The 38 Best Road Trip Snacks You Can Pack
Updated: Feb. 23, 2024
You're taking a family trip! But what will you eat along the way? These road trip snacks are simple to pack, easy to eat in the car and will keep you happy mile after mile.
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Lemony Snack Mix
A portable snack mix that tastes like lemon bars? Yes, please! This sunshiny snack pairs crunchy Chex cereal with creamy white chocolate and lots of bright, fragrant lemon zest. Plus, it’s one of our favorite gluten-free road trip snacks.
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Air-Fried Pumpkin Shakarpara
Shakarparas are crispy fried Indian cookies, but in this recipe, they’re made in the air fryer. The addition of pumpkin and warm spices gives them a fall feel, but truly, they’re delicious in every single season.
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Homemade Cheez-Its
Wish Cheez-Its were… cheez-ier? This recipe for homemade Cheez-Its packs in the shredded sharp cheddar, so you can have the extra-cheesy crackers you’ve always dreamed of.
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Teriyaki Beef Jerky
Buying beef jerky at a gas station can be expensive if you’ve got lots of hungry mouths to feed. Instead, save a couple bucks by making homemade beef jerky before you go.
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Nut Butter Cups
Why settle for store-bought peanut butter cups when you can easily make them at home? Pair the richest chocolate with nut butters, then pack on the fresh chopped nuts. Just taste homemade peanut butter cups once and there’s no going back.
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Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
Your stash of road trip snacks should have muffins for breakfast on the go—but all the crumbs can make a mess. Solve that problem by making mini muffins instead, like this easy, poppable version loaded with poppy seeds. Keep the back seat clean with snacks kids can easily eat in the car.
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Homemade Potato Chips
If you’ve never made homemade potato chips before, a road trip is a great excuse to try! To make flavored potato chips, sprinkle them with your favorite spice blend while they’re still warm.
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Chili-Lime Roasted Chickpeas
Looking for something healthy to snack on mindlessly? These chili-lime chickpeas are crunchy, good for you and full of bold flavor.
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Cinnamon-Cranberry Oat Bars
These kid-friendly cinnamon-cranberry oat bars pack a hidden healthy punch thanks to ground flax seeds. Once cut, wrap each bar individually in waxed paper to make them road trip-friendly. Find more helpful hints for traveling with food.
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Orange-Ancho Spiced Nuts
These extra-flavorful nuts offer a tasty combination of orange, ancho chili pepper and chocolate. The anchos add heat, but they also add a robust smoky flavor that makes this road trip snack a lot more interesting than your average mixed nuts.
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Soft Beer Pretzel Nuggets
This recipe for soft pretzel nuggets uses amber beer to create an irresistible flavor. If you’d rather another style of beer (like a rich lager or dark stout), or prefer to use a nonalcoholic brew, you can certainly switch it up any way you please.
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Birthday Cake Fudge
You don’t need to be celebrating a birthday in the car to enjoy the taste of birthday cake! This fudge takes less than 5 minutes to prepare thanks to a secret ingredient: boxed Funfetti cake mix.
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Savory Cracker Snack Mix
Love the taste of everything bagel seasoning? Then you’ll love this crunchy snack mix that tosses it with pretzels, potato sticks and more.Before you stop to fuel up, check our list to find the best gas station foods to grab on the go.
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Spicy Almonds
This spicy almond recipe could not be easier to make—and it’s endlessly customizable. Once you’ve got the technique down pat, mix things up with homemade spice blends to create a special recipe all your own!
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Courtside Caramel Corn
You might not think caramel corn is the best snack to bring in the car, but this recipe is an exception. Even though it’s coated in a rich brown sugar caramel with a touch of salt, it’s not sticky in the slightest.
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No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bars
These no-bake peanut butter energy bars are made with natural ingredients, making them a healthier option than most gas station granola bars. Want to add some extra fiber? Stir in a spoonful or two of wheat germ.
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Cheddar-Pecan Crisps
Looking for a road trip snack you can prepare well in advance? The dough for these cheesy, nutty crisps can be prepped, rolled into logs and frozen ahead of time. Before you leave for your trip, just slice and bake!
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Air-Fryer Kale Chips
These kale chips are a healthier alternative to packaged chips, and they’re so delicious, even the kids will love them. Season your kale chips simply with salt, or break out a spice blend like Old Bay to upgrade this nutritious snack.
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Oatmeal Date Bars
Dates are super sweet and super healthy, making them a great pick-me-up snack for a long road trip. Wrap each bar individually in waxed paper or parchment paper to make them easier to store (and easier to eat).
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Chia Seed Protein Bites
This recipe has no gluten, eggs, dairy or corn, so it’s the perfect road trip snack for those with certain food allergies. They’re also no-bake, so even the littlest hands can help make these protein-packed treats!
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Caramel Chex Mix
This wonderfully crunchy snack is loaded with cereal, pretzels and nuts—and coated with a not-too-sweet brown sugar mixture. Pack this mix in resealable bags for easy eating while you’re on the road.
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Homemade Chex Mix
You can make crunchy homemade Chex Mix in the oven, slow cooker, microwave or air fryer. No matter how you whip up this back-of-the-box recipe, it’s the king of road trip snacks!
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White Chocolate Cereal Bars
Jazz up the typical rice cereal treat with rich, indulgent white chocolate. If you’d like to make these cereal bars more festive to celebrate a birthday or holiday, add some sprinkles for a dash of color.
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Carrot Cookie Bites
Enjoy the taste of carrot cake on the go with these easy-to-pack carrot cookie bites. The dough can be made and frozen in advance, then baked fresh before you hit the open road. Don’t forget the road trip games!
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Sesame-Garlic Pumpkin Seeds
Punch up pumpkin seeds! This simple road trip snack combines pumpkin seeds with everything bagel spice and can be prepped in less than 10 minutes.
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Sweet & Spicy Peanuts
With a caramel-like coating and a touch of heat from hot sauce, these crunchy peanuts make a tasty anytime snack. You can make this recipe with other nuts, too.
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Snack Crackers
This classic recipe elevates the munchable mini crackers with the zesty flavor of ranch dressing. No soup required!
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Slow-Cooker Coconut Granola
You can make granola in the slow cooker. Who knew? Make this recipe your own by subbing dried pineapple or other dried tropical fruits for the cherries.
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Tex-Mex Popcorn
Southwest seasoning makes this snackin’-good popcorn ideal for any fiesta, whether you’re at home or on the road. Pack this popcorn up in extra-large resealable Stasher bags.
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Sesame Cheese Crackers
If you’ve never tried making your own crackers before, this is a great recipe to start with. Enjoy these sesame cheese crackers on their own, or pack a cooler with some sliced deli meats and cheeses.
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Crispy Snack Mix
The delightfully crispy snack mix is made in the slow cooker, and couldn’t be easier to put together. Just mix all the ingredients directly in the slow cooker, give it an occasional stir, and in less than 3 hours you’ve got a road trip-worthy snack!
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Chocolaty Chips
You know sweet and salty are made for each other. It’s impossible to eat only one bite of these chocolate-drizzled potato chips.
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Garlic & Onion Cashews
If you love sour cream and onion potato chips, then you’ll really love these garlic and onion cashews. Best of all, they take less than 10 minutes to make!
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Snackers
Peanuts, peanut butter, crunchy rice cereal — what’s not to love? Better still, these supremely easy five-ingredient cookies are made in the microwave, so you don’t have to heat up your kitchen by turning on the oven.
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Homemade Honey Grahams
These homemade graham crackers are less processed—and less expensive—than store-bought versions. If your road trip involves a stop to camp, you’ll want to try this recipe out for s’mores.
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Parmesan-Ranch Snack Mix
Parmesan and ranch are irresistible flavors on their own. Put them together in this easy-to-make snack mix and you’ll find yourself with a road trip snack you can’t get enough of.
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Chocolate Date Energy Balls
These healthy chocolate date balls will satisfy your sweet tooth without added refined sugar. You only need to eat one (or two) for a quick pop of energy.
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Buttery Cajun Popcorn
You’ll need five ingredients to make this Cajun-inspired snack that’s perfect for your next road trip. If you’d like your popcorn to be extra spicy, then add some ground cayenne pepper to taste.Originally Published: March 04, 2021
