This calorie-bomb, backpacking trail mix recipe will leave you wanting more! However, at 835 calories in just one serving, you may want to stick with only one. This combination of nuts, dried fruit, and white chocolate is both calorie- and nutrient-dense and is sure to give you everything you want and need!
As backpackers and hikers, we look for the lightest, most nutrient-dense snacks and meals we can bring on the trail. So, we’ve created this tropical, homemade trail mix that will leave you completely satisfied! This snack gives you a bright flavor from the dried pineapple and coconut flakes, keeps you full due to the protein and fiber in the macadamia nuts, and satisfies your sweet tooth with white chocolate chips.
As Seen in Backpacker Magazine
Backpacker Magazine gave our Aloha Trail Mix recipe a real-world test — and it passed with flying colors. Watch the quick video below to see how easy it is to prepare (and why it’s become a trail favorite).
A Calorie-Dense but Nutrient-Dense Snack
As mentioned, backpackers and hikers need lightweight foods that pack a big punch. They need the best foods to supply the energy needed to travel anywhere from 5 to 50 miles a day. This backpacking trail mix, which does just that, contains only four simple ingredients: macadamia nuts, dried coconut, dried pineapple, and white chocolate chips.
Macadamia Nuts:
Macadamia nuts supply the most calories in this trail mix recipe (almost 500 calories in a half cup). However, they provide many other helpful nutrients, such as protein, fiber, and healthy monounsaturated fats.1 There are two different kinds of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are the “bad” fats that can lead to health problems such as high cholesterol and heart disease. On the other hand, unsaturated fats are “good” fats that we want to include in our diets. The fat found in macadamia nuts, monounsaturated, is a healthy fat. Thus, macadamia nuts come with specific health benefits, such as helping lower your risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.1,2
Dried Fruit Mix:
The coconut flakes and dried pineapple give this homemade trail mix its bright flavors that will leave you craving more! Since the water has been removed, dried fruit will provide more nutrients, including calories, than their hydrated (fresh) counterparts. Dried fruit also contains many other essential nutrients, such as fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.3
White Chocolate:
Adding white chocolate to our homemade trail mix gives it a simple richness and a touch of sweetness. Considering that white chocolate contains mostly simple carbohydrates (i.e., sugar), it will give your body a quick energy boost. You may question why white chocolate is added to the recipe when it doesn’t supply much more than calories. The answer: the joy of eating! You’re working hard on the trail and deserve to treat yourself with this simple addition.
Is This a Healthy Backpacking Trail Mix?
You may wonder about this recipe’s high fat and added sugar content. While those nutrients are present in this recipe, this is a homemade trail mix, meaning it is customizable. By choosing specific trail mix ingredients and their amounts, such as a half cup of macadamia nuts (high in healthy monounsaturated fats) and only a quarter cup of dried coconut (higher in saturated fat), we can create a better-for-you, nutrient-dense snack for the backcountry.
So where does that leave the added sugar from the white chocolate chips? When backpacking, our calorie needs are tremendously higher than our everyday needs. Consuming a relatively small amount of added sugars as a “treat” in your backpacking trail mix won’t negatively affect you. However, if you’d like to dive deeper into added sugars, check out our other blog post, Is Added Sugar Bad for Backpackers? As mentioned, many other beneficial nutrients are in the trail mix!
Aloha Trail Mix
Rate This Recipe
View Comments / Leave A ReviewNUTRITION (per serving)
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup (66 g) macadamia nuts, halves & unsalted
- ¼ cup (15 g) coconut, large unsweetened flakes
- 1 oz (28 g) pineapple, dried, tidbits
- 2 tbsp (28 g) chocolate chips, white
OPTIONAL
- 2 Tbsp chocolate chips, sugar-free white (substitution), low-sugar option
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) chocolate chips, vegan white (substitution), vegan option
INSTRUCTIONS (per serving)
HOME
- Put all ingredients in a bag or container for use in the backcountry.
FIELD
- Eat as-is and enjoy!
NOTES
NUTRITION
- Total sugar (per serving): 42 g, including 13 g of added sugar
- For a low-sugar recipe, use sugar-free white chocolate chips.
- This recipe is calorically dense and low-volume.
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Are you new to our blog?
Consider checking out these posts:
- How to Choose Snacks for Your Hiking Adventures
- What to Eat and Drink While Hiking in Hot Weather
- The Best Backpacking Foods for Energy
References:
- What Are Macadamia Nuts Good For? Medical News Today. Published February 13, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324233
- Baby DP. Health Benefits of Macadamia Nuts. Nourish. Published 2022. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-macadamia-nuts
- Alasalvar C, Salvadó JS, Ros E. Bioactives and health benefits of nuts and dried fruits. Food Chem. 2020;314:126192. doi:10.1016/J.FOODCHEM.2020.126192
2 Comments
Why macadamia nuts? Am thinking they must be shipped in from Hawai’i? Thanks! Jane
Macadamia nuts are the most calorically dense nuts. To offset the lower caloric density of the pineapple, macadamia nuts are used to keep the recipe high-calorie, low volume. They also provide a source of protein.