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Trick or Treat Trail Mix
By Jennifer Perillo

I’m that mom come Halloween. You know…the one who doesn’t give out candy. My Twizzler addiction is proof that I’m not a prude around the sweet stuff. I just prefer to use Halloween as an opportunity to lead by example. Our candy-free treats started eight years ago, and honestly I was a little worried the house would be pelted with the tiny canisters of Play-Doh I’d picked up at Costco.

As the sun set and the neighborhood ghouls and goblins descended upon our stoop, the moment of truth had arrived. Thankfully, there were no riots in the street. Well, not unless you count the few kids who asked to exchange their Play-Doh for a different color. Parents greeted me with a big smile and many said thanks for the break from all the sugar. Even the teenagers had a ball—I’m pretty sure one or two even tricked me into serving them “seconds.”

This year I decided to branch out a bit and throw some Trail Mix into the rotation. I am even shaking things up and throwing in some chocolate. I suspect the oats, nuts and dried fruit will need some camouflage to make a handful too tempting to resist.  The first test batch was gone in a day, eaten by my own sweet little monsters—the most important seal of approval in our house.


Trick or Treat Trail Mix
Be sure to cool the oat-nut mixture completely before adding the chocolate chunks so they don’t melt.

3 cups (11.65 ounces) old fashioned oats
1 cup (5.3 ounces) almonds, chopped
1 cup (4.8 ounces) pumpkin seeds
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups (9.3 ounces) dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups (2.5 ounces) shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 300ºF. In a deep bowl, add the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and salt. Toss well to mix. Pour in the olive oil and maple syrup, and stir well, using a rubber spatula, until mixture is well coated. Scrape mixture onto a rimmed 11-inch by 16-inch baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Remove baking sheet from oven, stir in the dried cranberries and coconut. Set tray on a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled, toss in chocolate chunks. Divide into individual treat bags or store trail mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to one week.

Throwing a Halloween party? Try these easy homemade treats.

Devil’s Food Cupcakes + Rich Chocolate Frosting

My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Olive Oil Cupcakes (dairy-free) 

Jennifer Perillo juggles spatulas and sippy cups over at In Jennie's Kitchen, a food blog dedicated to making meals easier, one recipe at a time. She is also the consulting food editor at Working Mother magazine.