How to Create Your Own Trail Mix

Hikers enjoying a trail mix snack.

Create your own trail mix by combing all of your favorite snacks together. A variety of trail mixes exist on supermarket shelves to fit everyone's unique taste buds. Trail mix is a snack that does not have to cost a lot of money to make. Nuts, chocolate, seeds and dried fruits are available in bulk, which means that you can make trail mix inexpensively and quickly. Give trail mix to your neighbors, friends and family as a nice gesture.

Things You'll Need

• 4 cups nuts
• 2/3 cups dried fruit
• 1 cup chocolate candy pieces
• 2 cups dried seeds
• 2 cups pretzels
• 1 cup cheese flavored crackers
• 1 cup granola cereal
• Mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula

Instructions

1. Analyze your favorite trail mix. Trail mix consists of little bite size pieces of food. Decide what favorite snacks you are going to include in the trail mix.

2. Form a base food for your trail mix. Choose to incorporate nuts, seeds or fruit in your trail mix. Add four cups of this ingredient to a large mixing bowl. Normally nuts are the foundation for a trail mix.

3. Add a variety of textures to the trail mix. Incorporate snacks that are different shapes and sizes. Combine crackers or pretzels into the base mixture to create a dry, crunchy texture to the trail mix.

4. Incorporate healthy elements. Trail mix tends to consist of healthier elements when compared to other snacks. Add dried fruits such as apricots, bananas, apples and raisins. Mix in granola based cereals to incorporate a breakfast element into the trail mix.

5. Combine a candy to the trail mix to give it color. Candy coated chocolate pieces are a favorite addition to a trail mix. Mix in chocolate or peanut butter chips to make a sweeter trail mix.

6. Stir the trail mix in a large bowl. Once you add all the ingredients to the trail mix, you need to mix the contents until well blended.

7. Package the trail mix. Place it in airtight containers or plastic bags. Keep the trail mix covered to prevent anything from going stale.

Tips & Warnings

• Drizzle vegetable oil over the trail mix, add your favorite seasoning and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes for a warm trail mix. Dry your own fruit in a dehydrator to save more money. Add beef jerky to the trail mix to add protein and make it more fulfilling.

References

• Trail Mix Recipe
• Trail Mix