Trail Mix

Tanya Eisenwasser

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A low histamine trail mix with macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, and puffed rice cereal.

Prep 5 min

Cook 10 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
• 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup plain puffed rice cereal
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Spread the macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds across the pan in a single layer. Toast for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway, until the nuts smell nutty and are just turning gold. Watch them closely, since macadamias go from gold to burnt in under a minute.
3. Scatter the coconut flakes over the pan and return it to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the edges of the flakes color.
4. Slide the pan onto a rack and let everything cool completely, about 15 minutes. Anything still warm will steam the cereal soft.
5. Tip the cooled nuts, seeds, and coconut into a large bowl. If you want the salt to stick, toss them with the melted coconut oil first.
6. Add the puffed rice and the salt. Toss gently with your hands so the cereal does not crush, then pour into an airtight jar.

Tips & Substitutions

• Dried fruit is the usual problem in trail mix. Raisins, dried apricots, dates, and dried cranberries are restricted on most low histamine lists, so there is none in this mix. The coconut flakes carry the sweeter side instead.
• Most nuts are the other problem. Walnuts, cashews, and peanuts are rated high on most low histamine lists, and they are what standard trail mix is built from. Ratings differ from list to list, but macadamias and pumpkin seeds are the ones rated more favorably, which is why they carry this one. Tolerance varies, so start with a small handful and see how it goes.
• Buy the nuts fresh and store them cold. Nuts and seeds go rancid slowly on a warm shelf, and older stock is more likely to bother you regardless of what any list says, so freshness is the thing to get right. Buy raw and unsalted from a shop with good turnover, keep them in the refrigerator in a sealed container, and use them within a few months.
• Read the coconut flake bag. You want unsweetened flakes with coconut as the only ingredient. Sweetened flakes usually carry added sugar and often sulfites as a preservative.
• Swap the puffed rice for bulk. Plain puffed rice keeps the mix light and stretches the expensive part. Puffed millet does the same job. Skip any cereal listing malt flavoring, which is barley based.
• There is no chocolate in this, and here is what to do instead. Cocoa is on the restricted list, so chocolate chips are out. Tossing the nuts with a teaspoon of maple syrup while they are still warm gives a light sweet coating once they cool, or serve the mix next to a bowl of kettle corn.

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Why This Works

Macadamia nuts. Rated low on most low histamine lists and one of the few nuts that is. They are also fatty enough to be filling, which is most of what you want from a trail mix. Buy them raw and unsalted so nothing else comes along with them.

Pumpkin seeds. Commonly tolerated and a standard swap wherever a recipe calls for nuts. Some sources rate them more cautiously because of other amines they contain, so introduce them slowly if they are new to you.

Unsweetened coconut flakes. Coconut is generally considered low histamine when it is fresh and minimally processed. Toasting the flakes for a couple of minutes deepens the flavor without adding anything to them.

Puffed rice cereal. Plain puffed rice is about as simple as a packaged food gets, which is why it works as filler here. Check that the only ingredients are rice and salt.

Storage

Keep the mix in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. The puffed rice softens first, so if it has lost its snap, spread the mix on a sheet pan and give it 2 to 3 minutes at 300F, watching the coconut closely, then cool it before sealing it back up. In a warm kitchen, store the jar in the refrigerator instead, which keeps the nuts from turning rancid.