Power up your day with this yummy and simple homemade dark chocolate trail mix recipe loaded with heart healthy ingredients, like freeze-dried strawberries, cashews, almonds, and, of course, dark chocolate! It’s the perfect way to get that chocolate fix and was formulated by a Registered Dietitian to make it lower in sugar and more balanced so you can snack responsibly. What’s not to love? {Vegan, dairy-free & gluten free}

Elysia’s Recipe Recap

Taste: Has a nutty flavor with pops of fruity strawberries and bittersweet dark chocolate. So good!
Texture: The perfect crunchy snack!
Ease: It doesn’t get much easier than 4 ingredients that you dump in a bowl!
Nutrition: This trail mix was designed by a Registered Dietitian to be made without added sugar or salt, relying on the sweetness of freeze-dried strawberries and good quality dark chocolate to lead the way. These also offer antioxidants that match the fiber and healthy fats from the nuts. It’s a much better choice and perfect for a heart-healthy diet!
Recommended: Definitely! It’s so easy to pack for road trips, picnics and on-the-go snacks.
Would I make it again? Yes! This homemade trail mix recipe has been one of my go to recipes for as long as I can remember. My family loves to snack on it since it’s the perfect convenient grab and go option, and it’s so easy to make! Plus, it’s definitely a better choice than most store-bought trail mixes.
For more healthy snacks, check out these Dark Chocolate Covered Pecans and Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries too!

Featured Comment
Easy and delicious! – Channon
Heart Healthy Trail Mix Ingredients

- Nuts: I like to use a mix of roasted cashews and sliced almonds. I typically use unsalted cashews to keep this mix lower in sodium, but you can sub in salted if you prefer sweet and salty flavors.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: Freeze-dried fruit is great for trail mix since it adds a nice crunch and sweetness, but is also nutrient dense and has a great shelf life. Also, unlike other dried fruit, it doesn’t contain any added sugar so it’s a great way to get to incorporate some sweetness into the mix without the added sugar. You can use any type of freeze-dried fruit, but I love the bright pop of red that the strawberries provide.
- Dark chocolate chunks: Because chocolate is everything, right?! I typically use dark chocolate chunks (70% cocoa) since they’re packed with antioxidants. If you can’t find chocolate chunks, you can also sub in dark chocolate chips or cut up dark chocolate bars.
How to Make Trail Mix with Dark Chocolate

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl or container and toss to combine. Doesn’t it get much easier than that!
Expert Tips
- Use unsalted nuts to keep this trail mix low sodium.
- Dark chocolate has the greatest health benefits, although you can use any type of chocolate you prefer.
- If you can’t find freeze-dried fruit, you can use other dried fruit like raisins or cranberries.
- Enjoy for breakfast, or add to lunchboxes for a healthy snack.
- This healthy trail mix recipe will keep well for up to 1 month stored in an air-tight container. However, the strawberries may lose some of their crunch so if you plan to store it for a while, I recommend adding the strawberries in right before serving to keep them nice and crisp.

How to Store Trail Mix
Once you’ve combined your ingredients, keep the trail mix in an airtight container at room temperature. To prevent the chocolate from melting, keep it in a cupboard out of direct sunlight.
Keep this in mind if you take it hiking! In a hot backpack, the chocolate will melt.
Recipe FAQs
Not all trail mix is gluten-free, so be sure to check the ingredients list carefully it you require a gluten-free option. This trail mix recipe is gluten-free, but if you make any ingredient substitutions, make sure that they are GF certified if you have a gluten intolerance.
This trail mix will keep well at room temperature for up to a month. For longer storage, you can freeze it in ziplock bags, with the air squeezed out, for up to 6 months. This can help keep the nuts fresh.
Although trail mix can be a great nutritious option, it’s also fairly calorie-dense, so it’s best to keep those portions in check. A quarter cup or a small handful of trail mix is generally a good portion size.
Serving Suggestions
This heart healthy trail mix is great to enjoy by itself, or along with a smoothie for breakfast. Try it along with this strawberry banana smoothie with yogurt!
Serve it on top of some Greek yogurt, or pour over some milk or a milk alternative for more of a cereal. It can even be sprinkled on top of ice cream or a banana split for a crunchy topping!
Homemade Trail Mix: Recipe Variations
- Add grains: Try adding popcorn or cereal such as Cheerios or Shreddies.
- Add seeds: Try pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. This is a good option if you can’t eat tree nuts.
- Switch up the nuts: Try walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or pistachios, or add some of these cinnamon honey roasted almonds instead of the sliced almonds!
- Swap the fruit: Try freeze-dried raspberries, blueberries, bananas or dried cranberries. Although many mixes includes banana chips, they’re actually quite high in sugar so I recommend freeze-dried banana instead.
- Add coconut: Some unsweetened coconut flakes can add nice extra flavor and additional healthy fats and fiber.

More Heart Healthy Snacks
- Healthy Chocolate Granola
- Healthy Protein Cookie Dough Balls
- Healthy Granola Bars
- Banana Protein Muffins
- Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Healthy Protein Bar Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!

Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Recipe {Heart Healthy}
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted cashews unsalted
- 2 cups sliced almonds
- 2 cups freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (I used 70%)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl or container and toss to combine.
Notes
- Use unsalted nuts to keep this trail mix low sodium.
- This healthy trail mix recipe will keep well for up to 1 month stored in an air-tight container. However, the strawberries may lose some of their crunch so if you plan to store it for a while, I recommend adding the strawberries in right before serving to keep them nice and crisp.
- Enjoy for breakfast, or add to lunchboxes for a healthy snack.
- If you can’t find freeze-dried fruit, you can use other dried fruit like raisins or cranberries.
- Dark chocolate has the greatest health benefits, although you can use milk or white chocolate if you prefer.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted January 2019 and was updated February 2022 to include better tips and new photos. It was updated again in January 2025 to change the title, some text improve the quality of photos.
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