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This tropical trail mix recipe uses a combination of dried fruits, nuts, and crunchy add-ins for a salty-sweet taste. It’s full of healthy fats, is free of refined sugar, and is naturally both gluten-free and dairy-free.
Homemade trail mix is a snack I can get behind. If done right, it’s filling and it satisfies your sweet tooth without wanting to eat the whole bag. I typically have some stashed in my fridge, so I can grab it on the go when I need a little energy boost.
The great thing about making your own is that no one picks out all the best pieces and leaves behind all the raisins.
Who wants a bag of raisins anyway? Not this gal.
When you put all your favorite ingredients inside, each bite is guaranteed to be delicious.
Homemade Trail Mix vs Store-Bought
Just like the majority of homemade goods, making your own trail mix is healthier than buying store-bought.
Many store-bought mixes find a way to sneak in added sugars, inflammatory oils, and sometimes dairy (which isn’t ideal for us dairy-free folk). You want to be able to reach in and grab a handful without having to worry about it.
Making your own trail mix is the way to go.
Not only is it ridiculously easy to make, but it’s also super easy to customize based on whatever you have and like best.
Ingredients
- Dried mango – unsulfured and unsweetened mangos provide plenty of natural sweetness and a chewy texture
- Pumpkin seeds – protein, healthy fats, and bulk
- Macadamia nuts – healthy fats and protein with a creamy texture and buttery taste
- Unsweetened coconut flakes (or shreds) – texture, flavor and more healthy fats
- Plaintain chips – salty crunch element
- Freeze-dried fruit – nice textural contrast to the dried mango with a subtle sweetness (this could be anything: banana, pineapple, strawberries, mangoes, etc.)
How to Make Tropical Trail Mix
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
Roast the coconut, nuts, and seeds. Add the coconut flakes, nuts, and seeds to an unlined baking sheet, making sure to keep the coconut separate since it requires less baking time. Bake for 3 minutes, and then stir the coconut flakes a little before baking for another 3 minutes. Remove the coconut flakes from the oven and continue cooking the nuts and seeds for another 4 minutes. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Prep the other ingredients. While you’re waiting for the roasted ingredients to cool down, chop your dried mango into bite-size pieces, break the freeze-dried fruit up into smaller pieces, and break the plantain chips in half.
Mix. Now, add everything to a large bowl and toss everything together until well mixed. Store in an airtight glass jar or reusable silicone bag until ready to eat.
Make it Your Way: Ingredient Substitutions
Please remember that recipes are meant to be used as guides.
How can you make this trail mix recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- Nuts: Any nuts will work here. It all depends on personal preference. You could use cashews, pistachios, almonds (slivered, sliced, or whole), walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, etc.
- Seeds: Pumpkin or sunflower seeds are best. Seeds like chia, sesame, and hemp just fall to the bottom of the jar since they’re so small.
- Dried fruit: Again, any type of dried fruit. I recommend looking for unsweetened or sweetened with fruit juice. Dried strawberries, cranberries, raisins, bananas, apples, apricots, blueberries, etc.
- Savory add-ins: roasted chickpeas, popcorn, pretzels, jerky (cut into small pieces), etc.
- Sweet add-ins: chocolate chips, cereal, freeze dried fruit, etc.
Helpful Tips
- Homemade trail mix is really just a blank canvas. There are endless flavor combinations and much more variety than you’ll find in store-bought options, so go wild.
- Use raw nuts. They’re more versatile in cooking, and if you want them roasted, you can roast and salt them yourself. This will ensure the best quality.
- How to make it sweeter. This tropical trail mix recipe falls on the more savory side. If you prefer something a little sweeter, add dried fruit instead of the freeze-dried fruit or banana chips instead of the plantain chips.
More Healthy Snacks
If you like this trail mix recipe, be sure to check out these other homemade snacks:
Tropical Trail Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (or shreds)
- 1 cup unsweetened dried mango cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup plantain chips broken in half
- ¼ cup freeze-dried fruit broken into smaller pieces
- pinch of salt only if using unsalted nuts and seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Add the coconut flakes, nuts, and seeds to an unlined baking sheet, making sure to keep the coconut separate since it requires less baking time.
- Bake for 3 minutes, and then stir the coconut flakes a little before baking for another 3 minutes. Remove the coconut flakes from the oven and continue cooking the nuts and seeds for another 4 minutes. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- While you're waiting for the roasted ingredients to cool down, chop your dried mango into bite-size pieces, break the freeze-dried fruit up into smaller pieces, and break the plantain chips in half.
- Now, add everything to a large bowl and toss everything together until well mixed. Store in an airtight glass jar or reusable silicone bag until ready to eat.
Notes
- This recipe makes 4 1/2 cups of trail mix.
The Tropical Trail Mix is health ‘and’ great tasting. One recipe disappeared quickly with all ages enjoying it. The second time, at the cabin, I brought suggested ingredients and let people make their ‘custom built’ personal packs. It was a fun event in the kitchen.
A true winner.
Wow, I love the idea of a DIY trail mix bar! That’s so fun! So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it.