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    Home » Snacks

    Healthy Popcorn Trail Mix

    February 11, 2025 by Chrissy Carroll Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Craving a sweet and salty snack combo?  Look no further than this popcorn trail mix!  It’s a blend of salty stovetop popcorn, rich pistachios, flavorful dried fruit, and a little dark chocolate.  This filling treat is sure to be loved by kids and adults alike. Great for watching the game, enjoying as an afternoon snack, or packing in your purse for a midday bite.

    Note: This post was originally published in 2020. The post and recipe has been updated in 2025, as one of the ingredients was no longer on the market.

    Two red and white popcorn bowls filled with popcorn trail mix.

    Ingredients

    Here is a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need. Note that the photo shows already popped popcorn; I make this myself with popcorn kernels, olive oil, and salt. But you can use pre-popped popcorn too.

    Popcorn, apricots, prunes, pistachios, and chocolate.

    Instructions

    Alright, ready to give it a whirl?

    If you’re making the popcorn yourself, you’ll start with that. If you’ve never done this before, it may seem a little intimidating – but I promise, it’s so easy! 

    A bowl of unpopped popcorn kernels.

    To start, you just need to drizzle a little olive oil in a pan, and place just 2 or 3 of the kernels in there with it.

    A pot with olive oil and two popcorn kernels.

    Heat those over medium heat until those two kernels pop.  Then pour in the rest of your kernels and give everything a little shake.

    A pot with a bunch of popcorn kernels added into the oil.

    Cover with a slightly ajar lid, and let the rest of ‘em pop!  It should only take a few minutes.  Once the popcorn is ready, you’ll toss it with some salt and let it cool down for a few minutes. 

    A pot full of popped popcorn.

    Then mix in your other trail mix ingredients – pistachios, dried apricots, prunes, and chocolate.

    Popcorn in a mixing bowl with pistachios, prunes, apricots, and chocolate.

    Now that it’s all mixed up, you can dig in and enjoy!  Store it in an air tight container or zip top bag at room temperature; it will stay fresh for a few days.

    An overhead look at a bowl of popcorn trail mix, showing the popcorn, nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate.

    Other Trail Mix Add-Ins

    I love the combination of ingredients in this recipe, but you don’t have to let yourself be limited to it.  Here are some other options that you can consider for your popcorn snack mix.  Get creative! Feel free to mix up what you put in this.

    • Walnuts
    • Almonds
    • Macadamia nuts
    • Peanuts
    • Pecans
    • Dried mango
    • Dried pineapple
    • Dried apples
    • Coconut chips
    • Shredded coconut
    • Banana chips
    • White chocolate
    • Cacao nibs
    • Beef jerky
    • Pretzels
    • Rice squares cereal
    • Toasted oat cereal
    • Sesame sticks

    Why you’ll love this trail mix

    • Popcorn adds volume for a more satisfying portion
    • Research has shown that both nuts and popcorn promote satiety, helping you feel full from this snack
    • Each serving provides 5.5 grams of fiber, helpful for supporting digestive health
    • Contains healthy carbs to fuel fitness goals
    • Provides 10% of your daily iron needs, key for runners and active women

    I hope you enjoy this popcorn trail mix as much as I do!  If you have a chance to try it, please do leave a recipe rating or comment below. 

    A bowl of popcorn trail mix next to a napkin and some popcorn kernels.

    Healthy Popcorn Trail Mix

    Snacking in Sneakers
    Craving a healthy sweet and salty snack combo?  Look no further than this popcorn trail mix!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 7 servings
    Calories 226 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • ¼ cup popcorn kernels
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ½ cup shelled pistachios
    • ½ cup chopped dried apricots
    • ½ cup chopped prunes
    • ⅓ cup dark chocolate chunks

    Instructions
     

    • Pour the olive oil into a large pot, and place 2 to 3 individual popcorn kernels in the pot. Turn on the heat to medium, cover with a slightly ajar lid, and wait for those kernels to pop.
    • When that happens, pour in the remainder of the popcorn, giving the pot a little shake to ensure all the popcorn is evenly coated in oil. Cover the pot again with a slightly ajar lid. The rest of the popcorn kernels will start popping fairly quickly. Continue cooking until sound slows to a few seconds between pops, at which point remove from heat.
    • Toss the popcorn with the salt in the pot, then pour into a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
    • Mix in the pistachios, apricots, prunes, and chocolate. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • You can use pre-popped popcorn or microwave popcorn instead of making it yourself, if you prefer.
    • This recipe makes 7 servings of approximately 1 cup each.
     
    Nutrition analysis (approximate per serving): 226 calories, 11 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 130 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fiber, 15.5 g sugar, 4.5 g protein, Vitamin D: 0%, Calcium: 2%, Iron: 10%, Potassium: 8%

    Nutrition

    Calories: 226kcal
    Keyword popcorn snack mix, popcorn trail mix
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Share:  What’s your favorite sweet and salty snack combo?

    Please pin this post to save for later!

    A bowl of popcorn trail mix with a text overlay with the name of the recipe.
    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.
    Chrissy Carroll
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    Welcome to Snacking in Sneakers! That's me, Chrissy, and I'm here to share all my favorite fitness, food, & wellness stories & tips. I'm a dietitian, personal trainer, runner, triathlon coach, foodie, not-so-extreme couponer, and all around fun lovin' gal.

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