Everything Trail Bars
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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?
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.
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
Watch how they’re made:
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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!
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! 😁