Fun Food Friday - Sweet & Salty Snack Mixes

This is one of those recipes gone awry, but it still turned out pretty tasty! I'm always looking for ways to get more nuts and seeds into the Sprouts' diets, so last week, I roasted some seeds and slivered almonds with a little agave and sea salt. But instead of having a trail mix or granola type texture, it hardened together and I had to break it up into little chunks (still yummy!)

This week, I decided to go with the stickiness and try to make granola bars out of it. Well, wouldn't you know that I couldn't get it to stick together and it ended up with the trail mix/granola consistency I'd originally been aiming for? The Sprouts were a little bummed since I've been talking about making granola bars all week, but they absolutely loved the snack anyway.

Here are the recipes for both variations we tried.

Oatmeal Raisin Snack Mix

Ingredients:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw slivered almonds
1 cup quick oats
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)
1/4 cup agave nectar

Preparation:
Combine all dry ingredients (through salt) and stir until well combined. Add agave, then stir again. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until almonds begin to brown. Sprinkle with a little extra salt (to taste), stir well and cool in pans or on wax paper.


Cacao-Coconut Snack Mix 

Ingredients:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw slivered almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raw cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)1/4 cup agave nectar

Preparation:
Combine all dry ingredients (through salt) and stir until well combined. Add agave, then stir again. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until almonds begin to brown. Let cool slightly, then sprinkle with a little extra salt (to taste). Add cacao nibs, and stir well. Cool in pans or on wax paper.