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.
Article Index
- Is trail mix a low carb snack?
- How to sweeten a low carb trail mix
- How to make a low carb trail mix
- Best trail mix for a low carb diet
- Sweet Coconut Almond Cranberry Trail Mix Recipe
- Recipe
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
4.50 from 2 votes
In search of a new low carb snack, I came up with this sweet and crunchy cranberry nut snack mix. It's made with sweetened cranberries, coconut and almonds.
Prep Time:10 minutes mins
Cook Time:1 hour hr 8 minutes mins
Total Time:1 hour hr 18 minutes mins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 140
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
US Customary - Metric
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
The candy coating can be left off to make a healthier keto trail mix for snacking. And there's no need to coat the mixture and bake it if the sweet coating is left out.
To make candied nuts (without fruit and coconut), coat them in the egg white and mix in the sweetener and cinnamon. Then bake on the sheet pan as instructed.
Feel free to change up the nuts or leave out the coconut. The cranberries can be left out as well, but fruit is typically added to trail mix.
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 140 | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Additional Info
Net Carbs: 5g | % Carbs: 17.7% | % Protein: 10.6% | % Fat: 71.7% | SmartPoints: 6
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.