Homemade trail mixes are one of the most popular snacks for all ages, from little kids to college students and beyond. Easy to make, easy to store and transport and easy to eat, trail mixes can be custom-made to personal likes. Anything and everything can go in trail mixes: dried fruit, nuts, M&M’s, oatmeal, Chex Mix, chocolate chips and more. Simply buy and mix equal parts of your favorite nuts, pretzels or cereals, dried fruit and chocolate pieces and you have a custom-made trail mix ready to go. Pour the mix into one large Ziploc bag and store in cool, dry place or divide into individual snack bags and pack to go.

Dried fruit can include raisins, craisins, dried cherries, apricots, banana chips and dried pineapple. Mix with any popular type of nuts such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios or cashews. Add in pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for added health benefits. Use M&M’s, chocolate or butterscotch chips, or Reese’s Pieces for added chocolate flavor. Lastly, add in any of your favorite type of granola, oatmeal or cereal such as Chex Mix, Cheerios, puffed rice cereal, popcorn or pretzels. To add a little extra flare, season your mix with a pinch of sea salt, curry, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or cayenne pepper. Or get creative and develop your own favorite spices. Enjoy!

Popular Combinations:

1. Peanuts, M&M’s, sunflower seeds and raisins

2. Walnuts, dried banana chips or apricots, craisins, sunflower seeds and cinnamon

3. Popcorn, M&M’s, peanuts, cranberries and mini marshmallows or Cheerios

4. Whole almonds, chocolate chips, dried cherries and cinnamon

5. Cashews, Brazil nuts, dried mango, coconut flakes and banana chips

6. Pecans, dried apples, maple granola, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg and cinnamon

7. Macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips, dried pineapple and coconut flakes

8. Banana chips, peanut butter chips, peanuts, almonds and dark chocolate chips

9. Hazelnuts, almonds, raisins, chocolate-covered coffee beans and white chocolate chips

10. Hazelnuts, dried cranberries, chocolate-covered almonds, M&Ms and cacao nibs

11. Banana chips, peanuts, almonds, dark chocolate chips, raisins, coconut flakes

12. Almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, garlic powder, chili powder and cayenne pepper