Hold on tight to your knickers – I’m about to blow your mind. First, I brought you Crock Pot Candied Nuts. Then, I busted out the big guns and presented Crock Pot Cocoa Almonds. And now I have exceeded awesomeness with CROCK POT TRAIL MIX. I know. I can hardly believe it myself…if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Except in this case. This is true, my friends. A true culinary delight.
And if you haven’t figured it out yet, I enjoy saying “culinary delight.” It makes me feel official and stuff. So, expect to see it a lot with all my other favorite phrases: rock my face off, thebomb.com, booya, and don’t eat my chocolate.
So, have you seen these candies hanging around Target? I first heard of them from 100 Days of Real Food. Of course, I had to have some – I have a thing for chocolate. But anyway, I got mine from Vitacost because I don’t get to Target very often (and yes, FTC, that’s an affiliate link…buy some candies to go with your bonbons). They have an “M&M” version and they have PB cups too.
They. Are. Stinking. Awesome!!! They are candy without the junk – no food colorings or GMOs or corn syrup. Are they health food? Well…they aren’t kale. And if you’ve not heard, kale is about the only thing everyone can agree on that IS healthy…except now I know one of you is going to send me an article about how kale is slowly killing me. So yeah, I like these candies.
Nuts and coconut are the star of this show! Along with the chocolate candy. Okay, so who am I kidding? Chocolate is always the star of the show – but when you pair it with nuts, well, you have a happy Stacy on your hands.
Just pick 2 cups of your favorite types of nuts – but don’t include your aunts and uncles – they just get tough under heat. I used almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts in this particular batch. I would have use macadamia nuts, but I hoard those like Donald Trump hoards bad hair. Peanuts would be an excellent, cheaper option. Peanuts + chocolate = true love.
Butter is another star in this show. How many stars can one show have? Who cares. I just want butter, chocolate, and nuts all mixed together. I don’t feel like that’s too much to ask, do you?
This concoction will cook a total of 90 minutes, stirring after 60. Then you have to wait for it to cool – which is really hard. But trust me, just do it. A burned, flaming tongue, is not worth it. Then you can’t enjoy the rest of the trail mix…or so I hear from OTHER PEOPLE. *Cough*
Let this cool on wax paper and then break into pieces. It will clump nicely. Or just leave it in one huge piece so you can honestly say “Well, I’m not hungry but I don’t know why. I only had ONE piece of Trail Mix.”
You won’t add the raisins and the chocolate pieces until the mixture is cool. That way the chocolate won’t melt. If you don’t have these Unreal candies you can use regular M&Ms (GASP! HEATHEN!) or just chocolate chips…or Ghirardelli makes these awesome 60% chocolate pieces that I just love.
Store this in an airtight container at room temperature. You don’t need to worry about an expiration date, because it might last one day…might.
Warning – this might cause you to have arguments with your 4 year old. “Don’t just eat the chocolate pieces!” “But Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!” “Eat the nuts with them too!” Munch, munch, munch – “Don’t do as I do, do as I say.”
Crock Pot Trail Mix
- 2 cups mixed nuts of desire (except aunts and uncles)
- 1 cup coconut chips or flakes
- 1/3 cup sugar/xylitol/sucanat
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup chocolate chips or Unreal chocolate candies
- Combine nuts, coconut, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small crock (I use my 2 quart for nuts).
- Lay butter pieces on top.
- Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour. Stir. Cover and cook 30 more minutes on HIGH.
- Stir and pour out onto wax paper to cool.
- Break into pieces.
- Stir in raisins and chocolate.
- Store in airtight container.
Yield: about 4 cups
I just made this, this morning and it is fantastic!! I doubled it and used a large crockpot and I am hooked. What a great idea to use a crockpot!
Oooooh. I love it too. I need to make a big batch.
I was wondering what size/brand crockpot you use?
We have two – both Hamilton Beach. One is a nesting set that has 2,4,6 qt and another that is a 5qt crock.
Do you use normal salted roasted nuts that you would find at the store or raw nuts? Thanks!
I use roasted, but I’ve had people tell me that raw ones work too.
I’m really just not sure I can wait for it to cool to add the chocolate this looks so good! Thanks for sharing on the weekend re-Treat link party!
Britni @ Play. Party. Pin.
Your Crock Pot Trail Mix looks awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your great recipe with Full Plate Thursday and enjoy your Thanksgiving week!
Come Back Soon
Miz Helen
Ok, this looks amazing! I think just about all of your recipes are on my “to try” list.. lol Thanks for linking up to Thrive @ Home Thursday! 🙂
I need to make some right now. For realz.
thanks for sharing love how you can make it in the crock pot have a great day
Never would have used the crock pot for trail mix – thanks for sharing this fantastic idea!!
What can you use instead of coconut?
More nuts.
Oh my yum! You are soooo hard on my willpower! I’ll have to hide this from myself 😉
Wow, this sounds awesome. I am going to make this. Never thought of the crock pot for trail mix. Always use the oven.
Thanks for sharing and love your sense of humor!
Have a wonderful week,
Bev
First of all thank you for linking up to Making Monday! I love the way you write it is so fun 🙂 And also, I’m on a crock pot fix right now so I’m trying anything and everything in there! This is going to go on my list and hopefully make it to friends as a little gift 🙂 Pinning you to our board!!
Thanks! You should check out my cookbook. 🙂
You are so funny! I’m already laughing and I don’t even have any trail mix yet… : )
Awesome! Can’t wait. Oh, you crack me up so bad.
Just wondering . . . could I substitute coconut oil for the butter. I don’t do well with dairy. Thank you . . . can’t wait to try this recipe.
I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe, but I’ve made that switch lots of times with good success.
yummo- I make your crockpot nuts while at my in-laws (complete with stevia) and my FIL kept going back for moew- WIN! Except, no one ate the cashews because they got chewy
Stacy–you are so funny!! My daughters and I loved just reading this!! Thank you for making us laugh! Oh, yah, we might give your recipe a try, too. 🙂 Blessings.
Got to try! Is that 90 minutes on high or low? Thanks! (Love your site)
🙂 High. I fixed it.
Is it possible to cut out a star from the recipe? I hate coconut, could I use something else. An understudy possibly? Lol
Just more nuts. 🙂
QUESTION: is the crock pot setting high or low? Thanks…looks SO good!
High. I fixed it.
OH.MY.STARS!! This looks totally awesome! Thanks for sharing. What an amazing holiday treat!! (Or yes, any time treat too=)
I LOVE the Unreal candies. Way better than the cheap stuff. But also, as one would expect, not cheap. 😉
Can I be sad that I just made a vitacost order about 5 minutes before I saw this recipe 🙁 I guess a trip out to target is in order for today 🙂
Yummmm.
That sounds Delist!!!
You make me laugh! “Don’t throw in your aunts and uncles” Haha, if you only knew….
I will be trying this asap!
🙂
Wow, this looks so yummy! Perfect recipe to make for a snack to bring for family get togethers over the holidays!
This looks amazing! I’m going to make some today.
This.Looks.Amazing!