Trail mix, gorp, scroggin, schmogle– whatever you call it, it’s a great snack for hiking and camping! But it seems like everyone has different preferences as to what goes into it: whether or not to include raisins, whether it should be savory or sweet, and whether chocolate is acceptable. (Hint: it nearly always is.) Here are five of our favorite trail mix recipes, for your next nature outing.
1. Pantry-Clean-Up Granola Snack Mix
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups rolled oats (not instant or steel-cut)
- ½ to 1 cup whole grains, such as quinoa and amaranth
- 2 to 4 tablespoons seeds, such as sesame, chia, and flax
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ground spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, or cardamom, or powders like cocoa and matcha tea
- ½ to 1 cup chopped nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, or pistachios
- ½ cup melted coconut oil (or canola, hazelnut, pistachio, grape-seed, or olive oil)
- ⅓ cup sweetener, such as honey, agave, or maple syrup
- ½ cup dried fruit, such as raisins, sultanas, tart cherries, apricots, and figs, diced into ¼-inch pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, whole grains, seeds, spices, and nuts. Add the oil and sweetener. (Tip: use the same measuring cup to measure the oil first, then the sweetener. It will slide right out.) Stir to combine. Spread in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Bake about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should reach a light golden-brown color. Remove from oven and cool five minutes. Add dried fruit to the oven-baked mixture. Stir to combine. Cool completely before transferring to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Will keep up to one month in a dry, cool place.
2. Chocolate-Coconut-Pistachio Gorp
Ingredients
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup pistachios
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Sea salt
- 1 cup pretzels
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ½ cup Craisins
- ½ cup dark-chocolate chips
Directions
Spread coconut on a sheet tray and toast in a 300-degree oven until golden brown (approximately six to eight minutes). Toss pistachios with the tablespoon of coconut oil and a large pinch of sea salt. Spread pistachios on a sheet tray and roast for ten minutes. Cool to room temperature. Combine all ingredients.
3. Cadillac Gorp
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup pepitas, walnuts, or pecans
- 1 cup hazelnuts or peanuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup sweetened coconut
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup maple syrup
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup M&M’s
Directions
Toss oats, nuts, cinnamon, coconut, and brown sugar together. Combine syrup and oil. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients, and toss until mixture is coated evenly. Spread mixture onto greased sheet pans. Toast in a 350-degree oven, turning frequently about every five minutes, until browned evenly. Remove from oven and cool, stirring frequently. Mix in raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries, and M&M’s. Store in an airtight container.
3. Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Trail Mix
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or vegetable is fine)
- 1 teaspoon liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 cup corn Chex cereal
- 1 cup pretzels
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup peanuts
- Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the sriracha, honey, oil, and liquid aminos or soy sauce. Whisk to combine. Add the Chex, pretzels, cashews, and peanuts to the bowl, and mix well to completely coat with the sriracha-honey sauce. Spread mix onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 18 minutes (check after 15 to make sure the mix isn’t burning—ovens may vary), then remove from oven to cool. Once cool, portion into zip-top bags.
5. Salty Sweet Gorp
Ingredients
- 10 grams salted Virginia peanuts
- 2.5 grams honey-roasted peanuts
- 5.5 grams dried apricots, diced into small chunks
- 5 grams golden raisins
- 5 grams salted Marcona almonds
Directions
Add everything together, mix, eat, repeat.
Got another recipe, or found a new favorite? Share it with us in the comments!
