Vittoria makes their Mezcal in 26x2.1. I have these tires in 27.5x2.1 size, and I think they're fairly comfortable and fairly fast for also having the traction they do off road (and the "look" of knobby tires). No, they're not extreme mud tires, but they might be a good middle ground for you.
https://www.vittoria.com/us/mezcal-cross-country.html