This mix skips simply toasted nuts in favour of a coating of fresh blended pumpkin, maple syrup and spices, which dries into a lightly sweet, fragrant shell around every nut and seed. Almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are soaked beforehand for a softer bite, then mixed with cashews, coconut, raisins and cranberries left as they are, which stay chewy and add bursts of concentrated sweetness against the crunch of everything else. Dehydrating happens in two stages: first on a solid sheet so the wet coating doesn't drip through, then straight onto the mesh tray once the mix is dry enough to hold together, which lets air move on both sides and gives a fully crisp result. Total drying time is long but needs almost no attention, which makes it a good project to start the night before a party and let run overnight. The batch is generous, well suited to the holidays or as a homemade alternative to shop-bought snack mixes, including as a gift.
Dehydrated Spiced Pumpkin Snack Mix
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Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds, soaked
- 1 cup pecans, soaked
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked
- 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup cranberries
- 2 cups fresh pumpkin, cubed
- 250 ml maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1½ tablespoons of a spice blend such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove
Method
- Soak the almonds for about 12 hours; the pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds for about 2 hours. Leave the cashews, coconut, raisins and cranberries unsoaked.
- Rinse and drain the soaked nuts and seeds, then combine them in a large bowl with the cashews, coconut, raisins and cranberries.
- In a high-speed blender, blend the pumpkin, maple syrup, salt and spices until smooth. Pour over the nut and seed mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Line dehydrator trays with non-stick sheets over the mesh and spread the mixture across 2 to 3 trays. Dehydrate at 40°C (104°F) for 3 to 5 hours.
- Transfer the mixture straight onto the mesh trays, removing the non-stick sheets, and continue dehydrating for 12 to 24 hours, until everything is nicely crisp.
Tip
Store the finished mix in an airtight jar at room temperature, where it keeps for about a month. If the cranberries or raisins clump together while drying, separate them by hand once cooled rather than before: the pumpkin coating is still sticky enough to smear if you handle them too soon.
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FAQ: your questions about dehydrated snack mix
How do you store dehydrated fruit?
Once fully dry, keep it in an airtight glass jar, away from light and moisture: it will last several weeks at room temperature. To extend that further, a cool, dry spot or a stint in the freezer easily stretches it out with no real loss of quality.
Why should nuts be soaked?
Same logic, with shorter times: two hours is enough for pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, against twelve for almonds. In this recipe, soaking also serves a technical purpose: softened nuts take on the pumpkin coating better than dry ones.
Why should seeds be soaked before eating them?
A dry seed is dormant. Water breaks that dormancy and triggers the processes that prepare it for germination. It's this change of state that matters in raw food eating, more than the question of digestion alone. Always rinse and discard the soaking water.
What can you do with a nut mix?
Beyond snacking, this mix can be scattered over a fruit bowl, raw porridge or salad, tucked into a bag for a hike, or ground into a coarse powder to use as a base for a raw pie crust. It also makes a lovely homemade gift in a sealed jar.
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