This post shares five Trail Mix Recipes including a tropical mix, an indulgent mix, a mountain mix, a peanut lover’s mix, and a healthy mix. Try one or try them all!
author’s note
Make Your Own Perfect Mix Every Time!
There are few snacks I like more than trail mix. Buying the pre-made nuts and candies can get expensive, though. Making your own not only saves money, but it also means you can skip the things you don’t like. You know, so you don’t end up with an entire bag of leftover raisins that you didn’t even want in the mix…
It’s also just fun to mix and match your own ingredients. You get to build the perfect combo of salty, sweet, crunchy, and chewy—just the way you like it. In my family we each have our favorite mixes (we even throw them into cookies), and I love to even match the mix to the trip.
Let’s start by talking about what’s in a trail mix. Then, I’ll share ideas for putting together your own mix.
Trail Mix Recipes: Ingredients
- Roasted cashews: I like to buy the pre-roasted kind to save some time. Use whole cashews or even cashew halves and pieces.
- Roasted and salted almonds: I prefer the salted and roasted almonds over regular almonds. They have so much more flavor!
- Coconut and Banana chips: These ones by Bare are my top picks.
- Dried mango: I find the sugared dried mangos too sweet. Instead, I suggest Sunsweet Pacific Tropicals Dried Mango.
- White chocolate chips: Not a fan? Use another type of chocolate instead.
- Milk chocolate chips: For less sweetness, semi-sweet or dark chocolate work too.
- Peanut butter baking chips: These are typically found in the baking aisle near other baking chips.
- Dried cranberries: Cherry juice-infused dried cranberries also work great!
- M&M’s: I like using mini M&M’s in these mixes, but regular M&M’s also work.
- Pretzels: I get the mini pretzels. This way they’re about the same size as the other ingredients. Any pretzels work, but you might want to break larger pretzels up a bit.
- Raisins & vanilla yogurt raisins: I love Mariana vanilla yogurt raisins for these recipes.
Quick Tip
Trail mix is great for travel. If you’ll be in the heat, skip chocolate and yogurt-covered pieces since they melt. Stick with non-melting ingredients instead.
How To Make These Trail Mix Recipes
Find a flavor profile with the mix-ins you like best and toss everything in a large bowl. Then, transfer to one large bag or container, or portion it into individual bags or containers.
Below are the five recipes with photos and additional details for each.
Tropical Version
Tropical Trail Mix combines banana chips, coconut chips, dried mango, cashews, and almonds. To keep the nuts crunchy, this mix is best eaten soon after being made.
Other additions: Try dried pineapple, dried papaya, yogurt-covered raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, dried kiwi, dried apricots, or chopped dates.
Trail Mix Recipes: Indulgent Mix
Indulgent Trail Mix combines white and milk chocolate chips, peanut butter baking chips, dried cranberries, peanuts, and cashews. This mix is meant to be more of a treat, and it’s great to bring to a party!
Other addition: Try some dark chocolate chips or chunks, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate-covered almonds, popcorn, golden raisins, mini peanut butter cups, or dried cherries.
Mountain Trail Mix
Mountain Trail Mix combines almonds, cashews, mini M&M’s, and raisins. It’s a great all-purpose snack — perfect for taking along as you hike up a mountain.
Other add-in ideas: Include normal-sized M&M’s, sunflower seeds, chocolate-covered popcorn, dark chocolate chunks, or pecans.
Trail Mix Recipes: Peanut Butter Mix
Peanut Lover’s Trail Mix is a treat for anyone like me who loves peanuts!
Other additions: Add in some chocolate chips or chunks, chocolate-covered pretzels, white chocolate chips, mini Reese’s Cups, or cocoa-roasted almonds.
Healthy Trail Mix
This is the healthiest mix of all the recipes in this post. Healthy Trail Mix combines dried cranberries, yogurt-covered raisins, cashews, and almonds. This one is great if you want a mix that is less sweet or if you’re trying to eat less sugar.
Other add-ins: Include some walnuts, pecans, dried cherries, pistachios, pepitas, sunflower seeds, cocoa-roasted almonds, or coconut chips.
Storage
- To store these trail mix recipes, place them in an airtight container (I use mason jars or Weck mold jars). Keep in a cool, dry place for 2 weeks to 1 month.
- If the dried fruit isn’t fully dry, the mix can soften. I store the tropical mix in airtight bags in the freezer.
More Easy Snacks:
Trail Mix
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup banana chips coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried mango coarsely chopped, I like Sunsweet Pacific Tropicals Premium Mango
- 1 cup roasted cashews see note 1
- 1/2 cup dry roasted and lightly salted almonds
- 1/2 cup coconut chips
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup peanut butter baking chips
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup roasted and salted cashews
- 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup miniature M&M’s
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1 cup pretzels
- 1/2 cup peanut butter baking chips
- 1/2 cup Reese’s pieces
- 1 cup dry roasted and lightly salted almonds
- 1 cup roasted cashews
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt raisins
Instructions
- Tropical Trail Mix: Coarsely chop the banana chips and dried mango. Add 1/2 cup banana chips, 1 cup dried mango, 1 cup cashews, 1/2 cup almonds, and 1/2 cup coconut chips to a large bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to storage containers.
- Indulgent Trail Mix: Combine 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/3 cup peanut butter baking chips, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup cashews, and 1/2 cup peanuts to a large bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to storage containers.
- Mountain Trail Mix: Combine 1 cup peanuts, 1 cup pretzels, 1/2 cup peanut butter baking chips, and 1/2 cup Reese’s pieces to a large bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to storage containers.
- Peanut Lovers Mix: Combine 1 cup peanuts, 1 cup miniature M&M’s, 1/2 cup peanut butter baking chips, and 1/2 cup Reese’s pieces to a large bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to storage containers.
- Healthy Trail Mix: Combine 1 cup almonds, 1 cup cashews, 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt raisins to a large bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to storage containers.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just an fyi your ingredient list and directions
for the peanut lovers mix have different ingredients. I will definitely be making the peanut lover mix for our next camping trip.
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’ve updated! 🙂
Never mind. I no sooner sent the question on amounts the I saw them. I AM blind. 😀
Haha!! There is a lot, it’s easy to miss! Enjoy Becky!
Where are the ingredients amounts? I must be blind! 🤔
great idea and mine would omit the raisins entire;y!
So would my kids! 🙂 haha!