Those of us living gluten-free know how hard it can be to find a trail mix that is tasty, healthy, and which meets our dietary restrictions. Trail mix is a popular snack that we’d think is always gluten-free, but rarely is. Here are two recipes for gluten-free trail mix you can throw together yourself in 5 minutes. They are sweet, crunchy, and will sustain you for hours!
Apple Crisp Trail Mix
MAKES 8 SERVINGS.
This recipe shows that trail mix can be so much more than just peanuts and raisins.
Ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free puffed rice
2 ounces (about 2 cups) plain or cinnamon apple chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup pecan halves, optional
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts, optional
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup shelled roasted sunflower seeds
2 ounces chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips, optional
Each serving contains 124 calories, 7g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 6mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 6g sugars, 2g protein, 7Est GL.

Matthew Kadey
Mango Tango Trail Mix
MAKES 8 SERVINGS.
No foray into the wilderness is complete without a nutrition-packed trail mix. This crunchy snack keeps hunger at bay.
Ingredients:
4 cups plain popcorn
3 ounces chopped gluten-free jerky or pepperette (cured meat stick)
1 cup sliced dried mango
1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews, optional
1/2 cup roasted unsalted almonds, optional
1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup coconut chips
Each serving contains 132 calories, 6g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 9mg cholesterol, 154mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 7g sugars, 8g protein, 8Est GL.
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.
2. Transfer trail mix to a large zip-top bag or several smaller bags (for individual servings).
Contributing chef Matthew Kadey, RD, is a registered dietitian and food writer. He is author of The Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press), The No-Cook, No-Bake Cookbook (Ulysses Press), and Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports and Adventure (VeloPress).
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free puffed rice
- 2 ounces (about 2 cups) plain or cinnamon apple chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, optional
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts, optional
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup shelled roasted sunflower seeds
- 2 ounces chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips, optional
- 4 cups plain popcorn
- 3 ounces chopped gluten-free jerky or pepperette (cured meat stick)
- 1 cup sliced dried mango
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews, optional
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted almonds, optional
- 1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup coconut chips