Today we’re stirring trail mix into whole grain, honey-sweetened cookies that are the perfect snack for taking outside on a beautiful spring day. Whether you’re going on a picnic, heading out for a hike, lounging at the park, or just going to work, I’ve got your snacking needs covered with these healthy little cookies.
These cookies are made with 10 simple pantry ingredients + your favorite store-bought trail mix OR a combination of any nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate your heart desires. Then, since I love the combination of salty and sweet in trail mixes, we’re adding a big pinch of flaky salt on top of each cookie.
Trust me, it’s the right thing to do.
The base of these cookies is coconut oil, almond butter, honey, and an egg.
To the wet mixture we’ll add oats, the whole grain flour of your choice (think whole wheat, oat flour, spelt flour, etc), cinnamon, baking powder and soda, and some salt.
Finally, trail mix joins the party, adding plenty of texture and flavor to every bite of cookie.
I opted to make my own trail mix with pecans, pumpkin seeds, dates, and dark chocolate chips, but you can toss in your favorite store-bought blend, if there’s a particular trail mix out there that gets you excited.
Trail mix combinations that get ME excited, and would make killer additions to these cookies are:
Salted peanuts, chocolate chips, and raisins.
Pistachios, walnuts, dried cherries, and white chocolate.
Almonds, sunflower seeds, and dried apricots.
Cashews, coconut, cardamom, and crystallized ginger.
Freeze-dried raspberries, coconut, and dark chocolate.
Seriously…the possible combinations are only limited by what’s in your pantry and your imagination.
The last step is to scoop and bake; this recipe yields 9 large cookies, an ideal size for a snack that actually fills you up, and bakes in just 12-15 minutes.
The dough can even be scooped ahead and frozen to bake fresh cookies anytime you need one, but my personal make-ahead preference is to bake a batch and then freeze them once cooked and cooled.
Then, when I’m in need of a snack, I either microwave a cookie for 30 seconds to get it warm, or just pack it into my bag frozen. By the time I’m ready for a snack later in the day, the cookie is fully defrosted and ready to be munched.
Whether you’re hitting the trails and in need of a hiking snack, heading out for a spring picnic, or just a human in need of sustenance (so, everyone, right?) I think you’re going to love these Trail Mix Cookies.
They’re subtly sweet, slightly salty, loaded with nuts and seeds, and the perfect anytime snack.
If you try them, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your cookies and share it with me on Instagram. I can’t wait to see your trail mix combinations!
+ check out more of my pantry staples here!
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 3 Tablespoons almond butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup whole grain flour of choice* (white whole wheat, whole spelt, or oat flour all work)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups trail mix**
- several pinches of flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (just for easy clean-up; if you don't have parchment these can just be baked straight on the pan).
- 2. Mix together honey, coconut oil, almond butter, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Once combined, add all remaining ingredients (except flaky salt) and stir well to fully combine.
- 3. Scoop cookies into about 1/4-cup sized mounds, to yield 9 large cookies. Use your fingers to flatten the dough balls down slightly, as they won't spread at all in the oven.
- 4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies have puffed and are golden. Cookie should still be slightly soft in the middle when removed from the oven. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. Let cookies cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing either at room temperature for up to 5 days, or the freezer for several months.
- *I tested these cookies with oat flour, whole spelt, and my usual favorite: white whole wheat flour. They all yielded a very similar cookie, so feel free to play around with whichever whole grain flour you love.
- **I used a combination of chopped pecans, dates, pepitas, and dark chocolate chips, but any mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate that you love will work well here. You could even add things like crushed pretzels, mini peanut butter cups, etc.
- Vegan friends: I think these cookies would work well with maple syrup and a flax egg instead of the honey and egg, if you'd like to experiment.