Travel Snacks: Gluten Free Homemade Trail Mix

Is it just me or is anyone else a snacking fiend? I (Lauren) could probably live off of snack food if that was an acceptable diet, which it’s not. It is however, a totally justifiable diet when you are traveling!  Being gluten free doesn’t often lend itself to a lot of choices when traveling, so whether by plane or good old road trip, I always bring my own snacks.  First up, we’re talking trail mix. (We'll be sharing another gluten free travel snack later today!)  Trail mix easy to travel with, filling, and (mostly) made of energy-dense ingredients like dried fruit, nuts, and more. Of course the convenience of just grabbing a bag the store is nice, but often the price tag is not (especially at the airport, yikes!). Plus, pre made trail mixes are often times very high in sugar or include an ingredient you pick around the entire time. So to keep my cost low and avoid leaving a quarter cup of raisins at the end of my bag, I make my own. This recipe is as easy as it gets since you can make it in the crockpot!  Yep, you can literally throw the ingredients in a crockpot and let it cook while you pack, so easy right?  I chose this recipe because peanut butter and bananas is one of my favorite flavor combinations. It’a just sweet enough with a bit of salt, richness and a lot of crunch. Keep reading for the full recipe...

Nutty Banana Peanut Butter Trail Mix

 

Ingredients:

1 cup raw pecans

1 ¼ cup raw walnuts

1 cup raw cashews

1.5 cup unsweetened banana chips

1.5 cup pretzels (I use gluten free)

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3 tablespoon coconut sugar

2 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Place all of your ingredients in a crockpot on high.

Set a timer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes is up, stir well and turn down to low.

Let ingredients cook on low for 30-40 minutes.

Pour out ingredients on to parchment paper and let dry.

Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

 

Note: If you’ve read my past recipes, you know I’m all about being flexible when it comes to food. If you don’t like one of these ingredients, substitute it for something you do!

Photography by Chase Daniel