizes similar to the raisins.
My current ingredients for the best healthy homemade trail mix are: almonds, cashews, walnuts (chopped), brazil nuts (chopped), hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, raisins, goji berries, apricots, and dates.
So good!
the Best Healthy Homemade Trail Mix
Ingredients
- Trail Mix
- 4 cups of mixed, raw nuts
- 1-2 cups of raw fruit, chopped
- 1-2 cups of add-ons (seeds, coconut)
- 1-3 ts ground cinnamon
- Salt to taste
- Sweetener to taste (honey, maple syrup, agave)
- 1 tbs coconut oil (more or less)
Directions
-
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Use a large bowl to mix together the raw nuts, cinnamon, salt, oil, and sweetener. For the oil, just use enough to lightly cover the nuts. For the sweetener, drizzle some on the nuts, mix, and taste to see if you want to add more.
- Pour the nut mix onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
- While the nuts bake, use the same mixing bowl to mix together the dried dried and any add-on’s (minus any chocolate you may be adding). After 15 minutes, mix in the sweets and add-on’s onto the baking sheet with the nuts. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Allow the tray of scrumptiousness to cool before enjoying or storing.
I never thought I’d receive text asking for my trail mix, but here we are! Everyone is loving the simple, yet delicious flavors that come together in this recipe. What’s not to love?
Remember – this is all about YOU!
With this healthy homemade trail mix recipe, remind yourself that you’re in charge. This trail mix is all about your own flavor desires and what tastes good to you.
Wanna add chocolate? Go ‘head with your bad self!
Looking for another yummy vegan snack? Check out this recipe for Tempeh Hummus.
Enjoy!
