Everything Trail Bars
Get ready to meet your new favorite snack! I call these ‘Everything Trail Bars’ because you can use almost any combination of all of the nuts and dried fruits you have in the kitchen. Think: oatmeal raisin cookie meets trail mix – need I say more?
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclaimer here.
These trail mix bars have everything you love about a chewy oatmeal cookie combined with all the goodness of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
They’re the perfect bar to take on your adventures such as day hikes, camping trips, and even road trips.
These trail bars are:
- chewy
- sweet
- crunchy
- super easy to make
- freakin’ delicious!!
- the perfect homemade hiking snack
Everything Trail Bar Ingredients
This homemade hiking snack is simple to make, and you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry.
Here are some of the key ingredients that you’ll need:
- Mixed nuts and seeds: You can use just about whatever nuts and seeds you have in the kitchen. My favorite is a combo of sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts, and almonds.
- Dried fruits: Again, whatever you have will most likely work. I usually do a combo of dried cranberries, raisins, and chopped dried strawberries.
- Shredded coconut: For this recipe, use unsweetened shredded coconut, not flakes.
- Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter if that’s all you have, but omit the salt in the recipe.
- Dark brown sugar: Dark brown sugar is so underrated! The dark brown sugar gives these bars a rich and deep caramel flavor.
- Rolled Oats and All-Purpose Flour: You can use gluten-free oats if needed. Although I have not tested it, I think swapping in an all-purpose gluten-free flour would work in this recipe, but please don’t substitute any other flour like almond or coconut. That will not work.
You’ll also need vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, an egg, and cinnamon!
How to Make Everything Trail Bars
In a large bowl, mix the chopped nuts, dried fruits, coconut, flour, oats, and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar. Next, mix in the vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda. Lastly, whisk in the egg until everything is creamy.
Add the wet mixture to the nuts and fruit and mix well.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Press the dough into a metal 9×9 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until the bars are golden brown and the smell fills your kitchen. Wait for the pan to completely cool before cutting into bars.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Watch how they’re made:
More Homemade Snacks to Try:
Everything Trail Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed nuts, roughly chopped (I used a mix of sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts, and almonds)
- 1/2 cup dried fruits, chopped (I used raisins and cranberries )
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the chopped nuts, dried fruits, coconut, flour, oats, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar. Next, mix in the vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda. Lastly, whisk in the egg until everything is creamy.
- Add the wet mixture to the nuts and fruit and mix well.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Press the dough into a metal 9×9 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the bars are golden brown and the smell fills your kitchen. Wait for the pan to completely cool before cutting into bars.
Notes
get my free
Camp Cooking Starter Kit
Printable camping recipes, a gear checklist, and a camping meal planner so you can go camping with confidence (and good food!)
How to Store and Pack Everything Trail Bars
At home, I store these trail mix bars at room temperature in an airtight container.
For hikes and road trips, I usually store these bars in reusable ReZip bags.
Have you tried these trail bars?
If so, give them a quick review in the comments below!
Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it. I used macadamia nuts, and dried cherries and cranberries. Followed exactly and turned out perfectly.
Love that combo! Glad everyone enjoyed them and thank you for the review!
My family and friends LOVE these! I make these on repeat and every single time we go camping. They are so delicious and satisfying!
Very good. I made some modifications as I was looking for a recipe to use up some trail mix I got on discount. Used 1 1/2 cups of trail mix, and substituted coconut oil for the butter. Turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.
I made these with gluten free oats and gluten free flour and they were delicious! (I also left out the coconut.)
I made these for a group paddling trip to the BWCA, everyone loved them, I wish I would have made a double batch!
So glad everyone loved them! Thanks for the review Eric!
Hello! Have you tried freezing these? Or doubling them? They look delicious.
I just made these to take ona camp trip and they are amazing! Thanks for a great recipe. I see these becoming part of our regular rotation!
So glad you liked them! Thank you for the review!
Hi! I love this recipe buy my daughter is not a fan of shredded coconuts, may I leave out or substitute?
Thank you heaps!
Zoe
Although I have not tested it myself, I do think you can leave out the coconut, and the bars would still turn out delicious!
I just made my second batch of the trail bars. So awesome! I first made a test batch and then another batch yesterday that is headed to the Tetons with me to meet my daughter. I hope they survive the drive 😁. I used cashews, pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds for the nuts. For the fruits – raisins, Craisins and chile spiced dried mangos. Really good. Thank you!
You’re so welcome! I hope you have an awesome trip!
My family loves these trail bars! Our only variance from the recipe was using sweetened coconut flakes and light brown sugar because it’s what’s in the pantry. After two batches they still haven’t made it out of the house; they eat them like cookies.
I’m so glad everyone loves these bars!
Thank you for this recipe. I have made them multiple times so far and they’ve always turned out great! I really appreciate that I can use whatever ingredients I have on hand, very easy and delicious
Happy to hear it Jana! I love how easy these bars are to make and change ingredients! Glad you’re enjoying them!
How sturdy are they? Is the baking soda really necessary? I think it will make the bars less dense.
My main requirements for hiking energy bars are:
sturdiness, good shelf life in room temp, small size, max calories (but no added sugar)
Any advice? :)
I have not tested these bars without the baking soda. Once baked, they are very similar to a cookie. They hold up pretty well, but they’re not crunchy.
Made the Everything Trail bars to take on today’s hike – they were delicious. I went with a mix of cashews, walnuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds along with raisins and apricots. Also added some freshly grated ginger for a bit of zing! Will definitely be making again – thanks for the recipe :)
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked them. Love the addition of ginger! 😁