Gorp (also called Trail Mix or Scroggin) is a mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate that makes a delicious filling snack. Take it while hiking or bring it along as a snack for your summer road trips!
Gorp is the original trail mix. It's a filling portable snack of nuts, seeds and dried fruit that you can take on-the-go.
There’s nothing like the sweet and salty mix of a good trail mix. All the flavors pop and it can be seriously addicting!
This is the classic gorp recipe that I grew up on. We took it hiking, on road trips, Brownie camp, sports games, or just as an after-school snack.
Whenever I make gorp, I think of my older sister. She never travels without a bag of it!
It's a simple mix of nuts and dried fruit, paired with chocolate candy for a snack that the whole family can enjoy any time!
My family just had one rule for our gorp: you weren't allowed to pick out the chocolate! Instead you had to take a little handful so you got all the healthy stuff too.
So go on, whip up a batch of this gorp recipe in just a few minutes, and keep a jar of it in the pantry for an instant snack.
Then just pour a little into a ziplock bag, stash it in your backpack and you're ready to hit the trails!
Jump to:
What is gorp?
G.O.R.P. stands for “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts” and is said to be the original trail mix.
Gorp was originally developed for long hikes or trips because it contains plenty of high-quality fats and protein to keep you going.
Over the years, trail mix recipes have involved including many different foods, but that’s a good thing as you can customize it any way you enjoy!
Fun fact for ya. The recent term Gorpcore, coined by New York Magazine in 2017 to mean wearing hiking clothing and outdoor apparel such as hiking boots, parkas and woolen hats as a fashion trend, was named after Gorp trail mix.
In Australia it's is called Scroggin.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
It’s shelf-stable which means you can take it anywhere.
Kids love it because it has chocolate candy gems throughout.
It makes an excellent filling snack to bring out in nature on a hike or at a picnic.
You can rotate the type of nuts, candies, and flavors you use.
It’s much more affordable to make your own trail mix rather than buy it in the store.
Ingredients & Tools
- Unsalted Nuts - I used a mix of almonds, pecans, and cashews for this trail mix because it was the perfect combination of nutty and crunchy. Use whatever you have available, but not too many Brazil nuts as they aren't healthy in large quantities.
- Raw Seeds - A combination of seeds is great for variety and taste. I use pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseeds.
- Dried Fruit - Raisins and cranberries give the trail mix a bit of tart and sweet texture.
- Chocolate - I like using chocolate chips or some colorful M&M’s to add color and sweetness.
- Kosher Salt/ Sea Salt - Balances the salty-sweet flavors in the trail mix.
Step By Step Tutorial
It is seriously easy to make homemade gorp trail mix! Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Gather all of your ingredients.
Add the nuts and the seeds to a medium bowl.
Add the dried fruit, chocolate and a pinch of salt.
Mix to combine the elements and distribute the salt.
Add to a Ziploc bag or airtight container or jar.
Keeps for up to 1 month in the pantry.
Tips
Before mixing the ingredients, taste each one to make sure they aren’t stale.
If storing for a long time, you want to make sure whatever you’re using is completely dried and has very little moisture as it can make some of the trail mix moldy.
If you're going somewhere nut-free (airplanes, camp, school etc...) then swap out the nuts for nut-free cereal.
You can use salted nuts and seeds for this recipe, you’ll just have to omit the added salt.
Avoid using big chunks of fruit or chocolate to keep the trail mix bite-sized and even.
Toasted Nuts & Seeds
To mix up the flavor, you can toast the nuts and seeds!
Toast the almonds, peanuts, and cashews by placing them onto a baking sheet and cooking in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until it starts to turn golden.
Toast the seeds by placing them into a dry frying pan over medium/low heat and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until it starts to turn golden.
Serving Suggestions
This trail mix is a great addition to many healthy snack recipes such as:
- Chocolate Quinoa Bars
- Ginger Sweet Potato Balls
- Sweet Spinach Muffins
- Carrot & Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Squares
Trail Mix Add-Ins
There are so many ways to change up this basic trail mix recipe. Add as little or as much of the following.
- White chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips.
- Dried berries such as blueberries, cherries, or raspberries.
- Dried apricots, banana chips, mangoes, or peaches.
- Sprinkle in some brazil nuts, black walnuts, or macadamia nuts.
- Make it sweeter by toasting your nuts with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
- Add some popcorn, pretzels, or your favorite cereal.
Special diets
To Make Gluten Free: This recipe can be made gluten-free if all ingredients do not contain gluten. Check your labels.
To Make It Vegan: In order to make this trail mix vegan, you must use vegan or dairy-free chocolate in the recipe.
Storage
Storing: Homemade gorp can be stored in an airtight container or jar. Use within one month for optimum freshness and flavor.
FAQs
Gorpcore is a fashion term coined by New York Magazine in 2017 to mean wearing functional hiking clothing (such as parkas, hiking boots, and beanie hats) as a fashion trend. It was named after Gorp trail mix.
Trail mix is a calorie-dense food that can be used to fuel you when you’re active or as a healthy snack. Trail mix is healthy in moderation, but depends on the foods added to it.
Yes! Buying the ingredients separately to make your own trail mix will save you lots of money rather than buying a store-bought mix.
Gorp or scroggin was developed to take on long hikes or trails because it is calorie-dense and easy to carry which is where it got its name.
Absolutely! Swap out the nuts for popcorn or nut-free cereal, like Rice Chex or Cheerios. Be sure to check your labels though.
Gorp stands for 'Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts' and is a high-energy trail mix of nuts and fruit, often eaten by hikers and campers.
More Recipes Using Nuts & Seeds
I hope you love making homemade gorp as much as we do! Be sure to try out these other recipes full of nuts and seeds.
Pine Nut Cookies (Pignoli)
Rosemary Maple Spiced Nuts
Walnut Butter
Beet Nut Butter Cups
Walnut Granola Breakfast Parfait
Chocolate Granola
Gingerbread Granola
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📖 Recipe
Gorp (Trail Mix)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw unsalted almonds
- ½ cup raw unsalted peanuts
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews
- ½ cup raw mixed seeds
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup m&ms
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients in a bowl, then transfer to a ziploc bag or an airtight jar. Keep in the cupboard for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
- Before mixing the ingredients, taste each one to make sure they aren’t stale.
- If storing for a long time, you want to make sure whatever you’re using is completely dried and has very little moisture as it can make some of the trail mix moldy.
- You can use salted nuts and seeds for this recipe, you’ll just have to omit the added salt.
- Avoid using big chunks of fruit or chocolate to keep the trail mix bite-sized and even.
- White chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips
- Dried berries such as blueberries or raspberries
- Dried apricots, mangoes, or peaches
- Sprinkle in some brazil nuts, black walnuts, or macadamia nuts
- Make it sweeter by toasting your nuts with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup
- Add some popcorn, pretzels, or your favorite cereal
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Michelle
All of the necessary ingredients for the perfect trail mix. I've never heard it called gorp. I think my kids would love if we started calling it that.
Pam
Great recipe ! In addition to your basic recipe ingredients, I took some of your suggestions and added dried blueberries, mangoes and apricots. I used pepitas and sunflower seeds for the seeds but got goofed up and used double the amount I should have. I doubt if I will use sunflower seeds again, only because they are so small they seem to fall to the bottom. My husband is a happy camper!
Pam
Forgot to mention the dried cherries too!
veenaazmanov
I must say I love it all and It is yum yum yum. Perfect snack box option too.
Michelle
Wow, I learnt something new today! I didn't know that GORP actually was an acronym! Either way, this trail mix has everything I love! Such a great snack for anytime!
Sarah Baumeister
Yummy! It has all the right stuff! I love m&ms in my "gorp."
Emily Flint
We love trail mix in my family but it can get quite expensive. I love the idea of making it at home and it's so easy! We are definitely calling it GORP now, LOL!