The fun thing about trail mix is that you can put just about anything in it. In my opinion, the best mixes are those that mix different flavors and textures, such as salty, sweet, and crunchy. Popcorn is one of my all time favorite ingredients because it’s so versatile! You start with about six cups of popped popcorn, any flavor, and then build your trail mix from there. If you don’t eat it right away, you can store it in an airtight container for up to a week. Here are some ideas:

Cheesy Popcorn Trail Mix

This mix will satisfy any cheese lover! Start with six cups of prepared cheese popcorn (you can also buy it). Add ½ cup peanuts, 1 cup cheese snack crackers, and ½ cup pretzels. If you want to mix in something sweet, you can also add ½ cup of white chocolate chips. The delicate flavor of white chocolate compliments the cheese and salt better than milk or dark chocolate does. When preparing the cheese popcorn, it doesn’t really matter what kind of cheese you use, as long as it’s in powder form.

Sweet Popcorn Trail Mix

This popcorn trail mix has a dominantly sweet flavor. If you want to balance that with something salty, try adding 1 cup salted pretzels. Otherwise, leave the recipe as is. Start with six cups prepared caramel popcorn. Add 1 cup milk or dark chocolate chips, 1 cup sweet cereal of choice, 1 cup granola, and 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries. If you find that the milk or dark chocolate chips are too harsh, feel free to substitute for white chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Popcorn Trail Mix

This trail mix includes three flavors that go well together – peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. Start with 6 cups prepared peanut butter popcorn. Add 1 cup dried banana chips, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup peanut butter candy pieces (such as Reeses Pieces), and 1 cup salted peanuts. If you want an additional salty flavor, feel free to add 1 cup salted pretzels.

Extra Healthy Popcorn Trail Mix

One cup of air popped popcorn only has around thirty calories, which makes it an ideal ingredient in healthy trail mixes. This mix includes all ingredients that are good for you. You won’t miss the calories at all because the healthy nuts in this mix provide enough good fat to be extra satisfying. Start with 6 cups air popped popcorn. Add 1 cup roasted, unsalted almonds, 1 cup dried banana chips, and 1 cup of naturally sweetened raisins or cranberries. If you think the mix will taste better with a little salt, it’s better to salt the popcorn with sea salt rather than use salted nuts. This will keep the sodium count fairly low.

Looking for gourmet popcorn flavors to purchase? We have all the delicious gourmet popcorn flavors you are looking for!