Nothing is safe from the reach of Hallmark holiday branding. That includes backpacking food, too. We entered into our search for festive trail snacks with a healthy dose of cynism: What peppermint-encrusted, eggnog-stuffed monstrosities would we find lining the shelves of our local outdoors store? To our great surprise—and gustatory relief—the cheer-infused bars and gels on offer were excellent, with some good enough to squirrel away as a treat for summer. The next time you stock up for a hut-to-hut trip or chairlift pick-me-up, rest-assured, these five energy-packed bites are worth the gamble.

Much like a pumpkin spice latte, this is one of those treats you have to be in the mood for—unless your’re a PSL lifer, in which case, we can’t relate. But when the craving strikes, it’s hard to resist. Sure enough, this quick burst of easily-digestible energy brings about all the festive fall feels, a dose of holiday spirit that we enjoyed on an early season ski tour. The downside? We’re not exactly expecting real pumpkin puree in a Gu pack, but it was a bit of a surprise to peep the ingredient list and not see a single familiar ingredient. 100 calories

For me, peppermint white chocolate is a flavor I can really only enjoy for a few weeks out of the year (peppermint chocolate, however, is welcome in my pack year-round). Luckily CLIF’s rendition doesn’t feature an over-the-top white chocolate flavor, instead focusing on the peppermint aspect. It’s worth noting that there used to be a white chocolate drizzle on this bar, so the absence makes the flavor a little more subtle and slightly less sweet, which I certainly appreciated as a white chocolate skeptic. 260 calories

It had been years since I’d snacked on a LUNA bar before this taste-test, and I was surprised to discover that it was actually my favorite snack on the list. It was sweet, but not overly so, and the mix of crunchy rice and oats, dark chocolate, and peppermint candy really hit the spot in the middle of a long snowy jog in Teton Valley, Idaho. 200 calories

It’s hard to go wrong with a LaraBar. We love a simple ingredient list, and this one is pared down to dates, pecans, and almonds. It’s healthy and delicious, with plenty of natural sugar from the dates for a quick energy boost, but if you’ve got a real hankering for pecan pie, this one might leave a little to be desired. High marks for taste and versatility—this is a bar that we’d snack on year round—but no one’s going to mistake this for the real, butter-and-sugar-filled Thanksgiving treat. 220 calories

Technically, this is a “kids bar,” but we found ourselves wolfing these spiced ginger treats down when our little ones weren’t looking. Made with warm wintery spices, dates, coconut milk, cocoa butter and sunflower seeds, there aren’t any unpronounceable ingredients on this list, which is always a major win for kids and adults alike. The gingerbread flavor is definitely there, but it’s not overbearing, and subtle sweetness makes this a relatively-healthy treat. One bummer? You’ll need to pound a handful of these for a significant caloric snack. 90 calories

From 2023