Description
This Halloween Trail Mix is a festive and spooky snack perfect for celebrating the season. It combines roasted pumpkin seeds, pepitas, nuts, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, mini pretzels, and air-popped popcorn, all seasoned with warming pumpkin pie spices and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The mix is customizable with colorful orange food coloring and Halloween-themed candies, making it a fun and delicious treat for parties, trick-or-treaters, or autumn gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Seeds & Nuts
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds, hulled
- 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds, shelled)
- 1 cup cashews, roasted and unsalted
- 1 cup almonds, slivered
Dried Fruits & Sweet Add-ins
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Crunchy Mix-ins
- 1/4 cup mini pretzels
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels (air-popped)
Seasonings & Oils
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Optional
- Orange food coloring gel (for a vibrant orange hue)
- Candy corn, gummy worms, or other Halloween-themed candies for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) to prepare for roasting the seeds and nuts.
- Prepare Seeds: Spread pumpkin seeds and pepitas in a single layer on a baking sheet to ensure even roasting.
- Oil and Season Seeds: Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the seeds and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and add optional orange food coloring for a festive hue.
- Roast Seeds: Roast the seasoned seeds for 15-20 minutes until they turn golden brown and become fragrant.
- Cool Seeds: Remove the seeds from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Almonds: While seeds are roasting, toss the slivered almonds with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg to coat them.
- Roast Almonds: Spread the almonds on a separate baking sheet and roast them in the oven alongside the seeds for the last 10-12 minutes of the roasting time.
- Cool Almonds: Let the almonds cool completely after roasting.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cooled pumpkin seeds, pepitas, almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, dark and white chocolate chips, mini pretzels, and air-popped popcorn.
- Toss Mix: Gently toss all ingredients together to ensure an even distribution of flavors and textures.
- Add Halloween Candies: If desired, add candy corn, gummy worms, or other Halloween-themed candies for garnish and toss gently again.
- Store Trail Mix: Transfer the trail mix to an airtight container and store at room temperature to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Roast the seeds and nuts separately or at staggered times to avoid burning and ensure even cooking.
- Use air-popped popcorn instead of microwave or oil-popped for a lighter, healthier snack.
- Adjust the amount of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon according to your taste preference.
- Optional food coloring is purely decorative and can be omitted for a natural look.
- Store the trail mix in an airtight container to preserve crunchiness for up to two weeks.
- Feel free to substitute nuts like walnuts or pecans based on availability or preference.
