July 18, 2024

Healthy Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Trail Mix

By Nina Lincoff, for Independence Good Living

Cody C/for PhillyVoice

This delicious chocolate coconut trail mix is the perfect blend of crunchy, chewy, and chocolatey goodness, and can be ready in just under an hour. Made with the wholesome flavors of coconut flakes, oatmeal, macadamia nuts, and dark chocolate, this trail mix will energize you and satisfy your snack cravings.

Chocolate Coconut Trail Mix — makes 24 servings

Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• ¼ cup of brown sugar, dark and packed
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 ½ cups of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup of old-fashioned oatmeal
• ½ cup of macadamia nuts
• ¼ cup of flax seeds
• 3 (about 2 ounces) brown rice cakes, crumbled
• 6 ounces of dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sugar. Melt the butter, stirring occasionally, until the sugar mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut flakes, oatmeal, macadamia nuts, and flax seeds. Toss with the sugar mixture until everything is evenly coated. Spread the trail mix evenly in the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mix is golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Toss with rice cakes and dark chocolate store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Handy Hint: To keep the chunky clusters that make up a great trail mix, be sure to stir the coconut mixture gently as it bakes, preserving as many clusters as you can.

Nutrition Information (per 1 cup serving):
Calories: 123.7
Fat: 7.8g
Saturated Fat: 4.4g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6g
Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 1.3mg
Sodium: 79.3mg
Carbs: 13.9g
Fiber: 1.8g
Protein: 1.6g