Last Updated on September 7, 2024

These deliciously crunchy, salty-sweet Trail Mix Bars make the best healthy snack! They are made with a variety of nuts and seeds, dried cranberries, and crispy quinoa mixed with natural peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and then topped with a layer of melted chocolate. These naturally sweetened bars are gluten-free, vegan!

What Are Trail Mix Bars

These Trail Mix Bars are like a combination of traditional trail mix, granola bars, and a candy bar. Trail Mix bars are a great way to add more nuts and seeds to your diet. I love snacking on trail mix on it’s own, but there’s something extra delicious about these trail mix bars that almost feels like you’re eating dessert. And eating these bars for breakfast is totally acceptable! 😉

In my version of these Trail Mix Bars, I’m combining a variety of nuts and seeds, dried cranberries, and crispy puffed quinoa with a melted maple vanilla peanut butter mixture. To take these bars to another level, I decided to add a layer of chocolate on top! These bars are so easy to make, simply spread the nut and seed mix into a baking pan, pour the melted chocolate over top and chill until they are solid. Then slice into bars and enjoy! Read more below on what exact ingredients I use and how to make these scrumptious bars!

Ingredients

Nut & Seed Mixture

Almonds. I chose to use unblanched roasted, salted almonds in this trail mix bar recipe. You can use any variety of almonds you’d like- raw and blanched, raw and unblanched, or roasted. I wouldn’t use sliced or slivered almonds, however. Try to stick with whole almonds to add a nice crunch to these bars.

Walnuts. I used raw walnut pieces in this recipe, not whole walnuts. You can try to make these bars with whole walnuts or maybe walnut halves.

Pistachios. I also used whole, shelled pistachios. You may use pistachio pieces if preffered.

Pumpkin seeds. I like to use raw pumpkin seeds for a pop of color (green) to this recipe. They also retain more of their nutritional value, as like with any raw nuts and seeds.

Flaxseeds. Use whole flaxseed not flaxseed meal or flour in this recipe!

Chia seeds. You can use black or white chia seeds.

Dried cranberries. I prefer to use apple juice sweetened dried cranberries to keep the refined sugar down, which can be purchased on Amazon or at a local natural food store. But if you can’t find them, any variety of dried cranberries will work.

Crispy puffed quinoa. I love crispy puffed quinoa! It adds a little extra protein and the size and crunch of the little quinoa pearls are perfect. You can purchase it on Amazon.

Cinnamon. I love cinnamon! It’s my favorite spice, so naturally I am adding it into these Trail Mix Bars 😉

Maple Vanilla Peanut Butter Mixture

Peanut butter. You will need 3 tablespoons of peanut butter for this recipe. I suggest using natural peanut butter with no added sugar or palm oil. You can use creamy peanut butter or chunky peanut butter.

Coconut oil. Using melted coconut oil mixed with the peanut butter to help the bars solidify and hold together when chilled.

Maple syrup. Maple syrup adds a bit of sweetness to these bars. Make sure to use pure maple syrup and NOT maple-flavored syrup.

Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract adds just the right amount of vanilla flavor to these trail mix bars. Don’t use imitation vanilla as it’s most likely not gluten-free.

Chocolate Layer

Chocolate chips. I like to use dark chocolate chips, not only because it’s dairy-free, but also for the benefits of dark chocolate. You may use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but take not of the ingredients and sugar content (if that matters to you).

Coconut oil. You will also use 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in the melted chocolate to help make the chocolate more smooth and pourable while also allowing the bars to slice without the chocolate layer cracking.

Ingredient Variations

Try using different nuts or seeds. These Trail Mix Bars are easy to adapt to your liking. You can swap out different nuts or seeds, such as substituting pecans for the walnuts or using peanuts instead of pistachios. Just make sure to use the same measurements or the bars might not turn out to be the same texture, or hold together as well.

Use another nut or seed butter. You can use a different nut or seed butter in place of the peanut butter if desired. You can use cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter. Just note that the taste of these bars will be slightly different if you do swap out the peanut butter.

Use a different natural sweetener. This recipe calls for pure maple syrup, but if you’d like to use agave syrup instead that would be fine. You may also try yacon syrup for a low glycemic option! I made a similar recipe for Instragram using Alovitox Yacon Syrup and it was the perfect sweetener. Honey is also an option, although honey isn’t technically vegan, so if you’re strictly vegan stick with the maple, agave, or yacon syrup.

Swap out the dried cranberries for another dried fruit. I like the addition of cranberries in this recipe for their tanginess and added health benefits, but if you don’t like cranberries you can try dried blueberries, dried goji berries, dried cherries, another dried fruit of choice. I’ve even made these bars with dried golden berries I purchased from Alovitox and they were so yummy!

Substitute crispy puffed quinoa for crispy rice. I purchase my crispy puffed quinoa on Amazon and use it in a variety of recipes, like my popular Crispy Quinoa Cacao Cookies, Creamy Avocado Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Bars, or my Chocolate Crunch Date Truffles. But crispy rice cereal will also work in these trail mix bars.

How To Make These Trail Mix Bars

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, dried cranberries, crispy puffed quinoa, and ground cinnamon. 

Add the coconut oil, peanut butter, vanilla extract and maple syrup to a glass measuring cup or bowl. Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk to combine well.

Pour over the nut mixture and stir with a spatula to coat all of the mixture.

Spread the nut mixture evenly into the baking pan. 

In a glass measuring cup or bowl, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Pour the melted chocolate over the bars, gently spread edge to edge and then place into the freezer for an hour, until hardened.

Slice into bars and enjoy! Keep them stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

Storage

These Trail Mix Bars are best when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you leave them out, they will get soft and a little melty. Still finger-licking good, but I prefer them chilled.

Try These Other Trail Mix Inspired Recipes

Let me know what you think about this easy snack recipe down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a five rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover these homemade Trail Mix Bars! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make them!