23 Snack Mix Recipes You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low sugar, nut free
• Serves: 12

If salt and vinegar potato chips met up with dill pickles, this snack mix recipe would be the result. It's briny, herby and crunchy, thanks to pretzels, cereal and cheese crackers. "The key to getting that mouth-puckering flavor lies with vinegar," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen writes. "While a tablespoon of the regular distilled stuff will do the trick, you can also go all out and buy vinegar powder online."

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, low sugar, kid-friendly
• Serves: 8

It’s everything it sounds like: mixed nuts and sun-dried tomatoes, dusted in a savory blend of Italian seasonings. I'd consider hiking an actual trail for this one (but I'd be happy to eat it from the comfort of my couch, too). "Most trail mixes are packed with dried fruit and tend to have a lot of sugar, but this one has only 3 grams per serving," recipe creator Brittany Mullins adds.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, no sugar
• Serves: 6 cups

You can't beat this classic snack mix recipe. These savory bar nuts would be at home at a cocktail soirée or portioned into snack packs for car trips and lunch boxes. Use any variety you'd like, but I'm partial to a mix of whole almonds, pecan halves, walnut halves, cashews and pistachios.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 15

This granola is sweet and rich enough to taste decadent, even though it's sneakily packed with enough protein (ahem, 9 grams per serving) to keep you satisfied. A snack mix recipe gem, if you will. "I like it best sprinkled over coconut milk yogurt, drizzled with melted peanut butter," recipe creator Erin McDowell recommends.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, gluten free, dairy free
• Serves: 10

Not only is homemade granola less expensive than the store-bought stuff, but it’s also way easier to customize. This one is gluten free and packed with healthy omegas, courtesy of pumpkin, sunflower and hemp seeds. "Eat it as a snack on its own, with milk of your choice, paired with whole-milk yogurt or coconut yogurt and fruit, or even sprinkled over salads in place of croutons," recipe creator Sarah Adler suggests.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

My motto in life is “everything in moderation,” which is why I like the one-to-one ratio of chocolate candies to nuts and raisins in this snack mix recipe. This pick will keep you full between meals or after a workout with 15 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 24

The combination of Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and onion powder is a standby for a reason, but why not try something new? Cajun seasoning, garlic powder or hot sauce would all be tasty, too. The pantry is your oyster, friend.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 18

Whether you know it as muddy buddies or puppy chow, this sweet snack mix recipe is nearly impossible to put down. Gaby Dalkin's version uses almond butter, but you could use peanut butter in its place if you'd prefer—either way, just be generous with the dark chocolate chips.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 10

Snack mix in the slow cooker? Yep, it's a thing. Sure, the method frees up your oven for other purposes, but it also makes it possible to satisfy a craving when you don’t want to heat up your whole house. "This Chex mix is best when made and eaten within a day or two, which makes it the perfect party prep food as you can prepare it in advance," recipe creator Carrian Cheney writes.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 5½ cups

I like to call this snack mix recipe “how to win the holiday party 101.” Fresh rosemary, maple syrup, vanilla and cayenne sound like an unlikely combo, but it tastes like wintry magic. It would also be great for sprinkling over oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, salad or potatoes.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 10

Even so-called white chocolate haters will find this snack mix recipe hard to resist. The homemade chocolate footballs are optional, but would make a fitting addition for any game watch party, if you're feeling particularly ambitious.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, one pan, <30 minutes
• Serves: 8

Want to seem fancy without too much effort? Make a batch of these cinnamon-y, cayenne-spiked nuts, divvy them into cellophane bags and hand them out as holiday gifts. (Or devour it on any old weeknight—it's the ultimate fuel for a movie marathon.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8 to 12

Watching a sporting event on TV is a tough sell for me…unless the promise of this spicy, herby snack is part of the deal. Leave it to a packet of ranch seasoning to make me like football (and buttery, spicy hot wing sauce).

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 8 to 12

If you’re all about sweet heat, be careful with this snack mix recipe. You’ll want to devour the whole sheet pan in one sitting. Choose whatever nuts and crackers you please; the real star is the brown sugar–chipotle glaze, after all.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 16

This snack mix recipe hits all the right notes: salty, crunchy, creamy, sweet and chewy. You know what that means? You'll want to make a double batch. I wouldn't mind bits of dried pineapple or chewy mango to match the tropical vibes of the banana chips.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, gluten free, dairy free
• Serves: 8

I imagine it's impossible to grow tired of the subtly salty taste of this otherwise sweet snack mix, which only requires six ingredients to come together. One handful and you’ll understand. "Keep [it] in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature," recipe creator Yumna Jawad says.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8 to 10

I've put the cult-favorite seasoning blend on pigs in a blanket, bagels and chicken tenders alike, so why not snack mix? "The everything bagel seasoning is easy to make at home with spices you probably have in your pantry," recipe creator Maria Lichty assures.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Furikake is a Japanese condiment that typically contains a mixture of toasted chopped seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar and other umami-rich seasonings. It just so happens to be an excellent match for sweet maple glaze, too. "When making substitutions, measure the ingredients by volume rather than weight," recipe creator Lisa Lin advises. "For example, swap two cups of pretzels for two cups of anything else you want."

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

I can totally see myself diving into this snack mix recipe of wasabi peas, popcorn and honey roasted cashews by the pool. All that's missing is a cocktail to wash it all down. (Recipe creator Jessica Merchant is partial to an ice cold beer.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 14 cups

Wanna know a secret? When it comes to snack mix, it’s all about the sauce. This one combines butter, Worcestershire, hot sauce and honey for irresistible, sweet-and-savory flavor. "The hot sauce in the wet ingredients gives the Chex mix its little kick, but if you like really spicy, add more chili powder after the mix comes out of the oven," recipe creator Sally McKenney recommends.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 2½ cups

If you're allergic to gluten, wheat-based additions like pretzels and crackers are off the table. Luckily, this crunchy mélange of seeds, nuts, dried fruit, chickpeas and chocolate is free of wheat, but still ridiculously crunchy and balanced. That's a win-win, if you ask me.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 18

This citrusy number tastes like Christmas. Sweet-tart dried cranberries, fresh orange zest and honey-roasted nuts are sure to satisfy your guests before the warm appetizers hit the table. Oh, and it comes together in a flash. Need I say more?

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 16 to 18 cups

Odds are you have most of the necessary ingredients for this decadent snack mix recipe already in your pantry. Salty, nutty, buttery and sugary, this kid-friendly treat will check all your boxes at first bite. Even picky eaters will have no complaints about this gem.