Looking for a super easy last minute gift idea? Whip up a batch of this holiday trail mix in minutes and print some of our FREE gift tags to go with it! Easy peasy!
During the months of November and December, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite homemade gifts! Download our FREE Homemade Gifts Guide to get recipes to 15+ easy-to-make gifts, plus printable gift tags to go with each gift!
The Easiest Last Minute Gift Idea: Christmas Trail Mix!
This is literally the easiest last minute gift idea on the planet! And you probably already have several of the ingredients on hand. Just head over to the store, grab a few store-brand items, and mix this up in minutes at home!
Best of all, you can change it based on what you have on hand and on what your family/your recipients would like.
This would be a fun gift for kids to make for goodie bags, too. However, many schools and functions don’t allow peanuts, so you could just omit those. (Our kids go to a really small private school and none of the kids have nut allergies there, so peanuts are allowed.)
Don’t forget your free printable gift tags!
Divide into gift bags and add our free printable gift tags to give this as a super simple, inexpensive holiday gift this year!
The Story Behind This Holiday Trail Mix Recipe
Years ago when Kathrynne was younger, she had a Christmas Party at school and decided at the last minute that she wanted to make something to bring.
I honestly wanted to say no. It had been a long day, my energy was running low, and it was getting close to her bedtime.
But in the spirit of my 2017 “Year of YES” at the time, we made a quick trip to Kroger and got everything needed for Christmas Trail Mix (if you bought the ingredients at ALDI, it would be quite inexpensive. Unfortunately, our ALDI was already closed by the time she came up with the idea of wanting to make something!).
She made it in less than 10 minutes and was SO happy with the finished results.
Her look of joy and fulfillment when she was done was worth the little bit of extra effort. And she loved being able to bring something she made herself.
Holiday DIY Trail Mix Ingredients
- 2 cups square pretzels
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 cups raisins
- 2 cups peanuts (be sure to omit these if there are nut allergies)
- 2 cups Christmas M&Ms
Holiday Trail Mix Variations
The number of ways you could alter this trail mix is almost limitless!
Look through your pantry and see what you have before heading to the store — chances are, you might have plenty for a really fun trail mix.
Here are a few more ideas:
- Chex cereal
- Cheerios
- Yogurt-covered raisins
- Craisins
- Any type of nut (if no allergies)
- Sunflower seeds
- Chocolate chips — white, milk, or dark chocolate
- Reeses’ Pieces candies
- Or anything else fun you want to mix in!
How to make Homemade Trail Mix
1. In a large bowl, combine all trail mix ingredients.
2. Mix and cover until ready to serve, or divide up into individual baggies.
That’s IT!
I share more about this Christmas Trail Mix below in my YouTube video:
How to Store this Christmas Trail Mix Recipe
You can easily make this trail mix a day or so ahead if you want — simply store it in a tightly sealed food storage container or zip-top bag at room temperature.
Christmas Trail Mix FAQs
Trail mix is usually high in calories — although some of the calories from nuts, dried fruits, seeds, etc. can offer nutritional value. In general though, trail mix is more of a snack or dessert than a health food.
Almost any small, dry food item could work for this trail mix. Anything bite-size, with flavors that taste great together, and that wouldn’t go bad or rancid if sitting in a bowl at room temperature for several hours.
“Classic trail mix” is usually considered to be peanuts, raisins, and M&M’s.
The easiest way to serve trail mix is to put it in a giant bowl with a spoon and several small cups for people to scoop their own. You could also pre-portion it out into individual serving sizes (either in cups or baggies) so people can simply grab and go.
Christmas Trail Mix Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 cups square pretzels
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 cups raisins
- 2 cups peanuts be sure to omit these if there are nut allergies
- 2 cups Christmas M&Ms
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, combine all trail mix ingredients.
-
Mix and cover until ready to serve, or divide up into individual baggies.
Notes
Look through your pantry and see what you have before heading to the store — chances are, you might have plenty for a really fun trail mix.
Here are a few more ideas:
- Chex cereal
- Cheerios
- Yogurt-covered raisins
- Craisins
- Any type of nut (if no allergies)
- Sunflower seeds
- Chocolate chips — white, milk, or dark chocolate
- Reeses’ Pieces candies
- Or anything else fun you want to mix in!
Nutrition
Get your FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide!
If you’re looking for ways to simplify gift giving this year, we have just the solution for you! Download our brand new FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide! When you sign up, you’ll get:
- 15+ DIY recipes for unforgettable gift ideas (we’ve included something for everyone on your list!)
- Step-by-step instructions for ridiculously easy homemade gifts that anyone can make!
- Customizable, ready-to-print gift tags to go with each homemade gift!
This FREE guide was designed to help you have a more peaceful, intentional holiday season. Our hope is that it reduces stress, helps you save more money and spend less on your gift budget, and simplifies things so you can focus on what matters most this season!