I found this recipe on Triathlete.com a few years ago (https://www.triathlete.com/nutrition/recipes/four-ideas-diy-ride-food/). It was provided by Jessica Cerra – a triathlete and chef with amazing recipes. For the past few years, I’ve given this trail mix away to my clients and friends – all to rave reviews!
While the recipe below is intact from her original post, I do change things up occasionally, depending on who I'm making it for. You can use any unsalted nuts you have on hand, but I like the original combination (listed below). I’ve also added Brazil nuts and hazelnuts for a slightly different flavor during the holiday season.
This trail mix is a great snack whether you’re out riding your bike or lounging on the couch. It's also a delicious addition to a charcuterie board.
Spicy, Sweet and Savory Trail Mix
Ingredients:
Nuts (all are UNSALTED):
1C Walnut Halves
1C Pecan Halves
1C Cashews
1C Unsweetened Coconut (wide strips)
1/2C Pepitas
1/3C Sunflower Seeds
Spices:
1T Chili Powder
1t Ground Cumin
1t Ground Coriander
1t Ground Ginger
1/8t Ground Cloves
1/2t Sea Salt
Liquids:
2T Coconut Oil, melted
2T Honey
2T Maple Syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the spices.
In a small bowl, combine the liquids (may need to microwave for a few seconds to melt the coconut oil).
Once the coconut oil is melted, pour the spices into the liquids and whisk together until blended.
In a large bowl, combine the nuts.
Pour the liquid/spice mixture over the nuts and mix well.
Spread the mixture on the parchment paper.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until the mixture starts to caramelize.
Cool completely and store in an airtight container or store in snack-sized baggies for easy transport (and this keeps you from eating it all at once).
Just a few notes:
Pecans can be expensive so you can either eliminate the or minimize them. Just add a few more walnuts, cashews, pepitas, sunflower seeds or coconut.
Use wide strips of coconut rather than the stringy stuff. This will prevent the coconut from burning.
If you want more ‘heat’, use a hot chili powder – but this recipe tastes just find with a mellower chili powder.
If you like dried fruit, this is a great recipe to add in those fruits. I like to add 1/2C of dried apricots, mango, cranberries or cherries.
The liquids can be a bit sweet with both the honey and maple syrup, so you can substitute agave for honey for a mellower flavor.
The original recipe called for a 1/2t of ground cloves but they are overpowering (kind of like Christmas kicking you in the face overpowering), so I changed it to 1/8t.
Keep a close eye on the oven after 20 minutes. The nuts can go from heating to burning quickly.
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