Trail Mix for Those Hangry Moments

I definitely suffer from the occasional bout of hangry.  The rough translation being for those occasions when you are so hungry you just want to scream and shout at everyone until you’ve pushed food in to your mouth.  So, I made trail mix to snack on in the hopes that such moments can be avoided.  I don’t like myself in those moments, I don’t like anyone in those moments.  Trail Mix to the rescue.

I’m always on the lookout for relatively healthy snacks I can munch on at work where my need for munching seems to be magnified by about a million.  I came across this useful information page from BBC Good Food about the nutritional benefits of different nuts.  I decided some sort of trail mix containing a good variety of my favourite nuts and seeds was just what I needed plus the extra protein boost would be another benefit.  I also added some coconut, oats and cherries to pad it out a bit.  You might be thinking isn’t this granola and yes, this would also make amazing granola, I can’t argue with that.  I just dialled down the amount of oats so that the nuts took centre stage.  Chuck it in a container and take it to work, eat it with natural yoghurt, use it as a dessert topping on ice cream.  Go nuts!  Sorry.

Makes about 1.5 pints.

The ingredient amounts here are approximate, use more or less to your liking.  There’s no set rules to follow.

25g (1oz) each for your choice of seeds, nuts and coconut flakes

75g (3oz) gluten free rolled oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

Handful of dried fruit of our choice

1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil would work)

1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Mix the coconut oil and maple syrup together and set aside.  In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients apart from the dried fruit and the sugar.  Pour in the oil and syrup mixture and combine until everything is coated.  Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle over the sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes checking at regular intervals to ensure nothing is burning and to turn the mixture over so that all sides are browned.  Coconut flakes can cook particularly fast so you might want to add these a bit later.  Once the trail mix is golden brown remove from the oven and add the dried fruit to the hot tray.  Allow the mixture to cool and the fruit to plump up a little from the heat given off by the baking tray.  Once completely cool store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.