Description
This Halloween Trail Mix is a festive and spooky snack perfect for fall gatherings and trick-or-treating. Featuring a delicious combination of roasted pumpkin seeds, nuts, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, pretzels, and popcorn, seasoned with warm pumpkin pie spices and cinnamon, this mix offers a delightful balance of sweet, salty, and crunchy flavors. Optional Halloween-themed candies add an extra fun touch for the holiday.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Seeds and Nuts
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds, hulled
- 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds, shelled)
- 1 cup cashews, roasted and unsalted
- 1 cup almonds, slivered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (divided)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Dried Fruit and Sweets
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup mini pretzels
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels (air-popped)
Optional Ingredients
- Orange food coloring gel (for a vibrant orange hue)
- Candy corn, gummy worms, or other Halloween-themed candies for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 300°F (150°C) to prepare for roasting the seeds and nuts evenly without burning.
- Prepare pumpkin seeds and pepitas: Spread both pumpkin seeds and pepitas in a single layer on a baking sheet to ensure they roast evenly.
- Coat seeds with olive oil: Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the seeds and toss them well to coat evenly.
- Season the seeds: Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and optional orange food coloring gel onto the seeds, then toss again to distribute the spices evenly.
- Roast the seeds: Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until seeds are golden brown and fragrant. Watch to avoid burning.
- Cool the seeds: Remove from oven and transfer seeds to a wire rack to cool completely, which helps them crisp up.
- Prepare almonds: In a bowl, toss the slivered almonds with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- Roast almonds: Spread the seasoned almonds on a separate baking sheet and roast them alongside the seeds for the last 10-12 minutes of roasting.
- Cool almonds: Let the almonds cool completely to achieve a crunchy texture.
- Combine trail mix ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the cooled pumpkin seeds, pepitas, roasted almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, dark and white chocolate chips, mini pretzels, and air-popped popcorn kernels.
- Toss the mix: Gently toss all ingredients to combine without crushing the delicate items.
- Add optional candies: If desired, add candy corn, gummy worms, or other Halloween-themed candies and toss lightly to incorporate them.
- Store properly: Transfer the completed trail mix to an airtight container and store it at room temperature to maintain freshness and crunch.
Notes
- Use a wire rack to cool the seeds and nuts to prevent sogginess and maintain crispiness.
- Orange food coloring gel is optional but adds a fun festive color to the seeds.
- You can substitute nuts based on preference or allergies.
- Air-popping the popcorn kernels ensures a healthier, low-fat addition to the mix.
- Add Halloween-themed candies just before serving to keep textures distinct.
- Store in an airtight container to keep the trail mix fresh for up to two weeks.
