Road Trip Snacks To Make and Take Along (Munch-Worthy Treats)
When you’re traveling by car, van, plane, or any long journey, it’s highly recommended to bring snacks, appetizers, or some food for when hunger strikes during the trip.
In this post, we want to help you make and pack snacks for your road trip, which are easy to prepare and will be enjoyed by the whole family. We include both savory and sweet snacks.
Keep reading if you’re looking for easy-to-make, portable food for your road trip. I’m sure you’ll love these snacks.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for food to cook during your trip with your barbecue or camping stove, I suggest these two posts:
Sweet Ideas for Your Road Trip
Four recipes for sweet snacks to take on your road trip, easy to prepare before you hit the road.
If you have a craving for sweets during your road trip, we bring you these delicious snacks that will satisfy your cravings and can be prepared at home before you leave.
Healthy and Delicious Muffins (Vegan)
These vegan muffins are packed with fruits and vegetables that the whole family will love. They are perfect for a pre-trip breakfast or to enjoy during your road trip.
The recipe is easy and can be made at home.
Kitchen Utensils You Need
- Muffin mold
- Paper liners for cupcakes or muffins
- Measuring cup
- Large bowl
- Spoon
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (or your gluten-free flour)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 peeled and diced apple
- 1/2 cup crushed pistachios
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut plus extra for topping
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons water
How To Prepare Muffins
These muffins are super easy to prepare. It takes about 30 minutes.
Step-by-step recipe: instructions
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Using a knife or a peeler, remove the skin from the apple, then dice it into small cubes and set aside.
Using a vegetable peeler, a knife, or a cheese grater, dice or grate the carrots, and set aside.
Place the pistachios in a zip-lock bag and use something heavy and sturdy, like a rolling pin, to crush them until there are no large pieces remaining. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, and spices in a large bowl and stir until well mixed. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
Line your muffin tin with cooking spray and/or paper liners. Fill each cavity to the top and sprinkle with shredded coconut if desired.
Bake on the center rack for 15-18 minutes until golden and a toothpick or knife comes out clean.
One of these muffins has approximately 250 kcal.
Carrot Muffin
If you like carrot cake, you’ll love these muffins to take on a trip. They are easy to make, tasty and healthy.
Kitchen Utensils You Need
- Muffin molds
- Paper liners for cupcakes or muffins
- Measuring cup
- Large bowl
- Spoon
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour (not regular flour)
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup of raisins
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups of unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup of grated carrot (approximately 1 large carrot or 16 baby carrots)
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. In two separate bowls, mix the dry ingredients in one of them and the wet ingredients in the other one. Then, combine the bowl with the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix until a smooth batter is formed.
The batter will be quite moist due to all the applesauce; don’t worry.
3. Place the mixture in a non-stick or greased muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes: check with a toothpick or knife to ensure they are ready!
And you’ll have delicious muffins to take with you on your long trip.
*Check out the best coffee makers for camper vans
Granola Bars
Homemade granola bars to take on your road trip. Undoubtedly, much tastier than the ones you can buy in the supermarket.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups of rolled oats (uncooked)
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/3 cup of flour (I usually use whole wheat, sometimes even wheat germ)
- 2 cups of fruit and nuts (cranberries, cherries, peaches, walnuts, chocolate chips)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/3 cup of butter
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 6 tablespoons of melted butter
How is It Done?
Super easy, mix all the ingredients in a bowl. You can crush the nuts a little if you prefer.
Once everything is well mixed, add the batter into a mold, preferably a silicone one, and press firmly to ensure everything is well compacted.
Bake it at 180 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes, and cut the bars only after it is done.
It’s super easy and delicious to take on a trip or as a snack at any time of the day, right? Let me know if you liked it!
Homemade Apple Chips
Apple chips are perfect to take on any long trip. They are tasty and healthy, plus they are enjoyed by the whole family and incredibly easy to make.
You can mix different varieties of apples or make them with just one type. It’s up to you.
How To Prepare Apple Chips
1. You will need 4 apples (of your desired type) sliced into thin rounds. You can use a mandoline to ensure each piece is of uniform size.
Start by cutting off the bottom to have a flat apple slice.
2. Preheat your oven to 90 degrees.
3. Place the apple slices in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper. Remove the seeds from the slices.
For each apple, I got around 20 slices, so you will have one tray per apple. This may vary depending on the size of the apple or the thickness of the chips. You have no idea how much they will shrink during cooking.
4. Sprinkle Stevia, sugar, or any other natural sweetener.
5. Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples (optional). You can also add any spices you wish.
Next time I make them, I would love to try apple pie seasoning or maybe a spicy one like chili or cayenne pepper.
6. Bake in the oven for 90 minutes. After that time, turn them over and bake for another hour. Turn off the oven and leave them in for a few hours or overnight.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DURING THIS TIME! I know it’s hard, but it’s worth it. You won’t believe how crispy they will be.
Savory Snacks for Everyone on Your Van or Car Trip
Let’s start with savory snacks to nibble on during your road trip. Obviously, there are many more, but we have decided to start with these that look great and that everyone likes!
Cheese Pretzels in 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast or active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 3/4 cup of grated cheese
- Approximately 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 4 cups of very hot water
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Coarse salt
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Cover 2 baking trays with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Mix with a whisk, stirring until most of the lumps have dissolved. Add the sugar, salt, and ¼ cup of grated cheese, mixing well.
Slowly stir in 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon. Add about ¾ cup more flour until the dough becomes sticky. Poke the dough and see if it bounces back. If so, it is ready to knead.
3. Place your dough on a floured surface. Knead using a push-and-fold method for about 3-5 minutes, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. The dough won’t be completely smooth due to the cheese, but it will be fairly smooth and elastic when it’s ready. Form a ball. Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut the dough in half.
Then, cut each half into quarters. Take each quarter and cut it into 3 equal pieces to get a total of a dozen equal or nearly equal pieces of dough.
5. Shape each piece to elongate them. Shorter strips of dough will make smaller, thicker pretzels. Longer strips of dough will make thinner, larger pretzels.
Take the two ends of the dough and form them into a U shape. Twist them together 2-3 times. Flip the twisted ends to form the pretzel shape.
6. Then the pretzels are formed. Mix 4 cups of very hot water with ¼ cup of baking soda.
Dip each pretzel in the baking soda solution. While still wet, sprinkle them with the remaining ½ cup of grated cheese.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius. Remove from the oven. Turn on the broiler. Place each tray under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the pretzels are golden and the cheese is melted. Keep a close eye on them to prevent them from burning.
8. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Mix in ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. Spread over the top of the hot pretzels and sprinkle with coarse salt.
*They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Pizza Bites
Easy to prepare and you’ll love having them during your car or van trip. They are perfect for snacking anytime and are enjoyed by both kids and adults.
How To Make Pizza Rolls?
Making pizza rolls is really easy, once you have the dough ready. There isn’t a specific recipe, it’s more of a method.
1 Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape.
2. Next, spread your favorite pizza sauce over the dough.
3. Then, add your desired pizza toppings and cover with cheese. Avoid adding too many toppings as it will make it harder to roll and the cheese might spill out while baking.
4. Once you have all the ingredients and cheese on the pizza, it’s time to roll it up. Start with the side closest to you and slowly and carefully roll the dough all the way.
5. After rolling it up, I like to gently press it to ensure it’s even and won’t fall apart when sliced.
6. Start from one end and cut pieces about 2.5 centimeters thick from the rolled-up pizza. Gently press down on each pizza roll and place them on a pizza tray.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Allow them to cool slightly on a wire rack. hey are delicious when eaten warm or cold, and you can enjoy them during your road trip.
Pesto Pasta With Bacon
Do you want to stop on the road and prepare a more elaborate meal? I have a super easy recipe for you that can be made in 25 minutes. I am sure you will like it
Ingredients for Two People
- 2 slices of bacon
- 2 zucchinis, sliced
- A handful of cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups of pasta
- ¼ cup of pesto
- ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons of pine nuts
- Salt + pepper to taste
How To Prepare
1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, remove it, chop it, and set it aside.
2. Add the zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and a pinch of salt to the skillet. Sauté them until the zucchini is tender and starts to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove the vegetables onto a plate or bowl and set aside.
4. Add the pasta, 3 cups of water, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the skillet. Boil according to the package instructions. Remove from heat and drain.
5. Mix the cooked pasta with the pesto, then stir in the sautéed vegetables, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped bacon, and pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Other Foods That Should Not Be Missing on Your Road Trip
There are very easy meals to prepare (or buy already prepared) that will get you out of trouble on any trip. What are your essential snacks on a road trip?
- Empanadas or turnovers
- Salads
- Sandwiches
- Gazpacho and salmorejo (cold Spanish soups)
- Fruit
You can bring small fruits or cherry tomatoes as appetizers to snack on something healthy during the trip. Bring them washed and ready to eat.
Also, bring your favorite fruit to have as dessert.
Don’t forget to bring water! Staying hydrated is essential.
Tip: try to avoid these foods
- Evita salsas pesadas como la mayonesa o
- Evita sopas o potajes que hagan difícil tu digestión
What are your favorite snacks to munch on during a long trip? Do you have a favorite food to eat when traveling by road?
Would you like to be able to download this post in PDF format? Let me know in the comments.
Plan Your Road Trip
- Como organizar tu road trip perfecto (ebook por email)
- Consejos para viajar en furgoneta camper o autocaravana
- Qué llevar cuando te vas de camping
- Música para viajar por carretera (+200 canciones)
- Que comer cuando te vas de camping (comidas sencillas)
Last Updated on 18 September, 2023 by Veronica
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Author: Veronica
Vero, a seasoned traveler, has explored 25 countries and lived in five, gaining a rich perspective and fostering an infectious passion for travel. With a heart full of wanderlust, Vero uncovers the world’s hidden gems and shares insights, tips, and planning advice to inspire and assist fellow adventurers. Join Vero and let the shared passion for travel create unforgettable memories.