Sweet and Salty Trail Mix

Disclaimer: So this is neither sugar or dairy free but it's gluten free and it's still yummy!

I recently took a short trip to LA and realized that I would be spending must of my time indoors at a convention per se.  What better snacks to bring then the ones you can make?!

I made several but I thought I would start with this one since Big Wong and the girls really liked it.  As well as my friends who I hung out with that weekend.

This trail mix is super easy and tasty.  Definitely a party in your mouth, you got sweet, savory, creamy, coconuty...it's just plain nutty how easy and quick it was to whip this up.

Ingredients:

No Rhyme or reason as to why I chose the following nuts, these were what I had in my nut bin...Yes a nut bin...I don't have enough to fill a drawer but a bin, definitely.

• 1 and 1/2 cup of raw Almonds
• 1 cup of Pistachios (I got mine from Costco so there were salted and shelled.  So Convenient, I once made Baklava and had to shell them one by one...my fingers were sore for a day!)
• 1/2 cup of raw Pepitas
• 1/2 cup raw Sunflower Seeds
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries (you can also add whatever dried berries you have, I wanted cherries but I was out, I think tart and sweet would have complimented the chocolate)

Ultimately, how much you want to add of this creamy goodness is up to you, but I think a handful is plenty (if you are gluten and/or dairy intolerant, look for gluten and/or dairy free chips):

• Handful of dark chocolate chips
• Handful of white chocolate chips 
• 4 tablespoons of coconut oil (use 3 and save one for later)
• 4 tablespoons of dark coconut sugar 
• Trader Joe's Roasted Coconut Chips

Optional

• 6 cranks of sea salt with a grinder top

OR

I used 6 full twists (12 total) of each of the following:

• Trader Joe's Thyme, Lemon & Bay Seal Salt
• Trader Joe's Edible Flowers Sea Salt

I know it probably doesn't make sense but I had it and I thought why not?! It doesn't really have a citrus or floral note in the trail mix but the is a slight saltiness other than the salted pistachios.

I used a skillet just because it was on my stove...you can really use any type of pan for this.  But if you have a skillet, why not show it some love. Plus I love how it stays evenly coated with the oil. :)

Melt 3 tablespoons of Coconut Oil. Add 1.5 cups of the almonds, make sure to coat them evenly with oil.  Cook on medium to low heat for several minutes (mine took about 5 minutes and on low because we have a professional grade stove, most home stoves can be set to medium, test it out and see).  This will give them a nice toast...a nice golden brown color though I know it will seem hard to distinguish with the oil, you will be able to tell as they darken.

Remember to stir occasionally as to NOT burn the almonds.

Since the almonds are much bigger, I started with the almonds first then added the rest once I felt the almonds were where I wanted them.  Add the pepitas, sunflower seeds, pistachios.  You may hear a little popping from the smaller nuts.  It's ok, it's not going to pop like popped corn.  Continue to occasionally stir to avoid burning.

Add the cranberries when the nuts look evenly coated in the coconut oil.

 

 Melt the last tablespoon of coconut oil directly onto the skillet and sprinkle the 4 tablespoons of sugar over all the nuts.  Stir to ensure a nice even coat.  You will notice the sugar will create a nice caramelization around the pepitas and sunflower seeds. I really liked the added crunch. 

Once it's evenly coated, pour onto a baking dish or pan to cool.

 When cooled, add the coconut chips, dark and white chocolate. 

Hope you love it as much as Big O.  Above is his bag that he took to work...

Enjoy!

XOXO