Imagine walking the trail and having a delicious, fairly healthy and inspiring trail mix made of chocolate cherry granola to help you along the way! Then imagine just having this trail mix on a regular day! YIPEEEEEEE!!!!!
Why This Recipe Works
- Fast
- Easy
- Cheap
- Full of vitamins, nutrients and the chocolate and the cherry perfectly balance one another.
Here's How It's Done...
STEP 1.
Measure out your nuts, chocolate and dried cherries. Feel free to use chocolate like this instead of chips, simply chop it with a knife!
STEP 2.
Mix them together in a gallon sized resealable plastic bag.
STEP 3.
Enjoy along the trail or anywhere you want a perfect little snack!
What Do I Serve With This Trail Mix?
This trail mix is perfect all by itself, but if you wanted a really good treat, you could sprinkle some on top of this 3 ingredient ice cream or enjoy while you are out camping and having some deviled eggs! How about as a side to a pimento cheese sandwich?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Why Should I Make My Own Trail Mix When I Can Buy Some At the Store?
- First, you can put in only what you like to eat! No picking around the things you don't like!
- Secondly, making your own trail mix is SO MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE!
- Third, if you make more than you can eat in a few weeks, you can freeze the rest!
How Do I Make a Good Trail Mix?
Pick from these FOUR elements of an excellent trail mix...
Start with Nuts:
- Pecans,
- Almonds
- Peanuts
Try Some Seeds!
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds!
How About Some Dried Fruit?
- Raisins
- Craisins
- Dried Cherries
Add Some Fun, Flavorful and/or Crunch Stuff
- The end of a bag of chips.
- Pretzels
- Popcorn
- Chocolate!
- Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or cocoa powder.
What is Usually In Trail Mix?
Nuts, dried fruits, chocolate and sometimes a crunchy element like chex cereal are perfect ingredients.
Is Trail Mix Better Than Chips?
As a snack goes, trail mix has its good points. That said, it isn't a health food and you should consider it a treat just as you would consider chips! 🙂
What's the Difference in Trail Mix and Granola?
Trail mix is a mixture of nuts, dried fruits, chocolate and other items. It makes a high energy snack for hiking. Granola is a sweetened mix that clings to oats and is often an ingredient in a trail mix.
Often used interchangeably these terms refer to different things.
Is Trail Mix a Healthy Snack?
This stuff is loaded with a lot of nuts and dried cherries. That is a lot of protein and vitamins and minerals. It also uses dark chocolate, which is better for you than some other chocolates. That said, I wouldn't go super heavy on this treat. It's more like a treat than a meal replacement.
If you want more great information about this subject, check out the American Cancer Society page on Trail Mix!
Tips and Tricks for the Best Trail Mix
- Use the Four Elements to make the best mix: Nuts, Seeds, Dried Fruit and one or two Fun, Flavorful Elements.
- To really zest up your stuff, sprinkle with a herb or flavoring when you have mixed it all together. Something like a touch of cocoa, cinnamon or even thyme is delicious!
- For folks who have issues with portion control, add more low calorie elements like popcorn to the mix.
PRO TIP: If portion control is a HUGE issue, measure out into portions and put in small resealable plastic bags and label as "One Portion".
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Chocolate Cherry Granola
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups mixed nuts we like pecans, almonds, cashews and peanuts – but you pick what you like.
- ½ cup dried Cherries
- ½ cup dried Cranberries
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together well and store in an air tight container (we usually prefer a resalable bag.
Notes
- Use the Four Elements for Perfect Trail Mix to make the best mix: Nuts, Seeds, Dried Fruit and one or two Fun, Flavorful Elements.
- To really zest up your trail mix, sprinkle with a herb or flavoring when you have completed the mix. Something like a touch of cocoa, cinnamon or even thyme is delicious!
- For folks who have issues with portion control, add more low calorie elements like popcorn to the mix.
Nutrition
***This post first appeared on the pages of Loaves and Dishes on April 13, 2015 and has been updated with "why this works", Step by Step photo instructions, Frequently asked questions, tips and tricks, updated recipe card including video, nutritional information, equipment and notes. ***
A VERSE TO SHARE
Amen.
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
Susan says
Plain, simple and good! I’m putting this together in August for a Woodstock celebration. My family will listen to ‘60’s music and have a little snack!
Wendi Spraker says
Sounds like a LOT of fun! What all happens at a Woodstock party? Anyway, enjoy the granola!
Moxie says
So simple and delcious - and pretty good for you too!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
YUM! And if you took the chocolate out, you could sprinkle it ON your salad!
wendi.spraker@yahoo.com says
So RIGHT you are! 🙂 Just save the chocolate for dessert!
Renee @ lovely palate says
This looks delicious, and I love the photos of the hummingbird and Dogwood tree. Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing.