You don’t have to be going for a hike to enjoy a good trail mix. These DIY mixes will keep your kids energized for whatever activities they’re involved in – whether it’s a hike, soccer games, basketball practices or just a long day at school.
Easy to make and convenient to pack ahead of time, trail mixes keep for days (even in the depths of your kid’s backpack).
Pick some of your kid’s favorite foods, like raisins, cereal, or even chocolate-covered candies to mix in with other ingredients for a go-to snack. Here are a few trail mix ideas to get you started.
Popcorn Trail Mix
Simple and nutritious, this popcorn trail mix from Whole Foods blends together popcorn, roasted almonds, dried banana chips and dried cranberries. Add in extra popcorn if you need the mix to go farther. Hello kid-friendly recipe!
Trail Mix on Sticks
Here’s a cool idea: trail mix on sticks from Cheerios. Mix melted butter, marshmallows and creamy peanut butter into Cheerios cereal, raisins and sunflower nuts to form balls. Insert a flat, wooden stick into the balls and let them harden. Pack these handy trail mix balls to take with you on your travels.
Pumpkin Seed Trail Mix
Crunchy, chewy textures make up this pumpkin seed trail mix from Betty Crocker. There are pretzels and Raisin Bran for crispiness, and dried apricots and raisins for a hint of tart and sweetness. Don’t forget to drop in some candy-coated semi-sweet chocolate pieces to finish off the mix.
Sweet & Spicy Trail Mix
Add some zing to your next hike with this flavorful sweet & spicy trail mix from Ocean Spray. Boil together brown sugar, butter and honey to pour over Cheddar-cheese flavored crackers that you bake before mixing them in with wasabi peas and craisins.
Trail Mix Cookie Bars
Think of everything you can pack into a trail mix and put it into a bar. That’s the approach to this recipe for trail mix cookie bars from My Kitchen Addiction. The bars are packed with dark brown sugar and whole wheat pastry flour along with oats, chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, chopped nuts and yogurt-covered raisins. Yum!
Trail Mix Nestle Toll House Cookies
Take the classic recipe and mix in some granola cereal to create these trail mix Nestle Toll House cookies from the Very Best Baking Blog. Stir in a generous helping of dried fruits for an extra punch of energy. Now who’s ready to start exploring?
Main photo from Ocean Spray
