Crunchy, chewy trail mix bars for healthy snacking. Loaded with all the good things.
This one is for all the snackers out there.
Quarantine life means that my family is home ALL the time, and it feels like we are always eating, or thinking about eating, or planning what we will be eating.
And having healthy snacks on hand is key so everyone can just grab + go AND I don’t have to be in the kitchen constantly making stuff.
The best kind of snack is one loaded with healthy fats + protein to keep us full and satisfied. I love superfoods like nuts, seeds, and coconut oil. Today’s recipe is inspired by my love of a good trail mix AND my Loaded Breakfast Cookies.
Recipe Deets:
These tasty little bars are the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and crunchy. They are totally customizable with your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. And they are gluten free + vegan with a grain free/paleo option.
❤️nuts… I used pecans, hazelnuts, + cashews, but you can use whatever nuts you love.
❤️pumpkin seeds… are incredibly nutrient dense and are loaded with fiber + protein. You could also use sunflower seeds if you like.
❤️oats… give a nice texture. If oats are not your thing, you can make these bars grain free by using large coconut flakes instead.
❤️chia + flax seeds… more superfood seeds to fuel you up.
❤️dried cranberries + raisins… give a little sweetness
❤️coconut oil, almond butter, + maple syrup… create the liquid base to hold everything together
My family has been loving munching on these little bars all week. We like to store them in the fridge for easy snacking. You can also make a double batch and freeze some for later.
Tips for Making Trail Mix Bars:
❤️chop your nuts up so they are easier to mix into the bars
❤️use coconut oil as it holds together better than butter or ghee.
❤️press trail mix bars down VERY well to compact them before baking. This helps them hold together better.
❤️don’t skip the flax meal. It works as a binder.
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Healthy Trail Mix Bars (gluten free + vegan)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
These healthy trail mix bars are the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and crunchy. Totally customizable with your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Gluten free + vegan with a grain free/paleo option.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond butter
- 2–3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup nuts, chopped (I used pecans, hazelnuts + cashews)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup gluten free oats (OR 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp large coconut flakes)
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds (flax meal)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (I use THIS brand)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325’F. Line 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil, almond butter, and maple syrup. Add in chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, oats, flax meal, chia seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix to combine. Fold in cranberries and raisins.
- Scrape mixture into prepared baking dish and spread evenly out, pressing down with the back of a spatula or bottom of a glass to get a nice and tight layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing into 16 bars. Once cool, placing into fridge for 30 minutes can make slicing easier.
- Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks. Freeze for longer storage.
Notes
In order to protect the healthy fats, I like to make my own flax meal by grinding golden flax seeds in a coffee grinder just before I use it. You can also buy pre-ground flax meal. Be sure to store in fridge and use it up soon after opening.
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Simply delicious! Of course I used what I had to hand so it was altered. Honey instead of Maple syrup. Dried blueberries instead of raisins. Oats instead of flax. Cashews and pistachios,
The quantities and bake time were what I needed. Thanks!
Yay! I love it. Thanks for sharing your subs. 🙂
Theses look so great! Can you link the cranberries that you use? It is always hard to find a brand that’s not loaded with refined sugar.
I buy them in bulk from our local farm stand. I get the organic ones, which still have a bit of sugar but not as much as others I’ve found. They also have fruit sweetened ones but those are not organic.