This easy, sweet and salty healthy trail mix is perfect for lunch boxes, after schools snacks, road trips, and parties. Dark chocolate chunks make it an extra-special treat the whole family will love!

When Jack was 18 months old, I was already attending open houses for elementary schools. So I guess it’s not that surprising that, now he’s almost 3, I’m starting to plan his lunch boxes and after-school snacks. I started a couple of months ago with these amazing chewy granola bars.

Let’s just say I believe in being prepared!

Or I’m just an extreme keener.

In any case, before we get to lunches and after-school, there will be plenty of other occasions when a healthy, energizing and tasty snack is called for, and trail mix is always a great option.

Quick disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may make a small commission, at no cost to you. I will never recommend anything I don’t personally use and love!

I’ve seen lots of trail mix recipes made with butter, chocolate candies, and stuff like that. While I’m not usually one to shy away from those things, I was going for something a little more wholesome with this recipe. Instead of M&Ms, I opted for some good quality dark chocolate. Instead of the usual peanuts, I went with cashews, almonds, and walnuts. Raisins and cranberries add a little sweetness.

I’ve seen lots of pricy packaged trail mixes at the grocery store, but I found that, as is often the case with homemade, this healthy trail mix is fresher, better, and cheaper. Also, it’s super simple to make and you know exactly what’s in it.

Ready to make some trail mix?

How to make healthy trail mix

The first thing I did for this trail mix was to toss the almonds and cashews with a solution of hot water and salt, and sprinkled them with a little more salt. A little salt makes this trail mix super flavorful and addictive but still healthy. You could buy nuts that are pre-roasted and salted, but I prefer to control the amount of salt, and I also find that they taste fresher when I toast them myself. I kept the walnuts raw because I love raw walnuts, but you could toast them too if you prefer.

Next, it’s just a question of tossing the toasted nuts and walnuts with the raisins, cranberries, and some coarsely chopped dark chocolate. Note: be sure to cool the nuts completely before tossing with the chocolate chunks or the chocolate will melt.

That’s it! This is definitely a case of simpler is better!

And if you love snacking on healthy whole grains and nuts as much as we do, check out these roasted almonds with herbs, chewy granola bars, or incredible banana coconut granola.

Enjoy xx

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Healthy Trail Mix

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 284kcal

Author: Ann Otis

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup whole raw almonds
▢ 1 cup whole raw cashews
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
▢ 3 teaspoons hot water
▢ 1 cup raw walnut halves
▢ 1 cup dried cranberries
▢ 1/2 cup sultana raisins
▢ 1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped into medium-size chunks

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of salt with the 3 teaspoons of hot water, and stir until most of the salt is dissolved. Add the almonds and cashews and stir to combine.
Spread the cashews and almonds on a small sheet pan and sprinkle with and additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roast the nuts in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Take care not to burn them. Allow the nuts to cool completely before tossing with the remaining ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the almonds, cashews, walnuts, cranberries, raisins and dark chocolate chunks.