Easy Trail Mix with Mini Medjools

Easy Trail Mix with Mini Medjools combines naturally sweet coconut-covered Medjool dates with tropical fruits and mixed nuts to make summer snacking easy. It’s a burst of natural energy and nutrition, making it the perfect snack for hiking, beach days, or simply keeping you fueled during busy workdays.

My homies at Natural Delights Medjool Dates sponsored this post. I purchase and enjoy this brand and product for my family and myself, which is why I write about them. Please support Natural Delights, as they make posts like this possible here on Sense and Edibility®. 

What Is Trail Mix?

Trail mix is a snack made with a mixture of dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and sometimes chocolate candies. There’s no solid origin for the recipe, but a renowned outdoorsman named Horace Kephart opined that “A handful of shelled nuts and raisins… will carry a man far on the trail…” in his 1919 book Camping & Woodcraft: A Handbook for Vacation Campers & for Travelers in the Wilderness. Suffice it to say he was the guy who kicked things off.

Most people like trail mix because it’s a convenient snack that you can eat on the go. My outdoorsy friends say it’s a must for hiking or camping. I take them at their word because we all know me and the outdoors don’t jive. I love it as a quick breakfast or road trip snack. When Hector was still in the Army, I’d make trail mixes from what I had left in the pantry before we PCS’d (permanent change of station) to our new duty station. It’s a great snack to enjoy at the beach, on road trips, or to tame the wild beast that is a “child’s summer break stomach.” If you know, you know.

The best part of making trail mix at home is having the freedom to combine sweet and savory ingredients with varying textures to suit your dietary or flavor preferences. 

What Are Mini Medjools?

I’m so glad you asked because I was there when it happened! I visited the DatePac, LLC. facility in 2023 and watched how Mini Medjools are made from start to finish. Date pulp is extruded into long tubes and coated with desiccated coconut flakes before being cut down into bite-sized pieces. The image above shows them chugging down the conveyor belt at the processing facility. No added sugars, preservatives, or coloring go into making a Mini Medjool, so when I say it’s an all-natural snack, it’s because I saw it all go down. 

Though there are a variety of flavors, the coconut is that gworl. Think of a brownie with coconut flakes on top, and you’ll have an idea of how tasty these little babies are. When you combine them with mixed nuts, as in this recipe, they give a bit of a peanut butter vibe. Either way, you’re in for a tasty time. 

Mini Medjools are just another feather in Natural Delights’ cap. You already know about their plump Medjool Dates, and I also introduced you to their Date Strips with Tajín. I don’t know what the geniuses at Natural Delights will come up with next, but they haven’t missed lately. 

What Are The Ingredients In This Trail Mix with Mini Medjools?

This 5-ingredient trail mix is made with Coconut Mini Medjools, honey-roasted mixed nuts, banana chips, dried pineapple, and dried papaya. 

You only need a bowl, a spoon (or a hand), and jars to pack it in. This is definitely one of the easiest recipes you’ll make this week. 

How Do I Make The Best Trail Mix?

Making a perfect trail mix requires a balance of sweet and salty, chewy and crunchy, and light and rich flavors. I prefer to keep my recipe as natural as possible, so I don’t add chocolate candy, as some do. Instead, I rely on honey-roasted nuts and the Mini Medjools to provide the sweetness. The remaining ingredients have their own sweetness, while the nuts and banana chips provide saltiness. If you prefer a saltier mix, replace the honey-roasted nuts with dry or salted ones. You can also use unsalted nuts to reduce the sodium in this recipe.

The fruits and nuts you include in your trail mix should all be the same size. Cutting the fruits into bite-sized pieces makes up the bulk of the prep work in this recipe. Cutting the fruit into bite-size pieces (about an inch) makes it easier to pack and eat. If you skip cutting down larger pieces of fruit, you won’t be able to fit a full serving size into portable containers. 

Because they contain no additives or preservatives, Mini Medjools are soft (like dates should be). I’ve found that chilling them in the fridge, especially in hot weather, makes them easier to cut, but this isn’t a must. Use a sharp knife to cut the Mini Medjools in half. If it’s not too hot, you can skip chilling them. 

Pro Tip: Once you’ve cut the Mini Medjools in half, put them back in the package and shake them around. This coats them in the coconut, so they’re less inclined to stick when you add them to the rest of the ingredients. 

Can I Swap Out Any Of The Fruits?

Add the Mini Medjool pieces, mixed nuts, banana chips, dried pineapple, and dried papaya pieces to a large mixing bowl. Use a large spoon or your hands to mix the ingredients until well combined. 

I love a tropical trail mix, which is why I’m using coconut Mini Medjools, papaya, pineapple, and banana chips. You can add more or less of the fruits you like or swap them out completely. I recommend dried cranberries, apricots, cherries, or prunes with the coconut Mini Medjools. 

To switch up the flavor, try these combinations:

• Cacao Pecan Mini Medjool Trail Mix: Cacao Pecan Mini Medjools, dried blueberries or cherries, dehydrated strawberry chips, and dry-roasted mixed nuts.
• Sweet and Salty Mini Medjool Trail Mix: Sweet and Salty Mini Medjools, dehydrated apple chips, dried apricots, dried cranberries, and salted mixed nuts.

What Add-Ins Can I Mix In?

Add-ins are another way to customize your trail mix recipe. Remember that “texture/flavor” balance when thinking about what add-ins to include. 

Here’s a bit of inspiration for you:

• chocolate-covered candies
• kettle potato chips
• pretzels
• yogurt covered raisins
• granola clusters

These add-ins will elevate the caloric value (great for hiking or energy-sapping activities) or amp up the saltiness. Using ingredients with added seasoning, like chile-limon or wasabi-soy, will also add more flavor to your trail mix.

How Do I Store My Trail Mix?

Proper storage of your trail mix is essential in maintaining its freshness and flavor. After mixing your trail mix, portion it into an airtight container. The airtight container prevents the nuts and dried fruits from becoming stale. I portion my trail mix into recycled yogurt jars with a tight-fitting lid, but glass mason jars also work well. Portion them into individual servings or throw the mix into a large airtight container and scoop it out as you please.

Store trail mix in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. Heat warms the nuts in the trail mix, causing them to release their oils, which promotes spoiling and rancidity. If you store trail mix properly, it will last you for 3 weeks, probably 4, but I recommend consuming it before that. 

Can I Freeze Trail Mix?

I don’t recommend freezing trail mix because it changes the texture and compromises the flavor of the ingredients. I also don’t recommend refrigerating trail mix because the moist air softens the crunchy banana chips. 

Storing them at room temperature in a cool, dark place like the pantry is best. 

How Do I Enjoy This Trail Mix with Mini Medjools?

Trail mix is an all-day treat. You can top your morning yogurt with it, pack it in your lunch box, or enjoy it on a picnic or while hiking. I’m a huge fan of tossing a bag at the twins to quiet down all the “I’m hungry!!” whining I hear on their summer break.

It doesn’t matter if you snack on this Trail Mix with Mini Medjools at your desk or on a mountaintop; you’ll love the contrasts of flavors and textures. The calorie boost will fuel you in a healthy way while satisfying your sweet (or salty) tooth. Buy a few packages of Mini Medjools and have fun creating your own custom trail mix using this recipe as your guide.  

Easy Trail Mix

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 9 votes

A 5-ingredient trail mix is made with Coconut Mini Medjools, honey-roasted mixed nuts, banana chips, pineapple pineapple, and dried papaya.

Servings: 12 3-ounce servings

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• 12 glass jars or 1- 1 gallon jar

Ingredients

  

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• 12 ounces (340 grams) Coconut Mini Medjools cut in half
• 10 ounces (283 gram) honey-roasted mixed nuts
• 7 ounces (198 grams) dried papaya chopped
• 6 ounces (170 grams) banana chips
• 4.5 ounces (127 grams) dried pineapple chunks

Instructions 

Combine the Mini Medjools Trail Mix

• Add the Mini Medjool pieces, honey-roasted mixed nuts, dried papaya pieces, banana chips, and the dried pineapple chunks to a large mixing bowl.
• Use a large spoon or your hands to mix the ingredients until well combined. 

Pack and Store the Trail Mix For Up To 3 Months

• After mixing your trail mix, portion it into an airtight container to keep the nuts and dried fruits from becoming stale.

  You can portion them into small jars for individual servings or into a large airtight container and scoop it out as you please.
• Store the Trail Mix in a cool, dark place in the kitchen or pantry and enjoy within 3 weeks of preparation.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Swap out any of the fruits for more of what you like or replace them with dried cranberries, apricots, cherries, or prunes.
• If you prefer a saltier mix, replace the honey-roasted nuts with dry or salted ones. You can also use unsalted nuts to reduce the sodium in this recipe.
• Flavored mixed nuts or dried fruits with added seasoning, like chile-limon or wasabi-soy, will add more flavor to your trail mix.
• Optional Add-ins: 1 cup chocolate-covered candies, kettle potato chips, pretzels, yogurt-covered raisins, or granola clusters.

Tips and Techniques:

• Cutting the dried fruits into bite-size pieces (about an inch) makes it easier to pack and eat.
• If you're making this on a hot day, chill the Mini Medjools for 20-30 minutes to make cutting them easier. 

Storage Instructions:

• Store trail mix in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat for 3 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 283mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 178IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg

Course Snack

Cuisine North American

Keyword dates, fruit, nuts, snacks, trail mix

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