With the perfect balance of sweet and salty, this Valentine’s Trail Mix hits all the right notes for a holiday that’s basically the perfect excuse for snack lovers. This is one of our favorites!
You may already know it, but Olivia and I are pretty serious when it comes to trail mix. We test all the different combinations to find the perfect blend of ingredients. And, we’re thrilled to add this one to the list, along with our dark chocolate trail mix and the rest.
Valentine’s Trail Mix
I would rate this recipe a 9 out of 10! I really liked this trail mix. It was one of my favorites out of all the ones we have made. I like it because it is very sweet, but also balanced out.
At first, I made it too chocolatey, but it was too much. So we cut back on the M&Ms, and we ended up changing up a lot of the ingredients. I feel like it made it much better.
When you first bite in, you get the salty flavors of the popcorn and pretzels, then you get the fruity flavors of the craisins. And, then the sweet flavors hit you. It all comes together really nice.
One thing that I learned is that some ingredients are really good on their own, but they don’t work well with trail mix. Animal crackers are one of my favorite treats, but they were too much, here. You just have to keep trying new combos.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Nuts – We used chocolate covered pistachios in this mix. Usually, we go for regular nuts. But, this holiday felt like a good time for an indulgence.
Fruit – At first, I wasn’t sold on craisins. But, Olivia convinced me to try them. And, we ended up with a mix where we really liked them.
Crunchy Stuff – We chose honey nut cheerios and yogurt covered pretzel for extra texture.
Popcorn – We used lightly salted popcorn for its soft texture, and to balance some of the sweeter elements.
Marshmallows – It was kind of a given that we’d include these adorable white and pink marshmallows for Valentine’s.
Candy – The valentine’s edition M&Ms were perfect for this recipe.
How to Make Valentine’s Trail Mix
Prepping the Ingredients: We break the yogurt covered pretzels into pieces so that they are a more uniform size with the other ingredients.
Combining the Ingredients: We prefer to use our kitchen scale when measuring the ingredients into a big bowl. This saves us the trouble of washing the measuring cups.
Mixing and Serving: We give the ingredients a toss, then transfer to a serving bowl or airtight storage container.
Dad’s Tip
I am convinced that the very best trail mixes are the ones that are balanced. You want to look for bold contrasts with flavor and texture, but for each ingredient to share the spotlight. A great trail mix should rotate between salty, sweet, chewy, and crunchy as you work through each bite. That rhythm is what separates an okay trail mix from a truly fantastic one.
Salt Check – If this mix tastes flat, usually it’s because there isn’t enough salt. You’ll find that adding a few extra pretzels or nuts fixes the problem.
Match Sizes – Try to keep all the ingredients close to the same size so that they mix together evenly. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a bunch of big stuff on top and all the tiny pieces on the bottom.
Taste First – Sample the ingredient ratios with a test bite before you measure them into the bowl. If anything is not exactly how you want it, adapt the mix to taste.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Trail mix is perfect for making ahead of time. That way it’s ready to snack when you are.
Storing: Be sure to store this in an airtight container, so that nothing dries out or loses its desired texture. I’ve never had leftovers last longer than a week, but it definitely keeps well up to that point.
More Trail Mix Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure can! When swapping ingredients, just make sure you focus on the role that ingredient plays. Then, swap in something with a similar texture and flavor profile.
You’re going to want a variety that is plain or lightly salted, here.
Yes, but you’ll probably want to either add a pinch of salt or add some more salty ingredients to balance the flavors.
Valentine’s Trail Mix
Ingredients
Method
- Break the pretzels into small pieces, then measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Mix thoroughly, then transfer to a serving bowl or airtight container. Enjoy!
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