Want a new low carb snack? Try this easy coconut almond cranberry low carb trail mix recipe. It's a sweetened snack mix that's sure to please.
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The stevia sweetened dried cranberries I made last week were so delicious that they were devoured by my family in days. So I made another batch because I wanted to use some in a new recipe.
Since cranberries do contain natural sugars, I thought it would be good to mix them with nuts or seeds for a snack mix. But I didn't have a lot to select from in the pantry.
In addition to the dried cranberries, I had some raw shelled almonds and a couple bags of unsweetened dried coconut. So I decided to combine those ingredients to make a low carb trail mix.
Is trail mix a low carb snack?
Most pre-made trail mixes contain a combination of dried fruit and nuts. Unfortunately, most of the dried fruit is either naturally high in sugar like raisins or has sugar added. Some mixes include chocolate or candy as well.
There aren't a lot of choices when it comes to making a keto trail mix. That's why it's best to make your own. And if you like a sweet blend, you'll want to use low carb sweeteners.
How to sweeten a low carb trail mix
I have been experimenting with a new stevia and erythritol sweetener. It's twice as sweet as sugar. So, you just need to put in half the amount of sugar called for in a recipe for substituting.
There is a good amount of erythritol in the blend and it tastes very close to sugar. The stevia is a very high quality without bitterness or aftertaste. I decided to use it to add a sweet coating to my cranberry low carb trail mix.
What's the name of the sweetener? It's Pyure Organic Stevia All-Purpose Blend Sweetener. You can find it at Walmart, but it's also available at Amazon for those who like to shop online.
How to make a low carb trail mix
The easiest way to make a keto trail mix is to just blend the stevia sweetened dried cranberries with nuts, seeds, and unsweetened dried coconut. However, I wanted a candied mix to share over the holidays.
That's why my mixture adds low carb sweetener and cinnamon. But you don't want granular sweetener to just be stirred in. It's better to coat the nuts, coconut, and cranberries in a thin sweet coating.
In order to get the sweetener sticking to the fruit and nut pieces, the pieces are coated with a frothy beaten egg white and then baked on a sheet pan. This allows the sweetener and cinnamon to stick to each piece. And it makes a nice thin shiny candy-like coating on each piece of the low carb trail mix.
This process could be used to candy nuts by themselves as well. The crunchy sweetened coconut in this mix was perfect. And I thought the touch of cinnamon was a great addition.
Best trail mix for a low carb diet
This may not be the best trail mix to eat regularly on a keto diet. But it's a great snack to make and share for special occasions like the holidays.
For a healthy trail mix recipe, I would omit the added sweetener. So the dried cranberries would just be mixed with almonds, unsweetened coconut, and maybe some sunflower seeds. Feel free to add your own blend of low carb ingredients into the snack mix.
Sweet Coconut Almond Cranberry Trail Mix Recipe
I hope you enjoy this keto friendly trail mix as much as I do. And don't forget to come back and leave a comment and rating if you do give the recipe a try.
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Recipe
Almond Cranberry Low Carb Trail Mix
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds whole shelled nuts
- 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup sugar free dried cranberries
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup Pyure all purpose or ½ cup sugar equivalent sweetener
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread almonds evenly on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake about 8 minutes or until nuts are slightly darker in color. Cool completely.
- Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine almonds, coconut, and cranberries. In a small bowl, beat egg white until foamy.
- Pour over almond mixture; toss until well coated. In another small bowl, combine sweetener, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle over almond mixture; toss until well coated. Spread evenly on a greased baking sheet. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely on pan.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Post updated in November 2018. Originally published October 2010.
Karen
I made t his today and I have to tell you it’s the yummiest thing ever! Can’t wait to take to our early Christmas gathering this weekend to share. Your recipes are my favorite and I cannot thank you enough for everything you put out for others to try! I tell everyone I know about your site. Keep up the great work!
Cynthia
I know it sounds strange, but have you tried adding wasabi to this? My favorite trail mix at Trader Joes used to have dried cranberries, wasabi peas, almonds and peanuts. It was so good! I was thinking of subbing wasabi edamame to lower the carbs.
Lisa MarcAurele
I haven't, but I do love wasabi!
Lisa
Any update on this? I am so excited about using dried cranberries as a replacement for raisins in keto-ized versions of many of my old, beloved family recipes. If you’ve tweaked the process, I would love to hear about it.
Lisa MarcAurele
I still dry cranberries using the method at https://lowcarbyum.com/sugar-free-dried-cranberries/
Patricia
Will this work making it without the egg white? I cannot have eggs. Thanks
Lisa MarcAurele
You could try using something else like gelatin and water but I haven't tested it that way.
Susan
The recipe looks amazing, and I'm sure that it taste even better. However, in order for this recipe to be 12 servings, the serving size would need to be 1/4 cup, not 1/2 to 3/4 cup as mentioned.
Lisa
Will fix that as 1/4 cup is more appropriate.
Laura
How much is a serving size in this? Looks good!
Lisa
It's about a 1/2-3/4 of a cup.
Misty
I made the sugar free dried cranberries this weekend. They looked more like a fruit roll up whenever I finally took them out of the oven. I ended up just using my cooking shears to just cut them into bite sized pieces. I think I am going to try them in a trail mix like the one about as well.
Lisa
The secret is to keep the cranberries from cooking too long initially. Typically, the crazing process for drying cranberries requires them to be dipped in boiling water for 30-60 seconds and then immediately dipped in cold water. If the cranberries are heated too long in the beginning they will meld together. I made these dried cranberries again and shortened the initial cooking. I had to pop most of the cranberries during the drying process. The second batch turned out more like the dried cranberries I'm used to.
juliana
I made the dried cranberries in the oven and they turned out great. I am now in the process of making the above recipe. It's gonna be awesome!!
fooddreamer
I cant' wait to get my hands on some cranberries to dry them and make things like this!