Frugal Things… Snack Mix

Make Your Own Gluten Free Snack Mix

It’s Friday and time for me to share another Frugal thing I know…  Do you love snack mixes?  Either the nut based kind, a dried fruit and nut bar, or maybe the salty blend you find from Chex mix.  Well, being gluten free, grain free or allergy free on a budget doesn’t mean that you have to go without these satisfying pick-me-ups.  We are fortunate to live near a Trader Joe’s.  If you are not familiar with the grocery chain, just click their name and check out their web-site to see what the hype is all about.  Anyway, my husband and kids love a good snack mix.  Since we cannot have nuts in the house, I am always challenged to have a mix my husband really likes and one that will satisfy his hunger cravings AND that will not cost an arm and a leg.  I used to buy him Trader Joe’s “Just a Handful” Go Raw Trek Mix or Raw Almonds.  There are 10 individually wrapped 1.5 oz. bags of literally just a handful of nuts and/or nuts, seeds and dried fruit.  This was great as he could take it to work and open it there and it never was an issue for him to have his nut based snack in the house.  (Yes, he is very diligent about hand washing, face washing, and doling out kisses when he has eaten nuts!)

I got to thinking one day while contemplating which mix to buy that I might be able to make this mix and portion it out myself for less than the $4.99 pack of 10.  Plus, it is literally just a handful!  Something that I am sure just barely quenches his mid-morning or afternoon snacking needs.  So, here is what I came up with:

Nut Free Snack Mix (for those who can still have seeds) – Gluten Free and Grain Free too!

• 8 oz dried Apricots ($1.75 for 8 oz / $3.49 for 16 oz bag)
• 8 oz Raisins ($1.15 for 8 oz / $2.29 for 16 oz bag)
• 8 oz Raw Sunflower Seeds, hulled ($0.75 for 8 oz / $1.49 for 16 oz bag)
• 16 oz Raw Pepitas (hulled Pumpkin Seeds) ($5.49 for 16 oz bag)
• 26 snack size zip-top bags ($0.03 per bag for a box of 50 @ $1.49)

At 1.5 ounces each, I got 26 individual portions.  Each portion is just $0.39!  That’s $0.11 cheaper per snack than buying the pre-packaged one from Trader Joe’s and I get 16 more portions!!  If I make each portion 2.25 ounces, I get 17 snack portions for $0.50 each.  That’s still 7 more portions than the pre-packaged mix at the grocery.  Just think of the other things we impulse buy for a snack fix:

• Larabars – most are gluten free but each 1.7 oz bar costs between $1.29 – $1.59
• Kind Fruit & Nut Bar – 100% gluten and wheat free and costs around $1.99 for each 1.4 oz bar
• Good ‘ole box of Raisins – 1.5 oz boxes average $0.47 each ($2.79 for 6 count package) and it’s just raisins!

For those of you who can eat nuts, you could replace say the Pepitas with a 16 oz. bag of Raw Almonds OR Raw Cashews for a nice variety.  If apricots are not your thing, think of prunes, dried banana, dates or dried apple pieces as long as you can get them at a fair price.  Sometimes, you might need to make a special trip to a bulk food shop to get a good price on these items.  If you keep it to once a month, make up your mix and portion it out, you will have a month’s supply at the ready whenever you need or crave it, saving time and dollars!

For the person who cannot have nuts or seeds, then it is time to mix up your own Gluten Free Chex Mix instead of buying the store bought 15 oz pre-mixed bag for $3.79, or $0.25 per ounce (which also is NOT Gluten Free).  You can find lots of recipes for making your own Gluten Free Chex Mix online like the one I created below.  Just make sure to portion the finished and cooled mix into individual zip-top bags or small containers for quick “grab and go” when you need it!

Gluten Free Chex Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbls olive oil
• 4 Cups Freshly Popped Popcorn
• 4 Cups Gluten Free Rice Chex
• 1 cup Gluten Free Pretzel Rings (Glutino or Ener-G brand)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• pinch of baking soda
• 1 cup dried raisins, cranberries, or apple pieces

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Oil a large bowl with 1 Tbls olive oil using your hands or a paper towel.  Mix the popcorn, rice chex, and pretzel rings in the large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the syrup, cinnamon and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Let the syrup boil for about 4 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally.  Turn off the heat and add the baking soda.  Stir until creamy.  Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn mixture and stir well.
4. Spread the popcorn mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake until it is dry, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, and sprinkle dried fruit over the hot trail mix.  Let it cool completely.
5. Transfer to an airtight container or portion into individual zip-top bags and store in a cool place.

By my calculations, this Gluten Free snack mix is just $0.10 per ounce!  That’s a savings of $0.15 per ounce!!  (Here is my math based on ounces: 32 oz. Popcorn = $1.00, 32 oz. Rice Chex = $1.50, 8 oz. GF Pretzel Rings (Ener-G Brand) = $1.90, 8 oz. Raisins = $0.75, 3 oz Maple Syrup = $2.50, Misc. spices, salt approx. = $0.20)  The mix yields about 80 ounces total.  You could even afford to throw in some allergy free, dark chocolate chips from Enjoy Life for added fun!  As always, please read labels to ensure you are purchasing products that are safe for you and your household.  Do you have a favorite snack mix you make from scratch?