Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 3 hrs 30 mins Rest time: 20 mins Total time: 4 hrs 20 mins
Makes: 1 large batch (just about fills a 2.5 quart mixing bowl)
This animal-based trail mix is made with just four nutrient-dense ingredients: pitted dates, plantain chips, Carnivore Crisps Ribeye Crumbs, and dehydrated ground beef.
What you need to make Animal-Based Trail Mix
Ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Pitted Medjool dates
- Carnivore Crisps Ribeye Crumbs (ASHLEYR for 10% off)
- Plantain chips
Equipment:
- Cooking pan
- Mixing bowl (also serves as serving bowl)
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Substitutions
You use any dried fruit in place of the pitted dates, and any Carnivore Crisps (ASHLEYR for 10% off) in place of the Ribeye Crumbs.
How to make Animal-Based Trail Mix
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Dehydrate the beef.
Cook the ground beef in your cooking pan on the stovetop until done. Don’t add any fat while cooking.
Once the ground beef is cooked, drain out all of the fat.
Transfer the cooked ground beef to a plate. Pat the beef dry with a towel to soak up as much of the remaining fat as you can.
Transfer the ground beef on top of a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet. Spread the pieces out in as thin of a layer as possible to promote even baking.
Dehydrate the ground beef in the oven at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours. You may have to rotate the pieces while cooking. I usually swirl everything around with a fork every 30 minutes or so or when I remember. The pieces should be hard and crunchy when done. I typically keep an eye on mine at about the 2-hour mark. Mine was done right around 3 hours.
Once the beef is fully dehydrated, remove the beef pieces from the oven and let them cool.
Prepare the dates.
Chop the pitted dates into bite-sized pieces.
Add all ingredients to your mixing bowl.
Add the dehydrated ground beef bits, chopped dates, Carnivore Crisps Ribeye Crumbs (ASHLEYR for 10% off), and plantain chips into a large mixing bowl.
Using your hands, mix ingredients well until they’re evenly incorporated.
Optional: break up any large plantain chips and globs of dates into smaller pieces.
You probably won’t need to, but add some salt to taste if preferred.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips to make the best Animal-Based Trail Mix
- While it’s not necessary, I recommend breaking up the plantain chips and globs of dates into smaller pieces. This will ensure an even taste throughout the trail mix.
A few of my other favorite sweet eats:
Jumbo Chocolate Cups with Salted Chunky Date Filling
Flourless Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Animal-Based Trail Mix
Animal-Based Trail Mix
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (as lean as possible)
- 6-9 oz pitted Medjool dates (about 1-1.5 cups)
- 2 1.5 oz bags Carnivore Crisps Ribeye Crumbs
- 3 2 oz bags plantain chips
Instructions
- If you’re interested solely in the recipe, skip this bullet point and keep on reading. For those interested in sourcing nutrient-dense food, low-toxic household products, and discounts on brands that may support your AB journey, you may find value in my product guides. Head over to this page if you’d like to check them out. All are free (and always will be).
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Dehydrate the beef.
- Cook the ground beef in your cooking pan on the stovetop until done. Don't add any fat while cooking.
- Once the ground beef is cooked, drain out all of the fat.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to a plate. Pat the beef dry with a towel to soak up as much of the remaining fat as you can.
- Transfer the ground beef on top of a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet. Spread the pieces out in as thin of a layer as possible to promote even baking.
- Dehydrate the ground beef in the oven at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours. You may have to rotate the pieces while cooking. I usually swirl everything around with a fork every 30 minutes or so or when I remember. The pieces should be hard and crunchy when done. I typically keep an eye on mine at about the 2-hour mark. Mine was done right around 3 hours.
- Once the beef is fully dehydrated, remove the beef pieces from the oven and let them cool.
Prepare the dates.
- Chop the pitted dates into bite-sized pieces.
Add all ingredients to your mixing bowl.
- Add the dehydrated ground beef bits, chopped dates, Carnivore Crisps Ribeye Crumbs (ASHLEYR for 10% off), and plantain chips into a large mixing bowl.
- Using your hands, mix ingredients well until they're evenly incorporated.
- Optional: break up any large plantain chips and globs of dates into smaller pieces.
- You probably won't need to, but add some salt to taste if preferred.
Serve and enjoy!
Looking for some more easy sweet eats? Try one of these recipes:
Jumbo Chocolate Cups with Salted Chunky Date Filling
Flourless Lemon Blueberry Muffins
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Ashley Rothstein develops tasty, whole food, animal-based recipes that include a moderate amount of “minimally toxic” plant foods. To fix her own health issues, she bounced around between the carnivore, keto, and paleo diets for a few years. After experiencing and studying each diet philosophy, she learned she feels her best by merging the three and following an animal-based diet. As a glut at heart, she likes to channel her creativity and create meals that are healthy but also satisfy her inner gluttonous spirits.
