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    Urban Bliss Life ยป All Recipes ยป Snack Recipes ยป 50 Road Trip Snacks for Kids the Whole Family Will Love!

    Published: July 21, 2023 / Updated: July 22, 2023 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland ยท This post may contain affiliate links.

    50 Road Trip Snacks for Kids the Whole Family Will Love!

    1354 shares
    best road trip snacks
    car driving through a forest, title text overlay, and images of chocolate chip snack bars and apple cinnamon muffins.

    Getting ready to hit the road? Fuel up for your big adventure with the best road trip snacks for kids that the whole family will love!

    This article was first published on March 10, 2020. It was updated with more recipes, new content, and some updated photos and republished on July 22, 2023.

    pacific northwest rainy road trip

    More than 100 million Americans plan to take a family vacation this year, according to AAA. If you're like more than half of Americans, at least one of those vacations will be a family road trip.

    Do you plan to vacation this year? How many road trips do you and your family take each year?

    Jump to:
    • ๐Ÿš™ Family road trips
    • ๐ŸŽ What are good snacks to bring on a road trip?
    • ๐ŸงŠ Road trip snack tools and equipment
    • ๐Ÿซ Road trip snacks for kids
    • Best Road Trip Snacks
    • More road trip tips

    🚙 Family road trips

    My husband, the kids, the dog and I do at least three road trips a year. If you live on the West Coast like we do, there are so many great road trip options!

    Some of them are shorter road trips, like to the Oregon Coast (1-3 hour drive) or Southern Oregon (3-5 hour drive).

    Some are mid-range road trips, like to Yakima, Washington or Walla Walla, Washington (4 hours).

    About once a year, we'll take a longer 6-13 hour road trip to Vancouver BC Canada, Montana, Idaho, or further south in California.

    Schotland family road trip Portland to Seattle

    Growing up, our family vacations usually consisted of family road trips. They will always have a special place in my heart. And packing family road trip snacks for kids (and us older kids!) is one of my favorite parts about preparing for a family road trip!

    🍎 What are good snacks to bring on a road trip?

    road trip snacks for kids

    The length of your road trip, age of your kids, and the weather might best determine the best snacks to bring. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the best road trip snacks for the whole family.

    • Choose food that is non-perishable, or packs easily into a small cooler. You want to choose ingredients that won't spoil quickly, and can be kept fresh for long trips.
    • Protein-rich ingredients are great for long road trips. Some of the best road trip snacks contain super foods that pack a lot of energy-building protein into each bite. Snacks like energy bites/energy balls and healthy snack mixes with nuts are a great option.
    • If you have a few minutes, homemade really is best. Homemade snacks like granola, energy bites, muffins, homemade cheesy crackers, and snack mixes are great options. They often take just a few minutes to make. And these healthy snacks can be made the day before you head out on your big adventure.

    🧊 Road trip snack tools and equipment

    Make sure you are road trip ready with these items:

    • Small cooler
    • Ice packs
    • Water bottles or thermos that can keep cold liquids cold for hours and hot liquids hot for hours.

    🫐 Road trip snacks for kids

    fresh strawberries and peaches

    My favorite road trip snacks for kids and adults alike are fresh fruit and veggies. Wash them, slice them, pack them into portable containers with some ice packs, and you're ready to go! This simple fruit salad is a great road trip snack.

    Also consider these portable snacks that you can easily stock up on at gas stations and convenience stores along the way if you need to:

    • string cheese
    • hard-boiled eggs
    • fruit leather (little kids and older kids alike seem to love these!)
    • sunflower seeds
    • nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews are all great snacking)
    • dry cereal
    • peanut butter/almond butter
    • dried fruit
    • beef jerky

    In addition to these healthy travel snacks, here are 50 healthy road trip snacks that the whole family will love that you can make the day before you embark on your big road trip.

    These are all vegetarian snacks, too!

    Best Road Trip Snacks

    Here are some of the best road trip snacks! This list is full of easy recipes for adventurers on-the-go.

    Muffins

    Muffins are great road trip snacks the whole family will love! You can bake them up to two days in advance, then they're easy to pack up into airtight containers for grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks.

    Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Bursting with blueberries and sweet chocolate chips, these Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins are tasty treats the whole family will love on any road trip!

    Pumpkin Banana Muffins

    Fall flavors shine in these Pumlin Banana Muffins. So easy to make and great to take on your next family road trip!

    Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Got some overripe bananas to use up? Make these delectable Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!

    Best Chocolate Chip Muffins

    When you need a sweet treat while hitting the open road, these Best Chocolate Chip Muffins will surely satisfy. They are easy to make with simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.

    Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins with Lemon

    Zingy citrus and bright berries make these Dairy-free Blueberry Muffins with Lemon a taste sensation. The bright flavors are great for your next road trip adventures!

    Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins (with carrots and zucchini!)

    My kids have declared these the best muffins ever! Packed with veggies in the batter, these Apple Cinnamon Muffins are healthy, tasty, and perfectly portable for road trips!

    Photo Credit: sabrinacurrie.com

    Quick Easy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

    One Bowl Blueberry Muffins are great for a road trip. Healthy with oatmeal and ricotta, quick and easy to make and best of all, these aren’t too crumbly so they won’t make a mess in your car!

    Photo Credit: www.bucketlisttummy.com

    Gluten Free Almond Flour Banana Muffins (Video)

    Almond Flour Banana Muffins are gluten free and the perfect portable snack, ideal for before or after a workout or for the kids. You can whip these easy banana muffins up in less than 30 minutes without any oil or added sugars! 

    Double Berry Chocolate Chip Muffins

    These Double Berry Chocolate Chip Muffins are bursting with juicy summer fruits and sweet chocolate morsels. They’re delicious healthy muffins to pack for family road trips!

    Photo Credit: emmaeatsandexplores.com

    Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins

    These lemon and poppyseed muffins are gluten and refined sugar free. A healthier version that packs a huge protein punch from the almond flour used to make them. The perfect light, zesty springtime snack.

    Photo Credit: itsavegworldafterall.com

    Zucchini Carrot Oat Muffins

    These healthy Zucchini Carrot Oat Muffins make it easy to get some veggies and fruit in, even when you’re on the road! 

    Bars

    From protein bars to cereal bars, snacks in bar form are handy to take with you on road trips.

    Lucky Charms Cereal Bars

    These Lucky Charms Cereal Bars are magically delicious and just the sweet treat to keep road trippers of all ages happy and satisfied on the road!

    Funfetti Cookie Bars

    With colorful sprinkles and sweet white chocolate chips in every bite, these Funfetti Cookie Bars are a fun road trip snack everyone will love!

    Photo Credit: www.ihearteating.com

    Homemade M&M Granola Bars

    Homemade M&M Granola Bars make a delicious on-the-go snack! 

    Photo Credit: www.thesimplegreen.com

    No Bake Salted Caramel Omega Bars [Gluten-free]

    A naturally sweetened gluten-free granola bar for when you’re on the road or enjoying a break. This recipe offers a healthy dose of omega 3 from the addition of ground flax seed. Absolutely delicious…sweet and salty goodness in chewy bar form, with a light drizzle of dark chocolate.

    Chocolate Chip Bars

    These chocolate chip bars are chewy, chocolatey, yummy bars that are perfect to pack for road trips!

    Photo Credit: julieblanner.com

    No Bake Granola Bars

    These Peanut Butter Granola Bars are the perfect make-ahead breakfast or snack that you’ll feel good about. They are packed with protein and easily made gluten-free.

    Chewy Apple Granola Bars

    These chew apple granola bars are delicious grab-and-go road trip snacks!

    Granola

    Granola is a classic road trip snack. Homemade granola is even better because you know exactly what ingredients are in those tasty treats!

    Photo Credit: elkeliving.com

    Easy Spiced Coconut Granola

    This easy spiced coconut granola comes together quickly to make the perfect snack on the go.

    Protein-Packed Brown Butter and Almond Homemade Granola

    This Homemade Granola Recipe with Brown Butter and Almonds is sweet and crunchy, packed with protein and Omega-3s. It’s a delicious make-ahead snack for long road trips!

    Energy Bites

    Easy to make from scratch and perfectly portable, energy bites are ideal snacks to take with you on road trips.

    Photo Credit: thekitchengirl.com

    Chocolate No Bake Energy Bites

    Chocolate No Bake Energy Bites are made with 6 superfood ingredients. They’re soft, chewy, naturally sweetened and they take 15 minutes to make…that’s it! They taste so rich and indulgent, you truly won’t believe these energy bites are vegan and gluten-free!

    Photo Credit: www.tessadomesticdiva.com

    Collagen Cookie Dough Keto Protein Balls

    In minutes, you can whip together these nutrient dense, raw, collagen-filled keto protein balls for ANY time you need a quick and satisfying treat! Loaded with healthy fats and collagen, these no bake keto fat bombs are super addicting!

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites

    Tasty Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites are super simple to make, and pack well for long road trips! The whole family will love these!

    Photo Credit: www.earthfoodandfire.com

    Peanut Butter Protein Balls

    Loaded with chia seeds, hemp protein powder, ground flaxseed, and of course peanut butter, these little energy balls will help stop your food cravings in their tracks.

    Photo Credit: eatwithclarity.com

    Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Bliss Balls

    These toasted coconut and chocolate bliss balls are the ultimate mid-day pick me up! They’re perfectly sweet, gluten free, vegan and double as an easy dessert recipe. Perfect for on the go fuel, for school lunches, or late night snacking! 

    Cookies

    When you really just want something to satisfy your sweet tooth on your next road trip adventure, bake a batch of one of these delicious cookie recipes.

    Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

    These Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are made with boxed cake mix and are especially fun and festive for holiday road trips!

    Butterscotch Cookies

    One of my kids' favorite cookies, these Butterscotch Cookies have sweet butterscotch chips and oats in every bite.

    Lavender Shortbread Cookies

    Elegant enough for tea, but easy and tasty to bring with you on road trips, these Lavender Shortbread Cookies taste delicious and offer a bonus of aromatherapy on road trips as you inhale that lovely lavender scent.

    Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Cracker Cookies Recipe

    Super easy to make with inexpensive ingredients you can find at any grocery store, these Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies are kid-friendly treats that they can help you make before you hit the road for your next family adventure.

    Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies with Brown Butter

    When you crave chocolate chip cookies with even richer flavor, try these Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies with Brown Butter.

    Strawberry Crinkle Cookies

    Made with boxed cake mix, these Strawberry Crinkle Cookies are easy and fun to make. They're light, fluffy, and perfect road trip snacks!

    Photo Credit: www.asweetalternative.com

    Maple Walnut Cookies

    These maple walnut cookies are a nutritious snack the whole family can enjoy. They’re easy to make and perfect for munching in the car.

    Matcha Crinkle Cookies

    If you love matcha, you'll love these chewy Matcha Crinkle Cookies! Bake some up and then enjoy them with your tea or coffee on the road.

    Ube White Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Ube is a purple yam that lends a subtle sweet & savory flavor to these bright and colorful, super delicious Ube White Chocolate Chip Cookies.

    Banana Bread Cookies

    When you can't decide if you want to bring cookies or banana bread, make these Banana Bread Cookies! They are soft and fluffy like banana bread muffin tops, but in the shapes of cookies.

    Photo Credit: veganonboard.com

    Incredibly Easy No Bake Chocolate Cookies

    These incredibly easy no bake cookies have just three ingredients. Perfect for a sweet treat on a long journey.

    Key Lime Cookies

    Bursting with bright citrus flavors, these Key Lime Cookies are great snacks for your next road trip!

    Photo Credit: jenniferbanz.com

    Keto Breakfast Cookies

    These low carb and keto breakfast cookies are filled with almonds and hemp hearts and are so delicious! They are perfectly sweet and the perfect grab and go keto breakfast.

    Photo Credit: www.keepingthepeas.com

    No-Bake Vegan Snowball Cookies

    These no-bake vegan snowball cookies made with almond flour, and sugar-free coconut flakes are a healthy winter treat that are also paleo and gluten-free.

    Trail mix

    Whether your road trip adventures involve hiking or you'll be in a car for hours at a time, trail mix is a great snack with a variety of foods and flavors in one.

    Photo Credit: freshaprilflours.com

    Cake Batter Puppy Chow

    A crunchy, cake-battery take on the classic Puppy Chow!

    Photo Credit: recipesfromapantry.com

    5 Minute Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

    Looking for a quick last minute sweet snack mix recipe for a long journey? Then this 5-Minute Sweet Snack Mix with pretzels is the one you need.

    Photo Credit: foodfolksandfun.net

    Easy S’mores Snack Mix

    This easy S’mores Snack Mix satisfies your (or your kid's!) s’more cravings while driving to fun spots like hitting the beach, visiting the zoo, or just out and about running errands.

    Photo Credit: www.cookingwithcarlee.com

    Peanut Butter Maple Snack Mix

    This peanut butter maple snack mix is loaded with yummy coated cereal coated in an easy peanut butter maple mix, then extra peanuts, raisins and candies are mixed in to make it a super fun treat.

    Crackers

    You need a little savory to balance out the sweet snacks while traveling! These crackers are great to make for road trip snacking.

    Photo Credit: www.shugarysweets.com

    Ranch and Dill Oyster Cracker Snack

    With just four ingredients, Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Crackers are an easy way to shake up snack time! Perfect for parties or road trips!

    Photo Credit: frydae.com

    Spiced Cheddar Star Crackers

    These savory little crackers are cheesy, spicy and flaky and make a great party snack…or anytime snack. Full of cheddar cheese, herbs and spices, they’re like Cheez-Its, Goldfish and Cheddar Bay Biscuits all wrapped up into one.

    Photo Credit: sweetpealifestyle.com

    Dilly Ranch Cheez-Its

    Dilly Ranch Cheez-Its are a three-ingredient snack that will have you covered for every binge-watch, car ride, football game, and poolside party.

    Homemade Cheez-Its Crackers

    These homemade Cheez-It crackers are so cheesy, crunchy, and yummy. They make awesome road trip snacks for the whole family!

    Fruit and vegetable snacks

    Fruits and veggies are an important part of anybody's daily diet. Here are some fun ways to sneak more fruits and veggies into your road trip food!

    Photo Credit: downshiftology.com

    Easy Apple Chips Recipe

    Apple chips are light, crispy, easy to make, and surprisingly full of flavor! Turn them into a sweet snack with a dash of cinnamon, or crumble them into bits as a topping for a delicious fall salad.

    Photo Credit: alwaysusebutter.com

    Easy Vegetarian Wraps with Avocado & Halloumi

    These vegetarian wraps are the perfect food to bring along for a road trip! Served cold and filled with avocado, arugula lettuce, red pesto and halloumi cheese they're topped with walnuts and an instant favorite with kids & adults alike.

    Photo Credit: littlesunnykitchen.com

    Kale Crisps

    Crunchy, salty, healthy and delicious kale crisps! A quick and easy snack that you’ll find yourself making over and over again. Post includes oven and air fryer instructions.

    Make some of these easy road trip snacks ahead of time and enjoy your time on the road! These healthy snack options are much better than the junk food you'll find at a fast food restaurant along the way.

    Did you make any of these recipes? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment below letting us know which one you made and how it turned out. Thank you!

    More road trip tips

    Whether you're doing a short road trip to one of our favorite Oregon Coast towns, or doing a longer road trip, here are more travel articles to help you have the best road trip ever.

    • Oregon highway with title text that reads "Fall Road Trip Essentials."
      Fall Road Trip List of Essentials
    • photos of waterfalls, vineyard grapes, haystack rock at cannon beach, and mount hood with title text that reads 35+ day trips from Portland, Oregon.
      35+ Day Trips from Portland
    • highway in the Pacific Northwest with title text that reads "Family Road Trip Tips."
      Road Trip Tips + Free Travel Printable
    • Road trip printable bingo cards with title text that reads "Road Trip Game Printables."
      Free Printables: Road Trip Games

    This article was first published on March 10, 2020. It was updated with more recipes, new content, and some updated photos and republished on July 22, 2023.

    « Broccoli Crunch Salad
    Free Printables: Road Trip Games »
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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Alesia says

        May 15, 2023 at 10:43 pm

        Listen- I rarely leave comments but this page is too incredible. You have done your WORK! I mean the options are excellent and everything is so thorough but not overwhelming. Iโ€™ll be trying most of your baking suggetions. We are a GF, corn free and soy free household and I feel like Iโ€™ve tried nearly everything in the book. But this gave me new hope that there are still new things to enjoy for our littlest family members!

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          May 17, 2023 at 10:18 am

          So happy to hear you love these road trip snacks for kids, Alesia! Thank you for the kind compliment!

      2. Amy says

        July 19, 2020 at 1:52 pm

        I love that you have a wide variety of road trip snacks, Gluten free, protein packed snacks, and even some muffins! Canโ€™t wait to try the lemon flavored muffins. Thanks for your creativity, keep โ€˜em coming Marlynn!

        Reply
      3. Renee | The Good Hearted Woman says

        March 11, 2020 at 6:19 pm

        This is a great roundup of road trip snacks! I love that you've focused on relatively healthy, protein-rich options - it really does make a difference those long ride days.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:55 am

          Agreed! I always feel awful after road-tripping with junk food!

      4. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

        March 11, 2020 at 10:36 am

        With this roundup of road trip snacks - I'm definitely ready to hit the road! Thanks Marlynn!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:55 am

          Glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks, Erin! :)

      5. Katie Carrick says

        March 11, 2020 at 2:15 am

        YES! I always wait until the LAST minute and then I'm scrambling for what to feed my kids on the trip. These options are great.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:55 am

          Glad this was helpful! Thanks, Katie!

      6. Denay DeGuzman says

        March 10, 2020 at 3:06 pm

        I'm loving hard on this delicious collection of snacks for road trips. These are perfect for Spring Break!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:54 am

          Thank you, Denay! :)

      7. Emily Liao says

        March 10, 2020 at 2:53 pm

        Love this roundup! Will definitely be making some of these next time I'm on the road :)

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:54 am

          Thanks, Emily! :)

      8. jen says

        March 10, 2020 at 2:38 pm

        I'm from PDX too, and love all your ideas for road trips! Great snacks in here for mom and dad too

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:53 am

          Glad you liked the post! Thanks, Jen! :)

      9. Beth Neels says

        March 10, 2020 at 2:29 pm

        Such a great list of snacks, it's going to be hard to pick a couple for our vacation next week!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:53 am

          Why not all of it!? ;) Stay safe!

      10. Katie says

        March 10, 2020 at 2:21 pm

        So convenient and helpful! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:52 am

          Of course! Thanks, Katie! :)

      11. Becca says

        March 10, 2020 at 2:15 pm

        I love road trips! My kids are 9 and 12 so they do pretty well on car rides at this point. But snacks are a definite must! Love this list of road trip snack ideas, Iโ€™m road tripping this summer so I will have to keep this list to check back on. Thank you!!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 20, 2020 at 12:52 am

          Agreed! Safe travels!!

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      Hi! If you're looking for easy, fast, delicious family-friendly recipes, wine pairings, and travel tips, you've come to the right place! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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