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When I was going to college, I liked to snack on a “trail mix” that I picked up from the cafeteria. It helped energize my mind and body between classes. This Trail Mix Energy Blend is one I made later in life when our family went on camping trips, which always included lots of afternoon hiking.
You may recognize this snack as a type of “gorp” – Good ol’ raisins and peanuts. That seemed to be a term we heard a lot of when camping.
Trail mix is also perfect for long road trips with your family. It will help save you from making those “last minute” impulsive buys at the convenience station when you’ve stopped to fuel the car. Trust me, this homemade recipe is less expensive than buying snack mix on the road.
Another great tip: Pack a cooler and load it with sliced fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese sticks, and bottled water!
Kids love to help put this snack mix together. Make this a fun family project as you make plans for your vacation or road trip! I’ve always believed that planning a trip (or anything really) is one of the best parts of any project. It builds anticipation, and that’s always good.
Ingredients for Trail Mix Energy Blend
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
A Few Notes about Ingredients
This snack mix is very mix-and-match friendly. If you don’t care for one of the ingredients listed, simply substitute something else in it’s place or leave it out.
The large pieces of coconut is something new I found at the store. We love them!
In the past, we have also add sesame sticks to the snack mix. These added a nice contrast to the nuts and fruit, but they can be harder to find in some stores. They also tend to become stale after a time.
Regarding Candy
Regarding the candy pieces, I have used peanut butter baking chips in the past, which I actually prefer for taste. However, these are not always available and the Reese’s Pieces are an acceptable substitute.
I have also used chunks of quality dark chocolate instead of the M&M’s. Again, this is a tasty substitution, but the chunks of chocolate tended to melt easier, which made a glob of the snack mix.
A good reminder is to never leave your snack mix with chocolate in a hot car. Put it in your cooler!
Buy the Best Ingredients
Buy the best ingredients you can afford, especially when considering nuts. Some of the less expensive brands may include more peanuts than other nuts. This always bothered me. And while I cringed at the price of the “deluxe” nuts, I was always glad I spent the extra $$ for delicious nuts.
This, of course, doesn’t apply if you love lots of peanuts. However, if that’s the case, you might do better to just buy a container of quality peanuts!
Instructions for Making this Snack
Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Start opening packages and dumping them in a large bowl. Using a long-handled spoon, mix together until everything is incorporated.
Store in an air-tight container or divide into snack bags or snack cups for individual servings.
When I began making this snack mix, I put it all together in a sealed container for everyone to enjoy. I thought it was a quick and convenient way to store it.
However, I learned very quickly, that some people in our family (I won’t name any names) would pick out their favorite pieces. All of a sudden, there were only cranberries, bananas, and cashews left in the container. Hmmm. How did that happen! I learned to make individual snack bags for everyone from then on.
This snack mix will make 15-20 servings and will last up to two months stored in a cool, dry place.
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Trail Mix Energy Blend
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Ingredients
- 15 oz. mixed nuts
- 15 oz. Reese’s Pieces
- 12 oz. dried bananas
- 10.7 oz. M&M candies
- 7 oz. yogurt covered raisins
- 6 oz. coconut slices
- 4 oz. dried cranberries
- 3.5 oz. dried blueberries (or other favorite fruit)
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- Mix all of the above together in a large bowl.
- Store in an air-tight container or divide into snack bags or snack cups for individual servings. This Trail Mix Blend will keep for up to two months in a dry, cool room.
- This will make 15-20 servings.
