With 3 growing boys in school, it can be hard to keep snacks for school in our house! Sometimes it feels like I buy a bunch of snacks, just to be out the next day. And, to find something that I feel good about them eating, and that they like, is an even bigger challenge! That is how I came up with this fun & easy homemade trail mix recipe!

I make this yummy DIY trail mix for my kids several times each school year, and they always love it! (You can even change it up to be seasonal! ????). Just add things that you know that they love & you’ll have a hit!

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Homemade Trail Mix Recipe

Control What Goes In To Your Kids’ Snacks

I really don’t mind my kids eating Teddy Grahams or other sweetened snacks, but I would rather that not be their entire snack! With a do-it-yourself snack like this homemade trail mix recipe, you can include healthier options alongside some of the “fun” options that your kids probably want. Nuts, dried fruit & whole grain cereal are all good options to add in to your kids’ trail mix!

You Have Lots of Options for Variety

The sky is the limit with this fun homemade trail mix recipe! You can dream up all sorts of combinations. So if you have one child that hates raisins, add in dried cranberries, dried mango chunks or dried bananas instead.

Easy for Kids to Make

This recipe is SO SIMPLE, that it’s an easy snack for kids to make! Just guide them in how many cups of each ingredient (or you might end up with a M&M only trail mix) and stir it ll together)!

Make It Fun!

So, even though you may want to be careful that your kids aren’t just eating junk for their school snack, you can add some fun & even seasonal items to your kids’ trail mix to make it a little festive!

Here are a few options:

candy corn &/or pumpkins in the fall
red & green M&Ms around Christmas
white chocolate covered mini-pretzels, marshmallows, and other white snacks in January
candy hearts & chocolate chips or kisses for Valentine’s day

I love making simple, every day things like snacks fun and festive! That is something your kids will remember as they grow up!

Portion Control

I will warn you ahead of time, DON’T let the kids fill their own snack bags! Because if your kids are like mine, your mix will only last a couple of days instead of a week or more! I usually pre-fill small sandwich bags with about a cup of this homemade trail mix.

If you like the idea of reusable snack containers, be sure to check out these adorable snack bag options! I personally LOVE the rainbow & unicorn bags, but I’m pretty sure my boys wouldn’t go for those! ???? Here are lots of other cute choices your kids will love!

Print Recipe

Easy Homemade Trail Mix for Kids

This fun & simple dump & mix recipe can be made by your kids & they'll enjoy their yummy creations for days to come!

Total Time5

Course: Snack

Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

3 cups a mixture of cereal of your choice (Cheerios, Oat Squares, PB Puffins, etc.
2 cups goldfish or other small savory crackers
2 cups Annie's bunnies, Teddy Grahams, or other slightly sweetened mini cookies
1 cup peanuts, almonds or other nut (dry roasted preferably)
1-2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, bananas) If your kids love dried fruit, add a little more, especially if you're using dried bananas! Sometimes raisins will get salty when it's mixed with the crackers and nuts, so watch to see if kids are leaving somethings in their bags!
1-2 cup M&Ms, chocolte chips, yogurt covered raisins or chocolate covered nuts

Instructions

Mix all of the ingredients together. Put about 1 cup of mix in each bag.

A Little Secret!

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. (Ok, so it might seem obvious to some of you!????). There is a “cheaters” way to make this delicious homemade Trail Mix! All you have to do is start with a bag of store bought trail mix that your kids will like, and add the cereal, crackers & cookies to the mix! I have done this many times to “fluff it out” and help make our trail mix go further. This way may be “semi-homemade”, but your kids will still love the end result!

I hope you find the perfect combination that your kids love and that will help them get thru the school day! Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below!