Gather ingredients to create these healthy trail mix recipes.
Trail mix isn’t just great for weekend hiking trips! It can be an ideal grab-and-go snack for a long day out, a healthier substitute for junk food cravings, or a simple way to pack extra nutrition into your day. In honor of Trail Mix Day on August 31, we’re sharing a few fun, tasty, and healthy trail mix recipes for you to whip up in your own jars or Ziploc bags.
- Berry trail mix
- Cajun trail mix
- Tropical trail mix
- Peanut butter trail mix bars
- Your own mix & match
Learn what ingredients you’ll need to make these healthy trail mix recipes below!
Berry trail mix
With this collection of nuts, berries, and seeds, you’ll be the happiest squirrel in the forest!
Add as much of each ingredient below as you’d like:
- Berries: Dried cranberries, cherries, and blueberries
- Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, and cashews (raw or roasted)
- Seeds: Pumpkin seeds and/or sunflower seeds
- Extras: Raisins, granola, and/or a berry-flavored cereal
All you need to do with this recipe is to combine the ingredients, and you’re ready to start snacking.
Cajun trail mix
Want to spice things up with your trail mix? Make it Cajun-style! This healthy Cajun trail mix recipe takes a little more time to make. You’ll need:
- Seasonings: 1 tsp each of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, olive oil, and maple syrup. ½ tsp each of onion powder, paprika, and sea salt.
- Nuts: 1c peanuts, 1/2c walnuts, 1/4c almonds (all raw)
- Seeds: 1/4c raw sunflower seeds
- Optional extras: Raisins
For this recipe, mix all the ingredients except raisins together with the spices, then bake on a parchment-lined tray at 325F for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Add the raisins once the mix is cool.
Tropical trail mix
Transport yourself to an island by focusing on the flavors of pineapple, coconut, and banana for this mix! Combine equal amounts (or adjust to taste) of:
- Nuts: Cashews, macadamia nuts
- Fruits: Dried pineapple, banana chips, mango, and/or papaya
Finally, sprinkle on some unsweetened coconut flakes or dried coconut chips and your vacation-style healthy trail mix is ready!
Peanut butter trail mix bars
It’s easy to make an unhealthy peanut butter trail mix (think Peanut M&Ms, peanut butter pretzels, Reese’s Pieces), but that’s not what we’re here for today! Instead, this recipe takes traditional trail mix ingredients and combines them into no-bake peanut butter granola bars. It’s a less messy way to get your peanut butter fix on the go. Since this recipe has more ingredients and steps, visit the recipe website for detailed instructions.
Your own mix & match
With a little bit of experimentation, you might just find a new favorite trail mix combination. Here’s a list of potential ingredients, along with some of their health perks!
Nuts are a great source of healthy fats, fiber, and protein. Some of the healthiest nuts to choose include almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts—and an honorable mention to peanuts, which are technically not a nut but a legume.
Seeds are also little nutrition powerhouses, packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Both nuts and seeds are known for being heart-healthy snack choices that can reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol. Healthy seeds to add to your diet (and your trail mix!) are flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Dried fruit isn’t as healthy as fresh fruit, especially if there’s sugar added. That said, if you choose a low/no-sugar variety (or even dehydrate your own fruits at home), dried fruit is high in fiber and disease-fighting plant antioxidants. Look for dried cranberries, apples, blueberries, mangoes, bananas, raisins, and your other favorites.
Grains can be added into trail mix in the form of cereal or granola. Think high-fiber oats, whole-grain Cheerios, and Wheat Chex – not the sugary “dessert for breakfast” cereal varieties.
We hope you enjoy creating your new favorite snack with these healthy trail mix recipes! You can find more ideas and information on the CapTel health and wellness blog.
